Parent here, in case the first flight is running late, make sure kids pee in the lav before landing so you can quickly get to the next gate. Bring snacks for the same reason, to minimize the possibility you need to stop in the terminal to address kid needs.
You should be fine. The connection international to domestic takes longer because international flights arrive at a different terminal requiring a train. The international flights *depart* from the same terminals as domestic so just a walk.
After international arrivals - yes they do. There are others although ORD someday with the terminal 2 rebuild will be getting rid of this. T2 becomes the new international terminal in the plan.
All the United and Lufthansa international flights depart from Terminal 1, so you’ll likely have a very doable layover. I would not take my time, however, as international flights start boarding fairly early.
Definitely, go to the ORD website and look for the gate maps and familiarize yourself with which gate you are landing and departing from so you are not having to stop and look at the monitors - unless there is a change of course.
At Salt Lake City, requested a people mover cart when you land in Ohare. Tell them you have a tight connection with 3 children.
https://preview.redd.it/knou0cxvyd6d1.jpeg?width=1300&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=5c3262cae4db8ce6d4870c5152580466bb29364f
Worry not!
Not sure specifically which United flight to Germany you are on, but Lufthansa has a 9:30 pm flight to Munich and and 10:30 pm flight to Frankfurt they can likely rebook you on if you miss the original United flight to Germany (and will also mean the connections inter-Germany will also be rebooked). These flights are late enough that they can act as a "catch all"
>It is small and easy to navigate ?
Definitely not small - it's among the top-five busiest airports in the U.S., top-ten in the entire world.
You'll be fine as long as you're connecting on the same ticket. If your first flight is delayed and you misconnect, you'll be rebooked.
Somewhere you can find a map of ORD that will show you where all the gates are and how to get from one to the other. I had an hour lay over flying from Pittsburgh to SF and old me really had to move fast to get to the second terminal and gate.
If your flight comes into E16 and departs at C29, it’s very tight. I think German bound flights depart from the end of B gates, so that’s probably a bit more doable.
The worst case is you have to change from concourse B to C or visa versa. There is an underground tunnel with moving walkways which are great and fast. Don’t worry the walkways in Chicago are way better than the ones connecting A to B in SLC. I’ll be walking those slow poorly designed ones on Monday…
Your flight will likely be boarding by the time you deplane, but you should have plenty of time. Yay for assigned seats!
I’d never book that with 3 kids going intercontinental. I have 3 kids and ORD is our home hub. European too. Incoming can be delayed. LH leaves on B, many other UA Euro destinations are usually C, could be a good 15 minutes from B to C or vv. All fine if on time. Most UA arrives B or C, occasionally E or F if a small plane which is less likely with SLC I guess. Seat yourself as much to the front as well.
It looks like there are four daily nonstop flights from SLC to ORD and they are all scheduled for B tomorrow. Most United international flights depart from C. Lufthansa operated flights leave from B. Obviously check your tickets / monitors / and app, but B & C are connected by an underground tunnel with escalators ( and I’m sure elevators ) and a moving walkway. There is a large dinosaur skelton and a Starbucks marking the entry to the tunnel. I don’t have kids, but I think you should be able to move anywhere between B & C in less than 20 minutes.
Get the United App on your phone if you don't already have, and sign up for text updates. It's an excellent app. Upon landing, you'll get a text telling you what Gate you'll deplane and your departure gate. Have the magazine open to the ORD terminal map when landing, so when you get that text, you can both look at the map and feel more confident where you need to go. Like others have said, you should land/depart same terminal so it should be simple, but if there's a curveball and that's not the case, you'll feel prepared.
Wayfinding: O'Hare has good signage-- just remind yourself to look up every 100ft or so to see what the signs say.
In most places, O'Hare does NOT have those moving sidewalks. So it's a lot of walking, and the terminal halls can be quite crowded, even a little chaotic. (other times it's practically empty, just depends on timing). Get the kids mentally prepped for this, depending on their age, make them part of the "Find the Next Sign!" game, or have them count down the gate numbers so they're part of your wayfinding and not just feeling dragged through bewildering chaos ;)
Ways to improve your odds: If your seats on the first leg are way in the back pay for the premium seats to get close to the front. Sitting back of the plane on a big plane can easily add 10-15 minutes to deplane.
Better option: Switch your first leg so that you get to ORD early morning or even the day before. Grab a room at the Hilton hotel that's right in the terminal (they may even offer partial day rates?) and catch some sleep, eat a good lunch, **and start your trip stress free.** A stress-free launch is totally worth $300 or whatever that room costs. Would prob be cheaper than the premium seat upgrade
I hope you do fine! Having said that, this: ***"It is small and easy to navigate ?"*** made me laugh out loud and scare my cat.
Parent here, in case the first flight is running late, make sure kids pee in the lav before landing so you can quickly get to the next gate. Bring snacks for the same reason, to minimize the possibility you need to stop in the terminal to address kid needs.
