Chicon 2000: Transport by Air
Chicon 2000
Transport by Air
Rev. 18-Aug-2000
Previous: Tours and Trips
(Table of Contents) Next: Transport by Train
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Infobot: info@chicon.org
Discount Notice
Members who booked United Airlines tickets through One-Stop Chicago
should have found the following notice with their itineraries:
UNITED AIRLINES TRAVELERS: IN ORDER TO OBTAIN YOUR $25.00 CERTIFICATE,
SEND A COPY OF YOUR PASSENGER RECEIPT TO:
UNITED AIRLINES MEETING SALES
WHQSS PO BOX 66100
CHICAGO IL 60666
If you booked through One-Stop and didn't receive this information,
you can just send your receipt to the address indicated.
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Official Air Carriers
Chicon 2000 has made arrangements with United Airlines
and Northwest Airlines .
These discounts are good for flights on United Airline, Northwest
Airlines, KLM Royal Dutch Airlines , and
Northwest code share flights operated by Continental Airlines.
* 10% discount off the lowest applicable airfare if booked at least
60 days in advance (excludes Area/Zone fares).
* 5% discount off the lowest applicable airfare if booked 0 to 59
days in advance (excludes Area/Zone fares).
* Or take advantage of special Area/Zone Fares. These fares offer
substantial savings from unrestricted coach fares when you can't
take advantage of nonrefundable fares. A two-night minimum stay is
required.
To get these fares, and the best fares on all major carriers, call
One-Stop Chicago at (800) 621-1083, or +1 847 940-1176 outside of the
U.S. and Canada, Monday-Friday, 0800-1700 CT, or the carriers
themselves.
United Airlines
(800) 521-4041, File #567CE
Any Day, 0700-2400 ET
Northwest Airlines
(800) 328-1111. File #NYFKJ
Book KLM and Continential code shares through Northwest
Monday-Friday, 0730-1900 ET
In addition to the above fare discounts, United Airlines is offering a
$25.00 Travel Certificate, good on future flight with United Airlines.
You may purchase your tickets from One-Stop Chicago, United Airlines
or your own travel agent. Send a copy of the passenger ticket receipt
with your name and address to:
United Airlines
Meeting Sales, WHQSS
PO BOX 66100,
Chicago, IL 60666
Chicago Airports
O'Hare International is one
of the largest and busiest airports in the world, and serves as the
primary hub for United Airlines . Chicago's other
airport, Chicago Midway , is
a smaller airport, primarly serving short haul domestic airlines, and
is a major regional center for Southwest Airlines
.
Layout
O'Hare features four terminal buildings, holding ten concourses, which
feed 162 gates. Terminals 1, 2, 3 are the domestic terminals, and are
grouped around the central parking structure. Terminal 5 is the
international terminal, and is located at some distance from the the
other three. The four terminals, parking decks, and long term lots are
connected by a shuttle system, called the ATS, Automatic Transit
System.
Midway features 36 gates on three concourses in one terminal building.
Midway is currently building a brand new terminal complex with 41
gates, expected completion date is in 2001. The Midway Construction
Update
contains updates on construction related closings and delays.
Travel from the airports
O'Hare is located 20 miles from the Chicon hotels, Midway 13 miles, so
you'll need some means of getting to the convention from the airports.
Several choices are detailed below.
Taxi
Follow the signs in the concourses to the cabstands. Currently,
the fare would be around $31 from O'Hare, and around $17 from
Midway, for a single person, with minor extra charges for
additional passengers. Advantages are simplicity for those
unfamiliar to Chicago, or those with plenty of luggage.
Disadvantages are cost and travel time, if the Kennedy or
Stevenson expressways are congested, which is common.
Travellers arriving during rush hours can add at least 1/2 hour
to the taxi travel time. Normally, it would take around 40
minutes to get from O'Hare to the Chicon Hotels, and about 25
minutes to get in from Midway. More infomation about Chicago
taxi services is at the City of Chicago's How To Use Taxis
page.
