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O'Hare International Airport
Rating Details »
271 reviews for O'Hare International Airport
I like O'Hare, but I've been flying in and out of there my entire life...
It's practically it's own city. Given the amount of people that need to be employed there, you should expect a lot of stupid ones.
The dollar is worth a lot less in O'Hare, as everything is priced at least double.
I would hate to be a first-timer at O'Hare during peak times... I would probaly cry.
Since I don't really go to Chicago, my reviews are strictly for this place as a connecting airport. As a connecting airport, this place is horrendous.
Because of the weather during winter time in Chicago, flights are constantly delayed, canceled, one flight delayed, one flight on time. My grad school advisor called this place "russian roulette".
The fact that the airport is huge is bad for connecting flights. The airline companies don't really pay attention to terminals you'll be arriving and terminals you'll be departing from. Once I had to run from an end of one terminal to the end of another terminal. I missed boarding by like 5 minutes. Frustrating.
If O'Hare is your final destination you have less things to worry about. I wouldn't mind coming here for departure or destination, the terminals are huge, and consequently have a lot of stuff to occupy your minds until your boarding time.
Summary based on many trips both originating/terminating here as well as transit:
--ok transport to and from, especially on metro
--ok food choices, though usually expensive
--worse than average security hassle
--worse than average navigation from entry to gate
--worse than average transit between gates on a connection
O'Hare, you disappoint me.
I had 2 hours to spend with you and all you did was make me walk around for 45mins from terminal to terminal. It could have been good O, but you let me down. You should be thanking your friend over there, Grove, I would have let you have it. But Grove stepped in with its light creaminess and calmed my stress. And watch out for that Tapenada, shes stole $15 right out of my purse and replaced it with a bland turkey and cheese wrap with a fake gourmet sticker.
I hope to never see you again O, but if I do, you better hope Grove is there to save you.
Man, this airport is way too far from the city. Fly through Midway (MDW) if you can!
This may be one of the busiest airports in the country, but at 3am when you are stuck spending the night, this place feels like the deserted arctic tundra. It's a risk flying anywhere above the Mason Dixon line in the winter, the snow can turn a 3 hour flight into a 3 day one. Does anyone else feel like they turn the heat off at night? and what about a few blankets for the people?
To pick-up/drop-off your passenger seems to be such a pain around this airport since the traffic controllers seems more fixated on their high and almighty attitude - even when your passenger is literally walking out of the arrival terminal, someone gets you to make another loop around. Parking is a bit steep and getting to the place from the suburbs is much easier than Midway. People-watching at this airport is always fun since many international flights go through this place as a layover.
Flew in and out of here several days later. No problems at all. I fly off peak times and in the middle of the week on purpose to avoid crowds. I don't ever check bags so no problem in that department. The terminals are huge and you do a bit more walking than other airports. Plenty of bars, decent dining options, and places to get last minute Chicago crap. I would use this airport again without hesitation.
This place gives me nightmares at night... I've been stuck in this airport so many times I have lost my love for travel. Every christmas, thanksgiving and spring break I have ever flown in and out of this airport, I have had a delay of AT LEAST 2 hours. Once I was stuck there for 7 hours!
I understand that there are weather issues. I understand that holidays are busy. I understand that s*** happens. BUT I don't understand why every employee I talk to has to treat me like an idiot.
It's a very pretty airport and don't get me wrong, the airport itself is awesome. But if you are going to make people wait hours for a delayed flight, AT LEAST provide free wifi so they have something to do!!!
I try to avoid having to fly through Chicago. It's just not worth the frustration.
wow, no love for the big O.
For me, as I travel alone to meet up with friends in various cities across the US, I don't mind it here. I've always have good luck with my flights, and never had to wait a in long lines in the security check points.
Food options are plentiful, but rather expensive. Fairly ADA friendly, spacious waiting areas for waiting for your take off, and I have to admit, I love the little saran-wrapped toilet seats. No more icky messy potties in the bathroom!
I have had several layovers at O'hare International airport during numerous trips. Each time I come, it always looks like a different airport in a different city to me. This place is massive! All the concourses are given letters and numbers, there are within the airport shuttles to take you to those concourses, which aren't walkable.
