United Airlines has now officially reopened its Polaris lounge at Chicago O'Hare International Airport (ORD) after a refurbishment program lasting several months. With an abundance of extra space and a private dining room among the perks of the new layout, the US legacy carrier and Star Alliance founding member is looking forward to welcoming its premium travelers back into the reopened lounge.
United Airlines
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The news will be welcomed by United Airlines' passengers in Chicago. The Illinois city is one of the most important markets for the carrier, which is something that it has not shied away from, as well as being the home of its corporate headquarters. In recent years, United has continued to invest significantly in its facilities at Chicago O'Hare International Airport, as well as in its lounge portfolio as a whole.
The Refurbished Lounge Reopened Today
As confirmed in a statement published by United today, the carrier's Polaris Lounge at Chicago O'Hare is now officially open for business once again following a multi-month refurbishment program. The carrier first announced its plans to expand its Polaris Lounge in Chicago in August 2024, as reported by Simple Flying at the time, with work on the project beginning a month later. Clune Construction, which was the general contractor for the original Polaris Lounge, also looked after the rebuild.
To begin with, the lounge remained open while the work took place. However, this January, it temporarily shut its doors in order for the work to be taken to the next level ahead of the projected springtime reopening. This has now been completed, and United's premium guests can once again access the facility, which now measures almost 25,000 square feet, having grown by an impressive factor of 50%. Aaron McMillan, United's Managing Director of Hospitality Programs, explained that:
"Our vast international network is one of United's unique strengths, and our United Polaris lounges help set the tone for business class travelers before or after their long-haul flights. Customers are going to love our new Chicago lounge because it gives them more of all of the things they want most - more space, more amenities, and more dining options - and we'll carry this new elevated design into future lounge openings and renovations across our United Polaris lounge portfolio."
What's It Like Inside?
The expansion of the United Polaris Lounge at Chicago O'Hare International Airport has enabled the carrier to raise its overall seating capacity to some 350 guests. Given that the facility is aimed at travelers on long-haul flights with larger premium cabins, this extra capacity will be a welcome relief at busier times.
The also features a 50-seat private dining room "where travelers can order à la carte meals with curated premium food and beverages." Among the other additions to the luxurious space are a second bar (described as "a speakeasy-style space with a selection of premium wine and champagne options") as well as "six additional restrooms and private spaces for relaxation or work."
In terms of the decor that is present in the refurbished lounge, United Airlines has teamed up with local home retailer Crate & Barrel to outfit the facility, with this being the company's first and only collaboration with an airline to date.
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Chicago Is A Major Hub For United Airlines
Chicago O'Hare is a hugely significant airport in United's network of US hubs, with the carrier proudly describing itself as the Windy City's hometown airline. As well as a significant presence on domestic and short-haul routes from the facility, United also boasts a long-haul network serving Europe, Asia, and South America, and it flies to 15 European destinations on a non-stop basis from Chicago O'Hare.
| Flights | Seats | Available Seat Miles | |
|---|---|---|---|
| United Airlines at Chicago O'Hare Airport In May 2025 | 33,709 | 4,102,491 | 4,716,911,689 |
As noted in the table above, which features current scheduling data made available by Cirium, an aviation analytics company, United Airlines operated tens of thousands of flights to and from the Windy City every month. This May, its top long-haul international destination from O'Hare is London Heathrow Airport (LHR), which it will be serving three times a day in each direction using the Boeing 767-300ER.
