Originally Posted by Aleks

Checked in at MAN on Xmas Eve to find that our MAN-ORD was seating, as expected, in Y while our ORD-MCO upgrade request cleared at T-72 hours. Get to the gate after a few drinks in the Terraces Lounge (nice and quiet today) to find that they've just started pre-boarding (partner in wheelchair, first on board) to find that our 10AB boarding cards are no good anymore - free upgrade to 2AB thanks AA for that Christmas present.

30 minutes late landing at ORD (turbulence) then a massive 75 minutes to clear immigration, collect baggage, recheck baggage, clear customs, get from T5 to T3, dash through AA F security point (no queue), through security (I hate this removing of shoes, I was wearing Timberland boots) and run to Concourse H to join the back of the line for AA1400 only to find that we were sat on the tarmac for 60 minutes past departure time because the flight crew weren't on board, they having flown SEA-STL-ORD that day and arrived to ORD late.

MCO baggage is a nightmare - a full hour before bags came out for AA1400 ... on the wrongly advertised carousel ... grrrr

So from checking in at 7.30am GMT to landing in MCO at 7.30pm ET to checking in at our hotel at 9.15pm ET means we'd been on the go for nearly 19 hours. A long day but worth it for the op-up and the sticker upgrade (for which our stickers have not been deducted from our accounts) especially considering our return tickets have cost us (including purchase of upgrades) a paltry £350/$700 it won't allow us to retain PLT status (considering a buyback for just one of us and get the other to requalify on a challenge the year after - if still available) but does get us enough miles towards a free trip to the States next year for our honeymoon (civil partnership in Scotland in May 2008).