Layovers in Chicago

Since everyone is so helpful here about a number of topics, I'm going to post this to get some advice. I know this isn't a "cruise" topic, per se, but all of you fly to get to your cruise destinations so I hope you can advise.

I'm flying to Rome in August (to take an Oceania cruise, but with 2 days in Rome first) and have a connecting flight in Chicago. I've paid for, earned (through copious travel over many years) and saved enough frequent flyer points to fly first class. I booked my flights 8 months in advance, including a a 7 hour layover in Chicago, because I wanted to make sure there were no delay issues. I figured I could sit in the Admiral's club and relax and read for the duration. I'm on vacation, after all.

After a few months, American automatically canceled/changed/whatever my connecting flight to Chicago and automatically re-routed me with only a 55 minute layover in Chicago. I called to try to change back to a different flight with a longer layover, and I got a ton of grief. They told me they couldn't change without canceling the entire trip which would throw me out of first class to Rome, and that every time a flight adjusted itself by a few minutes I would be re-routed to the "best" connection all over again, because that is how their system works. Apparently, the "best" connection is a 55 minute layover.

So my question is two-fold. One, do I have any recourse with American? I sent a complaint to customer service and just got a form letter reply that if I didn't like the flights they'd refund my frequent flyer miles. Yuck - thanks for all the support to your frequent customers. My second question is this.... do you think 55 minutes in Chicago is enough? I know I'm being totally anal but I've spent MANY nights on a cot in the Chicago airport over the course of my business career and all of those experiences sucked.

Thanks for your help and advice.

I have connected in ORD so many times I have lost count. And the most delays I have ever experienced were when connecting there.

I almost missed my plane to Copenhagen a couple of years ago... I had an hour and a half layover. Our plane was late leaving from MSP due to thunderstorms and we literally had to run the airport ( with 3 kids). Tense.

That is just one of my Chicago stories.

Hope you work things out and enjoy your trip. Being in first does facilitate TSA lines and such...maybe all will go smoothly!

We were in similar situation - using FF miles through Chicago to Europe to board Sirena in July. Just like you I purposely booked a flight with a long layover (overnight) at ORD and to meet up with friends there. Sure enough AA changed my SAN to ORD flight so that my connection was only 90 minutes. Enough time but we already booked hotel, plans with friends, etc.

I called AA Advantage awards reservations desk (not the general reservations number) and explained. The rep was great and manually moved us back to the original flight, saying it was their fault for the change. We are in coach for SAN-ORD but first ORD-LHR (as it was originally). You may want to try calling several times to get that "friendly" rep. Good luck.

There is an expression among the people of the frequent flyer community known as HUACA - Hang Up And Call Again.

It works almost every time to find a more knowledgeable, more informed and a kinder agent.

When the airline changes your flight, you have more options and rights as compared to when you want to change your flights on your own.

I am sure someone at AA (even if it takes a supervisor) will be able to accommodate you and find you a seat on a better flight, even if it involves a manual override and finding an award seat that would not be available otherwise.

Be firm , persistent but polite.

Good luck!

PS If you have no luck, you may want to seek advice on Frequent Flyer on AA forum from very experienced and knowledgeable frequent flyers (it is for flyers what Cruise Critic is for cruisers)

Only 55 minutes at ORD is a very bad idea. HUACA for sure. If it doesn't all work out as originally intended, a last resort is to connect with Christopher Elliott, a travel writer and ombudsman who gets results. Google him if his column is not in your regional newspaper.

Award date and time changes are free on AA as long as the routing does not change. Check for SAAvaer award availability for your XXX-ORD flight (where XXX is your currently booked hometown airport) in the 24 hours prior to your ORD-LHR flight. I assume you are flying through LHR since you said you are flying first class and AA's ORD-FCO flight only has business class. If you find SAAver award seats on your XXX-ORD leg that you prefer then call AA and make the changes.

When schedule changes are made, some agents will go out of their way to help and make exceptions if award space is not available. In that case I agree HUACA is your best option.

Another heads up to HUACA with American-they have always been good about changes on awards flights.

Also, avoiding Chicago if there is any chance of bad weather is a good idea when possible. On our summer flight 2 years ago to northern Europe through ORD, our 4 hour layover evaporated when we had to wait on a runway in St Louis (not where we originated) for ORD to reopen after thunderstorms. We got across the airport and to our gate just in time to board. Then we sat on the plane for an hour and a half waiting for another squall to pass. On the return from Europe, we had about 80 minutes to make our next flight. We made it with time to spare because we had only carry on and there was a special line for such people at customs. ORD can be tricky.

