How early should I arrive at O Hare?

Security and Customs at ORD There are 10 security checkpoints across the four terminals, each with designated pre-check lines. It is generally advised to arrive at least 90 minutes before a domestic flight and 2-3 hours before an international flight.



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Thanksgiving and Christmas tend to be the busiest travel days of the year, but other holidays like Memorial Day, July Fourth, and Labor Day also see some of the highest volumes of air passengers. So far this year, daily passenger numbers have been growing each month.

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Terminal 1 / Concourse C
  • All Nippon Airways.
  • United Airlines.
  • United Express (ExpressJet)
  • United Express (GoJet Airlines)
  • United Express (Mesa Airlines)
  • United Express (Shuttle America)
  • United Express (SkyWest Airlines)
  • United Express (Trans States Airlines)


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Generally, the first three terminals are considered domestic terminals and are easily traversed. All three of these terminals are connected by pedestrian walkways, making them so much easier to cross than having to wait for transportation to take you to them.

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How long do I need for a connection at ORD? If the flights are with the same airline, gates are typically a very short walk and you can make connections that are 30 minutes or a little less. For domestic flights on different airlines where you have to switch terminals, plan for a minimum one hour connection.

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It's a long walk from F to C, including having to take the underground walkway between B and C (with escalators down and up), I'd say 15-20 minutes. But there is a shuttle bus from E to C, which could save a few minutes.

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Generally, Tuesdays and Wednesdays are the best weekdays to fly. Thursday is a bit more expensive but still reasonable. Saturday is usually the cheapest weekend day to fly.

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Generally, Tuesdays and Wednesdays are the best weekdays to fly. Thursday is a bit more expensive but still reasonable. Saturday is usually the cheapest weekend day to fly. That does not mean you cannot find great flight prices on the other days of the week.

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Most people don't like the time wake-up times required to hit the earliest flights out of the airport, so a “first flight of the day” oftentimes offers less packed airplanes as well as easy breezy airport concourses. As a bonus, the early morning flights almost always have the best on-time records.

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Solid food items (not liquids or gels) can be transported in either your carry-on or checked baggage. TSA officers may instruct travelers to separate items from carry-on bags such as foods, powders, and any materials that can clutter bags and obstruct clear images on the X-ray machine.

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