I feel little sympathy for anyone who builds or buys a house near an airport. It isn't like they weren't aware that it was there, but get upset when flight patterns have to change, or there is need to expand a runway.

If one is concerned about airport noise, don't buy or build a house near one.

My personal opinion....

ORD was designed to move people. Now, I know it's not HKG, AUH, DBX, SIN or any of the State owned unlimited funds for facilites that cater to people that demand Spas, shopping, fine dining, art museums. T2 is the last original structure that hasn't gone total rehab and yes, everyone is painfully aware of it.

DL moved over from "L" because the rates and charges, lease space within T2 were astronomically cheaper than for them to have stayed at T3 and bringing NW over at the time.

Politically, this keeps DL in the drivers seat as they can nix any plans to tear down T2 for either UA or AA. Remember, look at the facility at DTW DL has.....

Simply put, the airlines are the ones who spend the money on facilities, not the city. The city may desire the airlines to improve facilities, but in the end if the airline(s) say no, it doesn't happen. All funding comes from bonds backed by the airlines so the city just can't issue bonds and spend against the airlines wishes.

UA/DL/US/AC all lease gates within T2. If you don't like the facilites, then write and complain to the airlines, not the city.

For those who desires multiple FIS at ORD. That's a huge political battle that no one wants to start. It's really an all or nothing senario, meaning Star, OW and ST will demand they each get their own or not at all and T5 will continue to be used for all INTL arrivals.

AA/UA will not support a western terminal to move the LCC's over there. Matter of fact, the Western Terminal will not even have an FIS.

T1 is rather cramped compared to other hub airports (DEN, DFW, SFO, SEA, IAH). The design is OK and the B/C moving walkway is still fun, but most of the passenger facilities such as seating areas and bathrooms are crowded and dated and there's no quiet place to relax for an hour or two. And that INCLUDES the United Clubs!

You most obviously haven't read the articles related to this issue. Some of the neighborhoods affected, including Sauganash, really aren't anywhere near O'Hare. I'm in Lakeview, a pretty good distance from O'Hare and even *I* am bothered by flight noise now that the flight patterns have changed.

Those people deserve those property tax reductions.

This. The new approach vectors for aircraft arriving from the west in the typical westbound arrival patterns to runways 28C/28R call for aircraft to fly over downtown, turn north just before reaching the lake, then turn west at Wrigley and fly down Irving Park or Montrose under 5,000'. This impacts essentially every residential neighborhood on the near north and northwest sides, since many of these planes used to be vectored all the way out over the lake and then straight west into the airport.

The noise level is not high enough to be heard indoors where I live (north Lakeview), but is definitely noticeable enough when outdoors that it was easy to tell which day the new runway opened.

Similar problems exist for approaches to the northern 27L/27C runways over the northern suburbs as well.

Not true. The US Departure area also has a TGI Friday's. That might not be everyone's cup of tea but they certainly offer hot food/dining, etc. To say the US Departure area at YWG has "no real improvement" over the old terminal is pure nonsense IYAM.


At least they have something, unlike AC. But generally, you are correct: UA to DEN and ORD and DL to MSP. (In the past DL/NW offered seasonal service to DTW and DL briefly had a flight to SLC but those are long gone). Additionally, Westjet offers non-stops to LAS and PHX though I believe those are both seasonal.