ORD overnight layover question
 

I might have this situation:

1. International Star Alliance flight arrive ORD 7:15pm.
2. Next day AA departure 7:05am.

Question 1: I would like to enter the AA lounge to shower and relax until close. Would I be able to get airside with a next-morning BP (assuming I can pull it up on my phone)?

Question 2: Can I check in the bag right after immigration?

Question 3: I won't need much rest since I'll be totally jet lagged. Still, where is the most comfortable place in ORD to get a little shut eye for free?

For #1, your AB Gold card (OW Sapphire) should admit you to the H/K Admirals Club (where the showers are located). As your OW status card is from a non-North American airline, you should have access no matter what class of service you are flying on AA. Your incoming *Alliance flight has no bearing.

http://www.airberlin.com/site/tb/pro...eu&show=lounge


Sorry, can't help with #2 or #3.

Thanks, but I was asking more if TSA would let me in with a BP departing next morning.

TSA will not process you with a next-day BP, but AA will almost certainly issue you a gate pass which gets you through the checkpoint. Just present your next-day BP and ask.

Good know about the gate pass, Often1. Hopefully it's standard procedure and won't be a problem. Do I need to notify AA in advance or just show up at the ticket counter and ask?

You can often get airport-area hotels really cheap on Hotwire, etc.

+1

You should be able to get something near the airport with free shuttle, breakfast and internet fairly reasonably.

Just make sure the hotel shuttle is running early enough to get you back to the airport in time for your morning flight.

My usually go-to is the Quality Inn on Mannheim; typical sorta average place, but clean enough, beds are OK, and they are nice to me. 8K Choice points all-in (worth $40 at most, IMO) and they share a shuttle with a parking lot, so it runs 24 hours, every 30 minutes.

Maybe 10-12 minutes to ORD.

But there are a zillion comparable.

I am about as cheap as they come, but missing a night's sleep "costs" me more than that.