Checking Bags on a Connecting Flight From Germany via ORD to LAX?

I don't know american airlines specifically so you should call the airline prior to your trip to be safe. That being said, I have never heard of airlines doing anything else, they SHOULD be automatically transferred for you. This of course is why I fly frontier, they have great prices, little tv sets in the headrests in all classes with both standard tv offerings and movies as well (frequently included with tickets depending on where you get them and all that), and they almost NEVER have anything but direct flights. What a great way to do business.

In addition to what others have already mentioned- your NOT arriving and departing in the same terminal. Lufthansa arrives in Chicago in the International terminal (5- gate M11 usually), and then you will LEAVE that terminal, take the train to terminal 1, go through security once again in the us domestic lines, and then connect.

Lufthansa gates in Terminal 1 are ONLY for departing flights to Germany, not those that arrive (because Chicago arriving customs ports are all in Terminal 5, they can process departing but not arriving passengers in other terminals).

But, this still doesnt make a difference, they still take care of your bags because the two airlines are part of the alliance- thats the point of an alliance.

1- Your luggage will be checked trough. LH and UA are part of the StarAlliance and will go direct to final destination.

BUT

2- You pick-up your luggage after In-migrations and BEFORE customs to go through Customs. Always, at first point of entry.

3- You put your luggage on the conveyors after customs and before the terminal. Luggage handlers will be available to help.

You have to go through customs & passport control at your US port of entry, ORD. You'll have to collect your baggage there, and re-check after customs.

yiou will go though immigation then you will claim your bags go though us customs

then you recheck them at the transfer desk for your united flight

You have to collect your bags at O'Hare in order to go through Immigration and Customs at O'Hare.

If the two flights are on the same ticket (one ticket number), then your bags will be checked through automatically. If these are separate tickets, you can call the two airlines to have the tickets cross referenced so that your bags get checked through to LA when you check in.

At O'Hare, you collect your bags to go through customs (after immigration), then once you're past the check point, there's a place where you drop off your bags. Your baggage tag indicating "LA" stays on the bags so you just drop it off and there are workers there processing connecting bags.

sorry cant help you but have a safe journey