I have never had a delayed flight coming in or out of Chicago, so a layover there has always been a pleasant experience.
Also note, in each restroom, there are machines that changes toilet seat covers for you as you please, maybe I am from a village but wow so high tech!
I hate O'Hare. No, really, I've never disliked an airport like I dislike O'Hare. I have never been through here without a delay. I've been stuck here at all hours of the night and it just generally sucks. Finding food here if you're vegetarian is also almost impossible.
The only good things about O'Hare is that the el runs straight into it, it's major enough to have cheap flights, and it has some great shops.
I'm from Atlanta. That airport is amazing. I miss being able to get through the entirety of Hartsfield in 15-20 minutes.
O'Hare is what it is. In all honesty, it's getting to O'Hare that irritates me the most. I'm inspired to write this review today because, after all these years, I've finally figured out how to enjoy my travel through the insanity.
Case #1 - Redeye from SFO arriving at 5:00am.
Landed on time and baggage was rolling around by the time I walked up to the carousel. And, I made a beeline there, AND, I was relatively close to the front of the plane. I was walking through the door at home by 6:00am an el and taxi ride later. Impossible, right? Nope, it's true!
Case #2 - 6:00am flight to Philly on the scenic route to Florida (on purpose for the miles - damn United!)
Got to the airport from Lincoln Park in 18 minutes flat, checked in and through security in 5. Non existent lines, airline and TSA were actually friendly and (gasp) smiling (seriously almost fell over in shock), and my flight was half empty.
I know it seems like I'm stating the obvious here, but this cushy experience shaves at least an hour off my commute time and leaves me feeling a little less pissed. Sure, getting up early sucks, but if you're flying out at 9, you gotta get up at the crack anyway to fight the traffic.
Oh, and I have to say, the restrooms are still the best here. I love those automatic plastic seat covers!
It's not perfect but for all the flights, people, and luggage that go through here, I think they do a great job.
It's safe, clean, and there are plenty of options for entertaining yourself while you wait for your flight. The decor is a bit outdated but if your there, hopefully your traveling somewhere with a better view anyway.
PS- they aren't f-ing around about the 2 hours before flight thing... you'll need all that time to comfortably arrive to your flight on time.
Beautiful facility. Landing on the 27L and R runways gives you a beautiful view of downtown Chicago. The only quarrel i have with it is making sure you have enough time to catch a connecting flight. But you can pretty much go anywhere in the world in just one flight. in this day and age of cattle-herding planes and angry passengers, the O'Hare airport still provides a glimpse of the "golden days" of air travel back in the 70s... wish i could have been a flight attendant back then :)
Yep its an airport that I rarely come through for pleasure, but seems like every 2 weeks for work. While I am here I might as well enjoy it.
Lately I have seen so many new vendors popping up in the C concourse. Like Brioche Dorree and Salad Works. Yes! healthy food on the go! Don't worry..you will pay out your A&& because the stuff is pricey.
I usually wander on my trips and try to find something hidden and undiscovered. Got 2 FTR's here lately...haha suckas! Either way..I've been in worse airports but who really enjoys the time spent in airports anyways unless you are going on vacation:)
Maybe it's because this time flying through O'Hare, my connecting flight was only half a mile away from m incoming gate instead of one, but my layover there was fine. What I like about the United terminal, which has a nice airy feeling, is that there are shops and food places pretty close to every gate, so that when I leave all my carry-on stuff in the gate area to go foraging for food, it's not a long anxiety-inducing trip to do so. (I would hate to have the bomb squad come because someone got freaked out by my "unaccompanied bags.")
The negatives: At least in the United terminal, it was harder than usual to find an electrical outlet so I could plug in my laptop, charge my phone, etc. The fact that they have a couple of 6-person "charging stations" scattered around randomly doesn't really make up for it. Also, although I'm sure it's a big moneymaker, I wish they would make the wifi free, instead of having to sign up for a minimum of 6 hours of "Boingo" using a credit card.
To end on a positive: don't miss my favorite part of O'Hare: the "Terminal for Tomorrow," which leads to the United terminal [http://www.youtube.com...].
