Taking CTA from MDW to ORD (Chicago, Time: movers, how much, hotels)

[Tampaite]

We have an international flight to catch from ORD in December.

To save on baggage fees(~ $120), we are considering flying into MDW(on southwest - no baggage fees ) and then taking CTA( Orange line from MDW to the loop and then Blue line to ORD)

The question is: Considering we haven't taken CTA before nor are very familiar with the route. Is this do-able with 4 large suitcases(each about 50lbs) and 2 carry-on bags(10 lbs each)?

I suppose it will be cold and may even snow in Chicago - would we be hauling bags in open spaces across parking lots or would it be covered?

Time is not a factor - just concerned about heavy baggage.

Considered getting Cab or Shuttle but there won't be significant cost savings as opposed to flying directly into ORD.

[Vlajos]

I wouldn't do it unless you were really saving a lot ($120 doesn't cut it for me). It can be done easily enough though.

[jsk1983]

I've done that, though not in Chicago. Massive pain to transport that much stuff around without a cart. Not sure if there is a shared ride van between the two airports. May be something to look into. I used a service like this in San Francisco. Shared a van with other travelers throughout the downtown area. Went around to a few hotels and then hopped on the expressway to the airport. Was maybe $10 or so.

[emathias]

Describing it as "easy" with that many bags may be stretching things, but it would be easy without the bags. You wouldn't be uncovered at any point. You'd be outside waiting for the train at Midway and again when changing trains in the Loop, but you'd be under canopies.

At MDW, the CTA station is probably close to 800 feet from baggage claim, all walking. There are elevators for the parts where the level changes. There are also elevators at Clark/Lake where you'd transfer to the Blue Line to ORD.

Then at ORD, it's a pretty long walk to the terminals from the CTA station again. And if your flight departs from Terminal 5 (the international terminal, although some international flights do depart from the main terminals), you have to take the O'Hare shuttle train, which involves more elevators and yet another transfer to a smaller, automatic train.

All in all, with that much luggage, I'd expect the time from baggage claim to being in line to check your luggage at O'Hare to take no less than 2 hours, and it could easily take 2 1/2 hours or even a little more depending on how much the luggage slows you down and how long the transfer takes.

MOST importantly, if you would be arriving at Midway at or just before Rush Hour, your chance of being able to get onto an O'Hare-bound Blue Line train with that much luggage between 4:30pm and 6pm is, honestly, very low. You would have to wait for multiple trains to pass before there would be enough room for you and your luggage to get on.

I agree with Vlajos - the hassle would not be worth a savings of $120 to me. Flying internationally comes with enough stress and uncertainty as it is, the last thing I'd want to do is throw in an ordeal like that after one flight and before a second. My answer would be different if you each just had one 35-pound backpack. But with the luggage you describe, it's doable, but I don't think you'll enjoy the experience -particularly if you're doing it at rush hour.

EDIT: I second looking into shared vans. They might be a reasonable compromise for cost/time/hassle.

[jwaiter]

It depends heavily on the time you will be on the L trains. You want to avoid morning and afternoon rush periods.

[Kevin J]

The walk from the terminal at Midway to the Orange Line station is a little long, but none of it is actually outside. Most of it winds through a parking garage, so it may be cold in there, but you wouldn't have to worry about snow/ice. After the parking garage, you cross over a wide street on an enclosed pedestrian bridge (with a people mover), then you're at the station.

There is no direct connection between the Orange and Blue lines. There are two ways to make the switch. One involves going directly from Orange to Blue. This has the advantage of changing trains only once, but the disadvantage of requiring you to walk outside, though it's only for about two blocks. The other disadvantage of this method for someone who doesn't know the area would be not really knowing your way around. But it's a perfectly safe area and all you would have to do is ask someone on the street to point you in the right direction.

The other way of making the switch has the advantage of not having to walk around outside at all, but the disadvantage of having to switch trains twice. With this method, you would take the Orange Line to Roosevelt. At Roosevelt, you would switch to the Red Line going north. The Orange Line is an elevated train and at Roosevelt, the Red Line is underground. So making the connection will involve you dragging your luggage down two flights of stairs (the escalators only go up).

