Let me tell you, this one might be a doozie. But probably mostly because I was ditzy. But first, please enjoy my basic plane-wing photo (but really the sky was so pretty):

Also, please note that my flight was at 6:25pm.

3:15pm

I was dropped off at the international terminal at the O’Hare International airport in Chicago. We didn’t see the United check in sign outside, but I had my boarding pass on my phone and saw a couple United flights on the screen inside, so I figured we just missed it and proceeded to the ever-dreaded TSA line (to clarify later-facts, international terminal does not offer Pre Check, you just don’t have to take your shoes and coat off nor go through the big scanner).

4:00pm

I get through security. So the next step was to find my gate, C11. Well, all the gate numbers started in M. That’s not right. So I start looking around for someone who can tell me why my international flight’s gate number did not seem to be here in the international terminal. Easier said than done.

I go up to the first person I see at a desk at a gate and ask why my number was a C. Desk people always know what’s up, right? Well not this one. She had no idea as I was not flying on her airline and told me to go to M11. Uhhh probably not going be the solution here as that flight is not going to London. Thus, I came to the conclusion that I was at the wrong terminal.

So I peek at a map and see that my gate number is at Terminal 1 and I am at 5. I find the exit and some nice security guards inform me that United, in fact, has international flights that go out of a domestic terminal.

Great, how do I get there? Take a tram. Easy. Just kidding, tram is closed for construction. So there’s a nice long bus line to get there.

4:18pm

I hop in line and ask the girl in front of me if this is the bus shuttle to terminal 1. She says yeah and the guy in front of me starts asking me about my flight (I am sure I looked very disheveled at this point). He assures me that this bus will get me there and that I will make my flight on time. This is where I want to give a shout out to Customs Dad. Since this nice man worked in customs, he knew the ins and outs of the airport. So thanks for keeping me from freaking out and crying in the airport and I hope I see you when I go through customs in December!

4:55pm

I get to my gate (thank you TSA Pre Check). Yes, in under an hour, I got from inside the completely wrong terminal to the right terminal (a 10-minute drive away), and to my gate. Did I mention I got food and went to the bathroom in that time as well? I guess you could call me an airport master. Or just really fortunate. Probably the latter. If I was a master, I would have gone to the right terminal in the first place. Customs Dad is a master.

Lessons from my experience:1) always check your boarding pass for a terminal number, even if it is international and 2) get TSA Pre Check (or according to Customs Dad, Global Entry is even better).

6:25pm (yes I am at this point on the flight)

Good news: I think this is the best international flight I’ve ever had. When I got on the seat next to me was empty, and was never filled. I repeat, I had an empty seat next to me on a flight. CRAZY RIGHT? Then, they give you pretty large glasses of complimentary wine. The food wasn’t bad and our pilot managed to cut 35 minutes off of our arrival time. Overall, United redeemed itself for flying me out from the terminal that does not make sense. Given that my flight was only $230, I would highly recommend flying internationally with them. Easily the best international (out of three) that I have ever been on.