friend reunion in chicago
I haven't done a domestic flight report in a while, so while I slowly work away on my LH F flight report from my September flight, here's a quick trip I took to Chicago to catch up with some friends I haven't seen in years.
Flight routing
- 1UA312 - Economy - Washington → Chicago - Boeing 737-800
- 2UA1500 - Economy - Chicago → Washington - Boeing 737-800
ronald reagan washington national airport (DCA)
I got to DCA about an hour before boarding so that I would have enough time to eat lunch before my flight. On my way to the United gates, you can see that the Centurion Lounge is still under construction. I think the tentative timeline is now March or April 2024, but it's really anyone's guess. This lounge was supposed to open earlier this year.

When I got to the United Gates, I realized that my old spot the Bracket Room was under renovation (or perhaps being taken down?). I haven't flown out of DCA in months, so this was news to me. Regardless of what the fate of the Bracket Room is, it wasn't available to me and I was hungry.

So I made my way over to the American Tap Room by the D gates. This is DCA's other Priority Pass restaurant. Things will be so much more convenient once both the Centurion Lounge and the Capital One grab-and-go spot opens (though I imagine crowding in both of those places are going to be crazy).


I got a simple steak sandwich, which was entirely covered by the Priority Pass allowance (tip not included). It wasn't exactly a great sandwich, but got the job done.

On my way back to the B gates, I saw JetBlue's "Bear Force One" A320. It took me a while to realize this was a Boston Bruins livery.

Meanwhile, in the terminal itself, the Christmas decorations were up.

Ua312
My flight to Chicago was on N24212, a 25-years old Boeing 737-800. Boarding began on-time at 12:19am.

As usual, boarding in the US is an absolute mess, so forgive me if I couldn't get a clear shot of the cabin. You can see that United keeps its Boeing 737s in the standards 3-3 layout in economy. The Economy Plus seats have 3 more inches of legroom, but are otherwise fairly normal. Though the older seats have slightly better padding than the newer slimline ones.

I booked this flight rather hastily the prior month, so I didn't pay much attention to my seat selection (in fact, I was hoping for an upgrade, but alas I was number one on the upgrade list and it still did not clear). Little did I realize, 11A is missing a window! It wasn't that big of a deal to me, but would be prove annoying to take pictures as we approached Chicago.
Another note is that many of United older 737s still have IFE screens (and they're bringing those back on the newer planes). A power outlet can be found between the seats.
Before takeoff, a FA came around offering free earbuds for the seatback entertainment.
We pushed back at 12:53pm and took off at 1:02pm ET.




Service began about 10 minutes after takeoff with a snack offering. I opted for the chocolate quinoa crisp, which was nice (and low calorie). Snack boxes were also available for purchase, but I didn't ask for one as part of the 1K privilege.

I also had a cup of much needed coffee. I think that United offers the best domestic coffee, but it isn't by much.

Throughout the flight I just kept my IFE screen on the flight map, which is the less-detailed 2D version.

We began our descent a little more than 20 minutes before landing.

Flying over Lake Michigan:

There's Chicago in the distance!

A closer in look:

We landed at 1:36pm CT and was at our gate 3 minutes later–30 minutes early!
From there, it was a relatively quick walk out of the terminal, but with the anti-congestion policy, passengers from Terminal 1 have to walk to Terminal 2 to grab a ride share. Taxis and other ground transportation can pick up in front of Terminal 1. It was roughly another 5-6 minute walk to Terminal 2 once you get out.

It's good that Priority Pass have deals with restaurants in some airports, but I really would much prefer access to an actual lounge. It's just crazy that in big airports like DCA or LAX there are no priority pass lounges. Priority Pass is great outside of the US, but it sucks most everywhere domestically. It's nice that they're opening up a Centurion Lounge, finally a non-Airline lounge.
Doh, so close! I've had that happen many times and I just always assume I'm not getting it to avoid disappointment lol. I have been pleasantly surprised in the past when gate agents have come to the back to bring me up front.
Haha yep, about a dozen down and HUNDREDS AND HUNDRES to go hahahaha
Thanks for sharing!
Thanks for reading, Kevin! I too would prefer an actual lounge over a PP restaurant, but a free meal is better than nothing.
I've been upgraded as I scanned my boarding pass a few times, but never been brought up front. As my status is dropping next year, I can probably say goodbye to any glimmer of hope for upgrades and say hello to position 34 on the upgrade list.