BA A380 to ORD S18

Ter 5 · Tue Aug 08, 2017 1:21 pm

I just read that British Airways is going to fly a A380 to Chicago O'Hare in S18! It's about time!

TheGeordielad · Tue Aug 08, 2017 2:02 pm

http://www.routesonline.com/news/38/air ... -may-2018/

Here's a link before someone asks

TC957 · Tue Aug 08, 2017 2:20 pm

What route is BA pulling the 380 out of to facilitate the ORD service ?

B747forever · Tue Aug 08, 2017 2:31 pm

I wonder if this upgauge is related to Norwegian starting LGW-ORD in S18.

United787 · Tue Aug 08, 2017 2:48 pm

I thought I remember that the T5 A380 gate(s) would be ready about now and that we could expect LH or EK late summer, fall 2017, no?

jbs2886 · Tue Aug 08, 2017 2:51 pm

United787 wrote:
I thought I remember that the T5 A380 gate(s) would be ready about now and that we could expect LH or EK late summer, fall 2017, no?

I'm still surprised Emirates hasn't gone double daily in the meantime. But, I have no idea how the flight is doing anyways.

ORDFlyer99 · Tue Aug 08, 2017 3:10 pm

B747forever wrote:
I wonder if this upgauge is related to Norwegian starting LGW-ORD in S18.

That, and extra capacity was probably needed due to AA pulling the 77W and all 77E off the route.

O'Hare is on a roll right now internationally. This seems reflects Chicagoland's strengthening economy. Can't wait for what lies ahead!

jbs2886 · Tue Aug 08, 2017 3:12 pm

ORDFlyer99 wrote:
B747forever wrote:
I wonder if this upgauge is related to Norwegian starting LGW-ORD in S18.

That, and extra capacity was probably needed due to AA pulling the 77W and all 77E off the route.

O'Hare is on a roll right now internationally. This seems reflects Chicagoland's strengthening economy. Can't wait for what lies ahead!

Yes and no. There is a big Asian pullback via less than daily service in the winter, looks substantially more than prior years (AA's Chinese flights, MU, EVA, etc.). European-wise, yes, I think there has been some strong growth, hopefully AA picks up there.

CapitalAvGeek · Tue Aug 08, 2017 3:24 pm

IAD has been downgraded for summer 2018 from 1- A380 and 1- 747 to 2- 747. This coming winter plane type has also changed from 1- A380 and 1- 772 to 1- 747 and 1- 787.

stlgph · Tue Aug 08, 2017 3:35 pm

United787 wrote:
I thought I remember that the T5 A380 gate(s) would be ready about now and that we could expect LH or EK late summer, fall 2017, no?

Isn't Lufthansa's "thing" in Chicago to depart from Terminal 1?

Midwestindy · Tue Aug 08, 2017 3:37 pm

BA is also increasing services to Philadelphia and Phoenix from a daily service to ten flights a week from Heathrow

usairways85 · Tue Aug 08, 2017 4:08 pm

Midwestindy wrote:
BA is also increasing services to Philadelphia and Phoenix from a daily service to ten flights a week from Heathrow

Thanks for that note. The late LHR-PHL-LHR flight comes back 3x weekly. The late flight was eliminated after the shift of 1x from BA to AA

jetsetter629 · Tue Aug 08, 2017 4:58 pm

Midwestindy wrote:
BA is also increasing services to Philadelphia and Phoenix from a daily service to ten flights a week from Heathrow

Just when DL drops their PHL-LHR route

TSA125 · Tue Aug 08, 2017 5:12 pm

jbs2886 wrote:
United787 wrote:
I thought I remember that the T5 A380 gate(s) would be ready about now and that we could expect LH or EK late summer, fall 2017, no?

I'm still surprised Emirates hasn't gone double daily in the meantime. But, I have no idea how the flight is doing anyways.

I think EY was long rumored to go double-daily way before EK was. If I recall, EY has superior loads from ORD.

United787 · Tue Aug 08, 2017 5:12 pm

stlgph wrote:
United787 wrote:
I thought I remember that the T5 A380 gate(s) would be ready about now and that we could expect LH or EK late summer, fall 2017, no?

Isn't Lufthansa's "thing" in Chicago to depart from Terminal 1?

Yes, but all International Flights arrive at T5, except for the pre-clearance ones...

flyguy84 · Tue Aug 08, 2017 5:43 pm

United787 wrote:
stlgph wrote:
United787 wrote:
I thought I remember that the T5 A380 gate(s) would be ready about now and that we could expect LH or EK late summer, fall 2017, no?

Isn't Lufthansa's "thing" in Chicago to depart from Terminal 1?

Yes, but all International Flights arrive at T5, except for the pre-clearance ones...

