United Airlines to Denver through Chicago

A snowHead

Hello all, very luckily going to Winter Park, Denver in a few weeks. I have tried their 'excellent' customer care number, but am fed up of having phone center people read the website back to me rolling eyes

Has anyone ever done this trip? From some reports it appears I will have to pick up baggage at Chicago and recheck it in again, although United's site does say for transatlantic flights baggage will be checked right through even with a stop over. Bit worried as I am taking ski's and worried they will sting me with a large bill for taking the ski's on an internal flight where there is no baggage allowance to start with.

Any help greatly received Very Happy

A snowHead

You will not be recharged for baggage, it is a connected flight, but you do have to take it off one plane and check it on another, get a trolley, last time it was a very long way. Take comfortable clothes a nice comfy sweater/fleece the seats on UA are particularly uncomfortable if you are slim, rather angles and short leg space. You can book seats on both flights, aisles are best for the tall, windows for shorter sleep fans. But be aware if taking a window or middle seat, at night you have to climb over others to get to the loo if that way inclined, so isles are king.

Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?

Cynic, thanks, I fly a lot and am a very keen window fan, I can sleep pretty much anywhere so really enjoy the lean Smile

have some blow up pillows and I dont have to worry about the slim thing....I like to keep lots of insulation so I don't get cold on the slopes.

I have already booked the premium seats for the extra leg room and gets me a bit closer to the front of the plane, my connection time is 1hr 44mins.... which I am not sure I will make by the sounds of it, but I thought booking with 1 airline and in fact its even the same flight number all the way through, would be the best option. I have heard that chicago has a special orange ticket fast track thing for people on united flights which shorter connection times...we will see.

You need to Login to know who's really who.

I do this flight quite alot from Amsterdam (via Chicago,Newark or Houston ) to Denver with United.

Your bags will be checked all the way but United do charge for Skis (second bag). Guess you know that?

1.44hr is tight but you should do it but depends on delays & immigration queues. Also the transfer from the International terminal to the connecting Denver flights is quite far I would say at least 15mins & you have to go through Xray again.

I always allow min 2hrs.

Your sweat but should make it just, the connecting flight know your on your way & in anycase if you miss it there put you on the next flight (every 2hrs)

Fast Track you have to pay for in each direction & does not speed you through immigration (TSA is a complete authority of its own).

Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.

charliwest, It's standard to have to take baggage through Customs at the port of entry when going to the States. But all you do then is hand your baggage back in. On return flights I have made recently, there was no further action to be done with it after check-in it in at the regional airport before you collect at the baggage reclaim in the UK/Holland. If you are buying duty-free booze in the UK/Holland, don't forget that you have to go back through security before boarding your regional flight, so you won't be able to carry it on. At Atlanta, I packed mine in my hold baggage after customs before handing it back in - but I did get shouted at a bit - so maybe that's frowned on. On the return flights once I had cleared security at the regional airport, there were no further checks at Atlanta - same applied when I have been through Houston. From my experience, I would have though you'd be OK with a 1hr 44 connection time - I had loads of slack with 2 hours 35. That said, I was not flying through Chicago.

You'll need to Register first of course.

I have done this with UA. Never again, sorry. You must clear immigration at Chicargo. Collect your bags and recheck them after customs checks. We only just made the onward flight as immigration took an age. We then had to get the train to another terminal. Our bags didn't make it though ! I advice you to get off the plane as quickly as possible and the dash to immigration to get ahead of the hoards. I now avoid using a US hub. The BA direct flight gets you ther before sunset. The Lufthansa flight via Franfurt or flights via Canada are options. Good luck.

Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...

Thanks for all the feed back
stanton, It says I can take winter sports stuff as 1 bag, if I take nothing else I assumed they would take it, is that not the case? I am flying from Amsterdam as well, when I booked the flight there no other option for a later flight, only this 1 flight code, for the times I needed I mean. Hopefully won't have to take the later flight, a friend who is working out there is picking me up and might mess his whole transfer day up or I will be taking the bus.

achilles, good tip on the duty free, I'll wait for my stop over in Chicago on the way back then, I have a bit longer that way so will stock up on electronics and booze there Smile

Lechbob, I have been hearing some lovely stories about United and some of their staff, hopefully I will get one of the happy flight crews....although won't hold my breath. Once I'm on the plane all I ask for is to be left alone apart from when the feed me, I will be asleep most of the time anyway. Its TSA I am mostly worried about, I have heard they are a humorless bunch, but in case they are reading this like they did with twitter for that guy, I realize (I'll use the Z on purpose there) they do a difficult job and do a great job of protecting US and world citizens ...... Little Angel

After all it is free

charliwest, I was well looked after by Continental, recently, even in cattle class. They've merged with United; hopefully, the ethos has rubbed off.

*Ski* the Net with snowHeads

Lechbob,

We missed our connecting flight to Denver - Chicago was a bitch in all honesty, immigration, recheck bags, find sodding train, get off train and have to redo secuirty check in. I asked security if they had an express queue for international connections - "thats a good idea" was the response.

However, i would say that UA had 7 of us on the next flight to denver.

There's a really nice sandwich company in the UA domestic flight terminal - whopping big wedge of a warm turkey sandwich - nice cold beer - two hours soon passed.

snowHeads are a friendly bunch.

From stanton's telemark link

snow reports

We've done this one a few times and have still been standing in immigration when the onward flight left. Double ball ache as we then missed the flight to Aspen and had to spend the night in a Denver hotel with no help from UA. But sometimes it has worked like clockwork.

Yes collect all luggage, although the last time we did it there was only a few meters between collect and deposit. We had a very talkative customes guy who wanted to know all about the skis we had and why. We were never sure if we were being questioned or not!

Any chance of stopping over in Chicago as its a great city?

achilles, I have seen people doing exactly that at airports, no carry on, to much weight in baggage, stick it in a bin liner, and off they go. Seems so pointless, its the same weight in the end.

Stella, I will be traveling alone, for me a night in an unknown city alone probably wouldn't be all that fun. I know what you mean though, I was trying to arrnage with a friends a stop in NYC on the way, I have never been to the US so thought I would make the most of it, but it all got to complicated in the end, but means I get more time with my best mates in Denver who I haven't seen in ages.

You know it makes sense.

charliwest, first time in the States? Keep an eye on your banknotes. Same colour, same size from $1 to $100. Barmy, but that's the way it is.

Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:

When we did the connection to Aspen a few years back you collected the bags but then dropped them almost immediately through some double doors to the transfer area (not a full check in, just a bunch of United guys taking the bags back off you). Might have changed since though.

Help!!

United Airlines to Denver through Chicago

snowHeads Forum Index >>> The Piste