News and notes from around the interweb:
- Qantas called on not to expire AU$800 million in travel credit this year and unsurprisingly they play dirty pool with their credits.
Under Qantas’ terms, passengers who booked their original flight after September 30, 2021, can only use their credit on flights that cost the same or more than the initial amount. On fares that are lower than the credit amount, passengers have to buy a new ticket.
…A customer with $500 worth of credit would not be able to use it on a $475 flight, even if they were willing to forego $25, which many passengers were, he said.
- Chicago O’Hare creates miserable experience for passengers arriving at its international terminal (which is also used by Delta Air Lines, Frontier Airlines and Southwest Airlines for domestic flights). Terminating your journey back to the U.S. in Chicago, or flying Delta? Have luggage? You really really do not want to take Uber/Lyft. Indeed, it’s enough of a reason not to fly Delta.
You’re going to have to schlepp your bags on a train just to get to your rideshare pickup:
For passengers arriving into Terminal 5: Starting Monday, rideshares like @Uber and @Lyft will pick up at Terminal 2 departures. Transfer to T2 by taking a short ride on the Airport Transit System (ATS). https://t.co/mgWFxGV4LP pic.twitter.com/w7oTvU3F7I
— O'Hare Intl. Airport (@fly2ohare) February 24, 2023
- Why cancelling your credit card may no longer stop a merchant from charging it
- The one thing the leading right wing critic of tolerance can’t tolerate is.. American Airlines.
The absolute worst airline = @AmericanAir
— Sohrab Ahmari (@SohrabAhmari) February 23, 2023
- A Software Bug Caused Two Alaska Airlines Flights to Suffer Tailstrikes on the Same Morning (HT: Paul H)
- Biden administration considering flight attendants union head Sara Nelson for Secretary of Labor (HT: Paul H)
I’m in agreement with many comments noted above. ORD stinks…kinda like LaGuardia & JFK. All three are rotten. I do have a problem with the comment of “…don’t fly Delta…” What the hell does that have to do with this issue? Many times, the airlines don’t have a choice of parking. They take what terminal/concourse they can get until some airline vacates a better slot.
@Dave … love this and agree. It is absurd to counsel arriving international travelers to avoid one of the great cities of the world because it will take an extra 6 minutes to access an erratic, expensive amenity that did not even exist until 2009.
When flying united to Frankfurt Germany from ohare. Direct flight. Do we fly from main terminal or international. Have not flown since covid
Thank you
Delta recently moved to Terminal 5 and built a brand new club. Frontier also flies out of T5. They aren’t going anywhere soon. I few into ORD T5 on Sunday off an international flight (I live in Chicago so…) the last day you could get a rideshare without shlepping back to T2 and considered myself lucky. What’s so aggravating is that there was never a problem with congestion at T5 pickup! Everyone in Chicago hates this move. The people movers, which still seem to break with regularity after 5 years of repairs get crowded easily. Connecting passengers who need to get to other terminals now are competing with folks just trying to get to the ride share pick up. There’s a lot of talk about taking the people movers away from airport to the car rental area/long term parking and requesting ride share from there. Probably easier than backtracking to T2. Just an awful decision likely loaded with political influence (taxis).
Regarding “just take a taxi.” I live in a Chicago neighborhood on a local street. Every time I’ve tried to take a taxi, the driver has no idea where to go and I end up having to give him directions myself. Every time…so that’s why I like ride shares, no stress over the driver not knowing where to go!
@ Catherine Rose — United international flights depart from Terminal 1, the main United hub terminal.
Terminal 5 is a rotten armpit of a lame excuse for an international terminal. Here’s the cash cow for most airlines and there’s zero amenities, it has exactly one security line, and it looks like a scene from Die Hard 2 is being filmed.
Take a cab or the blue line. The world isn’t built around your need for Uber/Lyft.
The temperature control in Terminal 5 at ORD is horrible. It’s never comfortable.
Good thing I hate delta and fly united.
How can you justify blaming Delta, Southwest and the other airlines using Terminal 5 for this decision from the airport management?
I do not blame the airlines.
But I still wouldn’t want to fly airlines using T5 for trips terminating in Chicago where I have another option.
We recently arrived on an international flight to terminal 5 at O’Hare. It was awful for us—and we had Global Entry! For those who didn’t or were traveling with little children, it was a nightmare. People stuck in line for an hour because of inadequate staff and overburdened facilities. It made Miami look good.
You should have seen the arrivals chaos about three years ago when Covid hit and ORD didn’t have processes in place. There was a bizarre level of official confusion re: tests, clearance protocols, etc. and thousands of people coming in from everywhere were trapped in there for hours at close quarters. I cannot imagine how much damaging virus transmission took place inside T5.
Just take a cab from Terminal 5, problem solved. Not a big deal like you make it out to be.
What lazy, uninformed advice. Give international travelers a little credit, please. Have you ever had to connect through FRA or AMS or CDG? Who cares if you have to travel 6 extra minutes to get a ride share? It was a lovely perk that’s being relocated but it’s hardly worth complaining about. Taxis and black cars are still close and convenient. Plus, people who complain about long lines at international terminals should consider no longer traveling internationally. Make it easier for the rest of us, please and thank you.
ORD Is my home airport and I hate it as much as the next person. This advice, however, is crazy. I live near Wrigley and for at least the last two years, cabs have been cheaper and faster than Uber anyway. This especially true if you check luggage like I often do. It’s such a hassle going up one floor, walking over to Terminal 2 for the rideshare pickup area and waiting for at least 10-15 minutes when I can just walk outside and grab a cab outside baggage claim.
I flew into to t5 yesterday on AF. I deplaned at 2:59. My Curb receipt shows I departed ORD at 3:45 and arrived at home at 4:27. The wait for luggage was substantial and even with mobile passport and the wait to clear passport control was at least fifteen minutes. It’s a breeze walking right outside the door to catch a cab. They’re always available and know exactly where they are going.
Sarah Nelson needs to stay with the flight attendant union…going
With anything Biden has to do with is a nail in your coffin…
Was waiting for somebody to make it political…it was like red meat for a hungry, whining pussycat…
I will take ORD Terminal 5 over London Heathrow Airport LHR any day of the week. KLM airlines to AMR thank you very much.