There is an expression among the people of the frequent flyer community known as HUACA - Hang Up And Call Again.

Yes. Yes. Yes.

It works almost every time to find a more knowledgeable, more informed and a kinder agent. When the airline changes your flight, you have more options and rights as compared to when you want to change your flights on your own.

 

I am sure someone at AA (even if it takes a supervisor) will be able to accommodate you and find you a seat on a better flight, even if it involves a manual override and finding an award seat that would not be available otherwise.

Be firm , persistent but polite.

Once again: Yes. Yes. Yes.

You may get push-back if you ask to speak to a supervisor. The agent will try to intimidate you by saying there will be a wait for a supervisor. Your immediate answer should be "no problem!" It will be much easier to be on hold for a bit rather than miss your trans-Atlantic flight.

If you have any kind of physical limitation, this is the time to mention it. As in, "Sorry, but if I have to walk from gate to gate under stress and at top speed because of my tight connection, I'm going to have an asthma attack."

If you want to try the technical approach, look up the on-time departure percentages for your flight into Chicago. If the percentage is low, mention that as a reason for wanting to build more time into your layover between flights.

Make the phone call prepared to counter any resistance you get from the agent.

We had frequent flyer tickets out of ORD to SEA for an Alaska cruise. Going we got nonstop but we had a connection in California on the way back. There was a time change on one of the flights leaving us a 3 (three) minute time frame to make our connecting flight.

The original flight had been canceled and the only option the agent could find was a 2 stop, adding Phoenix and a couple of hours more travel time, getting us back after midnight.

I explained that this would be unacceptable and impossibly difficult. She put me on hold for awhile to talk to a supervisor and the return was changed to a much more convenient nonstop to Chicago.

It seems as if when there is a change in flight time, the computer just puts you where it wants you. We have had similar situations before. American Airlines has been very gracious about making a change to something more reasonable. An agent explained to me that one thing that happens is that when a time is changed by a few minutes, the original flight number is canceled and you are put on the next best thing. Sometimes the original flight will be back up a few minutes later with a new number but by that time you will have been automatically rebooked on a weird connection.

I've gotten in the habit of frequently checking my flight times and connections. Problems seem most likely to come up when there are time changes due to daylight savings time between the date of booking and the date of the flight.

Mary

I don't know if American leaves from one of the main terminals, if they don't and you have to transfer to the International Terminal, which involves a train ride and going through security again. You will need a lot more time. It can take that long just to get to the terminal from the others. I would insist on more time on the ground in Chicago.

I avoid ORD at all costs! Even if you made your connecting flight, I'd worry about any checked luggage making the transfer. Good luck in getting this changed- looks like you've gotten great advice!

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AA domestic and international flights all leave from the same terminal in Chicago, but I would not accept such a short connection for an international flight there unless it were to LHR which has multiple departures per day. Hang up and call again, as others have suggested. They changed the schedule, not you.

I just got American to change my flights because they changed the schedule and reduced the connection time. The reps were great and worked hard to find me a schedule that was even better than the one I originally booked.

Call again. Ask for a supervisor. It's a service industry

You know, it would be a LOT better if the OP bothered to actually supply some information - folks here have access to data which could find alternatives. Something like....cities involved, dates, times, flight numbers.

That said, one thing to remember is that you will have MUCH greater success if you do your own research into alternatives BEFORE you call AA (or any airline). Know what your preferred reroute is, then your second alternative and so on. Don't just wait for the agent to find you something better - have your own action plan.

Which is why providing your origin city and the like is so important. I might have been able to find alternatives for you and post them here. But, since you post general questions and info, general answers are what you get.

Yes. Yes. Yes.

 

 

 

Once again: Yes. Yes. Yes.

 

You may get push-back if you ask to speak to a supervisor. The agent will try to intimidate you by saying there will be a wait for a supervisor. Your immediate answer should be "no problem!" It will be much easier to be on hold for a bit rather than miss your trans-Atlantic flight.

 

If you have any kind of physical limitation, this is the time to mention it. As in, "Sorry, but if I have to walk from gate to gate under stress and at top speed because of my tight connection, I'm going to have an asthma attack."

 

If you want to try the technical approach, look up the on-time departure percentages for your flight into Chicago. If the percentage is low, mention that as a reason for wanting to build more time into your layover between flights.

 

Make the phone call prepared to counter any resistance you get from the agent.

Thanks to everyone above for all their help and advice. I appreciate it very much!!