Everyone told me that I would like the O'Hare international airport because it is nice and has so many amenities (in terms of food and drink choices as well as gift shops galore) ... but I personally loved it because of its distinctively Chicago touch with many artsy elements architecturally and otherwise that really made this airport stand out to me.
It's like the experience that you **think** you would get at JFK in New York because of movies like the Terminal but that you end up getting at ORD because it's just crowded enough to give you the international airport feel without overcrowding all the scents, smells and experiences that comes with such an elaborate and nice airport.
It's not the airport or its staff. It's the CNN that you cannot, cannot escape. Even if you hide from a screen, the speakers are there no less than 4 feet from your head. This is true no matter where you sit.
False debates and "news" with attitude, shouting at me from the ceiling when I'm trying to chill out or read? Eek! Methinks not.
I love O'Hare. I know this makes me a freak but I don't care. If I have to choose between O'Hare and Midway it's always O'Hare.
Sure it's a big airport but things are really well marked. I can't tell you the number of times I've been in and out of this airport and I've never gotten lost. Ever. I have the worst sense of direction known to man (I often get lost in Evanston) so the fact that I've never gotten lost here is nothing short of a miracle. Yay for lots of signs telling me where I need to go.
There are plenty of places to get food should you be hungry. Sure, things are priced about 5 times what they should be, but since we can't bring liquids through security we're pretty much S.O.L. There are food and beverage places pretty much next to every terminal. I'll pay for that convenience.
The thing I like most about O'Hare though is that I can always get a flight out of there. No matter where I'm going, there's a flight. This is no small thing. I grew up in Rochester, NY. While that airport is also "International" it's only because they go to Canada. I once had to fly to Detroit to get a flight to Paris. I had to go west in order to go east. Thanks, no. I like my direct flights that take me in the direction I actually want to go in... but like I said in the beginning of my review, I'm a freak.
This Aiport Has Such a Great History!
But....
Hectic, Rude People (Staff and Patrons), bathrooms and chairs were not very clean. This airport is way overcrowded with people. I would prefer not coming here. On a positive note, I did have a problem occur and the Delta Airlines lady that assisted me was absolutely wonderful and was nice the entire time.
O'Hare is as bad as some people have claimed. Delays, congestion and families having a Home Alone experience.
When I was younger, and liked to think of things I would invent when I became big and strong, the idea of a disposable toilet seat was among the best of them. To this day, I have anxiety and "ick" issues with using public restrooms. I actually purposely pick the stall that I think is used the least - such as one with little light, the furthest walk away, or maybe with a broken door.
O'Hare... you reached into the genius mind of my childhood and made my dream a reality. Thank you.
(reference - http://www.youtube.com...)
O'hare now has hand sanitizer spray at multiple locations throughout (mainly washrooms.) Awesome. They just went up a notch.
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10/10/2009
Midway. Give me a choice and I choose Midway over O'hare.
Maybe b/c I've never did research and… Read more »
Pluses:
-- Near home (we live about 10 minutes away)
-- Large number of airlines fly in and out every day
-- Garrett Popcorn, Gold Coast Dogs and other quality vendors
-- Generally clean, modern, well-maintained
-- For its size, it's fairly easy to get around
-- Despite its reputation, flights ARE usually on time, unless you're coming from/going to New York City (the cause of most delays)
-- CTA access to/from Chicago
Minuses:
-- Traffic can be a nightmare
-- Only one way in (see: above) via car
-- No suburban train options (why is there not a Metra Line out here?)
-- If bad weather hits, watch out
-- It's an airport. A really big, busy airport. Therefore, lines will be long, prices will be high, traffic will probably be bad.
Having been in and out of O'Hare more times than I can count, we are departing again via American in about 10 days... and despite the hassles, my husband is now eagerly awaiting the chance to eat Garrett popcorn at 7 a.m. :)
I know. You are all saying "4 stars for O'Hare? Are you crazy?" Yep. I am. I'm crazy for this airport as I have travelled all around the US and the world- and still put O'Hare International in my top 5 airport list.
