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The WiFi at Chicago's Airports Still Isn't Free, But It's Getting Cheaper

August 27, 2012 at 9:26 AM | by | Comments (0)

Ugh—we love us some free airport WiFi, but unfortunately there’s still plenty of places where we’re asked for our credit card digits in exchange for some access. One of these locations is Chicago, as the airports of the Windy City, both O'Hare and Midway, aren’t yet down with the complimentary WiFi scene. Thankfully things are getting a little bit better—at least for a bit—but it’s still not going to be free of charge.

Google is coming to the rescue, throwing down some cash—probably in exchange for some advertising—to bring cheaper WiFi access to data hungry travelers and passengers. The price is being cut in half for a 24-hour period, with the rates dropping from around $6.95 to just $3.48. The discount will be available to users after watching a 30-second commercial, so just be prepared for a little distraction before getting down to business.

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Chicago's O'Hare Airport (and Air Traffic Control) of 1963, in Video

August 16, 2012 at 10:15 AM | by | Comments (0)

It's Thursday! That means...it's almost almost the weekend, right? And we can spend half an hour distracted by a video from 1963 showing Chicago-O'Hare and United Airlines in all their Mad Men historic glory?

The video below circulated 'round the Twitter #avgeeks yesterday, but it's so delicious that we can't not share it here as well.

We won't spoil it all for you, but here are some things to take notice of:
· The airport at the very beginning, from which the helicopter departs. It's Meigs Field!
· Drooling over that TWA SuperJet livery
· So. many. men. in hats. · "You know, it's hard to believe but last year in this country, there were more than 26 million take-offs and landings handled by air traffic controllers."
· Nice mild Chicago accent on that United co-pilot

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The Adventures of Travel Cat: Chicago-O'Hare Airport

August 8, 2012 at 11:11 AM | by | Comments (0)

Kitty cats. They rule the internet and, whether we realize it or not, pretty much the world too. Ever noticed how cats sometimes stake out the coolest spots in a city? This new feature—Travel Cat—focuses on exactly that. Submit a photo to be featured by tweeting or Instagramming it to us (details below).

Travel Cat spotted on: JetBlue flight 914 from ORD to JFK.

This week's Travel Cat is from...me, your intrepid editor here at Jaunted! Recently a friend helped rescue a litter of abandoned kittens in Michigan. I committed to adopting one and he's been traveling with me from Ann Arbor to Ohio to Chicago and, earlier this week, it was finally time to bring him home to a permanent cat bed in New York City.

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Another Airport Will Now Deliver Your Food Straight to the Gate

May 3, 2012 at 8:50 AM | by | Comments (0)

Total laziness—we mean convenience—is on its way over to Sacramento International Airport, as HMSHost introduces their tasty travel app to hungry travelers. We’ve already mentioned how ordering up lunch, dinner, or just a snack is an option at airports like MSP, JFK, and ORD, but now the fun has arrived at SMF.

Esquire Grill or Burgers & Brew are the two initial offerings available through the B4 YOU BOARD app. Salads, cheeseburgers, and even macaroni and cheese are available at your fingertips, and then things will be delivered right to your where you’ve parked yourself near the gate. It sounds like the serving hours are scheduled between 10:30am and 6:30pm each and every day, so you might just have to order the old fashioned way if you’re looking for some breakfast.

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Without a Plan in Place, Chicago Breaks Ground on Airport Number Three

April 25, 2012 at 9:05 AM | by | Comment (1)

Chicago’s getting a brand new airport! It’s number three to be exact, and they broke ground on it over the weekend. Just hold up a second first, because though the ground's been dug with a celebratory shovel, the plans are still all on paper with plenty of arguments and debates left before planes will be able to do their thing to someplace other than ORD and MDW.

Mostly the concern is that Chicago doesn’t really need a brand new airport, and opponents especially feel that all the city needs is updates at Chicago-O’Hare. Even the CEO over at the new United feels that another airport isn’t really necessary, but of course that could be simply because he has a pretty decent stake in the operations at O’Hare.

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Two Minutes of Time-Lapse Video and Into the Air on American

April 19, 2012 at 10:32 AM | by | Comments (0)

We've said it once (okay, like a gazillion times) and we'll say it again: airports are excellent places for time-lapse video and we're complete suckers for both.

For the most part however, travelers who take the time to film nearly every second of a flight are on a special departure, like an international flight for vacation or an annual business class treat. But then, most people aren't Steve Tures, who just flew one of the most blah routes—between Chicago and New York—and recorded it all.

The result, a simple time-lapse recorded on an Android Xoom Tablet and uploaded to YouTube, is a brilliant study in what a modern, uneventful flight looks like. Surprise—it's even American Airlines. We only wish he hadn't abided by the "turn off electronics for take-off" rule!

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Chicago's Huge Polish Population Attracts a 787 Dreamliner Route

Where: Poland
April 6, 2012 at 11:28 AM | by | Comments (0)

We already know about Japan Airlines' plans to bring their newest toy, a Boeing 787, to Boston from Tokyo-Narita. Later in the year, Houston, San Diego, Seattle and San Jose will also get some Dreamliner love, but what about the middle of the country? In an exciting announcement for the midwest, LOT Polish will make such a dream come true for Chicago.

