Crossing the Pond Yet Again [American Airlines] AA 47 LHR-ORD (London/Heathrow->Chicago/O'Hare) trip report [아메리칸항공] AA 47 런던/히스로->시카고/오헤어 탑승기

AA 47 LHR-ORD (London/Heathrow->Chicago/O'Hare)

DEP LHR 14:25 29 DEC 2011

ARR ORD 18:30 29 DEC 2011

Flight Duration: 09:05

Aircraft: B777-200

At last, this trip report marks my last flight of the 4-segment return trip from Seoul, Korea to Chicago/O'Hare.  I have traveled from Korea to Hong Kong to Helsinki, Finland and finally to London/Heathrow so far.  Today's flight would be AA 47, a B777-200 which would take me back home to Chicago, IL from London, UK. 

Here is my total trip itinerary from start to finish.

(Click each flight segments for trip reports)

Outbound

ORD-LHR: AA 86 DEP 18:05 13DEC2011 ARR 07;55 14DEC2011

LHR-HEL: BA 794 DEP 11:20 14DEC2011 ARR 16:15 14DEC2011

HEL-HKG: AY 69 DEP 00:10 15DEC2011 ARR 15:20 15DEC2011

HKG-ICN: KE 608 DEP 00:55 16DEC2011 ARR 05:20 16DEC2011

Inbound

ICN-HKG: KE 601 DEP 13:45 28DEC2011 ARR 16:50 28DEC2011

HKG-HEL: AY 70 DEP 01:30 29DEC2011 ARR 06:30 29DEC2011

HEL-LHR: AY 831 DEP 08:00 29DEC2011 ARR 9:10 29DEC2011

LHR-ORD: AA 47 DEP 14:25 29DEC2011 ARR 18:30 29DEC2011

I was originally scheduled to board AA 87 flight that would be leaving 10:20AM from London/Heathrow. However, the Finnair flight from Helsinki (AY 831) was delayed about 3 hours, causing me to miss the flight.  I was rebooked automatically into the new flight as soon as I got to London/Heathrow American Airlines transfer counter.  There, I was able to confirm a window seat.

Layover in Terminal 3 was overall a hectic experience, especially since it was during the Holiday Season.  Terminal was very crowded. I didn't want to be at the central waiting area. Instead, I decided to pay 10 Euros and take a shower at the No. 1 Traveller Lounge and spent rest of my time at the lounge until it came time for me to board the Chicago-bound flight at 13:50.

The Miami-bound AA B767-300ER

Boarding the flight for Chicago/O'Hare.

I apologize once again for picture quality.

It was nonetheless a window seat... but with not so good view to outside.

The flight route for today's flight.

London/Heathrow was as busy as always. We spent about 30-40 minutes alone just for taxing for take-off. 

And the plane finally took off toward west. Today's flight would take us toward Scotland and Iceland before crossing southern bit of Greenland and entering Canadian airspace. We would be coming into Chicago from the north.

Nice (dirty) wing view.

Meal was served after takeoff. I don't remember if there was any choice for the meal. What came out was a chicken dish with sauteed pasta with salad and ginger biscuits. Not a bad meal for AA.

I ended up falling asleep for the rest of the flight today.  I woke up about an hour before landing as the flight attendants were passing out the pizzas. 

Descending into Chicago. Local time was around 17:00.

Lake Michigan should've been visible down there, but the clouds were hiding the view.

Sears Tower is visible beyond the wing.

My checked bag ended up not showing at the baggage claim, but AA was quick to locate the bag in London/Heathrow. They flew the bag over on the next flight to Chicago and mailed it to my personal address in Chicago. I appreciate the airline's help in locating the bag and mailing it to me directly within couple days. 

Not sure if I'll ever make such crazy trip itinerary anymore, but I sure did enjoy my first time ever being in Europe. 

[Finnair] AY 831 HEL-LHR (Helsinki/Vantaa->London/Heathrow) trip report [핀에어] AY 831 헬싱키/반타->런던/히스로 탑승기

AY 831 HEL-LHR (Helsinki/Vantaa->London/Heathrow)

DEP HEL 08:00 (actual time 11:00) 29 DEC 2011

ARR LHR 09:10 (actual time 12:10) 29 DEC 2011

Flight Duration: 3:10

Aircraft: A321

After a 11-hour long flight from Hong Kong to Helsinki/Vantaa via Finnair AY 70 (Trip report link included) I had about two-hour layover in Helsinki Airport before my scheduled boarding time for AY 831 at 8AM local time. Today's 3-hour long flight to London/Heathrow would be the third flight of the 4-segment return trip itinerary from Korea to Chicago. The whole trip itinerary was as follows:

(Click each flight segments for trip reports)

Outbound

ORD-LHR: AA 86 DEP 18:05 13DEC2011 ARR 07;55 14DEC2011

LHR-HEL: BA 794 DEP 11:20 14DEC2011 ARR 16:15 14DEC2011

HEL-HKG: AY 69 DEP 00:10 15DEC2011 ARR 15:20 15DEC2011

HKG-ICN: KE 608 DEP 00:55 16DEC2011 ARR 05:20 16DEC2011

Inbound

ICN-HKG: KE 601 DEP 13:45 28DEC2011 ARR 16:50 28DEC2011

HKG-HEL: AY 70 DEP 01:30 29DEC2011 ARR 06:30 29DEC2011

HEL-LHR: AY 831 DEP 08:00 29DEC2011 ARR 9:10 29DEC2011

LHR-ORD: AA 47 DEP 14:25 29DEC2011 ARR 18:30 29DEC2011

The boarding for the London-bound AY 831 was supposed to occur at 7:30AM.  The Finnair gate agents made announcements at around 7:40AM letting the passengers know about the mechanical issues that the A321 was having. At first it was supposed to be about an hour of delay. However, an hour of delay alone would cause me to miss my flight from London/Heathrow to Chicago/O'Hare, as I was originally scheduled on AA 87 which was scheduled to depart from London/Heathrow at 10:20AM. I spoke to the Finnair gate agent at Gate 35, and she kindly responded that I would be rebooked into the next Chicago-bound flight.  AY 831 ended up being delayed for about three hours in total.