Oh sure- you can complain that you spend too much time there- that the lines are long and that parts of it are starting to look like a shopping mall versus an airport. But for this girl who uses a plane like a bus to get from here to there- mostly for business- I find it to be well laid out and easy to navigate. And the biggest plus? It's a hub to two major domestic airlines which means I can get from here to there without having to connect. A huge plus if you've ever lived in a city that is not a hub (and I have)
Getting to the airport is easy whether you drive or take public transportation. Parking is sometimes a challenge but you know that Sundays and Wednesdays are the worse days so you plan accordingly (Wednesdays as the lots are still full from the early week business travelers who have yet to return in time to give their spots up for the late week business travelers-but you deal with it or plan your travel around it)
I love the valet parking for those days when I am running late and can hand over my car and make a dash for the gate. It runs about $15 more a day (total $45) than regular lot parking but worth every penny!
The regular lots run about $30 a day and there is always plenty of room and they do a good job of directing you where to park so you are not driving around in circles looking for spots. You can also park in one of the remote lots and take the bus or train to the terminal for about $16 a day. Just be careful not to park in the hourly spots or you'll end up paying $50 a day!!
The International Terminal is well laid out and usually has enough customs agents to get you through the massive lines in less than 20 minutes. Baggage re-checking to other domestic flights is also made easy. If I had a wish- it would be that United used different gates than the ones that they are currently assigned as they are way down at the end. And even the moving sidewalks don't make that walk any shorter. Although I do appreciate the stained glass museum that is located along the pathway.
I know there is a lot of griping about weather in Chicago and the delays that it causes- but again- the airport is set up to handle it. "Camp O'Hare" with its cots and blankets is not ideal by any means- but it's better than sleeping on the floor if you don't have the money to go to any of the nearby hotels.
I do have to laugh at how commercial sections of the airport are getting. Not only can you get food and drink now- but you can work out in a gym, have a massage or get your nails done. I'm always hopeful that I won't ever have enough time in this airport to do any of these things!
Travel is hassle enough without having an airport that is not set up properly to handle it. I'm just lucky that I live in a city that has an airport set up to handle the volume that O'Hare does and in a pretty efficient manner.
International airport - yes! Sometimes I totally take the fact that I live near Chicago for granted. When I studied abroad, I flew directly from Chicago to France. Then I realized, "What if you live in Minnesota? Mississippi? Wisconsin? Southern Illinois?" You know what you do? Drive (or fly) your ass to a place like Chicago to fly internationally. That must totally suck. I just get to be here, which is super lucky and awesome.
O'Hare knows what's up. It's an airport, so part of your experience here will automatically suck because it's crammed with idiots who don't have any experience traveling and you get stuck behind them and their screaming baby in the security line. But, hey, that's how airports work. It's not O'Hare's fault, per se. O'Hare is organized well and the American counter is huge, so there's usually not tons of waiting involved for check-in (also, just use a kiosk, it's easier). I usually only ever fly American out of this airport, so I'm not sure how other airlines work. There's tons of restaurants, shopping opportunities, etc. to keep you busy while you're waiting for your flight to depart.
Terminal 5 is probably my favorite place to be in O'Hare because a) it's nice, easy to access and chock full 'o duty free and b) it means you're flying internationally. Yay! I've flown out of this airport to Europe twice and both times I've had great experiences. I love my duty free shopping on the way to Europe and I've never had a terrible experience with customs on my way back.
All in all, good airport. You can take the blue line directly here (convenient!!!!) and there's all sorts of easy signage once you get here to help you around. I've got no problem with O'Hare and, honestly, you have to expect that some degree of insanity will occur here just because it is the busiest airport in the country. Don't get all uppity about it - just go with the flow, people.
I always have and always will love O'Hare International Airport. For being one of the busiest airports in the country, if not the world, it does a hell of a job of moving people along, getting them their luggage, putting them on a plane, and getting them in the air in a timely fashion.
Compared to the experience in either Laguardia or JFK in New York, O'Hare is a breeze and a much more pleasant experience. First off, similar to the cities themselves, O'Hare is much cleaner and better laid out than either Laguardia or JFK. O'Hare has a better selection of restaurants and shops and is much more spacious and comfortable. I have yet to speak to someone at O'Hare who has not been kind, courteous, and knowledgeable.