Beginning about two months after the Polish carrier takes delivery of their first shiny new Dreamliner at the end of this year, plans are to fly it back and forth from Warsaw to Chicago. If you have ever been to Chicago, you understand the close ties it has with it's Polish heritage, so the move makes sense. LOT is the first European carrier to take delivery of the new bird and plans to show off in the good ole U.S of A.

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Yes, TSA is Testing Some Common Sense New Rules about Senior Citizens, But...

March 16, 2012 at 2:30 PM | by | Comments (0)

In the name of giving credit where credit is due, we're hereby noting that TSA is considering maybe letting travelers over the age of 75 keep on their shoes and light jackets as they pass through security. The pilot program—which will be launched Monday in ORD, DEN, MCO, and PDX—joins other experiments designed to speed the screening of trusted fliers, pilots, and children. They're all part of TSA's effort to move away from a one-size-fits-all model, which is quite laudable and so three cheers for slightly less stupid airport security.

But come on. Have we really gotten to a place where we need staggered pilot programs to evaluate whether it's OK to let grandma wear her beach flip flops as she shuffles, ever so slowly shuffles, through a scanner? It's definitely worth trying out, but it just seems so small.

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Score! Rick Bayless' Airport Tortas Make Their Way to Downtown Chicago

March 6, 2012 at 9:18 AM | by | Comments (0)

Even when we’re away from the airport we often find ourselves longing for one of those Rick Bayless sandwiches for lunch, and now it looks like our lunchtime dreams might just become reality. You already know that Rick Bayless and his crew serve up some of the best tortas in the airport, and now the Mexican sandwiches are available without a trip through the metal detector.

We’re hoping that this is just the first of many locations, but the celeb chef has now brought Tortas Frontera into the Windy City. The restaurant popped up last week inside Urban Market of Chase Tower in downtown Chicago, so now hungry office workers can depart their cubicles to satisfy their lunchtime cravings. If you’re going to check it out today—can we come?—it’s located in the Loop at 10 South Dearborn Street.

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The World's First Airport Aeroponic Garden Grows at Chicago O'Hare

February 23, 2012 at 11:41 AM | by | Comments (0)

Back in September 2011, the Aeroponic Garden at Chicago-O'Hare Airport was still just getting off the ground (literally—the plants grow in vertical columns). Now, almost six months later, the greenery has grown and the airport is showing off the newest, freshest addition to Terminal 3 (mezzanine level), which houses most American Airlines/oneworld flights, plus JetBlue and Spirit.

Now, finally, we have an image of the progress along with the news that, indeed, Rick Bayless' Tortas Fronteras will make use of the fresh produce grown at ORD:

The vegetables harvested from the garden will be used at HMSHost’s O’Hare restaurants including Tortas Frontera, Wicker Park Seafood & Sushi, Blackhawks Restaurant and Tuscany. Produce growing in the garden includes Swiss chard, sweet basil, purple basil, cilantro, dill, parsley, chives, Bibb lettuce, gourmet lettuce mix, habanero peppers, edible viola flowers, edible nasturtium flowers, thyme, oregano, red lettuce, and green beans.

Chicago's fancy futuristic airport garden is actually the first and only aeroponic garden in an airport. Take that, Singapore-Changi!

[Photo: O'Hare]

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Sugar High, Up High: Five Exceptional Airport Candy Shops

February 9, 2012 at 9:30 AM | by | Comments (0)

If you’re flying next week, beware the red and pink cheap chocolates of the Hudson News airport outlets. While sending something in advance of Valentine’s Day is probably the best idea, you can always grab something nice for him or her on your way home from the airport, and no we're not talking about flowers from an arrivals hall vending machine. Here’s five airport candy shops that should satisfy any sweetie’s sweet tooth:

Sugar Pop - Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport

Even if you don’t need something for the upcoming Hallmark holiday, it’s worth it to stop in at Sugar Pop within the mall section of Terminal 1-Lindbergh. The place is loaded with different colors and sugary options, and they even have some teddy bears and other cuddly critters to go along with all those calories. This isn’t exactly the place for gourmet confections, but if you’re looking for oversized lollipops or personalized treats, it'll more than do.

Candy Empire – Singapore-Changi Airport

Sitting within the basement level of Terminal 3 is the spot you need to visit for chocolates, cookies, and everything in between. They promise stuff from Australia, Europe, and the United States, so if you can’t find something that fits your needs, you don’t know what you need. A few pieces of foreign candy from Candy Empire should hopefully smooth over any sort of trouble caused by not being home on Valentine's Day.

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Up Close with the Annoying, Magic Ad Mirrors of Chicago-O'Hare Airport

February 6, 2012 at 4:56 PM | by | Comments (0)

We said they were coming, and lo, they have come. Yesterday, flying from Chicago-O'Hare, we encountered the dreaded advertising mirrors—bathroom mirrors that double up as screens for advertisements.

How are they in real life? Way more imposing/annoying than you'd expect. They work by sensing when someone's at the mirror, so if you're waiting in line for a cubicle, all you see is moving adverts. Which, we suppose, isn't too irritating, but it does mean you can't check yourself out carry out quick makeup touch ups as you wait.

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