Alaska Airlines Flights from New Orleans (MSY) to Chicago (ORD)
Orbitz is pleased to offer airline tickets on Alaska Airlines, which operates 2 regularly scheduled daily non-stop flights from New Orleans (MSY) to Chicago (ORD), departing between 8:10am and 11:30am. Usually a McDonnell Douglas MD80 is flown for this route. The average travel time from New Orleans, LA to Chicago, IL is 2 hours and 25 minutes.*
* Some flights must connect with additional service on this airline.
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During your Chicago vacation, don't miss these great establishments and attractions:
Fine Arts Building
A worthwhile brief stop for architecture and history buffs, this 1885 building was originally a showroom for Studebaker carriages. In 1917, it was converted into an arts center with offices, shops, two theaters, and studios for musicians, artists, and writers. Its upper stories sheltered a number of well-known publications (The Saturday Evening Post, Dial) and provided offices for such luminaries as Frank Lloyd Wright, sculptor Lorado Taft, and L. Frank Baum, author of The Wonderful Wizard of Oz. Harriet Monroe published her magazine, Poetry, here and first introduced American readers to Carl Sandburg, T. S. Eliot, and Ezra Pound. Before the literary lions prowled its halls, the building also served for a short time as a rallying base for suffragettes. Located throughout the building are a number of interesting studios and musical-instrument shops. Take at least a quick walk through the marble-and-wood lobby, then take the vintage elevator to the top floor to see the spectacular murals. Allow a half-hour.
Rockefeller Memorial Chapel
The Rockefeller Memorial Chapel is just across from Robie House. Did someone say chapel? This is false modesty, even for a Rockefeller. When the university first opened its doors, the students sang the following ditty:John D. Rockefeller, wonderful man is heGives all his spare change to the U of C.John D. was a generous patron, indeed. He founded the university (in cooperation with the American Baptist Society), built the magnificent minicathedral that now bears his name, and shelled out an additional $35 million in donations to the institution over the course of his lifetime. Designed by Bertram Goodhue, an architect known for his ecclesiastical buildings -- including Cadet Chapel at West Point and New York City's St. Thomas Church -- the Memorial Chapel was dedicated in 1928.In keeping with the rest of the campus, which is patterned after Oxford, it is reminiscent of English Gothic structures but was built from limestone and with modern construction techniques. Its most outstanding features are the circular stained-glass window high above the main altar (the windows, in general, are among the largest of any church or cathedral anywhere) and the world's second-largest carillon, which was donated by John D. Rockefeller, Jr., in 1932 in memory of his mother, Laura. The chapel's organ is nearly as impressive, with four manuals, 126 stops, and more than 10,000 pipes.Choir concerts, carillon performances, and other musical programs are presented throughout the year, usually for a small donation. The building is open to the public; in-depth tours can be arranged through the university's Office of Special Events at tel. 773/702-9636. Tours of the carillon are done during the academic year; call the office to find out times. Allow a half-hour.
Ravinia Festival
Want to know where the natives get away from it all? Come summertime, you'll find us chilling on the lawn at Ravinia, the summer home of the highly regarded Chicago Symphony Orchestra in suburban Highland Park. The season runs from mid-June to Labor Day and includes far more than classical concerts: You can also catch pop acts, dance performances, operatic arias, and blues concerts. Tickets are sold to both the covered pavilion, where you get a reserved seat and a view of the stage, and the lawn, which is the real joy of Ravinia: sitting under the stars and a canopy of leafy branches while listening to music and indulging in an elaborate picnic (it's a local tradition to try to outdo everyone else by bringing candelabras and fine china). I've been here for everything from Beethoven symphonies to folky singer-songwriters, and the setting has been magical every time. The lawn to the left of the stage is a popular place for families to spread out, but I'm partial to the tree-filled area on the right (the lights projected into the branches create a dramatic effect after the sun sets).Don't let the distance from downtown discourage you from visiting, because Ravinia is served by an extremely convenient public-transportation system. Any evening a concert is scheduled, a special Ravinia Metra commuter train leaves at 5:50pm from the North Western train station at Madison and Canal streets (just west of the Loop). The train stops directly at the festival at 6:30pm, plenty of time to enjoy a picnic before an 8 o'clock showtime. After the concert, trains wait right outside the gates to take commuters back to the city. The round-trip train fare is $5, a real bargain considering that traffic around the park can be brutal.Dining options available at the park range from the fine-dining restaurant Mirabelle (tel. 847/432-7550 for reservations) to prepacked picnic spreads from the Gatehouse, featuring gourmet items to go. For $10, you can rent a pair of lawn chairs and a table from booths set up near the park entrance. In case you're wondering about the weather conditions at concert time, dial Ravinia's Weather Line (tel. 847/433-5010).
