Why Celebrate?
A Celebratory Trip to Chicago
Contents:
- So, Chicago eh. That’s really different.
- Take the National Express, Manchester Airport, British Airways Terraces Lounge
- BA1385 Manchester Airport to London Heathrow
- T5 – Pick a lounge. Any Lounge – British Airways Galleries South, Galleries T5B
- BA295 London Heathrow T5 to Chicago O’Hare International
- The joy of O’Hare and Crowne Plaza O’Hare
- Experiments with a Canon 40mm lens
- Hyatt Regency O’Hare
- Using Amazon out of your home country in a pinch
- Back to O’Hare, The New AA Flagship Lounge
- AA86 Chicago O’Hare to London Heathrow T3
- Terminal change shenanigans, British Airways Galleries North
- BA1386 London Heathrow to Manchester Airport
- Luggage delivery incompetence, last-minute changes, and CrossCountry Trains home
- Why celebrate?
Why celebrate a simple trip to Chicago? It’s not for the airlines – but what travelling those airlines allow us to do – to connect with people. Some of you might remember one of the first trip reports that appeared on GhettoIFE/Economy Class and Beyond, where I went to Philadelphia and New Jersey to say goodbye to a friend.
And it’s a constant reminder to me to keep up the friendships and to share the happiness
Even when your friends remember you coming over for over 10 years, twice a year to say hello.
Let’s have a one-line look back at this trip
National Express – Good on the way out, useless on the way back. Such is life.
Manchester Airport – whilst I understand Terminal 1 is being redeveloped, Terminal 3 is still a pain up the whatsits to get to.
British Airways Lounge Manchester Airport – As welcoming as ever.
BA1385 (Manchester-Heathrow) – One of the best crews I’ve encountered all year on BA. Well done!
BA Galleries – Seriously – if your flight is going from B Gates – head to that lounge. Quietest Lounge at Heathrow
BA295 – Ambient Basket Pass. ‘Nuff said?
The Crowne Plaza O’Hare – Solid as always. Welcome after a long haul flight.
The Hyatt Regency O’Hare – The hotel was fine, but sort out the billing systems please…
AA Flagship Lounge – One Hell of an improvement.
AA86 Chicago to London – It might be a night-time transatlantic flight – but again, better than the BA equivalent in every single way. .
BA1386 Domestic – London to Manchester – Passable. And good to fly on G-MIDO once again.
CrossCountry trains – They got me home.
And that’s your lot for this adventure. Lots of different experiences – and certainly re-considerations when I travel next year.
But wait – I can squeeze in just one little trip before the end of the year can’t I? Well tough – I did.
Join me as I celebrated my 42nd birthday aboard in “Life, The Universe and Everything – 42! With British Airways to Zürich”
And it’ll just be in time for upcoming festive season. Expect snow.
A lot of it.
Until then – I thank you as always for putting up with my ramblings.
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