Business Class Journey from O'Hare Across the Atlantic to London Heathrow (2001)

Follow me every step of the way from a rainy afternoon at Chicago O'Hare International Airport (ORD) then onboard a United 767 on its way to London Heathrow (LHR) 31 May 2001.
Shot on a Sony Digital 8 Camcorder.
Early in the video, you can see a 747 arriving in the C Concourse, that was not the plane we flew on. Its just a fun closeup of a beautiful aircraft. The plane we flew on was a 767-300, registration # N657UA, still in service.

[@uns01ved]

That's the ORD I remember .. row after row of striped tulip tails and battleship grey hulls. Anyone else miss those days?

[@christopherwaits7852]

Hi There UA was way better before buying CO. Don’t get it twisted. Long live the Tulip

[@tommyholden602]

I miss those Gold First Class ticket jackets - got one using points flying LAX-ORD-EWR for Christmas in 2009 in First Class. I think those Business Class seats might've been restocked on the ex-P.S. 757 fleet. I did a buy up for $350 in a bulkhead Business class seat (at the last second) after being exhausted working in NYC going on JFK-LAX in 2010. Those seats were so comfy and it was the only time I've fallen asleep on a plane.

[@nowee_playzz4931]

Also with American eagle and American I the chrome livery’s. I miss those days I’m so happy I was around then.

[@afridgetoofar1818]

I remember the pre battleship grey days with the white hulls. That was my favorite era.

[@TheLewistownTrainspotter8102]

1:39 That flight number hasn't changed at all in 21 years. Even in 2022, UAL958 is still an ORD-LHR flight with a 767-300ER.

[@mickeyvd1979]

Aaaaw I still remember those times. I used to travel a lot between New York City and Frankfurt from 2000 to 2002. Incredible! I want those times before 9/11 back.

[@terrapins]

damn this is a literal time capsule

[@christopherwaits7852]

UA retired the 727 and the 737-200 (of which a few were also in your video) on October 31, 2001. This was much earlier than planned and due to 9/11. Great video. Great to see the REAL United Airlines.

[@650ChicagoBearsFan]

I only wish I was a better cameraman back then! Those old camcorders were too easy to zoom in and out.

[@mrandrossguy9871]

Wow, I miss Battleship Grey UA crazy how I remember flying in these planes before And After the Tragedy:( But Let Us Not Forget the Beauty of Flight in itself

[@Theofficialticklingbandit]

I Loved the Old American and United Livires

[@al380aviation]

I love that areal shot of that American Airlines A300!!

[@650ChicagoBearsFan]

Yeah - I was lucky to get that! Loved that silver livery.

[@TheHistoricalLine]

1:54 Here we see the airplane and the tail number N657UA is very visible as we can see. I searched up this aircraft and found records of it. It had this livery most of its career, at least in the early years. The planes first flight was on October 2, 1993 and the plane looks like a Boeing 767 or 777. Believe it or not, despite changing over many liveries and getting to an age of 29, this plane is still in service today! By the way I don’t think this is the plane the guy goes on but just a random plane I saw in the vid and it’s still flying!

[@Mmaulin12]

It’s a 767… yuck

[@dr.jiIIaIicecooper2587]

​@@Mmaulin12 And why is 767 yuck?

[@bracedgod4505]

Wish I was old enough to truly experience it. But at least I got to see Ohare when I went job training around 2016. I quite liked it still.

[@facingthewind]

Insane footage. So cool to see how much has changed in 20 years yet how normal everything seems in the video. Awesome catches of the UA 727s and 737-200. The American A300 is cool too, I didn’t think those were ever used transatlantic

[@kona702]

Back when anyone could walk in and out of the terminals. Regardless if you had a plane ticket or not. You used to be able to go meet your family members right at the gate when they stepped off the plane.

[@650ChicagoBearsFan]

Basically, you could listen to the music channels, not all of which always worked, you could watch a few channels of movies or TV programs, or view the map. The only thing "on-demand" about it was the "on" or "off" buttons! It was cool in the later 90's, but doesn't even remotely hold a candle to what's available now. I'm sure many United planes still have this dinosaur IFE system. I flew business class on a 747 in 2007, and they still had this same system.

[@650ChicagoBearsFan]

This was in 2001, so United did not have anything too sophisticated like that! There was very limited video choices, and they just repeated. Still, it was better than nothing. Thanks for watching!