Right. But this would also require the departure from T5. Not sure LH or UA for that matter (which facilitates a lot of connections) would go for this.

Revo1059 · Tue Aug 08, 2017 5:46 pm

flyguy84 wrote:
United787 wrote:
stlgph wrote:

Isn't Lufthansa's "thing" in Chicago to depart from Terminal 1?

Yes, but all International Flights arrive at T5, except for the pre-clearance ones...

Right. But this would also require the departure from T5. Not sure LH or UA for that matter (which facilitates a lot of connections) would go for this.

If they want a 380 at ORD they may not have a choice at the moment. Just what that dump T5 needs, a departure with 600 people in the middle of the day. It will be even more crammed than it is now.

Armodeen · Tue Aug 08, 2017 5:58 pm

BA needs more 380s

Whalejet · Tue Aug 08, 2017 5:59 pm

TSA125 wrote:
jbs2886 wrote:
United787 wrote:
I thought I remember that the T5 A380 gate(s) would be ready about now and that we could expect LH or EK late summer, fall 2017, no?

I'm still surprised Emirates hasn't gone double daily in the meantime. But, I have no idea how the flight is doing anyways.

I think EY was long rumored to go double-daily way before EK was. If I recall, EY has superior loads from ORD.

Wouldn't surprise me. EY is partnered with AA, so it gets a ton of connecting traffic into ORD. I live in Cleveland, and whenever booking from DTW, PIT, or CLE, the cheapest route to India is usually an AA flight to ORD, followed by an EY flight to Abu Dhabi.

MGA86 · Tue Aug 08, 2017 6:14 pm

Whalejet wrote:
TSA125 wrote:
jbs2886 wrote:

I'm still surprised Emirates hasn't gone double daily in the meantime. But, I have no idea how the flight is doing anyways.

I think EY was long rumored to go double-daily way before EK was. If I recall, EY has superior loads from ORD.

Wouldn't surprise me. EY is partnered with AA, so it gets a ton of connecting traffic into ORD. I live in Cleveland, and whenever booking from DTW, PIT, or CLE, the cheapest route to India is usually an AA flight to ORD, followed by an EY flight to Abu Dhabi.

The agreement with AA ends in Mar. 2018, will be a big change for EY operation without the AA feed.

http://www.businessinsider.com/american ... ays-2017-7

United787 · Tue Aug 08, 2017 6:28 pm

Revo1059 wrote:
If they want a 380 at ORD they may not have a choice at the moment. Just what that dump T5 needs, a departure with 600 people in the middle of the day. It will be even more crammed than it is now.

T5 may be crowded but I would hardly call it a dump, it is a very clean and modern facility, even given it's 24 year age... Plus the whole dining experience has been majorly upgraded!

globalcabotage · Tue Aug 08, 2017 11:31 pm

T5 isn't that bad. The only problem is the train ride to the main terminal and security for international arrivals. For international departures, there is a bus from T3 to T5 for BA departures.

airstatdfw · Wed Aug 09, 2017 12:12 am

globalcabotage wrote:
T5 isn't that bad. The only problem is the train ride to the main terminal and security for international arrivals. For international departures, there is a bus from T3 to T5 for BA departures.

There is a new bus from G17 and the K20 at Term 3 to Term 5 from 10:30 to 8 pm daily. It is for all airlines in Term 5 not just BA anymore.

KTPAFlyer · Wed Aug 09, 2017 1:12 am

airstatdfw wrote:
globalcabotage wrote:
T5 isn't that bad. The only problem is the train ride to the main terminal and security for international arrivals. For international departures, there is a bus from T3 to T5 for BA departures.

There is a new bus from G17 and the K20 at Term 3 to Term 5 from 10:30 to 8 pm daily. It is for all airlines in Term 5 not just BA anymore.

Do you need a valid boarding pass for T5 to use this bus or can anyone go during a layover even if not departing from there?

chicawgo · Wed Aug 09, 2017 5:36 am

KTPAFlyer wrote:
airstatdfw wrote:
globalcabotage wrote:
T5 isn't that bad. The only problem is the train ride to the main terminal and security for international arrivals. For international departures, there is a bus from T3 to T5 for BA departures.

There is a new bus from G17 and the K20 at Term 3 to Term 5 from 10:30 to 8 pm daily. It is for all airlines in Term 5 not just BA anymore.

Do you need a valid boarding pass for T5 to use this bus or can anyone go during a layover even if not departing from there?

Rule says you do but not sure how strictly it's being enforced. I do know that even UA pax can use it just have to walk to T3

grjplanes · Wed Aug 09, 2017 5:54 am

TC957 wrote:
What route is BA pulling the 380 out of to facilitate the ORD service ?