As someone else pointed out, the architecture in O'Hare is distinctly Chicago and you really do get a sense of the city from being in the airport. If you are lucky, you will get the honor of traversing the "Moving
Walkway" to get to your terminal. Though the idea in itself is nothing new, there is just something about the flashing lights and the voice that always tells you "The moving walkway is now ending" that just brings comfort to me.
When it comes to flights, of course there will be delays. There will be delays at any airport you ever fly into or out of. I think it just seems more apparent at O'Hare due to the fact that Chicago is a very large connection city and thus has greater than average air traffic. With that said, I have never had a flight delayed more than an hour at Chicago (and I've flown out of ORD for my entire life) and even when it is, the gate staff is more than willing to answer any questions you may have.
Overall I've always had a pleasant experience flying to and from O'Hare. If you're choice is between Midway and O'Hare and you don't mind spending a little extra money, definitely go with O'Hare. You will have a comfortable and enjoyable flying experience.
Puffy shot a video here.
NUFF SAID.
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fucking huge!!!!! omg we landed and drove around for like 20 minutes. we even went over the freeway to get the gate. i dont even know how large this place is but i remember being in here for a very long time trying to get around from the gate to baggage claim to the rental car area. we even left the hotel a little early to give us more time to get through this damn airport. the train does stop in the airport and takes you all the way downtown which is pretty nice too.
To me O'Hare is no worse or better then any other airport that I've been to. Yeah the people who work there are rude (remember they are Chicagoans), yeah the airlines hose you, and yeah it takes forever to get through security, but all in all I hate flying so it sucks for me everywhere so going into it thinking the worst it always ends up being ok for me. Get in, get out and hope that I'm not delayed or miss a flight is really the best I can hope for. For some reason I'm always the very last gate on a terminal... I figure I just have that kind of luck.
So do what I do and have a couple drinks before you get on... it make it so much more enjoyable. Parking is not too bad and the cta is a breeze if you can find it.
Auntie Anne's -located in O'Hare
WTF, is this what passes as a pretzel??!?! I know it's the airport but seriously I couldn't even finish it. One of the most disappointing things I've eaten in a long time... never again.
Demoted a couple of years ago to the -second- busiest airport in the US (after Atlanta Hartsfield) and fourth in the world (after London Heathrow and Beijing Capital), O'Hare (airport code ORD) is a majorly confusing airport if you're connecting. If you're switching from one carrier to another, from international to domestic, or from United Express to United mainline, leave yourself at least an hour. And that's if the weather is good. If it's bad, it's a whole 'nother story.
Getting from one terminal to the other can be done by foot (if you know where you're going), by underground slidewalk (if you can find it) or there may be an internal shuttle bus that can take you (if it's going where you want to go and you can find it). For example, Terminal One has a C concourse and Terminal Three has a K concourse. I know this makes sense if you know the airport layout, but if you don't, it can be hard to understand.
There are tons of restaurant concessions and places to shop for books, magazines and all sorts of other stuff, including local Chicago trinkets. [And check out http://stuckattheairpo...] It's a nice airport for simply wandering around if you have a couple of hours layover to kill. It also has easy access to the local metro/subway transport if you're headed into the city - O'Hare is about a dozen miles from the downtown area and takes about an hour or so.
I've connected through O'Hare a few times (on United, of course) and years ago, I was a regular for business in Chicago (on Delta). Every time has been a new adventure. Not every plane is serviced with a jetbridge - on some of the regional jets, you will deplane using the aircraft's own stairs (try that in the snow!) and you'll have to walk up a flight of (tiled and sometimes slippery when wet) stairs to get to the terminal.
Gotta say, I was afraid of flying out of O'Hare on a Thursday evening. I expected an hour delay, sitting on the tar-mac for most of the evening, miserable security, etc. We had NONE of that.
We zipped through security, we found somewhere to eat pretty easily, our flight left right on time, we didn't have to wait in line to take off, and we even landed at home EARLY. How often does that happen?
My only complaint is the lack of bathrooms.
