Chicago from the sky

I can't believe I'm about to say this, but I had absolutely the best flight ever into Chicago on American Airlines, which is notorious for bad service and cancelling/delaying flight without telling their customers. I truly appreciate good pilots now and I am going to write AA about this because too often people tend towards complaints and don't give compliments where they're due. I hate flying, which I realize is crazy considering how frequently I do it. But everything from overstuffed flights, large-boned passengers, turbulence and the dry, horrible air make flying an experience I dread but must muster through to get to the enjoyment of seeing a new place.

We took off in the pouring rain in Los Angeles. We've had something like 4 back to back storms that has made living in this congested city even more miserable these past few weeks. Plus, we landed in snow in Chicago. Between the rain and the snow it should have been 10x more miserable of a flight than usual, but our pilot was SO considerate and seasoned that I have to say I have never experienced a more comfortable and eventless flight - so much so that I was asleep for most of the 4 hours, and I NEVER fall asleep on planes. We even arrived 20 minutes early!

We taxied for a bit in the air (probably because we were so early), and the pilot flew us out over the tall buildings to the tip of the lakes and gave each side of the plane a gorgeous view of the city as we flew around it and at a breathtaking angle.