Cold Chicago, Warm Planes – To Chicago with AA and BA
Back to O’Hare, American Airlines Flagship Lounge
- Let’s Play “Stacking Discounts!” (The Introduction)
- We’re going where the air is free (NX210 to LHR), BA Galleries Lounge AA Flagship Lounge
- AA87 London Heathrow T3 to Chicago O’Hare T5
- Crowne Plaza O’Hare
- Hyatt Regency O’Hare
- One Time Exception – Millennium Park
- Back to O’Hare T3, American Airlines Flagship Lounge
- AA4253 Chicago O’Hare T3 to Toronto Pearson T3
- Toronto, Oh Toronto…
- The British Airways Galleries Lounge, Toronto
- BA098 Toronto Pearson T1 to London Heathrow T5
- Arrivals Lounge, Homeward Bound
- Warming up slowly…
After returning to the hotel, I retrieved my luggage and completed the final bits packing. With that done, my friends were heading off for their flights on Delta. With not much else for me to, I chose to head out at the same time – and head for one of the AA lounges.
The shuttle did its job, dropping my friends off T2, and then dropping me off at T3. A tip to the driver, and I was ready to rock.
O’Hare Terminal Three
After couple minutes working out where was going, I headed off to the premium check in queue. I was seen to promptly and have a lovely chat with the ladies at the check-in counter.
My bags were accepted without any issue and boarding passes were issued for the American Eagle and BA flight from Toronto to London. I was also reminded that I would have to collect my luggage at Toronto and recheck it before connecting to my London flight.
With that I headed off to premium security.
The queues moving rather quickly with the TSA out in force. As usual I opted out of the nude-o-scope scan and was patted down. This only took a few seconds to been seen to, and the process was as reasonable as ever, taking a few minutes of the security agents time. Once cleared I was set to go and lad on my way.
Past security
Towards the gates
The Hall of Flags
After checking which gate my flight will be departing from – noting it was going from the H gates, I decided that the best course of action was to do duty-free quickly and then head straight for the Flagship Lounge.
Duty-free was disposed of very quickly with the items I wanted purchased. With that done, it was off to the Flagship Lounge.
American Airlines Flagship lounge
I was welcomed to the lounge and greeted. My boarding pass scanned, and the gate that it would be departing from. Once that was done, I was given free range of the lounge, with a note that no call would be made for the flight.
It also gave me a chance to write important post stating why I was happy to fly that day – three days after the MH370 disappeared
However, there are some advantages going to the Flagship lounge over the Admirals Club – even if its slightly further away from the gate – mainly the free flow food and drink for a minute extra walk (that and the proactive service when something goes wrong goes a long way in my book).
But there was food – mainly snack based, but enough for this time of day:
Food spread
Sushi
Cruets and filled rolls
Fruits
Why yes, I do have Grey Poupon.
It was a much quieter place than the flagship lounge is, with no silly tickets for drinks – rather more focused on getting the passenger ready for the next place they need to go to – the point of a good airline lounge.
Time ran on, and soon enough, it was time to leave the lounge, and head to the gate. After the messup I made last year due to me missing my flight, I tend to leave the lounge a bit earlier than normal. Or, I was clockwatching as normal. Take your pick.
Heading to the gate pen, it was going to be a busy flight as the waiting area was crammed tight. Still, there was time to inspect what sort of plane would carry me towards Toronto that evening – and indeed it would be one of American Eagle’s brand new Embraer E-175s
The call was made for boarding, and I took my leave of the United States, along with my duty free. With the boarding pass beeped, I headed down the jetway for the short hop over to Toronto.