Advice wanted

[mandragora]

I'm looking into booking a flight to Chicago for Z-con and it basically comes down to three choices. I want a direct flight, because there's less can go wrong on a direct flight (remembering how it once took me 37 hours to get from Heathrow to Oklahoma City, due to delays on each leg of the flight, and I had to change 3 times). I want to fly from Heathrow because, Gatwick... *spit* (Heathrow is much easier for me to get to is the real reason, I've got nothing against Gatwick as an airport).

So, flying from world's busiest international airport (Heathrow) to world's busiest airport (O'Hare) unsurprisingly there's a wealth of choice. Naturally I'm looking at the cheapest options. But there's not much in it (about £20) between American Airlines, United Airlines and British Airways (BA).

BA I know. I've flown BA to various destinations round the world quite a few times. I've also flown United to the US in the past and don't recall having any complaints. Don't think I've flown American, but am not sure.

So, anyone got any comments on whether either United or American have a bad or, hopefully, good reputation?

Comments

[lorie945.livejournal.com]

United, though having financial difficulties which mean it's cut a lot of staff, is based in Chicago and has its own (newer) terminal there. I live in Chicago and everyone I know/work with generally prefers to fly United out of O'Hare.

O'Hare is a big-ass place, and the "international" terminal is far from everything else. You might want to see if flying one of the domestic airlines gets you into a better terminal. Or if they all dump you out there to go through customs.

[mandragora1.livejournal.com]

Many thanks for the info, but unless I change flights (and in the US at that, as I could change in Amsterdam if I flew KLM, for example) which I want to avoid as I wrote above because it gives more opportunity for delays, not to mention making the journey that much longer, I have to come into the international terminal, no matter which airline I fly with. This includes United.

As is typical with US airports there appears to be one international terminal, together with 4 domestic-only terminals. In the UK we don't tend to have domestic-only terminals 'cos there's not that many places to travel. *g* If you do take an internal flight you'll travel from a terminal that also takes international flights, but won't have to go through passport control etc. The same goes for domestic flights in Europe.

It always brings home to me how big the US is when I consider the vast number of domestic flights there are!

It looks like United gets preferential treatment like BA does at Heathrow, which would definitely make United the best choice for a domestic flight, but whoever I fly with I'll be landing at that international terminal. Hopefully it won't make much difference as I'll be taking a taxi straight to the hotel.

Are you going to Z con? Will be lovely to meet you if so.

[lorie945.livejournal.com]

Are you going to Z con?

Oh, I wish I were. But no, I'm working that weekend.

Good luck with your trip. I hope you like my city. (and I hope they've improved the International Terminal a lot since I last flew in there.)