Never been on a plane before. And don't know anything about airports but I bought a flight ticket to Hong Kong with 1 layover in Chicago. (1 hour and 45 min layover)
How do layovers work? I'm from Canada and will be landing in US Chicago first. What do I do once I leave my original plane? Do I go to immigration? Do I get my luggage and then prepare to board next plane? Both? Will the airport staff go out of their way to help me?
Simplified instructions really appreciated
>>1185812
You're flying the same airline I suppose for both legs? Likely you'll be kept in the behind-security nature of the international terminal and just change gates. The deal is that you pre-clear TSA with immigration as a Canadian from Toronto, so that transit thing where you used deplane and do US immigration isn't quite the same as it used to be or that other citizenships have to face. Call the airline to be sure. And, of course your flight attendant and a gate agent when you deplane in Chicago will be very helpful.
https://www.cbp.gov/border-security/ports-entry/operations/preclearance
You might have to lose your water bottle if you buy one in the terminal in Canada and wish to bring it through Chicago to the next flight :(
>>1185816
The first plane i'm flying is American Airlines. The second is ANA airlines.
Is going through immigration a quick process?
>>1185817
>Is going through immigration a quick process?
I find lines long at OHare in general. They were famously the worst of the worst in the last bit of news.
ANA code shares with United and Air Canada, not American. So your bags aren't exactly checked through :(
You may have to collect your bag in Chicago and recheck it. There will be people there to help and answer questions. You will figure it out, do not panic. The people at airports deal with newbie travelers all the time.
you can be fucked.
The retarded countries, souch as: US, China, Canada, Australia, don't have an international transit zone. So even if you only transit through an airport, you still have to go through immigration - and then back. While that "back" thing in US is actually transparent, the "in" part (immigration) may be arbitrary long. And they don't give a shit if you miss your connection. You can't cut those lines at immigration either - the other people waiting may not mind, but the security won't let you. 1h45 is really not much, so it depends on your luck.
I once travelled in a group of 12, we had a connection from Europe to a domestic flight in Chicago, and we had 3 hours between flight. The incoming flight was just 40min late- and w all missed our connection because of the immigration shit.
fuck that shit.
Whenever you fly, try avoiding a connection in the US
>>1185820
>So your bags aren't exactly checked through :(
This has always been the case with m, until last time I flew on two airlines -- they would/could not check them through going outbound, but did coming home. No idea why. But that makes me think it is always worth asking, just in case weirdness.
>>1185812
>1:45
>What do I do once I leave my original plane?
RUN!
At least that is what I'd do, unless I know that this is enough time. US airports are a pain in the ass and a waste of time. So definitely do not wander around the airport, being amazed at all the things you see the first time or somethig.
Some places require the visa of the stopover country as well as the visa for the country you're visiting. This won't be a problem for you as a Canadian, I'd imagine, but it's worth keeping in mind whenever you book a flight.