Limo
A listing of pre-arranged limousine services are posted near
the airport information booths in Terminals 1, 2, and 3 at
O'Hare, and in the Terminal at Midway. Public phones are
available near the ride-boards to make reservations. Online
limo reservations for O'Hare can be made at Limousines Online
O'Hare
,
and for Midway at Limousines Online Midway
.
Advantages are similar to taxis, but cleaner and more
comfortable. Disadvantages are the same as taxis, costlier, but
better if you get stuck in traffic. Chicon is unaware of
limousine rates at this time, but we are investigating.
Airport Express
A company called Airport Express offers transportation from
O'Hare to most downtown hotels for $17 one way, $30 round trip,
and from Midway for $12 one way, $22 round trip, per person,
using small buses. They also offer special deals for groups.
More information at Airport Express
. Advantages are cost
(cheaper than taxis), roomier. Disadvantages are slower than
cabs, may have to wait for your hotel. Finally, a sharp-eyed
member noticed that Airport Express has an online coupon
to save a dollar
off the fare.
Light Rail
O'Hare is tied to Chicago's Light Rail system, commonly called
the "El." The O'Hare station is located under the central
parking deck, immediatly opposite Terminal 2. Travellers
landing at other terminals should use the ATS system to get to
Terminal 2, then follow the signs.
O'Hare is located on the Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) Blue
Line. The closest stop on the Blue Line to the convention is
Clark/Lake, but you would have to walk about one half mile (one
kilometer) to reach the Hyatt, and more to reach the Swissotel.
You can switch to the Loop trains at Clark/Lake, take the
Orange, Purple or Green trains two stops east to Randolph, and
save several blocks of walking. Also, taxis are about downtown,
and would cost around $3-5 dollars to get from the Clark/Lake
station to the hotel. From the Randolph Station, walk east on
Randolph to Columbus, and walk north to the hotels -- The
Fairmont is on Columbus, the Hyatt is just north and west on
Wacker Drive, and the Swiss is just north and a little east.
From Clark/Lake, it would take around 15 minutes to reach the
Hyatt, from Randolph, about 5 minutes to the Fairmont.
The Chicago Transit Authority Website
has more information. Of particular interest to convention
attendees would be the Blue Line
(PDF)
brochure, which lists the locations of most downtown hotels,
and how to get there from Blue Line stops, by walking and bus.
The three Chicon 2000 hotels are listed. For an overview of all
the transit downtown, the Downtown Sightseeing Guide
covers the whole area, and also has the hotels marked.
Midway is located on the CTA Orange Line. The closest stops to
the Hyatt and Swissotel is State/Lake on the loop, it's about a
2 block walk to the Hyatt from there - for the Hyatt and
Swissotel, walk north to Wacker Dr, east to the hotels. For the
Fairmont get off at Randolph/Wabash, walk east on Randolph,
staying on the upper level, and turn north on Columbus. The
Orange Line
(PDF) brochure isn't as useful for finding the hotels, get the
Blue Line brochure, above, as well for a local map.
Advantages are cost ($1.50 one way, $1.80 with bus transfer)
and speed. Disadvantages are having to haul luggage onto and
off trains, and walking or bus transfer to the hotels.
Rental Cars
Rental cars depots are at both airports, for all major
companies, follow the signs. Advantages are you have a car.
Disadvantages, cost, for the car, for gas, and for parking.
Parking in downtown Chicago is not cheap. The current rate at
the Swissotel is $26 a day, other lots are similar. Also, the
Chicago Jazz Fest will be occuring over the same weekend in
Grant Park, making parking that much harder. Traffic, as well.
But if you have to have a car, BNM.COM
covers all the majors in one
spot, and has discount offers as well.
Disclaimer: None of the above mentioned companies are
affiliated in any way with Chicon 2000, and are offered for
informational purposes only.
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Package Tours
In conjunction with the Toronto in 2003
bid, a Toronto Tour is being offered.
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