DTW-ORD-DEN-SAN
This trip is actually bittersweet for me, as I am most likely going to switch to US/AA for my domestic travels; in part due to the lounges. In my rush to get star gold, I was fueled primarily by lounge access and extra luggage. Well, after the recent devaluations, and realizing just how awful most of the United lounges were, I decided I would rather fly in comfort (Exit rows) rather than in economy.
Being based in SW Michigan, most of my flights are either out of GRR or ORD, and the last time I flew out of DTW was nearly 10 years ago on AirTran to Orlando. Having a $200 evoucher, I was able to book a really reasonable (before voucher) $410 one way (P) fare to San Diego , as I will be interning there for the summer. Flying out of the north terminal at DTW would let me rekindle the joys of flying out of Detroit, but more importantly get me into Lufthansa’s lounge before I jump ship. This trip report details my one way trip to ORD, DEN, and finally SAN with some bonus lounge reporting. Hope you enjoy!
DTW
Relocating out for the summer, I was a little nervous about taking everything out. I have a tendency to over pack, but almost always fly light. Being star gold and flying in biz, I had access to 3 suitcases plus a carry on and personal item, so I was actually able to pack quite a lot. My third suitcase was my hockey bag, however the night before I managed to break the zippers off my hockey bag (D’oh!), so I had to use a replacement suitcase.
The drive from my brother’s apartment was a quick 35 minutes. The Michigan weather is currently 50 something and gloomy, and the forecast for San Diego is a balmy 80 and sunny. As we got closer and the plethora of CRJs flew overhead, I actually started to get anxious for flying for the first time. The flights themselves don’t bother me at all, it’s just the whole moving across the country away from everyone feeling.
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Total cost for bags? $0
We parked short term and my brother helped me make the walk across the enclosed bridge to the terminal. With a 1:47 pushback, the building is nearly empty. There are two people in front of me in the premier lane who look as though they’ve never flown before. However I get up, check in at the kiosk, and my bags are processed. The woman tells me that my bags have to be weighed to make sure they are under 50 lbs (I thought I got 70lbs?), but my bags weigh in at 47, 45, and something like 20 lbs. I ask the woman to be careful with one of my bags as I’m traveling with a monitor in one of my suitcases, but she forgets and just tosses my bag onto the belt (hopefully I padded it well!). I have pre-check due to global entry and am now about 10/10 with that, so it’s onto the empty security checkpoint. I go to the Pre-Check lane, before being barked at to go out and go through the other lane (the non pre-check lane) before the other woman goes “Pre-Check?” “Oh, okay, you’re good.” She apologized after, and I was through security in a record ~ 10 seconds.
After walking through and trying to catch a peek onto the runways (there’s a single spirit plane), I just decided to head right to the Lufthansa Lounge.
LH Lounge
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If DTW can have this, why not ORD?
The LH lounge is tucked away next to the D1-D7 gates at the southern pier of the North Terminal. There is both the business and senator lounge, but only the left side is currently open – I’m not sure what side it is, but the place is pretty much empty as the incoming LH flight doesn’t land until around 2 and take off until 5. They scan my boarding pass and when I offer my gold card, the LH lounge attendant declines and waves me on my way.
Their lounge is not very big, but doesn’t really need to be as there is only the one said LH flight to FRA everyday. This early, there is only snacks, booze, and liquor. Myself I opt for an espresso and some Fiji water (never tried it before). I snap a couple pics and send them to my family, before taking another gaze out the window. It’s a very relaxed atmosphere, but judging from the amount of fidgeting and moving around I’m doing I can tell my body is still pretty anxious about the move. I facetime my grandmother – one of my flying rituals – before starting up my laptop to start typing this report. There’s not a whole lot of action on the tarmac, but a Delta 747 – I’m guessing flight 630 from NGO – comes flying by with quite a bit of noise on the reverse thrusters. I wish I could have been able to snap a pic but I didn’t have the time. The Spirit plane next door leaving for Myrtle Beach is also taxiing, and that is about the highlight.
