Travelling through O Hare to Toronto - who best to fly with?

Question

I am travelling first time from Australia to Toronto. My international flight ends in O Hare and i then have to get a flight to Toronto

From what i read on the O Hare website it seems like it might be easier to book a United or American Airlines flight to Toronto rather than Air Canada as we can leave our luggage with airline reps of United or AA after passing through customs and immigration etc on arrival at OHare before we transit to another terminal to check in for the Toronto flight. From what i understand if i book Air Canada we will have to take our luggage with us to the next terminal and do full check in there.

Not too sure how big an issue this is - any suggestions / comments ???

Thanks

Answer

When traveling internationally and connecting at O'Hare to a domestic flight, your choice of airline can certainly impact your experience, especially when it comes to transferring luggage and handling customs and immigration.

You're correct in understanding that United Airlines and American Airlines can be more convenient in some cases, especially if you’re flying into Chicago on one of those airlines and connecting to a domestic flight with the same carrier. The reason for this convenience is that both airlines have hubs at O'Hare, which allows them to handle inter-terminal luggage transfers for you after you pass through customs and immigration. This means you can skip the extra step of reclaiming your checked bags and re-checking them at the domestic terminal, which saves you time and effort.

However, if you choose to fly with Air Canada, there is an important difference: since Air Canada is not a U.S. domestic airline (it’s based in Canada), it operates its own terminal (Terminal 5) and requires you to collect your checked luggage, clear customs, and then take it with you to another terminal for your connection to Toronto. This can be a bit more cumbersome, as it means additional time spent navigating between terminals and going through security again before boarding your flight to Toronto.

That being said, here are a few things to consider:

Booking with United or American Airlines: If you’re already flying into O'Hare with one of these airlines, sticking with the same airline for your flight to Toronto can streamline your experience significantly. You’ll be able to leave your luggage with the airline representatives after passing through customs and then proceed to your connecting flight without needing to go to another terminal.
Air Canada: While Air Canada offers a direct connection to Toronto from O'Hare and can sometimes be more affordable, you’ll need to account for the extra time it takes to go through customs, collect your luggage, and then re-check it at another terminal. It’s still possible to make this transfer, but it may require a bit more time and coordination, especially if you're traveling during peak hours.
Terminal Transfer Time: O'Hare can be large and busy, so if you do choose Air Canada, it’s important to allow extra time for your transfer between terminals. Depending on the time of day, security lines and wait times can vary, so you may want to allow 2-3 hours between flights if you’re using different airlines.

To answer your question, booking with United or American Airlines might be a simpler and less stressful option, especially if you’re unfamiliar with O'Hare and don’t want the extra hassle of transferring your luggage between terminals. If you do choose Air Canada, make sure you factor in the time needed for customs and the terminal change.

Safe travels, and enjoy your trip to Toronto!