The best lounges at Chicago’s O’Hare — and h...

Chicago’s largest airport, O’Hare International Airport (ORD), continues to interrupt passenger number records, and the airport’s lounge sport is getting higher. Whereas there’s nonetheless no Centurion Lounge, it is making progress nonetheless.

Flyers can select from 15 airline-affiliated lounges throughout 4 terminals on each the departures and arrivals sides to accommodate home and worldwide flights.

Not all lounges are created equal, although — so we have compiled an inventory of our favourite lounges at O’Hare.

United Golf equipment and Polaris lounges in Terminals 1 and a pair of: At a look

The place are the United Golf equipment and the Polaris lounge?

There are three United Golf equipment in Terminal 1, particularly close to gates B6, B18 and C10. There is a fourth United Membership in Terminal 2, throughout from Gate F9 and there is now a fifth United Membership now in Terminal 2, Concourse E, close to gate E7. Lots of the United lounges are open from 5 a.m. to 9 p.m. every day, although the most recent Concourse E lounge (a former Delta lounge) is open from 7:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. every day.

In the meantime, the Polaris lounge is in Terminal 1 by gate C18 and usually opens at 6 a.m. every day, although it’s at present closed for a big expansion.

What’s it like contained in the United Golf equipment and Polaris lounge?

The 5 United Golf equipment are comparatively comparable, however the primary variations are within the sq. footage, design and degree of renovation.

4 of the 5 United Golf equipment have a full-service bar with beer, wine, liquor and nonalcoholic choices; not less than one buffet with cold and warm meals; gentle snacks; a espresso bar; a freestyle Coca-Cola machine; and filtered water. Lounge menus rotate quarterly, incorporating seasonal components. Automated robotic trash collectors acquire dishes and trash for patrons.

Even within the smaller lounges, friends can get pleasure from workspaces, together with collective group areas in addition to particular person seating areas with loads of chairs and shops.

Most golf equipment have not less than 4 premium service reps in every membership per shift.

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It is at present closed for expansion and remodeling — however as soon as it reopens, we count on it to be bigger and extra fabulous.

The primary Polaris lounge within the nation, it is marked by its distinctive huge chandelier, by which each ball represents a metropolis avenue in Chicago.

Associated: United Airlines’ top lounge exec pulls back the curtain on 5 major updates for 2025

A number of the lounge’s most luxurious options embody the first-come, first-served showers and personal shaded daybeds, the place you’ll be able to sleep for an hour on 145-degree heated Saks Fifth Avenue linens. For those who want an extended relaxation — maybe as a result of a global layover — you’ll be able to prolong your time in mattress pending availability.

A seasonally rotating, domestically impressed menu served on an island with an adjoining buffet line and particular person eating room for a la carte service means there’s possible one thing to suit most dietary wants. There’s additionally a full-service bar.

There are six bathe suites accessible (together with one People with Disabilities Act-compliant bathe) that present loungers, slippers, Therabody merchandise and different facilities. Everlasting urgent laundry providers — particularly shirts, pants and sweaters — can be found for fast freshening up inside 5 to 10 minutes.

United Club℠ Card (see rates and fees) cardholders ($695 annual payment) obtain limitless United Membership entry for themselves and a visitor. For those who attain premier Gold standing or spend 50,000 on purchases per calendar yr, you rise up to 2 friends per go to. The United℠ Explorer Card (see rates and fees) consists of two single-use United Membership passes yearly.

You may as well pay for a United Membership membership with money or miles, and costs fluctuate by United Premier elite status level.

United is now providing two tiers of membership membership, Particular person and All-Entry, because it not too long ago overhauled its access rules.

Choose Premier members may also entry the United Membership. Particularly, United Premier Gold (and better) members can entry the provider’s lounges when touring internationally on any Star Alliance provider, no matter their class of service. They’ll additionally deliver one visitor departing on a Star Alliance provider from the identical airport. Star Alliance Gold members who maintain standing with one other accomplice airline can use the United Membership with any same-day Star Alliance boarding cross, together with throughout home United journey.

Those that do not maintain playing cards or have standing can buy a day cross for $59 within the membership or through the United cell app (although it is not good for grab-and-go golf equipment).

When it reopens, the Polaris lounge will once more be accessible to vacationers in United Polaris enterprise class (no friends) in addition to these in Star Alliance first-class (one visitor) and enterprise class (no friends).

Admirals Membership and Flagship Lounges in Terminal 3: At a look

The place are the American Airways Admirals Golf equipment and Flagship Lounges?

There are three American Airlines Admirals Golf equipment and one American Airways Flagship Lounge in Terminal 3. Two Admirals Clubs are previous safety throughout from gate G8 and earlier than gate L1. In the meantime, the Admirals Membership and Flagship Lounge could be discovered after safety within the crosswalk between gates H6 and K6.

What’s it like contained in the American Airways Admirals Golf equipment and Flagship Lounge?

Not one of the American Airways lounges will change your life in the case of lounge visits, however they do supply just about all of the fundamentals. In our expertise, there may be normally room to sit down down and seize a chunk to eat regardless of which lounge you get pleasure from, although there may be extra space within the Flagship Lounge.

General, the Flagship Lounge makes for a greater expertise, although entry necessities are extra stringent.