The O'Hare Airport is not as bad as some people have claimed. One of the best things about O'Hare is that you can take the Blue line to and from the airport. This makes it very easy to get to and from the airport. Every time I have used O'Hare International Airport for my transportation needs, I have found it easy to navigate to my gate and the people have always been polite. From time to time, there have been delays, but they are unavoidable things such as weather issues.
Getting through security and getting your electronic ticket was very simple. If you arrive early and take all your metal items off the first time, then there are no problems getting through security.
This airport was better than the other two international airport that I have been to in the past. Great airport.
This place is dirty, smelly, over-crowded and just genuinely miserable.
If you can get into, or out of, O'Hare anywhere near on-time you might just drop dead from shock. All the lazy ass employees, in every facet of this airport, make it all the more miserable of an experience. A love for travel is the only thing that can trump the misery of having to deal with this hellhole.
Yes, its a little more convenient than Midway, but that doesnt say much.
When you think about it, O'Hare International Airport serves a heck of a lot of people. I usually have a pretty good experience flying in and out of ORD, and don't really think it's as bad as many people think. Years ago, O"Hare was a real nasty looking place, but the city has invested millions of dollars in renovations. My favorite part of this famous Chicago airport is probably the walking neon tunnel, which connects gates F,H,and H. Most of the airlines have tried to speed things up by placing electronic check -in
Here is some good advice if you are trying to avoid long lines and traffic at O'Hare. Try booking a flight that does not depart or arrive between the morning hours of 7am to 10am. Equally, I would suggest not catching a flight out of town between 5pm and 7pm. Traffic can really be terrible on both sides of the Kennedy at these times.
If you are picking someone up at O'Hare, I would park away from the airport, along Mannheim road until they arrive. Have the person call you on your cell phone and tell you exactly where to pick them up outside. The police can be pretty bad about making you move your car, but they usually don't say anything if you just stop and do a very fast pick up. Mannheim road is just a few min south of the airport, and is a quick drive back around the loop of O'Hare. Also, O'Hare does not have a ton of restaurants upstairs where the gates are. There is a Mexican Restaurant, a McDonald's . and a Starbucks near the gates. The prices can be steep, so sometimes it's a good idea to pack a little food. Oh yea, you can buy some drinks at the Mexican restaurant up there. Take advantage of the Red Carpet club if you are an American Airlines premium member. Drinks are free there for members of the Red Carpet Lounge.
Seriously, other than an airport in Tanzania which was essentially a garden shed in the middle of a desert where you had to load your own bags into the plane... this is the worst airport ever. and at least in Tanzania there was a comfortable chair to sit in, albeit in crushed green velvet and clearly from the 1970s.
1. everyone is mean and evil here
2. there are no signs to anything
3. nothing is designed for wheely bags. I hate wheely bags too, but when you're an airport, you have to be friendly to them.
4. there are those stretchy rope things everywhere, for miles.... it's like my favourtie scene in Shrek when the man with the giant head has to run along all the whole queue only to knock himself out on the barrier... i digress...
5. someone told me there are 46 starbucks outlets here and that's just plain wrong
6. mcdonalds happy meal had no ketchup (not strictly the airport's fault)
Extra star for the janitor who did finally tell me where the CTA was.
Everything I need in an airport. I generally fly United or American and both have hubs here. That means direct flights everywhere I travel which is one of the best things about living in Chicago. Starbucks and decent food options at every turn. This ain't no Podunk airport and they know how to keep the cattle moooving to get you airborne on time. Now if we only had a damn gate for our ontime landing I'd be on my way. And what is up with sitting in the penalty box and driving all around this airport to get to a gate?
O'Hare airport gets slapped on the wrist by the FAA about once a year for their notoriously shady overbooking policies. I have been affected by it and I don't like it either. O'Hare, stop it! FAA, obviously what you're doing isn't working. This is especially noticeable when it rains or snows a millimeter: O'Hare shuts down or gets backed up 12 hours, Midway is chugging along like the little brother playing by himself in the corner, oblivious to everything but the joy his toy airplanes bring him.