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Snacks
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Liquor
One advantage I have is that my flight to ORD leaves out of gate D6, which is the first gate over from the lounge, and I can see it perfectly from the lounge. My flight will be on an E170, my first time being on one. Of the six DTW-ORD flights today, 2 are on an E145, 3 a CRJ700, and this lone afternoon flight an E170. If I’m paying for first, there’s no way I’m going to be on an E145. As I could avoid the CRJ’s, this was the clear choice (if I couldn’t have, I would have flown out of somewhere else). I also have (had by the time you read this) the opportunity to move from 2A to 1A (always wanted to say I’ve been on a 1A (Q300 doesn’t count)) – but based on the seatguru review I stay in 2A. I finish typing up this part of the report before deciding to have a German beer – in this case Warsteiner. I myself prefer dark craft beers, so in terms of taste this is pretty bland for me. I wait to snap a couple pics of my plane since I have a great view of it from the lounge, before heading next door to board early.
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Drinks - I tried the Warsteiner (top right)
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View from the LH Lounge of my bird pulling up
DTW (Metro)-ORD (O’Hare)
Scheduled Takeoff: 1:57 pm
Actual Takeoff: 1:47 pm (10 minutes early)
Scheduled Gate Arrival: 2:10 pm (-1)
Actual Gate Arrival: 1:40 pm (-1) (30 minutes early – schedule isn’t padded at all /sarcasm)
Plane: Embraer 170
Seat: 2A
For such a short flight, there obviously isn’t a whole lot that can be talked about, but I will say this was a fantastic overall experience. I don’t usually travel with a carry-on, but it was nice to board early to get a good spot for my luggage. The A side overhead bin is much smaller than the CD side, so I threw mine over there. I know there are a lot of people here who were in favor of United being stricter on the carry-on size. Let me say they definitely did not enforce it here. There was a young lady my age who had a very expanded carry-on bag, that took the FA about 2 minutes to eventually squeeze on. I have no problem with it, but it did cause a bottleneck in boarding for sure.
About the actual plane, it was extremely comfortable. Compared to the E145s it was like a mansion! I was slightly spoiled with seat 2A; a very large seat with lots of legroom. Also of note, the bulkhead seats directly behind me looked like they had endless legroom as well. The first row of “First Class” legroom was slightly obstructed by the bulkhead, but not terribly. Overall, seat 2A has to be the best on the plane.
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Easily the best seat
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Not much going on at the North Terminal this afternoon
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Next in line
We pushed back 9 minutes early and were 2nd in line to take off, behind a Delta 737. I was hoping that I might get to catch a glimpse of the LH bird that was scheduled to land around the same time, but I didn’t (at least not originally). I was offered a pre-departure drink, and didn’t know what to get so I just opted for an orange juice.
It was a very quick taxi to runway 4R/22L and we were wheels up shortly after. During takeoff I was able to see the LH bird off in the distance – I’m guessing it had to park somewhere else due to international arrivals and then move over to the north gate. I also managed to catch a glimpse of two Delta 747’s, I believe the INC and NGO birds.
Four slightly bumpy minutes later we were above the clouds for the approximately 47 minute flight. I was offered another drink service and opted for a coffee and baileys. I was also presented with a snack mix packet, and almost decided to just give it back. I decided to take one for the team for this report and give a detailed analysis.
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Detailed Analysis Goes Here
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More Detailed Analysis
As soon as we crossed over Lake Michigan we began our descent. I was given a hot towel, which was really a hot washcloth the size of a tissue.
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On second thought, maybe I just have huge hands
Our cruising altitude wasn’t very high, so it was a pretty weird feeling flying right below the clouds but still over water. It felt like I was inside a little box. We crossed over Chicago, and while doing so were lined up parallel with what looked like an American MD-80. It was pretty interesting to look at, as we were lined up for 27R and they 27L or 28C - It just looked to be hovering there. We were going slightly faster than it so it really did just appear suspended in the air until we were about a minute from touchdown. We landed shortly after and very quickly pulled off the runway and straight to the gate – one of the smoothest landings I’ve been on. Overall, this was a fantastic flight. Props to the UA FA and for the E170 – I will definitely look to fly on one of these birds again.
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One look over Lake Michigan at a lone tanker
ORD
First step was to the restroom, where I expelled more content than I thought I was capable of – I guess the beer, coffee, water, and vodka (I did mention I drank some for good measure in the LH lounge, right? ☺ ) was more than enough to make me get right off the plane and head for the restroom.
We pulled into C5, and after leaving the restroom I continued my (ORD) ritual of getting an Auntie Anne’s salted pretzel. I can’t explain why I need to, but I do, and it was fantastic. There was also a sample of a pretzel dog that I was more than happy to eat – amazing as well. I would definitely had gotten one if they weren’t $6.75. With my choice of United Clubs to choose from, I decided to head to the south B area, as my next flight to Denver was leaving from gate B7, and there is a club located right next to it.