[@sethguardado8178]

Hello from Aug 2024!! N657UA (the aircraft being flown in this video) is currently still in service, (flying LHR-EWR at the time of this comment). That makes it more than 23 years old at the very least!

[@ChrisZoomER]

I love that takeoff noise! The cabin noise sounds like the Concorde's cabin noise but lower in pitch.

[@tommyholden602]

God I miss the old days - also love the Transatlantic AA Airbus A300-600 at the end of the video. I'll bet that was coming in from EWR.

[@650ChicagoBearsFan]

Just to clear up the equipment confusion. It is a 767. Early in the video, I have some footage taken from the C concourse Red Carpet Club where you can see a 747-400 arriving at a gate next to the club. This may lead some people to think that's the plane I traveled on. Later, there's some footage of the actual 767 arriving. Thanks for watching and commenting everyone!

[@TheHistoricalLine]

767? Wow. Sister plane to United Airlines Flight 175 possibly.

[@yenzelllopez-sjucoquispott2468]

Great content. Sad that the future fleet of United won’t be this entertaining Iike in this video. Awesome footage!!!

[@lightningbottle]

good old days for flying 👍

[@christopherwaits7852]

Lovely Tulips in rainy ORD. Love it

[@650ChicagoBearsFan]

That logo symbolized the bygone great era of the airlines. I love all those Saul Bass logos. His movie title screens were amazing too.

[@panam747]

old Us'a 911 livery. I was so glad when they got rid of that drab livery. I always thought it must have been difficult to see in the fog. Nice shot of the AA flight.

[@K.Sorsat2025]

that video is older that me😮 (i'm 14)

[@Ryan-on5on]

Flew to Heathrow on a similar UA 767 from ORD last year, one day after the 18th anniversary of this flight on June 1st. Much has changed (for the worse IMO) in the world of air travel since 2001 (and obviously even more so since COVID!).

[@_Tommmmmm_]

Man back when O'Hare had loads of traffic.

[@reiner5593]

19 years later

[@650ChicagoBearsFan]

United, my man.

[@al380aviation]

This was before anyone knew what wild happen in a couple of months...

[@nickdelguidice9333]

Yup

[@sfflyer123]

Very nice report! Hope you do more!

[@N734NJ]

That lounge hasn't changed much-even back in 2008 when I went through it. Good stuff, thanks for the different POV :D

[@reiner5593]

11 years later

[@N734NJ]

@@reiner5593 now it's a better lounge

[@reiner5593]

@@N734NJ lol damn your comment is old.

[@N734NJ]

@@reiner5593 lmao. But congrats on neco-ing an 11 year comment lol

[@friendlysky7674]

I love that United 747

[@macktravels68]

Great video!

[@650ChicagoBearsFan]

@B0eing1992 I can't seem to find an exact date on the internet when they were retired, but this was definitely at the tail end. That was one rugged airplane!

[@lindsaystanford4788]

its not N612UA we dont no what it is but the 727 and 757 and 767 reminds me and i remeber

[@lmjr400]

RIP… SEP 11 .. United crews

[@merc822]

United Airlines O’Hare B767 Gate C17 Runway 14L/32R

[@TechCentralHub]

hello, you briefly showed the IFE control panel, can you tell me more about these early AVOD systems

[@numtot2172]

Times have really changed. This Business class product is more akin to what you’d get in premium economy now.

[@cxa340]

UA’s catering for business class was always really awful even back then - every course just thrown on a tray without care instead of being served course by course. This is when UA really started to lose the business class customer to the other airlines especially Delta and Continental who not only had larger seats, but offered a much more refined product in business class.

[@sinkzscs]

United 175

[@phatcarz]

nice video was this before 9/11?

[@nickdelguidice9333]

Yes it was. This was around 4 months prior to 9/11.

[@carlmaster9690]

Back when airports had a wider variety of airlines and a greater route network

[@friendlysky7674]

Y’all know the day this video was taken, CupcakKe, a famous Chicago rapper, turned 4 years old the exact day this video was taken. She’s a good singer😭😍‼️

[@eddieespinoza827]

Let's Never Forget about United 175 and United 93 that both of them were totally destroyed and all the victims lost their lives

[@650ChicagoBearsFan]

Amen, brother. And also AA11 and AA175. There is a really nice memorial I saw at the American Airlines Museum at DFW, and it was created by employees of both UA and AA, honoring the fallen of both airlines.

