BA Old First to ORD (with pics) and Chicago pics
Dec 13, 2012, 9:44 am
#1
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Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: Edinburgh, Scotland
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BA Old First to ORD (with pics) and Chicago pics
Background: Following a mini RTW itinerary earlier in the year I was left with the return segment of an EDI-LHR-YVR to be flown. I decided to burn some Avios to get me out to North America and booked a flight to ORD. I would stay for two nights in Chicago before heading out on a Tier Point run on AA. In this TR however I will only be detailing the journey to ORD with some photos of the city.
My itinerary would be as outlined below:
EDI-LHR BA Domestic (Redemption)
LHR-ORD BA F (Redemption)
I hadn’t been to Chicago for several years so was looking forward to revisiting some of the landmarks as well as taking an architectural river tour.
EDI-LHR BA Domestic
Seat 1F
My flight from Edinburgh was at 10:05 on a Thursday morning. I arrived at around 08:45 and was quickly through security before making my way to the lounge for a brief pit stop.
EDI Lounge
EDI Lounge
EDI Lounge
Boarding was called around 09:30 – even priority boarding worked today - and I made my way to 1F. There really isn’t an awful lot to say about the flight, service was fine with the usual drinks and savoury snack run (or biscuits if you are having tea or coffee).
Obligatory leg room shot
The view from 1F (Cabin)
The view from 1F (External)
We came in over North London, passing over Emirates Stadium and the Olympic complex before flying down the south side of the Thames. For some reason I always enjoy spotting the London landmarks from the air – seeing the Gherkin, Tower Bridge, House of Parliament etc. It’s always interesting to see them and their relative positions from the air as opposed to the ground. It was a little cloudy today which obscured my vision.
We landed on runway 09L/27R approaching from the East before a short taxi to T5A. We were on stand 10 minutes early thanks to a prompt getaway from EDI and limited traffic over LHR.
My bags were checked through to ORD so I was quickly through the Flight Connections Centre and made my way to the Concorde Room in Galleries South. I had a four hour layover before my onward flight so there was plenty of time.
I found a comfortable area to sit near a power socket and settled in with a glass of bubbles.
Concorde Room
View out to the real world
Around 12:30pm I decided to have some lunch before heading through to the F Lounge. Although the F Lounge is busier compared to the CCR for some reason I prefer the ambience.
Bollinger Rose – very nice too!
Heirloom tomato and mozzarella salad
The BA burger
Apple Tart Tatin – very tasty, albeit sadly lacking in presentation
Overall service in the CCR was improved on my last visit, with staff being more proactive. However I am not sure whether this is in line with the wider picture, or alternatively I was just fortunate enough to have good staff on duty that day.
Whilst in the F Lounge I checked with the staff as to what plane was flying the route to Chicago today. Sadly the answer came back G-BNLZ, a mid J B747 with Old First. Whilst not a huge surprise, (given the chances of New First on this route) it was still disappointing.
Around 14:40 the departure gate was displayed and I made my way to T5C on the transit. There being no lounge in T5C I made my way more or less straight to the gate where boarding was called shortly after.
My itinerary would be as outlined below:
EDI-LHR BA Domestic (Redemption)
LHR-ORD BA F (Redemption)
I hadn’t been to Chicago for several years so was looking forward to revisiting some of the landmarks as well as taking an architectural river tour.
EDI-LHR BA Domestic
Seat 1F
My flight from Edinburgh was at 10:05 on a Thursday morning. I arrived at around 08:45 and was quickly through security before making my way to the lounge for a brief pit stop.
EDI Lounge
EDI Lounge
EDI Lounge
Boarding was called around 09:30 – even priority boarding worked today - and I made my way to 1F. There really isn’t an awful lot to say about the flight, service was fine with the usual drinks and savoury snack run (or biscuits if you are having tea or coffee).
Obligatory leg room shot
The view from 1F (Cabin)
The view from 1F (External)
We came in over North London, passing over Emirates Stadium and the Olympic complex before flying down the south side of the Thames. For some reason I always enjoy spotting the London landmarks from the air – seeing the Gherkin, Tower Bridge, House of Parliament etc. It’s always interesting to see them and their relative positions from the air as opposed to the ground. It was a little cloudy today which obscured my vision.
We landed on runway 09L/27R approaching from the East before a short taxi to T5A. We were on stand 10 minutes early thanks to a prompt getaway from EDI and limited traffic over LHR.
My bags were checked through to ORD so I was quickly through the Flight Connections Centre and made my way to the Concorde Room in Galleries South. I had a four hour layover before my onward flight so there was plenty of time.
I found a comfortable area to sit near a power socket and settled in with a glass of bubbles.