The Gate 35 at 8AM.  The sun hasn't even come up yet in Finland.

At around 10:30AM, the boarding finally commenced for AY 831.

Today's aircraft would be Finnair's old-liveried A321.

Finnair's old livery.

There were no personal TVs on the seats for today's flight.

Local time 11AM. The plane has just taken off and the sun was beginning to rise.

The long economy class section of A321.

Mild turbulences acted up as the plane was starting to leave the Finnish airspace.

By this time the sunlight was beginning to be bothersome.

Sandwiches were provided for in-flight meal. I took some coffee for my choice of beverage.

The plane was crossing over Danish airspace as the meals were being served.

Approaching British airspace.

I could tell that today was going to be a cloudy day in UK.

We were not even past the clouds when the plane started the holding pattern for London/Heathrow.

The first holding pattern circle was made in northeast London.

The holding pattern as seen on route map.

The second holding pattern circle was made above southwest London, near New Malden.

The plane touched-down into London/Heathrow at around noon local time.

Taxing into Terminal 3.

I had about two hours until my next flight to Chicago/O'Hare. I wanted to freshen up so I headed to No. 1 Traveller Lounge in Terminal 3 where I could pay 10 Euros to take a shower. The shower facility was a state-of-the-art kind of facility, which fancy shower faucets and sinks. It was money well-spent, and I thoroughly enjoyed my showering experience here.

The shower lights changed every 10 seconds or so. By far it was the most fancy shower facility I have been to.

Looking toward Terminal 4 from Terminal 3.

Click here for my next flight, American Airlines AA 47 from London/Heathrow to Chicago/O'Hare.

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[Korean Air] KE 38 ORD-ICN (Chicago/O'Hare->Seoul/Incheon) trip report [대한항공] KE 38 시카고/오헤어->서울/인천 탑승기

KE 038 ORD-ICN (Chicago/O'Hare->Seoul/Incheon)

DEP ORD 12:00 23 AUG 2010

ARR ICN 16:30 24 AUG 2010

Flight Duration 14:00

Aircraft: B747-400

Unlike last year, when I took Japan Airlines from Chicago to Seoul (Trip Report here) this year I took Korean Air KE 038 flight from Chicago/O'Hare to Seoul/Incheon. It's actually not my first time traveling via Korean Air from Chicago to Seoul. I've travelled many times on Korean Air B747-400 (or maybe B747-300) from Chicago/O'Hare to Seoul/Gimpo Airport, back when Incheon Airport was still in construction.  Today's flight will be a 14-hour long, and it would also mark my first time ever flying to Korea via the Arctic Route, arriving in Korea from the west of Seoul, not east.

 

작년에는 일본항공을 타고 시카고에서 서울까지 갔었죠 (일본항공 시카고-서울/인천 탑승기). 이번해에는 우리의 날개, 대한항공을 타고 한국으로 가게 되었답니다.  시카고-서울 구간은 이번이 처음은 아닙니다. 옛날에 대한항공으로 시카고/오헤어하고 서울/김포 공항 사이를 왔다 갔다 했었었죠. 그때는 인천공항도 없었고 저도 아주 어린 아기였을때죠. 오늘의 비행은 저의 북극항로의 첫 경험이 되겠습니다.

This is the Korean Air counter in Terminal 5 of Chicago/O'Hare Airport. I love their big logos here.

Chicago O'Hare Terminal 5. Now it's renovated and looks a bit different inside.

A walkway to security customs. Terminal 5 was recently renovated so that this walkway doesn't exist anymore. All security checkpoints have been moved to the side of the walkway and most of this area has been converted to duty free section or new food court.

A year ago, I waited here for my flight to Tokyo/Narita.

The Japan Airlines flight JL 9 was due to leave at 11:10AM today. The aircraft was B777-300ER, since most (if not all) JAL B747-400 was retired by then.

My plane, B747-400 KE 38 to Seoul/Incheon

I was walking around the Terminal 5 (which had absolutely nothing to offer by the way) and happened to spot Korean Air flight attendants getting off the bus for my flight.

Right before boarding.

My neighbor for the whole flight~ this 11 month old baby. Actually it was the mother who had the baby in her arms during the flight. I offered to help her out whenever she needed to take something out of her bags or by holding her baby when she got tired. The baby never cried at all thankfully :]

Today's flight would also be the second time I'll be experience Korean Air's B747-400 AVOD system. Korean Air has two different type of AVOD system on their flights (the "old" economy and "new" economy), but both systems are great nonetheless.

Take-off to the north.

 

The AVOD system in close view.

For the first meal, I took the bibimbap. For the sides it was Korean style pickled cucumber and some fruits. The Korean Air bibimbap comes with seaweed soup also.

The sun was up the whole flight (just like last year's Japan Airlines flight), so the cabin attendants had the doors closed for the whole flight. I periodically opened windows to take pictures.

Flying over Russia

The plane was getting close to Russia-China borderline

For the second meal, I received beef stew. Side dish was a salad and the dessert was a lemon cake.

I watched a documentary based on the Superbowl XLIV between Saints and Colts

 

And the plane approached Korea from the west. It was my first time experience approaching Seoul from the west side of North Korea.

 An hour before landing, before all the windows came up

Click here for my next trip report with Hong Kong-bound KE 603






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