I hopped down the escalator to the underground tunnel, and took a second to really enjoy the moment. 95% of the flights I have been to/fro O’Hare have been early am or late pm, nearly always dark. The last time I had also been here I was flying with a broken ankle, and had to be wheel chaired around. I enjoy flying, really, but when you have to do it with a broken leg it’s a hassle and not enjoyable. It really made me appreciate just how fortunate I am to be able to do this; I’m not really a FF, maybe 3-4 flights a year if I’m lucky all on my own dime. So It really did help bring me back down to earth and make the most of this.
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Pretzel + Light Show = Mind Blown
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Love or hate ORD, I still think it has one of the best atmospheres
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...Not quite as exciting in here though
Up the stairs and to the right, I made my way to the United Club. After walking in here, I was reminded why I don’t really care that I’d be foregoing lounge access when I switch to US/AA. There is no outside view, and while lit nice, it’s just overall boring. The snacks are your traditional hamster food, but there was a small nice surprise – cookies! I’d like to think they were homemade, but whom are we kidding? At least they were soft (oatmeal raisin). The club is pretty full, but no one is really doing anything – everyone’s face is buried in either a laptop or iPad. Not calling a kettle black, because here I am typing this up.
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Kind of sad when this is the highlight of my lounge visit
On complimentary draft there is Miller lite and MGD. No thanks. There is a goose island on draft, but it is $3. This is what upsets me. This is what needs to be free. It is referred to as “Premium Local Craft Beer” in the club here. At $3 for a glass, it’s probably what, $1-1.50 cheaper than what it normally costs. I think it’s a joke, but it’s just me. I get a water, banana, and a couple golden butter Pepperidge farm cookies. About the only thing I think a United Club is good for right now is free coffee, or talking with a staff member about your flights if you need to (of which I have always had a positive experience). I was able to catch the end of the Montreal-Boston playoff hockey game before writing this segment up, charging my phone for a bit, and eventually leaving for next door for a 3:24 local boarding time. Also, I snagged more cookies – they are pretty good.
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Not missing much here
ORD (Chicago O’Hare) – DEN (Denver International)
Scheduled Takeoff: 4:37 pm
Actual Takeoff:4:38 (1 minute late)
Scheduled Gate Arrival: 5:46 pm (-1 hour)
Actual Gate Arrival: 5:44 pm (2 minutes early)
Plane: Boeing 737-900 V2
Seat: 4A
Catching a quick glimpse at the upgrade board, looks like 5 people out of 35 cleared. 35 people eligible for an upgrade on a Saturday afternoon was slightly surprising to me. I managed to walk down right before boarding was called, into an apparent maze of people. I like the 1/2/3/4/5 boarding group idea (where there are separate lanes), but the result is instead of order, you get people lining up beforehand cluttering the entrance as opposed to people being called up by groups. Oh well, maybe this is just a busy flight (it did end up being full).
The 739 I was in had the typical DirecTV service, but for the first time I was in the front of the plane so I could really get a feel for it. It functioned great throughout the service, and had a couple great movies to choose from; I watched The Lego Movie myself, but also thought about re-watching Frozen. I know it had The Hobbit and Grudge Match as well, and I can’t recall the other matches. I would actually end up switching between waiting for the Kentucky Derby to start and The Lego Movie. There was also channel 1-11, which was the moving map. I was a little disappointed they didn’t overlay their channel 9 audio onto it (there was no channel 9 audio), but overall can’t complain about it. Would I pay the asking price for the TV? Probably not.
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Sadly, no Ch. 9
After boarding was finished, we pushed back four minutes late before coming to a sudden stop. The pilot announced that the truck had pushed us back but (I’m putting my own words into this) hit the nose wheel; so we would need to wait for maintenance to come and verify our nose wheel was good. They did so after about 10 minutes. While waiting I caught a look of Lufthansa’s 747-8i pushing back and getting ready to taxi to Frankfurt. It looked massive compared to the United 737’s and RJ’s around it. After we began taxiing I noticed we had joined the line right behind the 748i. We also taxied by Terminal 5, providing a pretty good look at a couple nice birds – The Hainan 787 sticks out the most, but the Swiss A330 I was on was parked along with a United 747 and a couple American birds. Even managed to spot a Royal Jordanian (342), one I don't believe I've seen here before. The LH 748 took off right before us with an enormous roar, and as we turned to get onto the runway I noticed the SAS A333 right behind us on it’s way to Stockholm.
