Intro
On the ground
In the air
Hilton ORD
Intro
My plan was to go over sea and do some business in the Chicago-Detroit area. I was given a ARN-ORD-ARN Economy ticket by my US contractor and an overnight at Hilton ORD (runway view), that’s it. I used the optiontown upgrade service and had the fortune to get new tickets in C T-72 hour takeoff. This was also just weeks after SAS launched the “new deal” service policy SMILES so I was little curious on how the service had changed since my last SAS C trip ARN-ORD-ARN in March 2011.
On the ground
My original booking was:
SERVICE FROM TO DEPART ARRIVE
-------------- ------------------- --------------------- -------- -------
SCANDINAVIAN AIRLINES - SK 945
SAT 29OCT STOCKHOLM SE CHICAGO IL 1015 1220
ARLANDA O'HARE INTL
NON STOP TERMINAL 5 TERMINAL 5 DURATION 9:05
NON SMOKING
RESERVATION CONFIRMED- H ECONOMY
ON BOARD: HOT MEAL/SNACK
EQUIPMENT:AIRBUS INDUSTRIE A330-300
SEAT XXX NO SMOKING CONFIRMED
I had monitored the filling of the C cabin using the fantastic KVA Tool. At T-72 h it looked like:
A B | D E | G H
1 - - + + - -
2 - - - - + -
3 - - - - - -
4 - - + - + -
5 - + + + - -
6 + + + +
For some reason I was no able to pick a seat at
www.sas.com once my C ticket was issued. However at Lufthansa there was no problem. I picked 2H.
I arrived at ARN around 0730 on Saturday the 29th of October. This was also the first day of a one week school break so the check in was a madhouse. The queue for Economy SAS was about 200 meter. Someone later said it took 80 min to get to the front!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature...&v=fqTvUvFlODo
For some reason the “*A First Class passengers only” counter was free. I wore a suit today, 130 Wool, and my passport put inside a Swiss leather holder. I looked at the agent and he looked at me and accepted what he saw. That and in combo with excellent fast track service (this time it was absolutely fantastic) I was airside in 10 min!
The SAS Business lounge ARN is a sad place but still for me I feel like little privileged. However I rarely find any other SAS passengers in C there. Maybe they all are Gold and are enjoying the Gin and bottled wines in the *A Gold lounge next door. I shot the check in queue above from here, had some tap wine (right temperature on both the red and white compared to the piss(room) warm Merlot in the Gold lounge). Now for the action!
As always the gate was F58. The flight was overbooked and the gate agents looked for one passenger that could think of taking the ARN-CPH-ORD and arrive two hours later and , in addition, be the proud owner of a €600 SAS voucher. I, Mr Slow or Mr Well I Do Not Know, entered the podium FIRST but while I was occupied with one agent discussing seat maps on the CPH-ORD and other conditions there was another C passenger that just walked up and said “I take it” and that was it. Stupid me. Anyway, I had 2H on the A330 going ARN-ORD and that is as good as it can be if you what to show some class in this the country of Sweden. Period!
In the air
My next pax in 2G was an elegant, quiet woman and we did not speak that much on the flight. OJ, water or champagne was offered.
10-12cl of Gin. To much!
Starters
The Hidden Wine. This is not on the meny. They also serve this at Sturehof resturant in DT Stockholm. It is very very nice and they ran out of it fast!
First course: Elk, beetroot, horseradish, chives. Wine (by Oz Clarke): Durvillea, Pinot Noir, Marlborough, 2009.
Main course: Salmon, potatoes, asparagus, hollandaise sauce.
Cheese: From Skärvången dairy farm in Jämtland. Bleu, Caprin, pear marmalade. I wonder if the cheese would have been the same out from CPH if I had been faster and given the ARN-CPH-ORD earlier.
Dessert: Forest berry cake, fresh fruit salad and some 2002 Chateau Romer du Hayot Sauternes, France.
Before landing: Two classic Swedish Sandwiches. Skagen – shrimp and Lamb – potatosalad.
Dessert: Chocolate and vanilla cake
Hilton ORD
The Internet is soooooo BAAAAAD here. Hey Mr Hilton: Fix it! Now!!! or you are going to loose a generation of future business travellers. No Excuses!
Hilton ORD. A room with a runway view 1.
Hilton ORD. A room with a runway view 2.