Concorde Room
View out to the real world
Around 12:30pm I decided to have some lunch before heading through to the F Lounge. Although the F Lounge is busier compared to the CCR for some reason I prefer the ambience.
Bollinger Rose – very nice too!
Heirloom tomato and mozzarella salad
The BA burger
Apple Tart Tatin – very tasty, albeit sadly lacking in presentation
Overall service in the CCR was improved on my last visit, with staff being more proactive. However I am not sure whether this is in line with the wider picture, or alternatively I was just fortunate enough to have good staff on duty that day.
Whilst in the F Lounge I checked with the staff as to what plane was flying the route to Chicago today. Sadly the answer came back G-BNLZ, a mid J B747 with Old First. Whilst not a huge surprise, (given the chances of New First on this route) it was still disappointing.
Around 14:40 the departure gate was displayed and I made my way to T5C on the transit. There being no lounge in T5C I made my way more or less straight to the gate where boarding was called shortly after.
Last edited by Flyersj18; Dec 13, 2012 at 5:26 pm
Dec 13, 2012, 9:47 am
#2
Original Poster
Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: Edinburgh, Scotland
Programs: Too many...
Posts: 536
Cont'd
My transportation to ORD
I was greeted very pleasantly at the door but not escorted to my seat. This set the tone for the service level on the flight – very enthusiastic and willing to help but lacking in polish and experience.
When I had checked earlier the cabin was around 7/14. By the time we took off however we had near enough a full cabin (possibly one seat free). Several at least were definite op-ups including a charming elderly American couple opposite me in 1 and 2K.
Sadly the plane was in what could only be described as a deplorable condition with bits hanging off here and there (in the cabin rather than off the airframe itself!) scuff marks much in evidence and generally in need of a deep clean, which indeed is what the hot towel ended up being used for.
One positive was that prior to take off the CSM came and introduced herself and said she would welcome any feedback.
Seat 1A
View to 1K
Pre flight champagne – the Laurent Perrier Grand Siecle
Dinner was served a couple of hours into the flight. I wasn’t particularly hungry so I ordered a fairly light meal. I honestly can’t remember whether the salmon was a starter or simply an amuse bouche. It certainly looks small enough to be an amuse bouche but I suspect it was a starter – sadly the menu has temporarily gone AWOL so I am not in a position to check...
Either way although it was tasty enough it certainly wasn’t a patch on its Cathay Pacific equivalent that I had the pleasure of sampling earlier in the year.
Salmon
Tortellini
Ice Cream
As I mentioned up thread the service lacked polish. Individually these were small things – drinks not being refilled, bread rolls not being offered until midway through the main course and my dessert order being forgotten but taken together they really took the “premium” feel away and made me question the point of burning the miles on F instead of J on the upper deck.
I did mention this to the CSM later who was very apologetic and said she would pass on my feedback. That said as soon as I made a request for anything it was willingly and promptly acceded to so hopefully with time and experience the service will improve.
I didn’t bother with the IFE other than the moving map which functioned well enough. However the system is looking incredibly dated and the size is small compared to most carriers F offerings. It suffers badly in comparison to New First.
Having alternatively read and dozed off for four hours or so it was time for afternoon tea.
Finger sandwiches
Scones
I decided to stick with apple juice rather than champagne as I was feeling a little dehydrated. The sandwiches were okay but the scones were excellent – nice and fresh and warm out of the oven. Clotted cream always helps the taste too
...Shortly afterwards we landed at ORD. And waited. And waited some more. Forty five minutes later we finally got on to our stand by which time my frustration levels were starting to rise. This was than exacerbated by the fact we disembarked through door 2L, thus all of the World Traveller Plus cabin and a good half of Club passengers managed to get off the plane in front of the First Cabin.
It really shouldn’t be beyond the wit of man to allow F passengers off first – indeed this happens on most other airlines that I have flown F on. This really detracts from the premium feel.
There was no offer of fast track or assistance with immigration. I had a bad feeling about this which was confirmed when before we even got to the immigration hall we were being barked at by the “welcoming” staff at ORD to join a stationary queue. An hour and forty minutes later I finally managed to clear immigration. Allegedly this occurred as “several planes arrived at the same time”. (At an airport? Surely not?!!!) Usually I arrive into ORD as a domestic passenger so have no experience of this but from what I hear from friends and colleagues this wait time is not unusual. It certainly made me long for immigration at PHL – I don’t think I have ever waited more than twenty minutes there.
Overall the flight was fine but my feelings could be summed up in one word – meh. I have since taken the decision that I will accept any op-ups gratefully but other than that will not be wasting miles on BA F, instead saving them for CX, and hopefully QR and MH in the near future.
This is the end of the flight section however below are posted some images of Chicago from my day there which may be of interest to some. Thanks for reading and if you have any questions please feel free to ask.