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What do we have here?
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The picture doesn't do this bird justice
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My favorite part of ORD - taxiing past T5. Love the Hainan 787 in the red and yellow
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Another of my favorite liveries - this guy was on it's way right after us
The flight itself was pretty uneventful. It seemed very short, and compared to the ORD-DEN drive I had last year, seemed like a much better choice.
Meals were offered about 40 minutes into the flight. The choice was a chicken wrap sandwich or salad with shrimp and soup (which would be French Onion). I'm a very, very picky eater so I opted for the shrimp and salad and passed on the soup.
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The salad was actually very good. There wasn't a whole lot of it, but it did taste fresh, and the shrimp was of decent size as well. The roll was pretty good too, but it's kind of hard to screw that up. Dessert was a warm cookie, which was a cranberry/white macadamia nut. It was fantastic, but I was told no for a second on :(
As we continued on our way, one of the other FA's came by asking if we would like to try UA's new (I THINK) "Pie in the Sky" drink. I believe he said it was to commemorate some partenership with somebody, but I probably misheard him. The drink was Vodka, Cranberry Juice, Ginger Ale, and maybe something else. I had a couple sips, but it was very meh. Definitely a girls drink.
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Didn't taste as good as it looked
We landed shortly after in DEN. While DEN is in a beautiful location in the mountains, I still like the feel of being in O'hare over DEN. Maybe I'm wrong because I've only been through the United B gates here, but it just doesn't elicit the same feelings for me.
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It's just kinda "meh" to me
I only had about 25 minutes to kill, so not much lounge reporting here. The lounge dragon's were very friendly here, mirroring my previous experience when I needed to go through DEN last October. No cookies, though. I grabbed a small coffee, charged my phone for a little bit, and then went down where I was right at gate B44 for my last leg to San Diego.
DEN (Denver International) – SAN (Lindbergh Field)
Scheduled Takeoff: 7:19 pm
Actual Takeoff: 7:19pm
Scheduled Gate Arrival: 8:35 pm (-1 hour)
Actual Gate Arrival: 8:14 pm (21 minutes early)
Plane: Boeing 757-200
Seat: 2A
Plenty of people upgraded on this flight. The 757 has 20 first class seats, and I think I counted 16 upgraded people out of 20. After boarding and being able to turn left into first, I found myself up in 2A. Like my first flight, I had the option to pick 1A but wanted max legroom and to be able to put my personal bag under the seat in front of me. I didn't have much of any view (the ramp) until we pushed back. I was pleasantly surprised to see an Icelandair 757 directly behind me. KEF is on my list of places I want to visit. I don't know if it will be via Icelandair due to where in the US they fly (not DTW), but it's always a possibility. There was also an Airtran and BA plane next to it, but the bright yellow colors definitely stood out against the stark backdrop of the terminal and beginning sunset.
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One you don't see everyday
We took off to the South and flew directly over Denver, where I was able to snap this beauty. I like it because it has all three sports stadiums, as well as downtown
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No meal was offered on this flight, but a snack basket was passed around. I had a small bag of kettle chips and a (packaged) cookie. There was also bananas...in other words, the exact same United Club snacks. The lights outside quickly fell, so I decided to whip out my iPad and started reading Cockpit Confidential - worth a look into if you like flying. There wasn't much to look at outside as we flew over mainly NW Arizona and SE california. I do swear though, we came very, very close to a SW plane that came flying by the opposite heading of us. It was probably far enough, but I don't think by much.
I had asked the FA to see if channel 9 could be turned on. He told me he would ask the pilot, but came back shortly after and said he was told "no." Maybe he asked, maybe he didn't. But it kinda made my trip end on a sour note. I know it's trivial and many people don't care, but when UA advertises it, and when a pilot apparently says no upon request, well....whatever.
When we were on final approach, we made a bank right to line up with the runway as the city came to life. San Diego has to be the best approach in the United States in my opinion. You fly (and land) right next to downtown. I had a great view into the baseball stadium and hustling downtown as we landed shortly after and made our way to the gate.
This was my first time being back in the airport since they remodeled it, and I must say it turned out very nice. It has a shopping mall feel inside of it.
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You would not think this is the airport
So that about wraps up my trip report. I hope you enjoyed the reporting and probably more importantly the pics. I'll leave you with one more. My "welcome-back" to Southern California picture:
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...slightly more than in Michigan!