But overall, O'Hare is a pretty nice airport. Ever since Jenny T. wrote about Fashion Forward having their "lounge space" between the two United Terminals 1 and 2, I've popped my head over there to see what's installed in that space. Today they had an HP Digital Lounge, complete with big screen computers. The computers are set up with Chicago tourist information (and the good kind, like Neighborhood Walking Tours and Kid's Kite Festivals).
Also available to peruse are beautiful pictures of Chicago neighborhoods that you can move with your fingers, iPhone style, to make bigger, smaller, move left to right. HP is trying to sell us on their digital photo smashing software but what they've sold me on is that Chicago looks damn gorgeous in HD! And I loved playing around with the technology like I was Tom Cruise in Minority Report. Big ups to Josh Shapiro and Jennifer Googe for their amazing photography work!
In my travels to smaller airports I've grown to appreciate the fact that one can get to O'hare quickly via the Blue Line El, or by taking a cab. The cab from the Harrisburg airport to York, PA would have cost me $90 without tip today. My EL ride cost $2.25! The art and architecture of O'hare is something that stands out too, when you arrive at an airport that feels like you've been stuffed in a white plastic closet with no restaurants and no people around. Oh, and they are constantly playing local "homegrown" Chicago music, such as Fred Anderson, Ken Vandermark, and Chicago Blues! No elevator music here!
Sure, there are some really bad days for air traffic control here (C'mon and Let me in!), mostly when weather's involved. (Try to avoid flying between Nov 1 and April 1.) But seriously, I hate it too sometimes, but we are pretty lucky to have such a nice big airport close to downtown Chicago!
Chicago's Ohare International Airport (code: ORD) is one of the busiest in the world, and second to only Atlanta's Hartsfield Airport as the most busiest in America. It used to be number one before the growth of the sunbelt migration, with a take-off or landing every 30 seconds.
But for a major hub that it is, it isn't one of the better airports in America for a traveller. The good new is, if you are flying through here, there are a lot of connecting flights, it being the main United hub and American Airlines right behind with a myriad of flights.
The bad news is, you HAVE to connect via ORD on most legacy carriers Hub and Spoke routes, because gone are the direct flights of yesteryear.
Add to this the winter weather in Chicago, with snowstorms, the occasional blizzard, de-icing, etc. and that is the harsh reality of ORD.
Access by freeway to ORD is good, with a crossroads of major freeways headed west out of downtown. You also have the option of the train to get here, although the walk from the train station to your terminal and your gate could be considerable. You could also take the airport shuttle service, but unlike on the west coast with 3 maximum stops, at ORD it may take you 3 hours to get from ORD to your hotel, because the drivers are paid by the head, so they will wait and try to fill up the entire van before leaving. And that could be a dozen people!
Also, for a major busy international airport for one of the greatest cities in the world, the airport amenities are underwhelming at best. For instance, United's C terminal with perhaps 30 gates, has a dearth of shopping and eating. There is a Mickie D's, and a pitiful foodcourt mid-terminal, called the Jazz Food Court. It plays Chuck Mangione's late '70's hits (that is the good news!) but the food choices, like the Manchu Wok, or Reggio's Pizza, are weak. The only other choices are couple of other sandwich shops, or small cart kiosks pushed up against the sides of this terminals's Milan Central Train Station inspired architecture, like at a ballpark with kiosks or carts for Auntie Annes pretzels, a tiny Quiznos, or other snack like foods. PDX, MSP and many other airports put ORD to shame in this category, with SFO, hell, even little OAK better!
And if you have to connect from A or B gates to C gates, you may get lost, and then you have to find the under-tarmac tunnell to get from, well, A to C. They added multi-color neon lights with electronic music to distract you from the trek, and they did this before the same multi-colors were popularized into the Gay Flag. There is nothing in this tunnel except for people hurrying from one terminal to the other.
But then again, this is Chicago. Born out of the gangsters of Al Capone's era, the mean streets of the south side, and the midwest farm-bred pride of no-nonsense lifestyles, epitomized by the beloved and bemoaned Monsters of the Midway, Da Bears!
So lower your expectations of ORD, because frankly, that is how Chicagoans like to see themselves, as blue collared, no-nonsense people, who love a challenge and don't whine about it like those on the coasts.