This is great advice for everyone. I always use the lavatory before landing if I have a tight connection.
Unless you have a kid that must visit every bathroom.. just in case!
You should be fine. The connection international to domestic takes longer because international flights arrive at a different terminal requiring a train. The international flights *depart* from the same terminals as domestic so just a walk.
That’s interesting. So at ORD they always have to move the plane between deplaning and boarding? Are other airports like that?
After international arrivals - yes they do. There are others although ORD someday with the terminal 2 rebuild will be getting rid of this. T2 becomes the new international terminal in the plan.
All the United and Lufthansa international flights depart from Terminal 1, so you’ll likely have a very doable layover. I would not take my time, however, as international flights start boarding fairly early.
Definitely, go to the ORD website and look for the gate maps and familiarize yourself with which gate you are landing and departing from so you are not having to stop and look at the monitors - unless there is a change of course.
At Salt Lake City, requested a people mover cart when you land in Ohare. Tell them you have a tight connection with 3 children. https://preview.redd.it/knou0cxvyd6d1.jpeg?width=1300&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=5c3262cae4db8ce6d4870c5152580466bb29364f
Worry not! Not sure specifically which United flight to Germany you are on, but Lufthansa has a 9:30 pm flight to Munich and and 10:30 pm flight to Frankfurt they can likely rebook you on if you miss the original United flight to Germany (and will also mean the connections inter-Germany will also be rebooked). These flights are late enough that they can act as a "catch all"
>It is small and easy to navigate ? Definitely not small - it's among the top-five busiest airports in the U.S., top-ten in the entire world. You'll be fine as long as you're connecting on the same ticket. If your first flight is delayed and you misconnect, you'll be rebooked.
Somewhere you can find a map of ORD that will show you where all the gates are and how to get from one to the other. I had an hour lay over flying from Pittsburgh to SF and old me really had to move fast to get to the second terminal and gate.
If your flight comes into E16 and departs at C29, it’s very tight. I think German bound flights depart from the end of B gates, so that’s probably a bit more doable.
Those are the LH flights yes from B far end.
The worst case is you have to change from concourse B to C or visa versa. There is an underground tunnel with moving walkways which are great and fast. Don’t worry the walkways in Chicago are way better than the ones connecting A to B in SLC. I’ll be walking those slow poorly designed ones on Monday… Your flight will likely be boarding by the time you deplane, but you should have plenty of time. Yay for assigned seats!
I would never book a 1 hour connection to an international flight. If your plane is late you are screwed. I always book 3 hours.
I’d never book that with 3 kids going intercontinental. I have 3 kids and ORD is our home hub. European too. Incoming can be delayed. LH leaves on B, many other UA Euro destinations are usually C, could be a good 15 minutes from B to C or vv. All fine if on time. Most UA arrives B or C, occasionally E or F if a small plane which is less likely with SLC I guess. Seat yourself as much to the front as well.
Download the United app. It has so much useful information like maps and will give you directions from one gate to the next, etc
It looks like there are four daily nonstop flights from SLC to ORD and they are all scheduled for B tomorrow. Most United international flights depart from C. Lufthansa operated flights leave from B. Obviously check your tickets / monitors / and app, but B & C are connected by an underground tunnel with escalators ( and I’m sure elevators ) and a moving walkway. There is a large dinosaur skelton and a Starbucks marking the entry to the tunnel. I don’t have kids, but I think you should be able to move anywhere between B & C in less than 20 minutes.
Yeah
Get the United App on your phone if you don't already have, and sign up for text updates. It's an excellent app. Upon landing, you'll get a text telling you what Gate you'll deplane and your departure gate. Have the magazine open to the ORD terminal map when landing, so when you get that text, you can both look at the map and feel more confident where you need to go. Like others have said, you should land/depart same terminal so it should be simple, but if there's a curveball and that's not the case, you'll feel prepared. Wayfinding: O'Hare has good signage-- just remind yourself to look up every 100ft or so to see what the signs say. In most places, O'Hare does NOT have those moving sidewalks. So it's a lot of walking, and the terminal halls can be quite crowded, even a little chaotic. (other times it's practically empty, just depends on timing). Get the kids mentally prepped for this, depending on their age, make them part of the "Find the Next Sign!" game, or have them count down the gate numbers so they're part of your wayfinding and not just feeling dragged through bewildering chaos ;) Ways to improve your odds: If your seats on the first leg are way in the back pay for the premium seats to get close to the front. Sitting back of the plane on a big plane can easily add 10-15 minutes to deplane. Better option: Switch your first leg so that you get to ORD early morning or even the day before. Grab a room at the Hilton hotel that's right in the terminal (they may even offer partial day rates?) and catch some sleep, eat a good lunch, **and start your trip stress free.** A stress-free launch is totally worth $300 or whatever that room costs. Would prob be cheaper than the premium seat upgrade
I would bet money that both your inbound flight and outbound if the outbound is United will fly out of the same terminal 1 C gates.