You would then take the Red Line north to Jackson. When you get off at Jackson, somewhere in the middle of the platform will be a set of stairs leading down with signs saying Blue Line. Those stairs take you to a tunnel that connects the Red Line to the Blue Line. The tunnel only goes one way, so you can't get lost. This part of the trek will involve taking your luggage down a flight of stairs and then back up when you get to the other side. With this, you will finally be at the Blue Line, where you would take the train to O'Hare.

Once you get to O'Hare, depending on which terminal you're leaving from, you may have to do a lot more walking to get there. But there are escalators and people movers everywhere, so you won't have to do any more heavy lifting, and the people movers will make some of the long stretches go a little faster.

Although you mentioned that time is not a factor, just FYI, this trip will take at least 90 minutes

You didn't say how many of you are travelling, but hopefully, each one of those 50 lb. bags will have a separate person to carry it. If that's the case and it's wheeled luggage, as I assume it is, you should be ok. $120 is nothing to sneeze at, so I understand your motivation. Particularly if doing this on the return will save you another $120.

[jwaiter]

Originally Posted by Kevin J

There is no direct connection between the Orange and Blue lines. There are two ways to make the switch. One involves going directly from Orange to Blue. This has the advantage of changing trains only once, but the disadvantage of requiring you to walk outside, though it's only for about two blocks.

Am I missing something?

There is a direct connect, it's at Clark & Lake, all inside, only you have to to go down from an elevated track to a subway track, still, it's very easy!

[Drover]

Keep in mind you're looking at an hour and a half of transit time alone from airport to airport -- that doesn't count the time spent walking from terminal to train or time spent waiting for the train to depart from Midway or waiting on a Blue Line transfer. All said, you're realistically looking at 2 hours from terminal to terminal. And then there's hauling all of that crap around...

Just fly into ORD.

[Jandur]

Originally Posted by jwaiter

Am I missing something?

There is a direct connect, it's at Clark & Lake, all inside, only you have to to go down from an elevated track to a subway track, still, it's very easy!

Yep.

That being said it sounds like a pain in the ass to save $120, especially if you can afford two overseas flights.

[Golden Camel]

Yes, there is a direct connection at Clark/Lake where you just go down the stairs and don't have to pay again. The disadvantage is that you will be boarding at the north end of the loop after most of the downtown commuters have already boarded and filled up the cars. As has already been mentioned, if you are traveling at a busy time, you may have a hard time squeezing in with so much luggage.

Another factor to consider: Southwest does not interline. Which means that you will have to buy a separate ticket for the Southwest portion of your journey. If something should happen (a bad storm, a mechanical problem, a plane just running late) and you can't get to your international flight on time, neither Southwest nor your international carrier will take responsibility for getting you to your final destination. As far as Southwest is concerned, their only responsibility is getting your to Midway eventually (or refunding your fare to Midway). As far as your international carrier is concerned, you just didn't show up for your flight.

On the other hand, most other carriers have interline agreements which means that you can book a single ticket/itinerary even on competing airlines. Each airline is then responsible for getting you to your final destination if they somehow screw up on a connecting flight. And have you priced a through ticket? It may be possible that booking a single ticket from your home to your foreign destination will be cheaper than buying two tickets. Many airlines have alliances that allow them to quote a single fare all the way and not pay separate fares from your home to Chicago and then from Chicago to your final destination.

Even if it's cheaper to fare the domestic segment separately, you can still book both on the same ticket/itinerary.

And, incidentally, most airlines allow at least one free bag on international flights. If you are flying on a single through-fare (rather than two separate tickets), they will just charge you the international rate. And, other than a few airlines like Southwest, most airlines can through-check your luggage to your final destination even if you are changing carriers and you certainly won't be charged two luggage fees.

I think you would be well-advised not to plan your domestic and international segments separately. Buy your whole trip on a single itinerary.

But if you still want to go through with your plan, take a cab. It will be very difficult to lug that amount of stuff around the 'L' system and up and down stairs. The shuttle prices have risen so much that it will probably be cheaper for two people to share a cab than take one of the shuttles.