Red-Eyes Via Chicago

Eastern Airlines is using Chicago instead of Houston now for its “Moonlight Special” cargo/passenger flights. These red-eye night flights offer low fares to 18 cities in and out of Chicago.

With these flights, however, you’re limited to two pieces of carry-on luggage. You can check up to three bags at $10 each, but because your baggage might not go on the same flight, you risk having to retrieve them from the airport.

Flights leave LAX daily at 9:10 p.m. and arrive at Chicago at 2:48 a.m. Figure on a 1- to 1 1/2-hour layover if you’re going to East Coast destinations.

The one-way LAX-Chicago fare, which is nonstop, is $89; round trip, $178 (there is an LAX-Chicago round-trip rate of $170 during the day, but it involves a Kansas City stopover).

If you’re going from Los Angeles to such cities as Boston, Newark/New York and Philadelphia from Chicago, the fare would be $258 round trip and $129 one way.

Until May 20 at least, you can use a “maxsaver” fare at a $178 round-trip rate. For example, you can fly LAX-Chicago-Newark for $178. But with the maxsaver version you have more stringent conditions, such as a Saturday night stopover and no refunds.

The Moonlight Special doesn’t have any advance purchase or minimum-stay restrictions. You do have to pay for your ticket within 48 hours if you make your reservation more than seven days in advance. If you make a reservation more than a day in advance, you have to buy your ticket within 24 hours.

A $25 service charge is levied for cancellation or changes in your ticket. Refunds are possible, but you have to take your ticket to the airline or your travel agent before the flight. If you’re a no-show, there’s no refund.

In-flight service is still limited on these flights. You can get a snack tray for $2, which would include a cold sandwich, fruit and beverage. Otherwise, beverages sell for 50 cents and there is regular cocktail service.

While there is no assigned seating, you can get a seat in the nonsmoking section. First-class seats are also available for $40 more ($129, for example, on a one-way segment to Chicago). What you get, according to the airline, is a larger seat and a free headset. But there is no movie.

Contact travel agents or Eastern at (800) EASTERN.