K1 - Flight and two airports in US.

[Texasav8r 183]

ORD is actually pretty good about handing out expedite passes at your arrival gate. However, that is for US residents that go through the standard Customs entry. It would not hurt to ask for one and letting them know your situation.

A 19.00 arrival is usually pretty busy as many International flights are arriving around that time but it can be slow as well...you never really know. Once you pass through Customs/Immigration, you will need to reclaim your luggage that was checked (it goes through customs and inspection also) at the carosel which is right there in front of you as you pass through. There will then be another line that will check your paperwork AGAIN (not sure why) and then you will go to handlers (about 50m) down the hallway and re-check your luggage (if you feel you have time to catch your flight). At that point, if you have 45 minutes or more before your connecting flight, I would check it and get moving. The man/woman standing there will help guide you where to go and if he/she feels you have time to make it. You will then go straight and up stairs to catch the train to the domestic terminal listed. There is another security checkpoint at the domestic terminal but it is usually not too busy at that time of night.

Basically, I would plan on staying the night in Chicago but try to make your connection. Plan for the worst and hope for the best. Don't panic at this point...you made it in the country and just need to relax and know you are almost there. If you get "stuck" in Chicago, try the Chicago style pizza and get a good nights rest. Tomorrow is a new day and you will be home

Good luck.

[tehans 52]

I doubt 2 hours will be long enough. In Chicago after you go through passport control and they process your packet, you have to go on a small train from terminal 5 to terminal 3 then go through security. I have made this trip many times, my wife is from Poland (Aleksandrow near Lodz).

Can you take the 12 pm flight from Warsaw that comes to Chicago around 3:30?

Edited March 17, 2014 by tehans

[cappucino boy 29]

I'm sorry, I really wasn't sure where to post this. So please move the thread if I picked the wrong place Sorry!

I wanted to ask, since we are looking into tickets to US. Fiance already booked one for me (Yes, I know we should be waiting when I get the visa in hand, but hopefully before then I should have it ). What worries me is that it's a flight from Poland to Chicago and there is a change of plane and final destination is Washington. Will they be checking my visa papers in both of those places? Or Chicago doesn't count since I'm only changing planes within the one flight there?

Since Chicago has the largest population of Polish in the country you'd think they would be able to process Polish Nationals very quickly but I have heard from wife's relatives and friends that it's not the case.

[Roel 7,192]

Thanks everyone for answers, didn't expect so many respones

But yeah, the ticket is booked so there is little to do with it at the moment. I will just try to rush in and ask everyone on the airport for the chance to speed up the line/process/something. If not, I'm not scared of the night on the airport. Just happy to know that they would book me another flight.

[Bill and Vicky 25]

Roel,

If you miss the connection because you were delayed in Immigration, they *may* rebook you for the next flight but they don't have to. They will try for the next available flight, but if it's already full you might get to wait longer. They could just say "too bad, you're on your own", but they don't usually do that. Be polite and friendly with the gate agents.

On the other hand, if you were *scheduled* this way (when she bought the ticket, she bought Poland-Chicago-Washington as one itinerary) then you can argue that the two-hour layover isn't enough time to make the immigrations/customs/connection and it's the airline's fault. If you're thinking along those lines, I agree with a previous poster that you might want to call the airline (or have her do it), point out that two hours is just not enough time, and ask them if they can move you to an earlier flight. Sometimes they'll consider doing this for no charge. Other times they'll tell you that it will cost X thousand dollars to change the fare, and then you can just say "never mind...leave me where I'm at."

O'Hare is an interesting airport, but I don't think I'd spend the night there.

Personal note: don't carry any fruit off of the airplane and into Immigration. My mother tried to carry an orange off of a flight from Ireland into O'Hare. I managed to convince her we wouldn't make our connection if Customs decided to make an example of her.

Regards,

Bill

[David & Diana R 1,005]

I'm sorry, I really wasn't sure where to post this. So please move the thread if I picked the wrong place Sorry!

I wanted to ask, since we are looking into tickets to US. Fiance already booked one for me (Yes, I know we should be waiting when I get the visa in hand, but hopefully before then I should have it ). What worries me is that it's a flight from Poland to Chicago and there is a change of plane and final destination is Washington. Will they be checking my visa papers in both of those places? Or Chicago doesn't count since I'm only changing planes within the one flight there?

Just Chicago. That will be your point of entry (POE). You have been warned, you should not have purchased your ticket yet...

Thank you. So that would be Chicago. Hopefully processing will be fast though, I will have only 2 hour layover there

A 2 hour layover??? That's risky even not going through immigration processing. I've been to O"hare several times and it can take nearly an hour to walk and find a gate, the place is friggin' huge! Wow tickets purchased too early and not enough layover time. You are just looking for problems. Good luck

Edited March 17, 2014 by David & Zoila

[David & Diana R 1,005]

Fiance said that once I have a booked flight they shouldn't really leave without me - when it's just a change of planes. Or in case if I would, they would book me the soonest next flight. So that's something

Yeah right, they are gonna hold an entire plane full of passengers just so you can get to the plane. Where does your husband live? With all due respect it seems he is not a big-time world traveler. No offense but he as made several mistakes already and you don't even have your visa in hand yet. He should look into cancelling your flight out and making sure you have more like 3 to 4 hours layoever in Chicago. I'm just saying...Good Luck

[Roel 7,192]

Hah. Is there really a need for that tone here, David&Zoila? I know we are taking risk here.

And my questions have been answered for which I'm grateful

[David & Diana R 1,005]

Hah. Is there really a need for that tone here, David&Zoila? I know we are taking risk here.

And my questions have been answered for which I'm grateful

No tone intended. If you detected a certain tone in my writing I apologize. That's the trouble with the writter word. Once I used all caps only to find out I was yelling? HAHAHAHAHA, I had never heard that before. (See I was just shouting hahahaha) I was just trying to stress the fact that if I were you I would reschdeule everything. In my humble opinion your fiance has booked everything too closly. I'm sure he can wait for you to get to him for a few hours more? It might be worth the extra cushion.

God Bless you both

Edited March 17, 2014 by David & Zoila

[David & Diana R 1,005]

Thanks everyone for answers, didn't expect so many respones

But yeah, the ticket is booked so there is little to do with it at the moment. I will just try to rush in and ask everyone on the airport for the chance to speed up the line/process/something. If not, I'm not scared of the night on the airport. Just happy to know that they would book me another flight.

By the way...the airlines are not obligated to book you another flight if you miss your connection. If they choose they can simply say, "sorry you missed your flight. You will have to buy a new ticket for x thousand dollars to get to your final destination."

Just saying, that's all.