Air Berlin to commence Berlin – Chicago route

It’s looking like Air Berlin is going to try another US expansion with the introduction of a Berlin to Chicago O’Hare route.

The route (due to commence on 23rd March 2013) will be the first direct link between the city, operating as follows:

AB7420 DEPART BER 10:00  ARRIVE ORD 12:10
AB7421 DEPART ORD 15:25  ARRIVE BER 07:00+1

Booked Equipment: Airbus A330-200
Schedule - see below

• March 23 until April 30  – three times-weekly – Monday, Thursday and Sunday
• From May1st – five times-weekly  – Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday

Now those of you with a keen eye will note the departing airport – BER – that’s the “new” Berlin Brandenburg Airport that suffered a false opening earlier this year. Hopefully that airport will be open, otherwise  this service will have to switch back to Tegel Airport (where Air Berlin is currently crammed into).

If you’re wanting to connect to this flight from Europe, it is timed so it will connect with 8 Domestic German city connections, and connections with Vienna, Zurich, Budapest, Copenhagen, Helsinki, Gothenburg, Oslo, Stockholm and Russia. If you’re wanting to connect from Chicago, there are a variety of American Airlines flights to choose from to get to O’Hare in time.

Again, a reasonable Europe <> USA connection. Whilst the departure time is a bit early from Chicago, it could be a reasonably popular flight on the USA bound segment as it gets in for a reasonable time of day.