No good deed seems to go unpunished – whilst Chicago O’Hare International is improving airside transfers, it is making life for those who are leaving Terminal 5… much more challenging.
If you think your journey is ending when you enter Terminal 5, it’s going to be a lot more complex – Image, Economy Class and Beyond.
Currently, you’ve got many choices when trying to leave the Terminal 5 area – be it taxi, private hire, Uber, Lyft, Shuttle buses and so on.
Well, Lfyt and Ubers users will have to do a lot more walking and luggage dragging, as rideshare pick-up has been moved to Terminal 2.
The change will go into effect from Monday 27th February
For those who are unaware, Terminal 5 at O’Hare is out on its own, away from the Central Terminal Area, where Terminals 1, 2 and 3 are located.
Passengers who require a rideshare from O’Hare Terminal 5 will have to:
- Exit the secure area
- Head upstairs to the Airport Transit System (dropping off their trolly on the way).
- Take the ATS from Terminal 5 to Terminal 2
- Drop down to T2 Departures
- Exit the terminal
- Join the rideshare line/waiting area outside Terminal 2, outside Depatures.
Here’s the excuse that comes from Chicago’s Department of Aviation.
The change is the latest in a series of efforts by the CDA to reduce congestion in the lower level arrival lanes at O’Hare by consolidating most app-based pickups at one location: the upper level departures area of Terminal 2.
What are the options?
The Chicago Department of Aviation adds that Taxicab stands and black car pick-ups will continue to be available at all terminals, and all rideshare drivers will continue to drop off departing passengers as normal at all terminals.
In its mitigation, they say that an ATS ride between Terminal 5 and Terminal 2 takes approximately five minutes and is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
What a boneheaded move
I’ve noted that Terminal 5 has become a lot busier since Frontier, Southwest and Delta have moved in. That probably accounts for the move the airport has made, due to the three-lane system in the arrivals area.
Whilst there’s always been “a crowd” at the far end of Door T5A over the far island, it seems that congestion is
That doesn’t account for the increasing number of International travellers who must use Terminal 5 as their point of entry into the USA, who now need to move themselves (and their luggage, because luggage carts aren’t allowed on the ATS.
Good luck schlepping this lot around for example – Image, Economy Class and Beyond.
International travellers will no doubt be tired and just want to get to their hotel, home or other location – and picking up a Lyft or Uber normally is a cost-efficient way of getting to that next place (have you seen how much a ride downtown in a Chicago licenced taxi is?).
That’s a major ask for them to shift all their items to another terminal. Families will be hit too, as with anyone with more than a trolly bag.
Whilst I understand the desire to contain and manage traffic flows, I am unconvinced by these moves being anything but unfriendly to tired travellers at the end of a long trip, finding they have to navigate an airport, all because they can’t manage the traffic that’s there.
All I’m going to say is – there had better be some apologising officials and people with signs directing people where to go (and signage to go with it) on Monday.
It’s going to be very messy otherwise.
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Sounds like the taxi owners and the airport are in collusion. Probably as corrupt at the NYNJ Port Authority.
Did JB Pritzker get a cash payout from the taxi and towncar companies or was it just a political favor? What a PIA T-5 is. They already are understaffed at TSA and border control. The passport lines are often 2+ hours for non-GE folks. Crazy bad management at ORD.
For the passenger, my option headline applies.
What a boneheaded decision.
I am so not looking forward to going through the place in March.
The city that used to “work” doesn’t any more. Inept leadership at the top all the way down. It’s a clown show.
More idiotic decisions under the eye of Mayor Beetlejuice
Not sure if this is the right move but the last time I tried to get a pickup from T5, it took 45 minutes for the Uber driver to even arrive due to the congestion at T5 and then another 20 to leave the area. It was completely insane….
I smell the bacony-rich scent of airport-taxi association collusion here.
It does smell rather well done