6/22/2026 – Travel Day
Our flight this morning on AA4678 (Embraer 175 – twin engine – 2X2 seating) has a scheduled departure at 9:30 am. I called the cab for 7:45 AM (revised from the original pick up at 8:00 AM). I figured that the cab ride would take 35 minutes putting us at O’Hare around 8:20 AM. Things didn’t go exactly as planned at we got to ORD at around 8:30 AM. We got boarding passes and bag tags at the kiosk and dropped the bags with an agent. There was a huge line at TSA Precheck line but it moved quickly. TSA used a new ID scanner. You insert your ID (Real ID) into a credit card type reader and boom you’re cleared. Our gate, L25, was quite a walk and we got to the gate when Group 4 (us) were boarding.
I had changed our seats to cabin
extra at online check-in for free. 11A,11C. Nice seats.
I, or course, had to make sure the slats and flaps were in "take off" configuration and they were. Only a formality these days with all the flying hours we have.
The plane taxid a while and then spent very little time on the active runway - takeoff was smooth.
The flight was relatively smooth once we got above the low cloud layer. AA offers free WiFi to AAdvantage member so I followed our flight on a tracker. There was some thunderstorm activity half way there but the pilot maneuvered around them with no problem.
I noticed an unusual sight during the flight - a rainbow at 26,000 ft.
The flight took us over the Mississippi River
and Lake Ponchartrain.
The flight landed on time at 11:45 AM followed by a long walk to baggage claim. On the way there, we came across a nice status of Louis Armstrong - this is his airport, after all.
When we got to baggage claim, I received a text from AA that my bag was missing. I went to baggage assistance and spoke to an agent who helped me fill out the paperwork to search for my bag. The agent assured me that it would be delivered today (you can use the AA app to track the bag). We exited baggage claim and walked a short distance to the taxi dispatch booth.
At his point I
should mention that it was real warm in New Orleans – 94F with a nasty
humidity.
We grabbed a taxi. Just like ORD’s fixed rated to and from the airport, there is a $16 fixed rate from MSY to downtown New Orleans. Fortunately, the driver didn’t say a word (the AC was good) during the 30 minute ride to IHG Intercontinental Hotel on St Charles Street in the business district. Room 815 was ready for use when we checked in. I had to take a picture of this fish since it reminded me of the fish we made in our ceramics class eons ago.
The hotel and the room were very nice; nice
big bed and nice bathroom (with hand held shower – a prized feature). I monitored the bag status all day. Still not
located. We did two things as a backup.
I looked up where a Target might be and it was about an hour Uber ride
and $50 so, instead we went to Canal Street looking for a Walgreens (we remembered that there were two Walgreens on that street from our previous times in NOLA) that might
have clothes. That was also unsuccessful
so we went into a liquor store selling souvenir NOLA t-shirts ($24 total for
three shirts). We couldn’t stay out long
because it was, as I said, really hot and wet.
We stayed in the cool of the hotel and to complete Plan B, I also went on
Amazon and bought five pairs of underwear and one polo shirt to be delivered
overnight to the hotel (isn’t that Amazing).
If that worked out, I would be set at least initially.
Around 6 PM I
got a text from AA indicating that the bag was found and would be delivered
to the hotel ETA 8:00 PM. I certainly have enough underwear to last me awhile.
I spent some time on Google looking for a place to eat dinner (the two Restaurants in the hotel had nothing – we did get a voucher for free drinks at Pete’s Bar but we never used them. I found a placed called True Food a few blocks down on St. Charles St. They had entrees besides Cajun and Creole food. We headed out in the oven like heat and passed Lafayette Square – a nice park with several statues - you would think that Lafayette would be one of them but no, the statues were of Henry Clay (legislator who represented Kentucky and three time unsuccessful presidential candidate) and Benjamin Franklin (noted optician and kite flyer).
We found the Restaurant – a really earthy place with all kinds of strange food. You got a sense of the vibe of the restaurant from this picture hanging on the wall (foods with color generally have more antioxidants and other chemicals that are good for you).
We wound up sharing a really good margherita pizza plus a foofoo salad for me (home made ranch dressing).
The bill came to $23.92 including the tip (can’t get a pizza
in Chicago or Wilmette for that). It
also let us cool down a bit.
I started
tracking the bag – I got a link from AA allowing to see where the bag was. It
did not show up at 8:00 PM, as the evening went on the delivery time for later
and later. The hotel told me that the
night crew was coming on and she said she hoped the bag would show up before
that. I was able to sent a message to K
(very James Bond), who was delivering my bag.
He didn’t answer so in a while I sent him another message reinforcing
how important I get the back tonight. While the app said, that the bag would be
dropped off at 11 PM, I actually got a phone call from K and told me it would
be at the hotel in a few minute. Lo and behold, the bag delivered by K at 10 PM
two hours later than indicated. The desk brought my suitcase up the room.
What a day.
