Here comes the first leg of this Chicago itinerary, with an uneventful flight between Boston and the Windy City.
Check-in, ground experience and lounge
I completed check-in formalities 24 hours before departure through the American Airlines app. I retrieved my boarding passes in both Passbook and PDF format right away.
On the day of departure, I left home around three hours before my flight, as I had a few meetings before boarding.
As usual, I took the Silver Line, which dropped me off in front of Terminal B.
This time, TSA screening took nearly 45 minutes because of a long queue and particularly thorough checks that caused several bottlenecks.
For once, I headed to the Admirals Club near gate B4, which was also the departure gate for my flight to Chicago.
The food offering was excellent, and the lounge was pleasant as always, with absolutely charming staff.
Boarding
My flight boarded from the gate right next to the lounge, and for once I arrived at the gate after my entire boarding group had already boarded. The gate agent was lovely.
Cabin and welcome
The Domestic First cabin on this Boeing 737-800 is configured with four rows of recliner seats in a 2-2 layout.
Comfort is fairly consistent and very good across the American Airlines mainline fleet.
I miraculously managed to find space for my suitcase even though most First Class passengers had already boarded.
At the very end of boarding, the flight attendant assigned to First Class came through the cabin with a tray of glasses of water, and I took one.
Boarding was completed more than 15 minutes ahead of schedule, and we left the gate a few minutes before the scheduled departure time before a long taxi to the runway.
Service and catering
Service began once the seatbelt sign was switched off.
The flight attendant working First Class came by to take drink orders: I chose a whisky on the rocks, which was served promptly with a smile, along with a basket of premium snacks.
Strangely, the rest of the flight went by without any offer of a refill for me, unlike for my neighbors.
Arrival and disembarkation
We arrived at the gate a full 40 minutes early, and disembarkation proceeded smoothly.
Bottom line
An uneventful flight, with decent service but little real warmth or enthusiasm.
Itinerary Followed
As a reminder, here is the itinerary followed:
| # | Type | Post |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Notebook | Business Trip to Chicago |
| 2 | Lounge | American Airlines Admirals Club, Boston Logan (unreported) |
| 3 | Flight | American Airlines Domestic First, Boston Logan – Chicago O’Hare, Boeing 737-800 |
| 4 | Hotel | JW Marriott Chicago |
| 5 | Restaurant | Momotaro, Chicago |
| 6 | Lounge | American Airlines Flagship First, Chicago O’Hare – Boston Logan |
| 7 | Flight | American Airlines Domestic First, Chicago O’Hare – Boston Logan, Boeing 737-800 |
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