The young woman stared at me, disbelieving. I’d just told her the Lufthansa flight to Germany would be leaving from O’Hare International Airport’s Terminal 1, and not from Terminal 5, where we were standing.
“Are you sure?” she asked.
“Yes,” I said. “Lufthansa uses Terminal 1 for its outbound flights.”
She looked at her ticket, then back at me. “Are you sure?” she asked again. “Yes,” I repeated, explaining further about airline check-in locations at O’Hare.
She looked along the concourse, as if hoping Lufthansa’s ticket counter might suddenly appear nearby, then decided to try once more. “Are you sure?”
Despite the rise of the COVID-19 delta variant, air travel is thriving again, and O’Hare has regained its status as one of the busiest airports on the planet. Its size and general hurly-burly can cause many travelers to get mixed up about flights and gates and terminals — particularly with the added stress of COVID-19 restrictions, a travel advisory for half the country, and hundreds of flight cancellations in recent weeks.
That’s where the O’Hare Travelers Aid Office comes in. Its information desks — there are nine, scattered around the airport’s four terminals (yes, four) — are staffed by volunteers, and I’m one of them. In pre-pandemic 2019, the Travelers Aid Office helped 1.1 million people at the airport with the most takeoffs and landings in the world.
In this instance, the hapless woman in Terminal 5 had made a common mistake: Known unofficially as the International Terminal, T-5 is where almost all incoming international flights arrive, because that’s where the U.S. Customs representatives are located. (There are exceptions; Canadian flights get cleared by customs before departure.)
More than 30 airlines use Terminal 5 for outbound international flights. But seven use other terminals: In Terminal 1, you’ll find outbound international flights for United Airlines, Lufthansa and All Nippon Airways; Air Canada is in Terminal 2 (United’s here too); and American Airlines, Iberia and Japan Airlines use Terminal 3.
Terminal 5 is also used by three airlines — Southwest Airlines, Frontier and Sun Country Air — for outbound and inbound domestic flights.
Confusing? Absolutely. But we’re here to help you through it.
Here are some O’Hare traveling pointers, based on my five years of information desk volunteering and 50,000 travelers helped. Stick with it to learn what happened to O’Hare’s Terminal 4. (Hint: It still exists — sort of.)
How many airlines are at O’Hare?
About 50 passenger airlines fly into and out of O’Hare’s four terminals. I say about because that number changes. Just in the last few years, Southwest, TAP Air Portugal, Ethiopian Airlines, Denver Air, Sun Country and Air New Zealand began flying into O’Hare. Qantas, El Al and Air Italy have also expressed interest in beginning O’Hare service.
Do you know which airline you’re flying?
A surprisingly large number of travelers are unable to answer correctly. It can be confusing because of a process known as a “code share.” Several airlines can sell tickets to the same flight if they’re partner airlines, even though only one of them will be making the flight.
So, even if you booked through American Airlines for a trip to London, for example, you should review your airline code and flight number. You may be on a British Airways flight, because American and British are partner airlines. That’s important because American’s flights, including its London flights, leave from Terminal 3, and British Airways flights leave from Terminal 5.
The airline code and flight number are the key; if you can find that information, you can easily determine your gate.
What your flight number tells you
Your airline code and flight number are on your boarding pass, in surprisingly small lettering, given how important they are. Most airlines have a two-letter code, although a few airlines use one letter and one number.
Some of the codes are easy, like AA (American Airlines), DL (Delta Air Lines) or UA (United Airlines). Others aren’t so easy: NK is Spirit Airlines, F9 is Frontier Airlines, and WN is Southwest Airlines.
After the code is your flight number, which could be one to four digits. If your flight number has four digits, it’s likely to be a code share with partner airlines.
A few terminal quirks
JetBlue and Alaska Airlines have ticket counters and baggage claim in Terminal 2, but both use gates in the G concourse, which is in Terminal 3. (It’s a relatively short walk.)
United uses Terminal 1 and 2, but United’s Terminal 2 check-in area is only for travelers limited to carry-on luggage. Even if your United boarding pass says Terminal 2 (E gates and F gates), you must go to Terminal 1 if you are checking luggage.
