TRIP REPORT: There and Back Again – Long Haul Catch up with friends in Chicago with Oneworld Airlines

There and Back Again – Long Haul Catch up with friends in Chicago
Back to the back with American Airlines and British Airways

It’s time for a new trip report, this time taking me to Chicago. Whilst not as dramatic as previous trips, I’m sure there will be some fun on the way.

In this adventure

• Let’s have a Melancholy Introduction
• To the 2:40 Coach and Heathrow Terminal 3
• Lounging in Terminal 3 with Cathay Pacific and American Airlines
• AA99 London Heathrow to Chicago O’Hare (Main Cabin)
• Into the USA and The Holiday Inn/Staybridge Suites, Rosemont 
• Airplane Art Extra from the Holiday Inn/Staybridge Suites, Rosemont
• Hyatt Regency O’Hare
• Airplane Art Extra from the Hyatt Regency O’Hare
• An Unveiled Bean – Seeing Cloud Gate after works at the Plaza
• Did I mention I hate suitcases? The Hunt for a Replacement
• Exploring The Loop from Above with the Chicago L
• Random Food Adventures in Chicago 
• Off to O’Hare Terminal 3. Wait. T3? With the American Airlines Flagship Lounge
• BA296 Chicago O’Hare to London Heathrow (World Traveller)
• Coffee and the Coach
• One step forward

Editors Introduction

Well, for you this is a quick introduction to the next trip. In the real world, it’s been a little harder, to put it mildly. 

Welcome to the end-of-year check on how Joint Business Partners British Airways and American Airlines are doing, how the passenger experience is, and whatever comes to mind… or happens. 

Onto the usual bit. Whilst I am using Grammarly a lot more than I should (dyslexia is a pig and gets me most days of the week), my usual detractors who moan about my spelling and grammar can read this press release I wrote a few years ago about this inconstancy and how I deal with it. 

Let’s have a Melancholy Introduction

Whilst I didn’t need to be simple, the Singapore trip had left more than a lasting mark on me.  Why? Readers who are in and out of the blog know why.

So when I knew I had to be in Chicago for another trip… I’ll be honest, my heart wasn’t in it.  Combined with a lot of other crap that’s been going on in the real world, honestly – I was close to pulling the plug on this trip a mere few days before check-in opened.

And that would be a hard thing to do – but honestly, the idea of six days in bed, vegetating in the managed mess that is my home was more than tempting.

But commitment and friends are important, as is getting away from the service desk and the helpdesk console – and stop spitting out the words “Why haven’t you logged a service desk ticket first?”

With the rate I’m going, that’s going to be my work epitaph carved into a building.

So it’s time to drag my melancholy ass out of first gear and get on with things to make stuff happen.

Or something like that.

The fare engines have been harsher than I’d like over the past few years, with cheap or discounted fares to Chicago in October being… non-existent. At some point, I was looking at a return of £650. Thankfully, a British Airways sale saved my backside by £70, dropping it to £581 in Economy Class – with buy-ups to World Traveller Plus being more than a little rich for my tastes.

Even if the tier points would be rather tasty, it has forced a change in my qualification plans. That’s something I’m working on.

Thus, I decided on my usual choice of flight – an early flight out to Chicago, and a late flight back to London (AA99 for the outbound flight, BA296 for the inbound flight). That gives me a reasonable amount of time to play in, as well as do a little exploring

As well as two airline experiences, both in the heart of oneworld.

For hotels, something a little different – as I’m in the Holiday Inn in Rosemont (a new build/combi property with Staybridge suites) for the first night of this trip

I’m staying at Hyatt Regency O’Hare for the rest… as I need a place to crash after hanging out with people at 2 am in the morning.

With National Express showing they hate travellers with luggage (and charging £10 extra each way for baggage), my return fare came in at  £60.70. The only upside is that it’s cheaper than driving and parking at Heathrow.

With those basics all in hand,  we have everything I allegedly need to make this show go on the road.

Which leads me to packing. For a Chicago trip, I normally start two weeks before to ensure everything is in situ. This time. 4 days before.

I wish I was joking – for the amount that travels with me, it’s not exactly a good thing.

Call it work burnout or other things that are playing in my life (where a lot of the “friendly it help” has changed to “log a ticket first”).  I’ll be the first to admit I don’t like that way of working… but I tire at the moment far too easily.

With chocolate in hand, and a plan (allegedly) it was time to up sticks and head to the windy city one more.

And hope my phone doesn’t get stolen on this trip. Other disasters… I can handle.

Well, just about.

Next:

How I do love the coach station at 2:40 in the morning. Stop me if you’ve heard this before…

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