The Details
- Flight: UA3628
- Aircraft: E175
- Class: Economy
- Seat: 18A and 18B
- Route: Chicago O’Hare (ORD)-Indianapolis (IND)
- Distance: 200 miles
- Duration: 33min
- Departure: 6:11PM
- Arrival: 7:44PM
The Preflight
My fiance and I had originally booked separate tickets on our way home from Vietnam with one ticket including flights from Hanoi to Paris to Chicago on Vietnam Airlines and Air France and another separate ticket with United from Chicago to Indianapolis. Initially, we had a two-hour and forty-minute layover in Chicago but due to a mechanical issue with our A350 in Paris, that connection was reduced to just 57 minutes from arriving at gate M18 in Terminal 5 and the departure from gate F7 at Terminal 2.
Thanks to our Global Entry status, my fiancé and I were able to swiftly scan our faces and proceed directly into the United States upon arrival. Fortunately, there were no other passengers at the Global Entry kiosks, allowing us to clear customs and border patrol in just a minute. Without delay, we made our way up to the departures level and then up once more to the ATS (Airport Transit System) station. Taking the ATS for two stops, we disembarked at Terminal 2 and proceeded directly to the TSA Pre-check lane. With only about five passengers ahead of us, we breezed through security in just five minutes. Moving briskly, we reached gate F7 around 5:20 PM, achieving a remarkable self-connect time of only 22 minutes from Terminal 5 to Terminal 2.
Our E175 today, with the registration N741YX, was an aircraft nearly seven years old, delivered to Republic Airways in April 2017. Operated by the hometown airline Republic on behalf of United Express, it served as our last aircraft for this final leg of the journey.
Boarding started at 5:35PM.
The Flight
The E175s operated by Republic Airways for United Express feature a total of 12 Domestic First and 64 economy class seats. The economy cabin is arranged in the standard 2-2 configuration. Our seats in row 18 were in the standard economy section, offering 31 inches of pitch and 18 inches of width. Unfortunately, there were no individual power outlets or USB ports available at these seats.
We pushed back six minutes behind schedule at 6:01 PM and taxied for ten minutes to runway 22L. Taking off at 6:11 PM, we ascended to our cruising altitude of 19,000 feet. Despite the short flight, the single flight attendant serving the economy cabin managed to make one pass-through with water before we commenced our descent into Indianapolis just six minutes later. Touching down at 7:45 PM, we arrived at gate A21 five minutes later, concluding our flight with a total duration of just 33 minutes
I appreciated the efficiency of this short regional flight with Republic Airways on behalf of United Express. Landing 17 minutes ahead of schedule was a pleasant surprise, and there were no delays throughout the flight. Republic Airways actually operates flights for both United and American Airlines on the Indianapolis to Chicago route. I typically choose whichever flight is more cost-effective, as there is objectively no difference between the two in terms of service.