Transport by Air

Rev. 18-Aug-2000

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Discount Notice

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.

Official Air Carriers

• 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 [www]
(800) 521-4041, File #567CE
Any Day, 0700-2400 ET

Northwest Airlines [www]
(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 [www] is one of the largest and busiest airports in the world, and serves as the primary hub for United Airlines [www]. Chicago's other airport, Chicago Midway [www], is a smaller airport, primarly serving short haul domestic airlines, and is a major regional center for Southwest Airlines [www].

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 [www] contains updates on construction related closings and delays.

Travel from the airports

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 [www] 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 [www], and for Midway at Limousines Online Midway [www]. 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 [www]. 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 [www] 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 [www] has more information. Of particular interest to convention attendees would be the Blue Line [www] (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 [www] 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 [www] (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 [www] 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.

Package Tours

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