clubman

Hi Guys,
Any views of the Chicago Terrace lounge would be very much welcome....

Boo Boo

I was there last night (consequently, not sure where I am right now... ).

I would say it is ok/pretty nice:
- Good selection of drinks and snacks.
- Reasonable amount of seating (although can be a bit tight if more than one flight is waiting in the lounge).
- Nice relaxation/tv room (WOULD have enjoyed it, but they were showing the new series of "Lost": since we are waiting for it to come out on DVD, husband dragged me out of the comfortable TV room... ).
- Preflight dining (if you are on a sleeper service flight) was pretty good. Although the "dessert" was very sad - some sort of "pecan diamonds" or yoghurt... wasn't brave enough to try the "curried lentil" soup though. They didn't have any champagne out either: saw some locked in a chiller cabinet, but by the time I saw someone to ask, had already had a glass of the white wine...
- No showers - I think this is a REAL shame: I love showing before a night flight - especially if I have arrived on a connecting flight.
- Lounge has rest rooms which are nice and were very clean.

Probably the biggest drawback to the lounge (apart from not having showers) is that it has no windows! The lounge is really pleasant, but feels a bit like some sub-terrianean isolation cell...

Be warned with ORD... apart from the lounge (and a kiosk selling magazines, sweets and drinks) there doesn't appear to be ANYTHING through security... so unless you are going to the lounge, don't go through security too early...

Boo

Urban Sun

I was only in the pre-flight dinning area next to the Terraces Lounge at ORD a few months ago and it seemed pretty reasonable. I would agree with Boo Boo Too about the lack of showers / windows in that area though.

The pre-flight dinning we received wasn't up to much at ORD though.

We set in the FIRST lounge which is just across and the hall from the Terraces and it has windows along one whole wall of the room looking over on to the tarmac etc.

When we arrived at the FIRST lounge though, there was no attendant on duty and one didn't turn up until a couple of hours after we arrived. Anyone could have walked in.

Prospero

Thanks Boo,

Its been a while since I've been there - not since the introduction of the Sleeper Service, so I was interested to know how the dinner service is organised given the rather obvious spatial constraints of the lounge.

Totally agree with your comment about the dirth of airside facilities. It may sound rather odd, but there some benefits to that. I enjoy taking long strolls to the ends of the concourse and back. Its lovely to be able to stretch your legs before the flight without masses of people getting in the way.

Boo Boo

They had two different dining areas - one for Club, one for First: didn't see the one for "First" - so can't help with that.

For Club, there was a menu outside and the food inside was:
- a selection of wines (a couple of whites and three reds I think) and quite a few soft drinks. As I mentioned before, champagne was locked away - could see it, but couldn't get at it!
- a small selection of salad things: lettuce, aubergine, tuna, sundried tomatoes and a curious "pear, endive and blue cheese" salad (but, for the life of me, I couldn't spot ANY blue cheese on it... )
- a soup - last night's was a curried lentil soup (a bit too odd for me...)
- three entries: roast ckicken (quarters, I think), poached salmon, and tortellini in a gorgonzola & walnut sauce.
- a selection of vegetables: mashed sweet potato (nice), mixed peppers (roasted I think) and some green beans.
- a dessert: some sort of "pecan nut diamonds" (more of a little cake than a dessert)
- natural yoghurt with accompaniments (little strawberried, other fruit, nuts, granola I think...)
- a selection on three cheeses (brie, a red cheese with herbs in it and a blue cheese), crackers and grapes.

Diners were "invited" to retire to the main terraces lounge for coffee and licqeurs.

The food was in a buffet style and so you could eat as much as you wanted of whatever youy wanted.

I would have liked to have seen a more "main stream" soup and think that if you were a "vegetarian with a nut allergy", you would have had slim pickings last night! The food was ok, but certainly nothing amazing (reminds me of your typical "Hilton Buffet" in the UK... if that makes sense?).

I DID like the sleeper service though: eat in the lounge, get into PJs as soon as on board, sleep straight after take off, wake up for a smoothie and coffee, shower and full breakfast in the lounge - concept worked very well for husband and me (although we had a three hour connection in ORD - so time wasn't tight...).

Did manage to provide some amusement for two gentleman in the front row or WT+ (I was in the back row of Club) - they seemed to find my bright pink tarten PJ bottoms very laughable...

Boo
(now on the look out for something more "conservative" to wear to sleep on planes - preferablely something that can be worn off the plane and to the lounge: maximising that sleep time...)

Teece

Now, THAT'S a bummer! So far, it's going to be worth the wait (and so far, there's been a lot of waiting! - not as bad as BSG, though )

swintonowl

I was there in May travelling in First and I thought that there were two terraces lounges, the main one and the one opposite which Urban Sun described as the first lounge with the windows overlooking the the tarmac. I wasn't aware that one was the first lounge, when I got there the lounge attendant told me I could use either and said that the only difference was that one had windows. Indeed I did visit both and could not tell the difference except the main terraces one had newspapers and the other one didn't.

The First pre-flight dining was in the main lounge with no windows (in a seperate room) and I was handed an invite when I entered the lounge. The First menu was pretty good (although I cannot remember what was on it!) and the service was excellent too.

Fraser

Sounds like my experience at IAD. Was connecting through and went to the BA lounge about 4hrs before the flight. Terraces was closed but First door was ajar, went in explained situation to the folks in there and they said to make myself at home so I did...for about 2hrs until the station manager (I presume) asked if they could move everyone to the Terraces as they only had one flight that evening. 37.5cl bottles of Veuve Clicquot to help yourself to
http://img479.imageshack.us/my.php?i...sc021365rt.jpg
http://img396.imageshack.us/my.php?i...sc021404ht.jpg
http://img479.imageshack.us/my.php?i...sc021376qe.jpg

star_world

The lounge with the windows that looks out over the gate area is the F lounge, but yes - the F dining area is in the lounge opposite. You're right, there isn't a whole lot of difference between the two lounges, but usually the F lounge has a better range of wine / champagne. It's a lot smaller though, so if one of the flights is delayed it can get very busy. Could hardly call the terraces lounge opposite quiet either though...!

Fraser

Is the ORD arrangement similar to the IAD arrangement?
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=508004 (Scroll down for pics of food/dining are/ First dining etc)

I thought the Sleeper Service ex-IAD was alright ^^ I found the curry cooked in front of me was rather good. Better than the pre-prepared options

GUWonder

The ORD Terraces like the ORD First lounge are underwhelming. ORD is the only place where -- if a choice is to be had -- I would choose the AA FL (or even Admirals Clubs) over the BA lounges. Besides the design scheme and food/drink, nothing especially distinguishing/distinguished about the BA lounges.

GUWonder

The ORD lounges are a better only if because they are more often not as busy as BA finds itself at IAD. Other than that, the IAD set-up strikes my fancy more.

Boo Boo

The IAD one certainly looks larger than the ORD dining area. There were no "cooked infront of you" items at ORD. Otherwise probably pretty similar...

Boo

Radioman

Hi
Well I see a lot of others have already made their views known about the lounges.

Well I really enjoyed the lounges, no problems at all with entry and staff friendly enough.

Really good for a few hours stop over and enjoyed sitting back and watching the world go past.

regards

Amicus

The ORD terraces lounge can get quite full when there are three outbound flights to LHR leaving within a few hours of each other.
The menu for F and terraces lounge is exactly the same, the only difference being that a waiter serves you the food in the small F dining section, versus helping yourself to the same food from the buffet in the terraces section.
F lounge is preferable only because of the wall of windows, though it is an extremely small room.
Best part of any BA lounge, though: those addictive stem ginger biscuits!