Crowne Plaza Chicago -- The Silversmith
You might call The Silversmith a hidden gem. The landmark building, designed by the celebrated firm of D. H. Burnham and Company, was built in 1897 to serve the jewelry and silver trade on Wabash Avenue, still known as Jeweler's Row. Rooms come in varying configurations, with 12-foot-high ceilings, 10-foot picture windows, Frank Lloyd Wright-inspired wrought-iron fixtures, armoires, and homey bedding; bathrooms are generously sized. Because buildings surround this very urban hotel, natural light is limited in the rooms; those along the hotel's main corridor tend to be quite dark. Rooms at the front on the fifth floor or higher have a quintessentially Chicago view: the El tracks along Wabash Avenue. Yes, the windows are extra-thick to muffle the noise of the rumbling trains, but you'll want to avoid the lower-level floors if you like things quiet. For the best combination of natural light and views, request a Wabash Avenue room on the 9th or 10th floor.Word about The Silversmith has been slow getting out (even Loop office workers who pass by it daily don't know it's there), so rooms don't book up as quickly as other, hotter spots. That's good news for thrifty travelers looking for deals (I hear the suites often get discounted). You also are more likely to find a room here during the busy convention season. Guest-friendly touches include an evening wine-and-cheese reception and complimentary desserts available at night in the lobby (including Eli's cheesecake, one of the city's signature sweet treats).
The Drake
If ever the term "grande dame" fit a hotel, it's The Drake, which opened in 1920. Fronting East Lake Shore Drive, this landmark building is Chicago's version of New York's Plaza or Paris's Ritz. Despite a massive renovation in the 1990s, the Drake still feels lost in time compared to places like the glitzy new Peninsula. But for many, that is part of The Drake's charm.The Drake's public spaces still maintain the regal grandeur of days gone by, but the guest rooms have been modernized with new furniture and linens. Most rooms include a small sitting area with couch and chairs; some have two bathrooms. The lake-view rooms are lovely, and -- no surprise -- you'll pay more for them. Be forewarned that "city view" rooms on the lower floors look out onto another building, so you'll probably be keeping your drapes shut. Rooms and suites on the "executive floors" provide such additional amenities as disposable cameras, a generous continental breakfast in a private lounge, and free cocktails and hors d'oeuvres, plus a daily newspaper and valet assistance for polishing shoes, packing and unpacking, and securing theater tickets.The hotel's restaurants include the Oak Terrace, a large dining room serving up American fare and some great views of the lake and Michigan Avenue; the Cape Cod Room, an old-timey seafood spot; and the Coq d'Or, one of Chicago's most atmospheric piano bars.
Ritz-Carlton Chicago
Top-notch service and an open, airy setting make this one of Chicago's most welcoming hotels. Perched high atop the Water Tower Place mall, the Ritz-Carlton's lobby is on the 12th floor, with a large bank of windows to admire the city below. Not surprisingly, the quality of the accommodations is of the highest caliber, although the standard rooms aren't very large. Doubles have space for a loveseat and desk but not much more; the bathrooms are elegant but not huge (for extra-large, lavish bathrooms, request a "Premier" room or suite on the 30th floor). Guests staying in any of the hotel's suites are treated to a gratis wardrobe pressing upon arrival, personalized stationery, Bulgari toiletries, and fresh flowers. Service is the Ritz-Carlton's selling point, whether it's the "compcierge" who helps guests with computer problems, or the "allergy-sensitive" rooms that are cleaned with special nonirritating products and come stocked with nonfeather duvets and pillows and hypoallergenic bath products on request. Lake views cost more but are spectacular (although in all the rooms, you're up high enough that you're not staring into surrounding apartment buildings).Families will find this luxury crash pad quite welcoming. Every child receives a gift and can borrow toys and games from a stash kept by the concierge. PlayStation and Nintendo are also available, and kids' food is available from room service 24 hours a day.Whether or not you stay here, the Ritz-Carlton is an elegant place for afternoon tea, served at 2:30 and 4:30pm in the lobby. The hotel's excellent Sunday brunch in The Dining Room includes a special buffet for children replete with M&Ms, macaroni and cheese, and pizza.Facilities: 4 restaurants (French, American); 2 lounges; indoor pool; health club with spa, Jacuzzi, and sauna; children's programs; concierge; business center; 24-hr. room service; in-room massage; babysitting; laundry service; same-day dry cleaning; premier suites.
Need help booking your trip?
Book online or call
1-800-504-3248(toll free)
Need help booking your trip?
Book online or call
1-800-504-3248(toll free)
Need help booking your trip?
Book online or call
1-800-504-3248(toll free)
Need help booking your trip?
Book online or call
1-800-504-3248(toll free)
Other direct flights to Chicago (ORD) on Alaska Airlines