This trip is actually bittersweet for me, as I am most likely going to switch to US/AA for my domestic travels; in part due to the lounges. In my rush to get star gold, I was fueled primarily by lounge access and extra luggage. Well, after the recent devaluations, and realizing just how awful most of the United lounges were, I decided I would rather fly in comfort (Exit rows) rather than in economy.
Being based in SW Michigan, most of my flights are either out of GRR or ORD, and the last time I flew out of DTW was nearly 10 years ago on AirTran to Orlando. Having a $200 evoucher, I was able to book a really reasonable (before voucher) $410 one way (P) fare to San Diego , as I will be interning there for the summer. Flying out of the north terminal at DTW would let me rekindle the joys of flying out of Detroit, but more importantly get me into Lufthansa’s lounge before I jump ship. This trip report details my one way trip to ORD, DEN, and finally SAN with some bonus lounge reporting. Hope you enjoy!
DTW
Relocating out for the summer, I was a little nervous about taking everything out. I have a tendency to over pack, but almost always fly light. Being star gold and flying in biz, I had access to 3 suitcases plus a carry on and personal item, so I was actually able to pack quite a lot. My third suitcase was my hockey bag, however the night before I managed to break the zippers off my hockey bag (D’oh!), so I had to use a replacement suitcase.
The drive from my brother’s apartment was a quick 35 minutes. The Michigan weather is currently 50 something and gloomy, and the forecast for San Diego is a balmy 80 and sunny. As we got closer and the plethora of CRJs flew overhead, I actually started to get anxious for flying for the first time. The flights themselves don’t bother me at all, it’s just the whole moving across the country away from everyone feeling.
Total cost for bags? $0
We parked short term and my brother helped me make the walk across the enclosed bridge to the terminal. With a 1:47 pushback, the building is nearly empty. There are two people in front of me in the premier lane who look as though they’ve never flown before. However I get up, check in at the kiosk, and my bags are processed. The woman tells me that my bags have to be weighed to make sure they are under 50 lbs (I thought I got 70lbs?), but my bags weigh in at 47, 45, and something like 20 lbs. I ask the woman to be careful with one of my bags as I’m traveling with a monitor in one of my suitcases, but she forgets and just tosses my bag onto the belt (hopefully I padded it well!). I have pre-check due to global entry and am now about 10/10 with that, so it’s onto the empty security checkpoint. I go to the Pre-Check lane, before being barked at to go out and go through the other lane (the non pre-check lane) before the other woman goes “Pre-Check?” “Oh, okay, you’re good.” She apologized after, and I was through security in a record ~ 10 seconds.
After walking through and trying to catch a peek onto the runways (there’s a single spirit plane), I just decided to head right to the Lufthansa Lounge.
LH Lounge
If DTW can have this, why not ORD?
The LH lounge is tucked away next to the D1-D7 gates at the southern pier of the North Terminal. There is both the business and senator lounge, but only the left side is currently open – I’m not sure what side it is, but the place is pretty much empty as the incoming LH flight doesn’t land until around 2 and take off until 5. They scan my boarding pass and when I offer my gold card, the LH lounge attendant declines and waves me on my way.
Their lounge is not very big, but doesn’t really need to be as there is only the one said LH flight to FRA everyday. This early, there is only snacks, booze, and liquor. Myself I opt for an espresso and some Fiji water (never tried it before). I snap a couple pics and send them to my family, before taking another gaze out the window. It’s a very relaxed atmosphere, but judging from the amount of fidgeting and moving around I’m doing I can tell my body is still pretty anxious about the move. I facetime my grandmother – one of my flying rituals – before starting up my laptop to start typing this report. There’s not a whole lot of action on the tarmac, but a Delta 747 – I’m guessing flight 630 from NGO – comes flying by with quite a bit of noise on the reverse thrusters. I wish I could have been able to snap a pic but I didn’t have the time. The Spirit plane next door leaving for Myrtle Beach is also taxiing, and that is about the highlight.