Easy methods to entry the American Airways Golf equipment and Flagship Lounge

Typically, to entry Admirals Club, you may must current a same-day American, Alaska Airways or different Oneworld provider flight boarding cross (some lifetime memberships do not require a same-day boarding cross).

These with the Citi® / AAdvantage® Executive World Elite Mastercard® (see rates and fees) obtain complimentary Admirals Membership entry, as do Concierge Key members. You may as well entry the golf equipment by holding an eligible premium ticket, particularly business- and first-class tickets on worldwide American- or Oneworld-operated flights.

To entry the Flagship Lounge, you may must be Concierge Key or be touring in Flagship First on a global flight.

Oneworld Sapphire or Emerald standing via American AAdvantage (through Platinum, Platinum Professional and Govt Platinum standing) or the Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan (through MVP Gold, 75K and 100K standing) additionally allows you and a visitor to entry Admirals Golf equipment or Flagship Lounges on qualifying worldwide itineraries operated by American or a Oneworld accomplice — even in economic system class.

If you’re a member with Oneworld Sapphire or Emerald standing through a program aside from AAdvantage or Mileage Plan (like British Airways Gold standing), you and a visitor can entry an Admirals Membership or Flagship Lounge when touring on American or one other Oneworld provider for home itineraries as nicely.

In any other case, you’ll be able to pay for entry in a wide range of methods.

A one-day cross is $79 or 7,900 miles. (We don’t advocate this based mostly on TPG’s valuation of American miles.)

Annual individual and household memberships price between $700 and $1,650, relying in your standing degree and whether or not you might be renewing an current membership or shopping for a brand new one.

Lastly, members can choose a membership membership as two of their Loyalty Point Choice Rewards.

Be aware that memberships and day passes are just for Admirals Golf equipment, not Flagship Lounges.

Delta Sky Membership at Terminal 5

The place is the Delta Sky Membership?

The Delta Sky Membership is after safety between gates M11 and M14. It is open every day from 4:30 a.m. to eight p.m., aside from Saturday, when it closes at 6 p.m.

What’s it like contained in the Delta Sky Membership?

The O’Hare Delta Sky Membership is one in every of our favorites in the system. This lounge measures greater than 22,000 sq. toes and affords a wide range of seating areas.

The Sky Membership has a full-service bar with beer, wine, liquor and nonalcoholic choices. It additionally has a big buffet with cold and warm selections, and a number of other espresso stations with espresso machines or sizzling drip espresso and tea.

There are two full bars and areas for watching TV, planespotting or working. Throughout our visits, it has by no means felt crowded.

Meals is plentiful, with sizzling breakfast gadgets like sausages within the mornings and extra strong dishes served later within the day.

The lounge has showers you’ll be able to e-book on a first-come, first-served foundation.

There may be additionally a wellness room for nursing moms.

Not solely are there nice views of the airport and Delta jets, however there’s even a Chicago-style sizzling canine vendor.

Associated: Delta unveils Sky Club and Terminal 5 gates at Chicago’s O’Hare airport

By far the perfect characteristic of this membership is that it additionally has two boarding gates. One is used for flights to its hub at New York Metropolis’s LaGuardia Airport (LGA), and the opposite is for worldwide Delta companions like Air France.

Easy methods to entry the Delta Sky Membership

There are a number of how to get into the Delta Sky Membership.

Some premium playing cards present complimentary lounge entry, and there are additionally numerous paid choices to enter a Sky Membership — so long as you are not flying fundamental economic system.

For instance, The Platinum Card® from American Express, The Business Platinum Card® from American Express, Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card and the Delta SkyMiles® Reserve Business American Express Card all present complimentary entry for same-day Delta-operated flights or Delta-marketed WestJet flights, excluding Delta basic economy or equal accomplice fares.

As of Feb. 1, Delta has capped yearly Sky Membership visits (Feb. 1 to Jan. 31) at 10 visits for Amex Platinum and Amex Enterprise Platinum and 15 for Delta Reserve Amex and Delta Reserve Enterprise Amex cardholders.

There are additionally a wide range of paid choices for coming into a Sky Membership, so long as you aren’t flying fundamental economic system.

Delta Reserve cardholders on Delta accomplice airline flights pays $50 per go to, whereas elite standing members pays money or SkyMiles — particularly $695 or 69,500 SkyMiles (particular person membership) or $1,495 or 149,500 SkyMiles (government membership) yearly.

There are numerous methods for Delta SkyMiles elite members to entry SkyClubs. For instance, Diamond and Platinum Medallion members can choose Choice Benefits every Medallion yr for entry. Diamond, Platinum and Gold Medallion members may also entry lounges when touring in Premium Choose or Delta One seats on a same-day worldwide itinerary.

Premium cabin tickets may also yield lounge entry: home and worldwide Delta One passengers and people flying on a same-day worldwide first-class or business-class ticket on a SkyTeam-operated flight (confirmed in enterprise class or first-class for each phase of the ticket) get Sky Membership lounge entry no matter elite standing or membership.

Lastly, SkyTeam Elite Plus members from different airways can entry Delta Sky Membership lounges when touring on a SkyTeam worldwide flight (excluding between the U.S. and the Caribbean) or a SkyTeam home flight connecting to or from a SkyTeam worldwide flight.

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