Think in S18 they're going back to 1 daily A380 and 1 daily 744 on LHR-JNB, from W17/18 2 daily A380

piedmontf284000 · Wed Aug 09, 2017 7:23 am

Will they keep it year round or will it only operate in summer season?

Revo1059 · Wed Aug 09, 2017 1:43 pm

I worked at ORD in the early 90s through late 00s. I walked around T5 as it was being built and worked in it since day 1. It's a dump. Even the construction was shoddy.

Improving the dining experience couldn't have been that hard since it was horrible to begin (MC Ds, a sad facsimile of Unos pizza, Gold Coast Hot Dogs and that sandwich place I can't remember the name of).

Having said that if they've totally renovated it in the last 8-9 years then OK, it's better now.

ckfred · Wed Aug 09, 2017 2:22 pm

Revo1059 wrote:
I worked at ORD in the early 90s through late 00s. I walked around T5 as it was being built and worked in it since day 1. It's a dump. Even the construction was shoddy.

Improving the dining experience couldn't have been that hard since it was horrible to begin (MC Ds, a sad facsimile of Unos pizza, Gold Coast Hot Dogs and that sandwich place I can't remember the name of).

Having said that if they've totally renovated it in the last 8-9 years then OK, it's better now.

First, was T5 really a dump, when compared to T2? T2 doesn't look that much different today that it did, when UA shifted its operations to the new T1. And Concourse G was a dump, before TWA and AC left, allowing AA to do a complete renovation between 1998 and 2001.

Remember that the original dining places were supposed to be representative of Chicago cuisine (deep dish pizza, hot dogs, and McDonald's burgers). What has happened is that airport dining has gone upscale. I can remember back in the 1970s, when dining at ORD meant hot dogs on the concourses and restaurants in the rotunda run by Dobbs House (owned at the time by Carson, Pirie, Scott). I remember riding the people mover in 1993 or 1994, and an AA employee told me that since the only McDonald's was in T5, airline employees would make runs for groups of employees, bringing back bags of burgers and fries.

Since the renovation in T5, the restaurants are all Lettuce Entertain You joints, including R.J. Grunt's.

Revo1059 · Wed Aug 09, 2017 5:00 pm

ckfred wrote:
Revo1059 wrote:
I worked at ORD in the early 90s through late 00s. I walked around T5 as it was being built and worked in it since day 1. It's a dump. Even the construction was shoddy.

Improving the dining experience couldn't have been that hard since it was horrible to begin (MC Ds, a sad facsimile of Unos pizza, Gold Coast Hot Dogs and that sandwich place I can't remember the name of).

Having said that if they've totally renovated it in the last 8-9 years then OK, it's better now.

First, was T5 really a dump, when compared to T2? T2 doesn't look that much different today that it did, when UA shifted its operations to the new T1. And Concourse G was a dump, before TWA and AC left, allowing AA to do a complete renovation between 1998 and 2001.

Remember that the original dining places were supposed to be representative of Chicago cuisine (deep dish pizza, hot dogs, and McDonald's burgers). What has happened is that airport dining has gone upscale. I can remember back in the 1970s, when dining at ORD meant hot dogs on the concourses and restaurants in the rotunda run by Dobbs House (owned at the time by Carson, Pirie, Scott). I remember riding the people mover in 1993 or 1994, and an AA employee told me that since the only McDonald's was in T5, airline employees would make runs for groups of employees, bringing back bags of burgers and fries.

Since the renovation in T5, the restaurants are all Lettuce Entertain You joints, including R.J. Grunt's.

T5 is a dump for something that was (at the time) brand new. Cheap construction and bad design (in my opinion). However YES it is an improvement over T4.

CHI787ORD · Wed Aug 09, 2017 5:50 pm

T5 dining and shopping experience is light years from what it was five years ago. Best restaurants at ORD are at T5 now. Bathrooms are all really nice as well now too.

The terminal itself is overcrowded. Particularly the check in hall and security lines.

ckfred · Wed Aug 16, 2017 12:50 pm

And think how much better T5 was, when compared to the original T1, before UA knocked it down and built the current terminal. That terminal dates back to when Chicago got jet service in 1959/60 and needed a second airport, because MDW couldn't handle 707s.

CHIMAA · Sat Feb 17, 2018 9:33 pm

BA changes Chicago A380 Timings.

https://www.routesonline.com/news/38/ai ... -may-2018/

CHI2DFW · Sun Feb 18, 2018 1:06 am

CHIMAA wrote:
BA changes Chicago A380 Timings.

https://www.routesonline.com/news/38/ai ... -may-2018/

I think BA was asked to move this to the later flight due to congestion at T5 in the early evening rush.

