Lucky727 From Canada, joined Sep 2003, 600 posts, RR: 2 Posted (1 year 3 months 2 weeks 5 days 18 hours ago) and read 2322 times:
Hi Folks -
I'll be flying YYZ-ORD-FLL next month with UA(x)/CO, and I was wondering about transferring terminals there: most likely T1 to T2 or vice-versa.
It looks like it could be done on foot, without leaving the secure area, or via the shuttle, which seems to be outside security (?) Haven't been to ORD in over 20 years, so not at all familiar with it.
Other factors to consider: 1:10 connection time, around midday on a Thursday (crazy-busy security or not?), and possibly leaving the secure area for a quick smoke, if timing allows (lol).
aloges From Germany, joined Jan 2006, 8357 posts, RR: 47 Reply 1, posted (1 year 3 months 2 weeks 5 days 4 hours ago) and read 2284 times:
I guess you are pre-clearing US immigration and customs at YYZ? Otherwise (AFAIK) you would arrive at the international terminal. In that case, you would have to leave the secure area and take the shuttle train to T1 or T2.
If you do arrive in T2 and need to get to T1, or the other way around, you can indeed stay inside the secure area - which I strongly recommend given your connection time. Your path will be through this curved walkway between T1 and T2; the automated shuttle trains are indeed outside the secure area and across the access road.
Walk together, talk together all ye peoples of the earth. Then, and only then, shall ye have peace.
yeogeo From United States of America, joined Jul 2009, 790 posts, RR: 14 Reply 2, posted (1 year 3 months 2 weeks 5 days 2 hours ago) and read 2274 times:
Do you know what aircraft you are flying? (If you do not, you can go to the UA website and look it up). A-320 or A-319's, which are the most common UA a/c on your route, will arrive in terminal 1, B or C gates. There are a few UA YYZ flights which are operated with ER4's. These would (almost always) arrive in Terminal two as would a United flight number operated by AC (AC gates are E1 - E2). You will not have to deal with a transfer from the International Terminal.
Walking from T2 to T1 is a simple matter, done within security. Follow the signs. There is a shuttle bus between T2 (at gate E3) and Terminal 1, C gates which can save some time if your departure leaves from the C's.
Quoting Lucky727 (Thread starter): Other factors to consider: 1:10 connection time, around midday on a Thursday (crazy-busy security or not?), and possibly leaving the secure area for a quick smoke, if timing allows (lol).
Midday Thursday should not be overwhelmingly busy, but I would not recommend going outside of the secure zone with a little more than one hour to transit, IMO, especially if your departing from the C gates. If you depart from a convenient-to-security B gate, you could scope out the lines without committing yourself and possibly manage a smoke, but its risky!
Quoting aloges (Reply 1): the automated shuttle trains are indeed outside the secure area and across the access road.
A fine point: the transit system is not across the road, but above it; one doesn't need to cross any roads to access the "trains", but this is irrelevant anyway as this poster will definately not be arriving in Terminal 5.
yeogeo From United States of America, joined Jul 2009, 790 posts, RR: 14 Reply 4, posted (1 year 3 months 2 weeks 5 days 2 hours ago) and read 2264 times:
Quoting aloges (Reply 3): I had been unsure about the term... should it be "people mover"?
Yeah, they're not trains per se because there are no rails (the system operates with broad tires on parallel rollways -see link where you can make out the rollways in the photographs).
Transit System or People Mover will do, but "trains" is both misleading and confusing as there is, as you say, the Blue Line of the L at the airport as well.
WROORD From United States of America, joined Mar 2009, 811 posts, RR: 0 Reply 5, posted (1 year 3 months 2 weeks 4 days 23 hours ago) and read 2251 times:
Terminals 1, 2 and 3 are all connected within the secure area and you can easy walk between them. The transfer bus makes sense only if your flights are arriving/departing 2E, 2F and 1C, otherwise walking is pretty simple. As someone stated you will arrive/depart from terminal 2 if you are on United Express or Air Canada. Mainline United and United Explus arrive either at 1B or 1C. Don't miss Butch (model of Grumman F4F-3 Wildcat) at T2 on your way to T1.
With one hour between flights there is no time to leave secure area as it may take up to one hour to go through security again.
RamblinMan From United States of America, joined Oct 2010, 1081 posts, RR: 1 Reply 7, posted (1 year 3 months 2 weeks 4 days 20 hours ago) and read 2222 times:
Quoting Lucky727 (Thread starter): It looks like it could be done on foot, without leaving the secure area, or via the shuttle, which seems to be outside security
On foot is not as long as you might think...shuttle is also inside security. I forget which gate it leaves from but it is marked on the terminal maps in the UA seatback magazine.
I wouldn't risk it unless you can see the security line and can see that it is indeed short. I have waited less than 5 minutes and I have waited more than 30, and I cannot ever seem to predict which it will be.
Quoting yeogeo (Reply 4): Transit System or People Mover will do, but "trains" is both misleading and confusing as there is, as you say, the Blue Line of the L at the airport as well.
If someone asked me where the train is, I would direct them to the blue line station. Just sayin.
elbandgeek From United States of America, joined Jun 2008, 735 posts, RR: 0 Reply 8, posted (1 year 3 months 2 weeks 4 days 19 hours ago) and read 2214 times:
One thing to note is if your flight to FLL is on a PMCO plane, then it should depart from the low B gates right by the walkway from T2. That may change with the res cutover happening soon but since those gates are already configured for CO's 737s I don't think they'd start moving them around for awhile.
Lucky727 From Canada, joined Sep 2003, 600 posts, RR: 2 Reply 9, posted (1 year 3 months 2 weeks 4 days 16 hours ago) and read 2201 times:
Thanks for the advice guys! Much appreciated... I've studied the terminal maps again & will probably scope out the security line once I get to T2.
Quoting yeogeo (Reply 2): Do you know what aircraft you are flying? (If you do not, you can go to the UA website and look it up). A-320 or A-319's, which are the most common UA a/c on your route, will arrive in terminal 1, B or C gates. There are a few UA YYZ flights which are operated with ER4's.
This remains a bit of a mystery: my itinerary says a UAX CRJ, but between *A codeshares and the UA/CO merger I could end up on mainline or regional (or even AC, for that matter?) The res agent thought it might be AC, so who knows? The second leg seems like it will be on a PMCO 739 which I think will be a first for me.
Quoting aloges (Reply 6): you may receive something like this with your boarding passes:
That would be cool - although I wonder if AC (who I'll be checking in with) hands these out (?)
Roseflyer From United States of America, joined Feb 2004, 8746 posts, RR: 52 Reply 10, posted (1 year 3 months 2 weeks 3 days 23 hours ago) and read 2164 times:
Your connection time is not a problem. It is a standard connection for ua. The walk from f to c can take 15 minutes but it is not too bad if you follow signs and don't leave the secure area.
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Asking where the train departs might make people send you to the metro.
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