Star Alliance member United Airlines offers discounted nonstop flights from Brussels to Chicago, starting at €256. This fare includes full board service, but only a carry on luggage. To add a checked bag up to 23 kg, you’ll need either a Star Alliance frequent flyer status that allows you to bring free bags. You can purchase the cheapest fare including bags, which increases the price to €377 on lufthansa.com.
Star Alliance’ rival Oneworld offers low fares from Brussels to Chicago as well.
A United Airlines Boeing 777-200 or 777-300ER aircraft will take you across the pond.
Search & Book
United issues no fare rules for these flights, so they are likely based on availability. Research on Google Flights indicates that these fares are available for a minimum stay of six days. Further, these flights seem to be available from September 2019 through March 2020. Best availability is given in autumn 2019.
To find suiting dates for trips between six days and three weeks, please make use of our availability calendar:
If you’re looking for a longer trip, we recommend to look for travel dates on Google Flights (instructions) and select the lowest fare that skyscanner has to offer.
Mileage
Lufthansa issues the cheapest tickets on this route in booking class K. Since this is an discounted economy fare, your mileage harvest will be minimal:
- 2,488 Miles on ANA Mileage Club
- 2,074 Award Miles + 120 Points on Miles&More
- 2,074 Points on SAS EuroBonus
- 2,074 Award Miles + 414 PQP on United MileagePlus
- 2,074 CV Points on Vistara Club Vistara
Information & Tips for USA
The USA offers many sights, natural wonders and cultural significance. Thanks to numerous airlines offering flights across the Atlantic, it is always pretty inexpensive to get there. Alternatively, you can also cross the Atlantic by boat.
Immigration, ESTA & Visa Requirements
The USA has one of the strictest entry regulations in the world. Most EU citizens, among others, are lucky to be able to participate in the so-called Visa Waiver Program. If you get an electronic entry permit (ESTA) for approximately €20, you don’t need a visa for entry.
The Best Time to Visit
Due to its sheer size, the perfect time to visit the USA varies greatly from region to region. In winter, Florida is very popular due to the mild temperatures. In the summer the West and East Coasts are flooded by tourists which drives up the prices for hotels and flights and during the Indian Summer in late autumn New England is a very popular destination. The hurricane season between July and September can be dangerous in the Caribbean and the Gulf of Mexico. Florida and the southern states are regularly struck by these tropical storms. Blizzards occur from the East Coast to the Midwest during the winter months and regularly put air traffic and public life on hold.
Currency
The US dollar is widely used throughout the world and accepted as a currency in most tourist hotspots worldwide. That being said, carrying cash isn’t necessary in the US, all you need is a credit card! These are very common in the USA and are accepted pretty much everywhere without any issues. If you already have a credit card in your wallet, you should make sure that it does not charge a foreign currency fee if possible. Carrying a few dollars in cash doesn’t hurt though. You might need cash e.g. for the bus ticket if you want to buy it directly from the driver. Most of the time you even have to give exact change.
Finding the Best eSIM Plan
We’ve compared various eSIM providers, such as Knowroaming and Ubigi. To see which plan is best for your travel needs, and which network offers the best coverage, feel free to read our detailed guide:
The Best eSIM Plans for the USA 🇺🇸 Compared
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Information & Tips for Chicago
Chicago is the third largest city in the USA with about 2.7 million inhabitants and an important economic and cultural center. The city attracts about 55 million visitors every year and has a lot to offer in terms of tourism.
Best Time to Visit
The best weather for tourists is in May, June, September and October. Summers can become very hot and humid, winters are often associated with snow storms and double-digit temperatures below zero.
From the Airport to the City Center
Two commercial airports serve the metropolitan area of Chicago, the larger Chicago O’Hare International Airport (ORD) and Chicago Midway International Airport (DCA). Long-haul flights are serviced by ORD, which is also a hub for Star Alliance carrier United Airlines and Oneworld carrier American Airlines. MDW mainly serves domestic flights and is Southwest’s hub.
Chicago O’Hare Intl. Airport
By CTA train (Blue Line, journey time 35 – 50 minutes) the journey from the airport to the city costs $5, in the other direction only $2.25. A taxi costs – depending on traffic – between $40 and $50, Uber and Lyft are slightly cheaper. The journey time can vary between 30 and 60 minutes.
Chicago Midway Intl. Airport
This airport can also be reached by CTA train (Orange Line, travel time 25 minutes, same prices as ORD). Taxis take about 30 minutes and cost $30 to $40, Uber and Lyft are slightly cheaper.
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