Back to the Bunny
Monday 6:30am alas comes round too quickly and it’s time to say goodbye to the windy city. A quick drag down to reception with my trash, and I was checked out, with three days worth of internet removed from the bill (and later the other two days for the lack of anything working properly). A shuttle bus was waiting, so I thanked the doorman and was popped in a cab and sent on my way to ORD T2. By 7:10am I was standing in the seemingly quiet public area of T2 checking in with no one infront of me.
My bags were accepted without question, and both my skibag and rucksack were taken off me. Boarding passes to London were issued and I was advised a 20 minute delay. After being furnished where the Red Carpet Club was I headed off to security.
O’Hare Security can be maddneing. Some days it’s rammed solid with full on shouty TSA personal. Other days - like this day it was quietish, and the TSA staff were in a seemly good mood. I was through security in five minutes at 7:15 in the morning.
For ORD, that’s quick. However, I wish I knew what the TSA was doing with my skibag (as I found out a LOT later)
After visiting duty free for the first time in the day, it was off to the RCC to get a coffee and see what was up with the world.
Lounge Stop: United Red Carpet Club F2
I was welcomed to the club, and after the agent entered my Diamond Club number by hand, I was admitted. A T-Mobile Internet access card was offered without prompting too.
As it was near enough peak time, the club was packed. I therefore found a semi comfortable seat, grabbed a couple of coffees next to a TV, and caught up with my morning emails. Not a lot to do but wait, but still quieter than the main terminal area.
The RCC is compact, but it had the space, power outlets and breakfast snacks you’d need to get started. Whilst no Maple Leaf lounge, it was “Adequate” for purpose as United tend to use T2 as a “commuter” terminal.
As there was only one set of screens, I kept tracks on the inbound flight on FlightAware, and only got up when the plane was confirmed at the gate. At that point, it was time to back out to the melee again.
Approaching the gate the inbound aircraft had indeed arrived, and the bird was being turned around. A few minutes later, Business and Elites were invited to board - where I took the opportunity to board and collect my duty free.
At the gate
AC502 Toronto Person International to Chicago O’Hare International, 03/04/2011
Air Canada, Embraer 175, Seat 22A, Economy Class
436 Miles flown, 600 Status Miles Earned.
The Pictures
I made my way down and was welcome aboard. Immigration forms were given out on entry and headed to the back, plopped my bag in the overhead bin. For the first time this trip, the plane started packing out - not 100% full, but was more like 80%. I even had a seatmate who joined me for a short while. Whilst I was watching him stab the screen (the screen was ill calibrated), he spied a pair of seats go free - and moved over.
3 flights out of 4 with a spare seat. I can get used to this personal space on a plane malarkey
Pretty soon the safety video played again, and we pushed back, with a very short taxi to the runway, and after a short wait, a push into the grey skies of Chicago.
Taking off
Climbing through the grey
Cloud Skipping
With the thunderstorms the night before, it was a bumpy ride up to cruising altitude, but after 15 minutes or the bumps eased off and blue sky was visible as the plane settled for the short run to Toronto.
Contrailing traffic
As the plane reached cruising altitude, the beverage and snack trolley came out, selling headphones and breakfast items - of which not many were sold. On the other hand the drinks service was well used, and I partook of morning caffeine to keep me going through what would be a long day.
Morning Caffeine
Stired....
The flight itself was between two layers of grey, and that’s how it was for the flight. Again, the IFE was on for the gate-to-gate of the flight, with Black Swan playing now I was iPhone4-less (and muggins didn’t load any backup content on the iPhone 3G)
Cabin
Almost working IFE - No map though
The trash was collected soon enough, and the cabin secured as we descended through the cloud and finally into Toronto Airport.
Descent
Braking
After a long hold after landing to allow an A320 to take off, we were allowed to proceed to the terminal, where after being guided in, the seatbelt sign ponged, and the cabin raced to get out of the plane.
I thanked the crew on exit and headed off to my date with destiny - Canadian Immigration
Overall: Again, short segment, good service and decent IFE. Not much more you can ask for on a short leg.