A few weeks ago work sent me to Omaha Nebraska. I was excited to visit a new city and a new airport. Since I was actually working about an hour away from Omaha I did not end up staying in the city. Instead I stayed at a brand new Courtyard by Marriott hotel in Bellevue Nebraska. I left from Chicago O’hare and flew directly to Omaha. I was happily able to visit the new O’hare Admirals Club near the L gates before my early morning flight.
Chicago O’hare Admirals Club Concourse L
American Airlines now as three Admirals Club lounges in Chicago O’hare International. One large lounge located between the H/K concourses, one in the G concourse, and now a third in the L concourse. The largest and most impressive lounge is located between the H/K gates which features nearly every lounge amenity imaginable. That lounge is currently under construction which prompted American to open a new temporary lounge near the L gates.
I expected this lounge to be identical to the G concourse lounge, but sadly it was not. Like all Admirals Clubs the space is a quiet oasis away from the hectic L concourse. The space features plenty of seating options, but the interior is quite dated. I tried to do some research, but at the moment am unsure if this lounge is going to become a permanent fixture. I personally love the location for the rare L gate departure, but if the club is going to remain some renovations are needed.
Chicago to Omaha (415 Miles)
This was my first flight of 2017 and my second complimentary upgrade cleared. I arrived at the gate at the scheduled boarding time, but consistent with other American flights, boarding began about 10 minutes after the stated time. Although boarding began late, we finished boarding early and the door was close prior to our scheduled departure time. Then we sat for 20 minutes waiting for approval to pushback. I absolutely do not mind sitting like this, but I wish the crew would do a better job at explaining the situation. After a few minutes we were up in the air and on our way to Omaha.
Operated by Republic Airways the flight lacked in-flight Wifi. I typically sleep on early morning flights, but was restless after a few cups of coffee. I have come to expect in-flight wifi and was disappointed the aircraft was lacking it for this flight. Even worse, the flight is advertised to have wifi on American’s website. In these situations, passengers may be entitled to some form of compensation for the inconvenience.
Courtyard By Marriott Bellevue, NE
Opened in Summer/Fall of 2017 the Courtyard is exactly what I have come to expect with renovated Courtyard hotels. The rooms feature the new showers (no tub), new entertainment console, and the same semi-circle couch found in most new Courtyard hotels. Most importantly the hotel had a large pool, hot tub, and excellent fitness facility. Lastly, the new hotel is just miles from Offutt Air Force Base. Nearly every 10 minutes some type of large military aircraft would pass over the hotel parking lot.
Omaha to Chicago (415 Miles)
Since I had never been to Omaha airport before I made the mistake of going directly to the gate almost two hours before my departure. The airport is a central terminal with three satellite terminals. Each satellite terminal requires clearance of security to access and offers limited food options. Because of this layout clearing security is a breeze and I recommend waiting in the general terminal before proceeding to the gate area.
My second flight of 2017 also resulted in an upgrade. The flight home again did not have wifi. American’s website confirms the flight does not have wifi. I did not mind on the return flight because I was hoping to quickly sleep. However, I did not appreciate the flight attendant telling passengers the wifi service was ending as we entered our approach. After a quick flight and a long taxi, we were back at the gate in Chicago and I was happy to be home.
Final Thoughts
Ever since I switched to T-Mobile One I use wifi on flights much more often. Admittedly I have become somewhat dependent on having it. It was disappointing that neither flight offered wifi which pointed out one of the issues I have with American. With each flight passengers never quite know what product they are going to get. I expect this to improve with time. Honestly, its nice when a flight does not have wifi because it forces me to look out of the window and actually enjoy the flight.