Conversely, if you arrive on a United flight in Terminal 2 and have baggage to retrieve, you must walk to Terminal 1.
Delta uses E concourse gates only. Air Canada is even more specific: All its flights use either gate E2 or E3. The smaller and discount airlines such as Spirit and Air Choice One and Cape Air and Denver Air usually use the L concourse gates in Terminal 3.
Read signs carefully — especially this one
There are signs near O’Hare’s Blue Line train stop, underneath the parking garage, that list airlines by terminal. Many airlines are listed in Terminal 5, but several have a very important added phrase: “international arrivals only.” In other words, those airlines don’t depart from T-5.
The stress of travel can cause people to scramble that information — they don’t see that crucial extra phrase. The result is frustrated people who make the trek to T-5, find out they’re in the wrong terminal, and then blame the sign.
Why isn’t my flight on the big screen?
O’Hare handles close to 2,500 flights every day. No flight screen is that large. You won’t find your Terminal 3 flight on American Airlines posted on any of the United boards in Terminal 1, and vice versa. Use a search engine or a travel app (most airlines have free ones) or the nearest Travelers Aid information desk for up-to-date flight information.
Do I have to go outside security to get to my next flight?
Probably not. Because of O’Hare’s design, you can walk from the most remote gate in Terminal 1 to the farthest corner of Terminal 2 or Terminal 3 while staying inside the TSA security stations. T-5, in an unconnected separate building, is the only terminal requiring a shuttle.
An important note about Terminal 5 departures
Most T-5 airlines don’t open their ticket counter until about three hours before their scheduled departures, but they’re strict about closing their ticket counter 60 to 75 minutes before the flight is scheduled to depart. Plan accordingly.
Which baggage is yours?
Many flummoxed people have come to one of the Travelers Aid desks because they picked up the wrong bag from a carousel and didn’t realize it right away.
For domestic flights, airline representatives are relatively easy to find. However, if this happens for an international flight in Terminal 5, it’s difficult to fix because the baggage claim area is inside security — which travelers can’t access once they go outside.
If you own dark-colored luggage — as many travelers do — put an easy-to-see, highly legible name tag on your bag. While you’re at it, tie a bright-colored ribbon on a bag handle for quick confirmation you’ve got the right one.
Parking at O’Hare
First and foremost, remember which lot you’re in. O’Hare’s eight parking lots are designated by letters, A through H.
Lot A is the big parking garage inside the giant U-shape formed by Terminals 1, 2, and 3. If you’re in that parking garage, and you remember which floor you’re on (they’re designated by Chicago sports team names), that’s good, but you’re not done yet.
Remember, write down or take a photo of the number of the closest elevator bank. The garage has six numbered elevator banks, spaced from one end of the garage to the other. You’ll save yourself time if you know which elevator bank is closest to your car.
Some O’Hare trivia:
O’Hare Airport was named for Edward “Butch” O’Hare, a skilled U.S. Navy pilot who received a Medal of Honor for his exploits in the Pacific Theater during World War II.
O’Hare’s airport code, ORD, stands for Orchard Field, the airport’s original name. The name was changed to O’Hare International Airport in the 1950s, but the code wasn’t.
I said earlier I’d tell you what happened to Terminal 4. Many O’Hare travelers have noticed that the terminal numbering is curious: 1, 2, 3 and then 5.
What happened to 4? It was used as a temporary terminal in the 1990s, when the current Terminal 5 was being constructed. When Terminal 5 went into operation, Terminal 4 was converted into what is now O’Hare’s Bus/Shuttle Center. It does still look like a small terminal.
The hotels near O’Hare pick up their guests here, and the regional buses arrive and depart here. (They also stop at Terminal 5.) If you’ve got too much time on your hands, see if you can find the one leftover sign identifying Terminal 4. Hint: It’s in an oddly tucked away location near a seldom-used elevator.
These tips are a fraction of what people ask about at the information desks. Remember: If you don’t know … don’t be shy about asking! O’Hare is ginormous. It’s OK to be confused. The Travelers Aid people enjoy being helpful — you’re why we do this.
Jon Ziomek is a freelance writer.