Snacks
Liquor
One advantage I have is that my flight to ORD leaves out of gate D6, which is the first gate over from the lounge, and I can see it perfectly from the lounge. My flight will be on an E170, my first time being on one. Of the six DTW-ORD flights today, 2 are on an E145, 3 a CRJ700, and this lone afternoon flight an E170. If I’m paying for first, there’s no way I’m going to be on an E145. As I could avoid the CRJ’s, this was the clear choice (if I couldn’t have, I would have flown out of somewhere else). I also have (had by the time you read this) the opportunity to move from 2A to 1A (always wanted to say I’ve been on a 1A (Q300 doesn’t count)) – but based on the seatguru review I stay in 2A. I finish typing up this part of the report before deciding to have a German beer – in this case Warsteiner. I myself prefer dark craft beers, so in terms of taste this is pretty bland for me. I wait to snap a couple pics of my plane since I have a great view of it from the lounge, before heading next door to board early.
Drinks - I tried the Warsteiner (top right)
View from the LH Lounge of my bird pulling up
DTW (Metro)-ORD (O’Hare)
Scheduled Takeoff: 1:57 pm
Actual Takeoff: 1:47 pm (10 minutes early)
Scheduled Gate Arrival: 2:10 pm (-1)
Actual Gate Arrival: 1:40 pm (-1) (30 minutes early – schedule isn’t padded at all /sarcasm)
Plane: Embraer 170
Seat: 2A
For such a short flight, there obviously isn’t a whole lot that can be talked about, but I will say this was a fantastic overall experience. I don’t usually travel with a carry-on, but it was nice to board early to get a good spot for my luggage. The A side overhead bin is much smaller than the CD side, so I threw mine over there. I know there are a lot of people here who were in favor of United being stricter on the carry-on size. Let me say they definitely did not enforce it here. There was a young lady my age who had a very expanded carry-on bag, that took the FA about 2 minutes to eventually squeeze on. I have no problem with it, but it did cause a bottleneck in boarding for sure.
About the actual plane, it was extremely comfortable. Compared to the E145s it was like a mansion! I was slightly spoiled with seat 2A; a very large seat with lots of legroom. Also of note, the bulkhead seats directly behind me looked like they had endless legroom as well. The first row of “First Class” legroom was slightly obstructed by the bulkhead, but not terribly. Overall, seat 2A has to be the best on the plane.
Easily the best seat
Not much going on at the North Terminal this afternoon
Next in line
We pushed back 9 minutes early and were 2nd in line to take off, behind a Delta 737. I was hoping that I might get to catch a glimpse of the LH bird that was scheduled to land around the same time, but I didn’t (at least not originally). I was offered a pre-departure drink, and didn’t know what to get so I just opted for an orange juice.
It was a very quick taxi to runway 4R/22L and we were wheels up shortly after. During takeoff I was able to see the LH bird off in the distance – I’m guessing it had to park somewhere else due to international arrivals and then move over to the north gate. I also managed to catch a glimpse of two Delta 747’s, I believe the INC and NGO birds.
Four slightly bumpy minutes later we were above the clouds for the approximately 47 minute flight. I was offered another drink service and opted for a coffee and baileys. I was also presented with a snack mix packet, and almost decided to just give it back. I decided to take one for the team for this report and give a detailed analysis.
Detailed Analysis Goes Here
More Detailed Analysis
As soon as we crossed over Lake Michigan we began our descent. I was given a hot towel, which was really a hot washcloth the size of a tissue.
On second thought, maybe I just have huge hands
Our cruising altitude wasn’t very high, so it was a pretty weird feeling flying right below the clouds but still over water. It felt like I was inside a little box. We crossed over Chicago, and while doing so were lined up parallel with what looked like an American MD-80. It was pretty interesting to look at, as we were lined up for 27R and they 27L or 28C - It just looked to be hovering there. We were going slightly faster than it so it really did just appear suspended in the air until we were about a minute from touchdown. We landed shortly after and very quickly pulled off the runway and straight to the gate – one of the smoothest landings I’ve been on. Overall, this was a fantastic flight. Props to the UA FA and for the E170 – I will definitely look to fly on one of these birds again.
One look over Lake Michigan at a lone tanker
ORD
First step was to the restroom, where I expelled more content than I thought I was capable of – I guess the beer, coffee, water, and vodka (I did mention I drank some for good measure in the LH lounge, right? ☺ ) was more than enough to make me get right off the plane and head for the restroom.
We pulled into C5, and after leaving the restroom I continued my (ORD) ritual of getting an Auntie Anne’s salted pretzel. I can’t explain why I need to, but I do, and it was fantastic. There was also a sample of a pretzel dog that I was more than happy to eat – amazing as well. I would definitely had gotten one if they weren’t $6.75. With my choice of United Clubs to choose from, I decided to head to the south B area, as my next flight to Denver was leaving from gate B7, and there is a club located right next to it.