CHIMAA · Sun Feb 18, 2018 4:26 pm

CHI2DFW wrote:
CHIMAA wrote:
BA changes Chicago A380 Timings.

https://www.routesonline.com/news/38/ai ... -may-2018/

I think BA was asked to move this to the later flight due to congestion at T5 in the early evening rush.

Or To accomodate EK & OR's request so that another A380 can be received by ORD?
1) As of now EK flight arrives at 3pm and departs at 8 pm, maybe they are ready to move the departure to 6.15pm .
2) QR arrives around 2pm and departs between 6.15 to 7.15 on different days based on summer time and other reasons. Maybe they will standardise it to 6.15 pm departure ?

Either way, if any of the above two happens, Indian sub continent and chicago people are lucky to have second A380.

A380 journey in Economy(leave alone Business or first) is way superior to 777 or any other flight. Fingers Crossed . :-)

aaflyer222 · Mon Feb 19, 2018 2:48 am

which gate will be able to accommodate a380 in t5?

SIA77W · Thu May 03, 2018 2:38 pm

Bumping this thread because this service is set to start tomorrow! As a chicagoan, i'm pumped!

BA295 LHR1030 – 1310ORD 744 D
BA297 LHR1605 – 1845ORD 388 D

BA294 ORD1710 – 0650+1LHR 744 D
BA296 ORD2055 – 1040+1LHR 388 D

cv990Coronado · Thu May 03, 2018 3:05 pm

Recently flew on 787 and 380 and they are way quieter than a 777. Not sure if the 380 is also pressurised at a lower altitude but after an 11-hour flight in Y on BA I felt much better than a similar 777 or 747 flight. Admittedly I was in J this time on the 787 but the previous time was in Y+. The 380 is so quiet and stable, I was upstairs in BA and it was so quiet I didn't bother to use my Bose noise cancelling headphone. I would love to try J of F one day.

EMB170 · Thu May 03, 2018 3:14 pm

ckfred wrote:
And think how much better T5 was, when compared to the original T1, before UA knocked it down and built the current terminal. That terminal dates back to when Chicago got jet service in 1959/60 and needed a second airport, because MDW couldn't handle 707s.

What did the original T1 look like- when ORD actually had a Concourse A and a Concourse D? Did it basically look like G did before the AA Eagle renovation, or E/F still does today? Does anyone have pictures?

ckfred · Thu May 03, 2018 6:03 pm

EMB170 wrote:
ckfred wrote:
And think how much better T5 was, when compared to the original T1, before UA knocked it down and built the current terminal. That terminal dates back to when Chicago got jet service in 1959/60 and needed a second airport, because MDW couldn't handle 707s.

What did the original T1 look like- when ORD actually had a Concourse A and a Concourse D? Did it basically look like G did before the AA Eagle renovation, or E/F still does today? Does anyone have pictures?

I've seen pictures of the original T1, before T2 and T3 were built. It was actually a brick structure. When T2 and T3 were built, the brick facade was removed, and a steel and glass facade. similar to T2 and T3, was created.

It had a Y-shaped concourse, designated as B and C. Then, there was the D concourse, which was situated similar to G. Braniff had 2 gates, D1 and D2, on the connector between T1 and D concourse. D was knocked down, so that the south ends of the current B and C could be finished out.

At some point, a small "hut" was built, labeled at Concourse A. It was located between T1 and the old Butler Aviation building and was used solely by commuter airlines, such as Air Wisconsin. Concourse A and the Butler Aviation building were knocked down, as part of construction of United's terminal.

The one cool feature of T1 was that the ticket counters were built around a square. Then, from the ticketing area, you could look down into the Customs hall and watch Customs agents going through baggage of arriving passengers.

United787 · Thu May 03, 2018 6:21 pm

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct-o ... story.html

This may be of interest to you.

CHI2DFW · Thu May 03, 2018 9:07 pm

Great article! So many fond memories in the late 70s and early 80s. Parking in a lot that is where the current “L” gates are.

Also, relatives lived in Harwood Heights and Pulaski / Edens are had arrivals every minute. Even in Arlington Heights you could see NW going to NRT each day.

Flying 747s and DC10s to TPA and LAX were awesome!

upperdeckfan · Thu May 03, 2018 10:07 pm

KTPAFlyer wrote:
airstatdfw wrote:
globalcabotage wrote:
T5 isn't that bad. The only problem is the train ride to the main terminal and security for international arrivals. For international departures, there is a bus from T3 to T5 for BA departures.

There is a new bus from G17 and the K20 at Term 3 to Term 5 from 10:30 to 8 pm daily. It is for all airlines in Term 5 not just BA anymore.

Do you need a valid boarding pass for T5 to use this bus or can anyone go during a layover even if not departing from there?

I connected from UA to LX twice last year and both times a valid boarding pass was requested

BTW, how comfortable would be to have LX departing from T1 like NH and LH