[@eddieespinoza827]

@@650ChicagoBearsFan yeah I know

[@johannesbols57]

@@650ChicagoBearsFan It was AA77, not AA175.

[@airborne8102]

I bet someone was listening to WNUA 95.5 on the way to the airport that day.

[@650ChicagoBearsFan]

Mostly likely! I really miss wnua! Loved their Sunday brunches. I have several of their sampler CD’s and they have some of the old station ID jingles so I can imagine it’s still on.

[@airborne8102]

650ChicagoBearsFan My dad would play it all the time. Especially when driving to drop me and my mom off at O’Hare for trips on United. He would listen to it on his way to work at United every evening.

[@650ChicagoBearsFan]

@B0eing1992 Thanks! I wish I could go back in time and teach myself some better camera skills, but I edited the video to try and remove as much over-zooming and shakiness as I could.

[@nigeldallas9054]

I prefer the Tulip , but one couldn't tell that to a bears fan...

[@650ChicagoBearsFan]

Well it may be a shock to you that I prefer to the Tulip too! Saul Bass was a genius for sure.

[@aviationfan997]

I wonder what’s the meal they give you.

[@akturksener123]

poor united didnt know what was coming for em in 9/11.

[@tanoy.debnath2561]

Tanay.very nice vedeo I really miss old United airlines 2001 I was only 8 years kid this is the same year when plane attack twin tower my fabrate part this vedeo when the flight takeoff at the evening time that looking so good city and second the passenger shot when the flight landing no the one American airlines flight upper in the clouds old planes much better than nowadays planes very nice vedeo but I fell sad that nowadays everything is change now United is looking retired continental airlines old is gold I am Indian but I like USA that's the reason I watch this vedeo.

[@danielchavira9968]

Y’all went on the same type of fleet 767 that crashed into the World Trade Center?

[@650ChicagoBearsFan]

indeed. Very sad to think about it. I have a picture of one of the ill-fated planes sitting at a gate at O'hare (but it was a 757).

[@Plane747]

@@650ChicagoBearsFan Could you share the picture with us?

[@MikeMartagrano]

@@650ChicagoBearsFan N591UA?

[@TheLewistownTrainspotter8102]

This is not the same exact model. N612UA (the plane that flew UA175) was a 767-200. This is a 767-300ER.

[@edcola6671]

@@650ChicagoBearsFan United 93?

[@KatDrivtx7]

Awesome....

[@thurisaz4life21012]

the fact that theres a American Airline flying under them is such a strange foreshadowing to 9/11. On the morning of that day united airlines flight 175 spotted American 11 when that plane got highjacked. the pilot explains that he heard the message that atta mistakenly said in the intercom.then after that message 175 got hijacked.

[@johannesbols57]

No, it's not. You're grief porn trippin.

[@nourabdalla6477]

is this year 1279?because i flew united that year.

[@friendlysky7674]

What? 1279?

[@empireofsrivijaya1084]

Yes,Mongol army try to attack our plane with Arrow

[@glenistergrotj3022]

I miss the old navy style paint job that united airlines used to have.

[@hvideos2832]

I don't, they're a constant reminder of 9/11

[@650ChicagoBearsFan]

@phatcarz Yes, but not much. This was on May 31st, 2001. Thanks!

[@alyssaboyett3615]

If my parents and I could have flown on the Boeing 767.

[@jayd1426]

Back when United were better

[@650ChicagoBearsFan]

No joke there! I switched to SWA and never looked back.

[@tony.airlines]

Great video! This is definitely KZbin Gold Old AA hangar at 5:18 ?

[@friendlysky7674]

Yes that livery existed from 1962 until 1968 but American Airlines did great and I can say that Hangar at 5:18 is about 34,39 years old (at the time) American Airlines always has hubs EVERYWHERE! This is the real United Airlines, I wish i was alive back then:)

[@tony.airlines]

@@friendlysky7674 Yeah definitely very old! I also wish I got to experience the original United before it all got absorbed by Continental

[@SYDAirlineEnthusiast]

Not a rainbow livery in sight in this video. Pretty sure the early 2000s had them.

[@650ChicagoBearsFan]

They did - I think some of the tail end of the 727's were rainbow. There just weren't any around on that day.

[@gman345ish]

I live in Racine!

[@themerc9996]

Discovery Kids

[@Goober_Yt]

3 months before 9/11 ..