I hopped down the escalator to the underground tunnel, and took a second to really enjoy the moment. 95% of the flights I have been to/fro O’Hare have been early am or late pm, nearly always dark. The last time I had also been here I was flying with a broken ankle, and had to be wheel chaired around. I enjoy flying, really, but when you have to do it with a broken leg it’s a hassle and not enjoyable. It really made me appreciate just how fortunate I am to be able to do this; I’m not really a FF, maybe 3-4 flights a year if I’m lucky all on my own dime. So It really did help bring me back down to earth and make the most of this.
Pretzel + Light Show = Mind Blown
Love or hate ORD, I still think it has one of the best atmospheres
...Not quite as exciting in here though
Up the stairs and to the right, I made my way to the United Club. After walking in here, I was reminded why I don’t really care that I’d be foregoing lounge access when I switch to US/AA. There is no outside view, and while lit nice, it’s just overall boring. The snacks are your traditional hamster food, but there was a small nice surprise – cookies! I’d like to think they were homemade, but whom are we kidding? At least they were soft (oatmeal raisin). The club is pretty full, but no one is really doing anything – everyone’s face is buried in either a laptop or iPad. Not calling a kettle black, because here I am typing this up.
Kind of sad when this is the highlight of my lounge visit
On complimentary draft there is Miller lite and MGD. No thanks. There is a goose island on draft, but it is $3. This is what upsets me. This is what needs to be free. It is referred to as “Premium Local Craft Beer” in the club here. At $3 for a glass, it’s probably what, $1-1.50 cheaper than what it normally costs. I think it’s a joke, but it’s just me. I get a water, banana, and a couple golden butter Pepperidge farm cookies. About the only thing I think a United Club is good for right now is free coffee, or talking with a staff member about your flights if you need to (of which I have always had a positive experience). I was able to catch the end of the Montreal-Boston playoff hockey game before writing this segment up, charging my phone for a bit, and eventually leaving for next door for a 3:24 local boarding time. Also, I snagged more cookies – they are pretty good.
Not missing much here
ORD (Chicago O’Hare) – DEN (Denver International)
Scheduled Takeoff: 4:37 pm
Actual Takeoff:4:38 (1 minute late)
Scheduled Gate Arrival: 5:46 pm (-1 hour)
Actual Gate Arrival: 5:44 pm (2 minutes early)
Plane: Boeing 737-900 V2
Seat: 4A
Catching a quick glimpse at the upgrade board, looks like 5 people out of 35 cleared. 35 people eligible for an upgrade on a Saturday afternoon was slightly surprising to me. I managed to walk down right before boarding was called, into an apparent maze of people. I like the 1/2/3/4/5 boarding group idea (where there are separate lanes), but the result is instead of order, you get people lining up beforehand cluttering the entrance as opposed to people being called up by groups. Oh well, maybe this is just a busy flight (it did end up being full).
The 739 I was in had the typical DirecTV service, but for the first time I was in the front of the plane so I could really get a feel for it. It functioned great throughout the service, and had a couple great movies to choose from; I watched The Lego Movie myself, but also thought about re-watching Frozen. I know it had The Hobbit and Grudge Match as well, and I can’t recall the other matches. I would actually end up switching between waiting for the Kentucky Derby to start and The Lego Movie. There was also channel 1-11, which was the moving map. I was a little disappointed they didn’t overlay their channel 9 audio onto it (there was no channel 9 audio), but overall can’t complain about it. Would I pay the asking price for the TV? Probably not.
Sadly, no Ch. 9
After boarding was finished, we pushed back four minutes late before coming to a sudden stop. The pilot announced that the truck had pushed us back but (I’m putting my own words into this) hit the nose wheel; so we would need to wait for maintenance to come and verify our nose wheel was good. They did so after about 10 minutes. While waiting I caught a look of Lufthansa’s 747-8i pushing back and getting ready to taxi to Frankfurt. It looked massive compared to the United 737’s and RJ’s around it. After we began taxiing I noticed we had joined the line right behind the 748i. We also taxied by Terminal 5, providing a pretty good look at a couple nice birds – The Hainan 787 sticks out the most, but the Swiss A330 I was on was parked along with a United 747 and a couple American birds. Even managed to spot a Royal Jordanian (342), one I don't believe I've seen here before. The LH 748 took off right before us with an enormous roar, and as we turned to get onto the runway I noticed the SAS A333 right behind us on it’s way to Stockholm.
