Life sends you clues ...

Life is like a riddle, like a maze like a fairytale

“Life is a puzzle, a riddle, a test, a mystery, a game—whatever challenge you wish to compare it to. Just remember, you're not the only participant; no one person holds all the answers, the pieces, or the cards. The trick to success in this life is to accumulate teammates and not opponents.”

― Richelle E. Goodrich, Smile Anyway

The man saying "You need to ask for money"

Airfair - Seats

Consider that you will spend more than 8hs on this seat I want to be the best I can buy
you need to chose what is the most important
- Window seat or to be next to your co-traveler.
- Sunset or Sunrise
- Extra legroom or extra money in the packet.

To help with this  SeatGuru.com provides a lot of information along with many reviews for the seats on your plane by itself

Airfair Tickets

Well maybe not in 3 steps but on the best 3 sites

My favorite sites are
Kayak.com
Kiwi.com and
Googleflights
Matrix Airfare Search gives you interesting statistics that will make your choice easier.
I like them for their timetable price presentation. When your dates are flexible is very easy to choose your travel date when open the calendar with ticket prices on it.
Googlrflights have them the best, presented as bar graphs.

Another feature is Selecting multiple dates and let the system pool the best combination.
The presentation on the Map is my favorite because you can change your itinerary all together depending on the prices you see.


Also, be aware that the air carrier by itself may sell for less. They often offer different amenity as well.

The price fluctuates

Here is my invoice from 06/07/19

And here is what the same ticket would cost me today - 06/09/19

The same is here for my flight tomorrow. In fact, it is not on the top ten list at all.

A different set of flights come from different search engines with the same query.

Travel Light - Luggage limits

Here from the US, we are leaving with the NORWEGIAN airline 

We chose the cheapest option offered -LowFare - to travel only with carry-on luggage and no additional charges or extras. With these conditions, you can pay as little as $170 from Chicago to Barcelona Spain for 8h 20m.

LowFare, Lowfare+, Flex, Premium  - for diferent conversions 

·        1 carry-on (cabin in) bag: max. 55x40x23 cm = 21.5x15.8x9in  - 7kg/ 15.43Lb
1 small personal item:       max. 25x33x20 cm = 10x13x8in        - 3kg/   6.62Lb
Max. combined weight:                                                                   10 kg/ 22.05Lb

One carry-on bag included

§  You can always bring one carry-on bag in the cabin free of charge.

§  You can also bring one small personal item on board. This could be a little handbag or a slim laptop case that fits comfortably under the seat in front of you.

§  Your ticket type will determine how heavy your hand baggage can be.

Restricted items

Liquids in hand baggage

 You can bring a limited amount of liquid, cream and gel through security:

·         Max. 100 ml per container

·         You must pack all containers in one transparent, resealable bag (max. 1L)

The following items may be allowed over these limits:

·         Baby food and milk/formula needed on the flight – you may have to taste test if asked by security staff.

·         Medication needed for your trip – label it and bring a prescription or medical certificate in your hand baggage.

·         Tax-free – pay careful attention to the restrictions on tax-free liquids for your destination or transit stop.

Restrictions may vary depending on the airport you're flying from – please check the airport's website.

Don't pack in your carry-on

Make sure you know what's in your hand baggage, and be sure to remove any of these items:

·         weapons and replicas of weapons

·         sharp items

·         explosives, flammables and chemical substances

·         dangerous goods

Getting ready for the classes

Spanish Postmodernism class
Syllabus 
Lecturer:
Eloy Fernández-Porta

Video

Parking at Leaving Airports - O'Hare

If you are not lucky to have someone drive you to the airport, you have to find a safe place for your vehicle for the time you are out of the country.
In my case with 5 weeks trip, the best will be The Economy LOT G, recommended for a long time parking. Yes, it is Economy being $10 versus the Main parking with its $40 a day.

Another option for leaving your car will be at the parking off-site preferably a one that offers 24/7 airport shuttle and no room reservation require. 

Here is an offer of a reputable hotel for parking and shuttle every one hour. 

To be safe you have to be about 4hs before departure for parking and getting to the airport before the required 2 hs mark.

Seems reasonable offer 

The airports - O'Hare

I would say it is extremely important to get yourself familiar to the airports you're going to use, so when the time comes you can enjoy all the mixed feeling that comes with one departure rather frantically trying to find something important.

O'Hare, Chicago, IL will be my point of exit for the US for this trip. We have been at their International terminal 5 before but is always nice to take refresh look for a change of layout, travel policies and so on.
That is the map of O'Hare airport





"If you plan on parking your car at O'Hare International Airport for an extended period of time, then the Economy Lots are the best option. The daily rates range between $10 and $17 per day with Lot G providing the most economical on-airport parking with a rate of $10 per day."

Lot G  is at the entrance of the airport and a long way from Int. Terminal. 

The O’Hare Airport Transit System​ (ATS or “people mover) is closed 24/7 
Shuttle buses instead transport passengers and employees between terminals (Terminals 1, 2, 3 and 5) and from the terminals to each economy parking lot (Lots E, G, H)