Chicago

1month ago

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IC Magnificent Mile stay – gift card spend experience

A guest shares a humorous account of using ~$1000 in work-issued gift cards for a weekend stay at the InterContinental Chicago Magnificent Mile. The trip was planned as a Friday–Sunday getaway, including accommodation in a mid-tier two-queen room and attempts to utilize the...

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3month ago

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New Amtrak boarding setup in Chicago actually makes sense

Boarded the Empire Builder out of Chicago and they’re testing a new boarding process. You still line up outside the Great Hall rooms like usual, but once inside they split people into lines based on destination. There’s a board showing which cities go in which line, and staff...

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4month ago

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Finally made it into the Swissport Lounge at ORD

I actually got into the Swissport lounge at O Hare today. I know it’s kind of a running joke here. I’ve been flying out of Chicago for years and somehow never managed to get in until now. Yeah it’s basic, but honestly not the worst lounge I’ve been in. After all the horror...

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4month ago

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Confused by the “drop off only” note on my Amtrak bus

Traveling from Lafayette to Chicago tomorrow and the app shows the bus as “drop off only.” Not sure if that means the bus won’t actually pick anyone up in Lafayette or if it’s just weird wording. Anyone know how to read this? Don’t want to show up in the morning and find out...

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5month ago

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Moving from Chicago to NYC on Amtrak, how doable is it?

Thinking about taking Amtrak for my move from Chicago to NYC since I really don’t want to deal with airports, TSA, showing up early, bag limits, all that. Never taken Amtrak before. It’s a 20-hour ride with no train change, and it’s also cheaper than flying if I book ahead. I’ll...

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5month ago

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Sonder Chicago kicked guests out mid-stay during a winter storm

Was staying at a Sonder property in Chicago that’s (or was) part of Marriott, and out of nowhere they told guests to leave in the middle of a snowstorm. Heating got shut off, phone lines disconnected, and Marriott kept saying “you need to call Sonder,” while Sonder was basically...

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6month ago

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What’s going on with ORD arrivals lately?

I’ve been flying through O’Hare for 15 years, mostly on United, and it used to be fine. But this past year? Total mess. Every arrival turns into a 40-minute taxi maze before we even get to the gate. Sometimes we circle the same terminals twice like it’s a tour. It’s honestly...

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6month ago

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Chicago O’Hare lounge hit the spot today

Walked into the Priority Pass lounge at ORD and… say less. Totally worth the stop.

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7month ago

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Fight breaks out on Southwest flight to Chicago, police investigating fox32chicago.com

A Southwest Airlines flight from Fort Lauderdale to Chicago erupted in chaos Tuesday when a fight broke out onboard, prompting screams and concern among passengers. A video shared with Fox 32 showed people yelling as two individuals exchanged punches in the rear of the cabin....

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7month ago

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Best Residence Inn I’ve stayed at Chicago Downtown

Wrapped up a stay at the Residence Inn Chicago Downtown and honestly, it beat every other RI I’ve tried in the US. Super clean, great service, and the location is perfect. Honestly nicer than some higher-tier Marriott brands I’ve stayed at. Chicago nailed it.

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7month ago

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$75M Renovation… and they gave us a bench nobody can sit on

This is the new bench at the Lawrence Ave station after a 5+ year renovation. Not only is it an anti-homeless design, but it’s also just flat-out uncomfortable for everyone. Slippery, awkward, and divided into weird little “seats” that don’t actually fit people. It honestly...

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7month ago

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Do you keep the same Amtrak room the whole trip?

First time riding Amtrak planning OKC to Chicago. When booking, I noticed two spots where you pick a seat/room. Do you stay in the same private room the whole way, or move at some point?

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7month ago

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Boxes around freeway-median stations… would that actually help?

The platform experience on median stations is rough. Noise, fumes, windy as hell. A simple enclosure or platform screen doors with a roof would make waiting way less miserable, even if it doesn’t fix the “you’re still in the middle of a freeway” problem. Make it feel like a...

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7month ago

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AA’s IFE calling Hancock “Willis Tower” and saying the hub is Midway

Spotted this on my flight: the screen said “Willis Tower” but showed the John Hancock and also claimed AA’s Chicago hub is at Midway. As a Chicago nerd, my eye twitched a little. Fun glitch, but c’mon AA, ORD is your hub and that’s Hancock in the pic. Please fix it lol.

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7month ago

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New personal record… 1hr 20m taxi at ORD

LAX to ORD last night. Landed early, thought I was in luck. Nope. Gate wasn’t ready and we just sat there forever. Ended up being my longest taxi ever… 1 hour 20 minutes. Living in Chicago I’m used to ORD delays, but this one takes the cake.

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7month ago

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United’s Kirby says AA might have to “de-hub” Chicago O’Hare viewfromthewing.com

Kirby is at it again, this time telling pilots AA could end up pulling back at ORD as United ramps up to 600 flights a day there. He’s betting that United’s growth will squeeze American so hard they’ll have no choice. Feels like classic Kirby trash talk, but he’s not wrong that...

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7month ago

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Is 1hr 15 mins doable at Chicago O’Hare with AA/JAL?

I have a flight to O’hare, its japan airline operated by american airline and my next flight is japan airline. Does anyone know which terminal american airline arrive , and which terminal japan airline depart? also do I have to go through security if I have to go to another...

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7month ago

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Picked Chicago for my first US business trip and I’m loving it!

A few weeks ago I posted here asking for help choosing between Philly, Vegas, Orlando, and Chicago for my first trip to the US. Thanks to your advice, I went with Chicago and wow, what a city! I landed yesterday and spent today at the Shedd Aquarium and the Art...

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7month ago

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Flying in to ORD left side views

Caught the most classic Chicago skyline view flying into ORD the other night window seat on the left side was the move. We ended up waiting at the west de-icing lot with over a dozen planes queued up for gates, but it gave me time to soak in the sights. Bonus: spotted a retro...

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7month ago

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Family weekend in Chicago that turned out better than disney johnnyjet.com

Browsing Johnnyjet.com led me to this update on Chicago Family Activities, which brought back wonderful memories of my recent summer adventure in the Windy City with my kids. Like the article's author, I had been on quite a travel streak, having explored several cities, but...

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7month ago

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Game-changing flagship suite experience that made my London flight feel too short flyertalk.com

As a frequent traveler on the route, I was thrilled to be among the first to experience the new Flagship Suite launched on July 5. The comfort level was unlike anything I'd experienced before; I actually found myself wishing the 7-hour flight was longer! Having flown to London...

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8month ago

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Scoring amazing Chicago San Diego flights taught me to rethink travel planning. slickdeals.net

This Chicago-San Diego Flight Deals development from Slickdeals.net has me rethinking itineraries for my regular cross-country trips. Last year, I was routinely paying well over $300 for this route, bouncing between airlines trying to find decent fares. When I finally scored a...

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8month ago

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Vienna calling at bargain prices! theflightdeal.com

This story made me think about our travel experiences, especially how rare it is to find such incredible deals to Europe these days. Scandinavian Airlines is offering flights from Chicago to Vienna for just $424 in Basic Economy or $573 in Regular Economy, which is honestly a...

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8month ago

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How Should Airlines Handle Privileged Status Members Who Misbehave? Recent AA Incident Sparks Debate nypost.com

This development could be significant for travelers as it highlights an ongoing challenge in the airline industry: balancing premium customer status with appropriate behavior standards. A recent incident at Chicago O'Hare involved a Concierge Key member allegedly behaving...

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