The Best Worst Airport in the US

by Josh Lew on

Frequent and casual travelers have their favorite airports. The ones that are easy to navigate and usually not too crowded always make the list. And then there are those airports where you have to use all your willpower just to deplane. These sprawling terminals are usually inhabited by a staff whose goal in life is seemingly to make your trip through their turf as nightmarish as possible. Overstatement? Perhaps, unless you’ve just come through customs at Chicago O’Hare.

Yes, O’Hare is one of those airports on my “worst” list. It is difficult to navigate (unless you have a PhD in Geography or a very good hand-held GPS unit) and perpetually crowded. The customs and immigration folks there have given me the most hassle of any airport in the country. If it was just me, I’d guess that I fit some sort of profile. But everyone seems to have trouble. On my last trip, I witnessed a little Japanese grandmother being pulled out of the customs line after she couldn’t answer (or perhaps even understand) a customs agent’s eloquently posed question “How much Yen you got?”

At the same time, there are certain corners of O’Hare that I love.One is the bar in the corner of the international terminal. The bartender on my previous trip was not only generous with her pours, she knew the status of every flight coming into and out of the terminal seemingly aided by some sort of sixth sense that must come from a lifetime in airport bars. And her yarns about the airport life were almost enough to make you want to work there. I’ve always found this particular bar to be staffed by equally laid back and knowledgeable people.

At the nearby hot dog stand, they might serve you a hot dog with a dismissive frown, but as a last meal before heading off overseas, it can’t be beat. Hell, a trip to this little corner of the massive monstrosity that is O’Hare might even have you thinking fondly of the place. But don’t worry, there is always plenty of swearing businessmen ready to push you down if no one is looking, surly staff dishing out the attitude and cavity-searches to keep you in touch the reality.

I’m always happy to leave O’Hare. But that’s one of the points of travel, isn’t it? Being happy to leave where you are and looking forward to where you are going.

TSA inspector damages planes and causes major flight delays

by Jamie Rhein on

As one of the duties to make sure air travel is safer, TSA inspectors check planes for security issues while the planes are parked.

Unfortunately, knowing which parts of planes should not be touched, and what a ladder looks like is a skill set that still needs some fine tuning.

According to this ABC News report, an inspector at Chicago’s O’Hare Airport used sensitive instrument probes as handholds while climbing into nine American Eagle airplanes. These TAT probes, pictured, are important to the operation of flight computers. As a result, 40 commuter flights were delayed.

At the time, the TSA agent was attempting to determine if the aircraft could be broken into and an agency official is quoted as saying “Our inspector was following routine procedure for securing the aircraft that were on the tarmac.”

Next time, try using a ladder and a brick.

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Amazing and insane stories from a real-life flight attendant and co-pilot

Virgin America seeks approval to serve Chicago’s O’Hare (ORD)

by Justin Glow on

Midwestern fans of the newest, shiniest airline to hit American soil, Virgin America, received some good news this morning: the airline is seeking government approval to set up shop at Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport.

O’Hare, the world’s second busiest airport, would make Virgin America’s 8th official destination with plans to fly to and from both San Francisco (SFO) and Los Angeles (LAX).

No official word on when this would happen if given approval, but we’ll keep you updated.

Chicago Business has a good rundown of the logistics of such a process, and what it could mean for Chicago and O’Hare.

Yahoo: Virgin America Seeks Service to Chicago O’Hare
Photo: Kevin Miller on Flickr (CC)

Man robs bakery inside O’Hare airport

by Justin Glow on

Last Friday at 8:45 AM, a man walked up to a lady opening up shop at the Corner Bakery in O’Hare International Airport in Chicago, demanded a bag of cash, hit her in the face, and escaped through the concourse and into the city, the Chicago Tribune reports.

The first thing that came to mind was: how? Turns out, the bakery isn’t located within the secure area, otherwise this act would be nearly impossible, one hopes.

Though with the TSA running the show, they probably would have made him pour out his stolen coffee while the large bag of cash and concealed weapon goes unnoticed. *rimshot*

(Via Chicagoist)

The Busiest Labor Day Destinations

by Justin Glow on

Where is everyone traveling to this Labor Day? Orbitz.com has compiled a list of the 10 busiest Labor Day destinations based on booking trends. Here’s what they found:

  • Busiest U.S. airport: Chicago O’Hare (Last year: No. 3)
  • Busiest International Airport: London Heathrow (Last year: No. 2)
  • Busiest U.S. City: New York, NY (No. 2: Chicago)
  • Busiest International City: London (No. 2: San Juan, Puerto Rico)

If you plan on traveling through O’Hare this weekend, give yourself plenty of time before your flight to battle the crowds. It may not be too bad, however, because for the third year in a row, O’Hare was ranked by Global Traveler as the best airport [PDF] in North America. I was there briefly this year and was really impressed at the speed in which I made it through security. Plus it’s so damned big, I can’t imagine it ever filling up beyond capacity!

Safe traveling this weekend!

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