What do we have here?
The picture doesn't do this bird justice
My favorite part of ORD - taxiing past T5. Love the Hainan 787 in the red and yellow
Another of my favorite liveries - this guy was on it's way right after us
The flight itself was pretty uneventful. It seemed very short, and compared to the ORD-DEN drive I had last year, seemed like a much better choice.
Meals were offered about 40 minutes into the flight. The choice was a chicken wrap sandwich or salad with shrimp and soup (which would be French Onion). I'm a very, very picky eater so I opted for the shrimp and salad and passed on the soup.
The salad was actually very good. There wasn't a whole lot of it, but it did taste fresh, and the shrimp was of decent size as well. The roll was pretty good too, but it's kind of hard to screw that up. Dessert was a warm cookie, which was a cranberry/white macadamia nut. It was fantastic, but I was told no for a second on :(
As we continued on our way, one of the other FA's came by asking if we would like to try UA's new (I THINK) "Pie in the Sky" drink. I believe he said it was to commemorate some partenership with somebody, but I probably misheard him. The drink was Vodka, Cranberry Juice, Ginger Ale, and maybe something else. I had a couple sips, but it was very meh. Definitely a girls drink.
Didn't taste as good as it looked
We landed shortly after in DEN. While DEN is in a beautiful location in the mountains, I still like the feel of being in O'hare over DEN. Maybe I'm wrong because I've only been through the United B gates here, but it just doesn't elicit the same feelings for me.
It's just kinda "meh" to me
I only had about 25 minutes to kill, so not much lounge reporting here. The lounge dragon's were very friendly here, mirroring my previous experience when I needed to go through DEN last October. No cookies, though. I grabbed a small coffee, charged my phone for a little bit, and then went down where I was right at gate B44 for my last leg to San Diego.
DEN (Denver International) – SAN (Lindbergh Field)
Scheduled Takeoff: 7:19 pm
Actual Takeoff: 7:19pm
Scheduled Gate Arrival: 8:35 pm (-1 hour)
Actual Gate Arrival: 8:14 pm (21 minutes early)
Plane: Boeing 757-200
Seat: 2A
Plenty of people upgraded on this flight. The 757 has 20 first class seats, and I think I counted 16 upgraded people out of 20. After boarding and being able to turn left into first, I found myself up in 2A. Like my first flight, I had the option to pick 1A but wanted max legroom and to be able to put my personal bag under the seat in front of me. I didn't have much of any view (the ramp) until we pushed back. I was pleasantly surprised to see an Icelandair 757 directly behind me. KEF is on my list of places I want to visit. I don't know if it will be via Icelandair due to where in the US they fly (not DTW), but it's always a possibility. There was also an Airtran and BA plane next to it, but the bright yellow colors definitely stood out against the stark backdrop of the terminal and beginning sunset.
One you don't see everyday
We took off to the South and flew directly over Denver, where I was able to snap this beauty. I like it because it has all three sports stadiums, as well as downtown
No meal was offered on this flight, but a snack basket was passed around. I had a small bag of kettle chips and a (packaged) cookie. There was also bananas...in other words, the exact same United Club snacks. The lights outside quickly fell, so I decided to whip out my iPad and started reading Cockpit Confidential - worth a look into if you like flying. There wasn't much to look at outside as we flew over mainly NW Arizona and SE california. I do swear though, we came very, very close to a SW plane that came flying by the opposite heading of us. It was probably far enough, but I don't think by much.
I had asked the FA to see if channel 9 could be turned on. He told me he would ask the pilot, but came back shortly after and said he was told "no." Maybe he asked, maybe he didn't. But it kinda made my trip end on a sour note. I know it's trivial and many people don't care, but when UA advertises it, and when a pilot apparently says no upon request, well....whatever.
When we were on final approach, we made a bank right to line up with the runway as the city came to life. San Diego has to be the best approach in the United States in my opinion. You fly (and land) right next to downtown. I had a great view into the baseball stadium and hustling downtown as we landed shortly after and made our way to the gate.
This was my first time being back in the airport since they remodeled it, and I must say it turned out very nice. It has a shopping mall feel inside of it.
You would not think this is the airport
So that about wraps up my trip report. I hope you enjoyed the reporting and probably more importantly the pics. I'll leave you with one more. My "welcome-back" to Southern California picture:
...slightly more than in Michigan!