After passing security and finding my gate, I had the munchies, more boredom than hunger.
I browsed around the terminal for something that looked good and found a gourmet pizza place that had reasonable prices. Not just airport reasonable, but outside reasonable, less than $11 for a 3-topping medium.
Only, they have an ordering kiosk and it only accepts credit cards. I have cash and don’t want to use my card, just in case it triggers a security alert with the bank.
All restaurants and stores, at least inside the secure area, only accept credit cards. I’m sure it is so that the airport gets a cut of sales.
Unfortunately, the banks and credit card companies no longer have a method of telling them that you’ll be traveling. So any transaction may be the one that sets off their algorithm, and cuts off my ability to use it.
Obviously, I won’t be able to use it in Russia, because of the sanctions, but I may need it in Warsaw, Istanbul, or Frankfurt airports or in Tallinn.
Also, the benches at the gate had AC and USB plugs, but none of the ones I tried worked, but later I managed to get the seat next to the wall, with an outlet.
I noticed my boarding pass was “Group 8.” Crap, I was in the last group to get on, so I had to put my case several rows forward. Worse, I was in row 32, out of 33. There were only 2 people behind me. That’s what happens if you don’t pony up more moollah for an assigned seat up front. Also, I was on the window, so I had to wait for the guy next to me to get up and leave first.
No real problems, but just aggravating.
The real problem was that I had to change terminals in O’Hare, and that means going back through security. Wait… my second boarding pass doesn’t have PreCheck on it. Crap and more crap.
I asked the guard and they said if it doesn’t say it, I don’t get it.
So I get to trod along with the other peons through a not too long checkpoint, but I had to remove my shoes and electronics.
I asked the “terminal manager” (his words) and the answer is that even though I paid fro Precheck, the airlines have to also pay. I guess Polish Air won’t. Still, the boarding passes were printed by AA and it should have carried forward.
My 2nd and 3rd boarding passes don’t have any gate info. Looking at the departure listings, my flight was too far down the list to be shown. That’s OK, I look at the Orbitz app. Umm, it doesn’t have a gate, either. I pull up the Polish airlines app, no gate there, either.
Even my “flight tracker” app won’t tell me. It has ALL the answers.
I went pee, then refilled my water bottle (which I had to dump because of the checkpoint) and found another departure board that had a second screen, so I had my gate number. Hurrah!
Interestingly, my iPad was able to change time zone on its own, even in airplane mode and at 28,000 feet. Not sure, but I presume that since I was getting GPS, it “knew” I was in Central.
But, on the ground, my phone could not find the signal, not for several minutes.
Plus one for Apple’s TZ recognition, but then minus one again for the bad reception.