Last edited by Flyersj18; Dec 13, 2012 at 5:23 pm
Dec 13, 2012, 9:50 am
#3
Original Poster
Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: Edinburgh, Scotland
Programs: Too many...
Posts: 536
Cont'd
I stayed at the Radisson Blu Aqua for my first night in Chicago. I was able to take advantage of a longstanding friendship with the GM of the Radisson in Philadelphia (she sent me an email once ) to secure a fantastic F&F rate here of $80 + tax – truly great value for a central 4 star hotel. It only opened recently so everything is in great shape.
View from my room at the Radisson Blu Aqua – note the 3rd floor roof garden
View of the Radisson Blu Aqua from East Randolph Street. Note the ripple effect created by the staggered placement of the balconies.
The Frank Gehry designed Jay Pritzker Pavilion in Millenium Park
One of my favourite pieces of sculpture of all time, Anish Kapoor’s Cloud Gate, also known as The Bean
Admittedly a clear blue sky and bright sunshine helps to appreciate the work...
A stunning view over Navy Pier and Lake Michigan from the John Hancock Center
For all the British English language purists out there the word center has been deliberately left with its American English spelling!
Downtown Chicago with the Trump and Willis (formerly Sears) Towers in the background
This chirpy fellow came to say hello when I was sitting outside at a cafe
Chicago River with Trump Tower in the background
By a stroke of good fortune I was in Chicago the day before the Air and Water Show 2012 was due to start. So although I didn’t see the actual show itself I did see (and hear!) any number of rehearsals taking place.
The T-34s of Lima Lima flight team in formation
F/A18 Super Hornet
Seeing this Hercules C-130 (in the colours of the Blue Angels Display Team) brought back a lot of memories of earlier days – some good, some not so good!
Willis Tower (formerly Sears) from the Chicago River with some attractive condos to the right hand side
Marina City Towers a mixed use development from the 1960’s. I particularly like the multiple stories of car parks at the bottom of the tower!
) to secure a fantastic F&F rate here of $80 + tax – truly great value for a central 4 star hotel. It only opened recently so everything is in great shape.View from my room at the Radisson Blu Aqua – note the 3rd floor roof garden
View of the Radisson Blu Aqua from East Randolph Street. Note the ripple effect created by the staggered placement of the balconies.
The Frank Gehry designed Jay Pritzker Pavilion in Millenium Park
One of my favourite pieces of sculpture of all time, Anish Kapoor’s Cloud Gate, also known as The Bean
Admittedly a clear blue sky and bright sunshine helps to appreciate the work...
A stunning view over Navy Pier and Lake Michigan from the John Hancock Center
For all the British English language purists out there the word center has been deliberately left with its American English spelling!
Downtown Chicago with the Trump and Willis (formerly Sears) Towers in the background
This chirpy fellow came to say hello when I was sitting outside at a cafe
Chicago River with Trump Tower in the background
By a stroke of good fortune I was in Chicago the day before the Air and Water Show 2012 was due to start. So although I didn’t see the actual show itself I did see (and hear!) any number of rehearsals taking place.
The T-34s of Lima Lima flight team in formation
F/A18 Super Hornet
Seeing this Hercules C-130 (in the colours of the Blue Angels Display Team) brought back a lot of memories of earlier days – some good, some not so good!
Willis Tower (formerly Sears) from the Chicago River with some attractive condos to the right hand side
Marina City Towers a mixed use development from the 1960’s. I particularly like the multiple stories of car parks at the bottom of the tower!
Last edited by Flyersj18; Dec 13, 2012 at 3:15 pm
Dec 13, 2012, 3:14 pm
#6
Original Poster
Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: Edinburgh, Scotland
Programs: Too many...
Posts: 536
Chicago is a beautiful city, and there are many interesting buildings to see (and I say that as someone who is not a great architecture buff!). Rather cold at this time of the year though!
Well I did say I stood to be corrected
Having looked at the wing shape in a little more detail I have to concur with you that it is an F/A18 Super Hornet. Good spot ^
Dec 13, 2012, 4:24 pm
#9
Original Poster
Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: Edinburgh, Scotland
Programs: Too many...
Posts: 536
Glad you enjoyed it.
Dec 13, 2012, 5:18 pm
#11
Original Poster
Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: Edinburgh, Scotland
Programs: Too many...
Posts: 536
Thanks
I have been before to the museum and the aquarium on a previous trip - both are great. Sadly I literally had from 8:00am to 5:30pm on the Friday before heading out to ORD for the night so I was fairly limited in what I could do this time.
I have been before to the museum and the aquarium on a previous trip - both are great. Sadly I literally had from 8:00am to 5:30pm on the Friday before heading out to ORD for the night so I was fairly limited in what I could do this time.