Chicago O'Hare Airport Lounges

• —United's O'Hare hub — two United lounges here
• —United Polaris Lounge (Concourse C) is for Polaris business and intercontinental premium flyers
• —United Club (Concourse B, Gate B18) serves Star Alliance Gold and business class
• —Both are airside, after security

• —American Airlines' Chicago base — Admirals Club and Flagship Lounge
• —Both are between gates H6 and K6, airside after security
• —Flagship Lounge is the premium oneworld tier
• —Admirals Club is the wider American membership lounge

• —O'Hare's international terminal — the most lounges in one place
• —Swissport Lounge is the only Priority Pass option at ORD
• —Airline lounges from Delta, SAS, LOT and JAL cluster around the M-gates
• —Access is mostly airline status or premium-cabin ticket

• —For U.S. Armed Forces service members and their families
• —A USO service-member facility, not a general pay-in lounge
• —Offers a quiet place to rest with snacks and soft drinks

Star Alliance Gold members and business-class passengers can use the United Club and United Polaris Lounge in Terminal 1, plus the LOT, JAL, SAS Business and Swissport lounges in Terminal 5. The Polaris Lounge is reserved for intercontinental premium flyers, so check the per-lounge rules.

Star Alliance

oneworld Sapphire status or a qualifying business-class ticket opens American's Admirals Club and Flagship Lounge in Terminal 3, and the LOT and Swissport lounges in Terminal 5 also accept oneworld passengers. The Flagship Lounge is the higher premium tier.

oneworld

SkyTeam Elite Plus status or a business- or first-class ticket reaches the Delta Sky Club and the SAS Lounge in Terminal 5. These serve SkyTeam premium passengers — confirm the lounge matches your departure terminal before you clear security.

SkyTeam

The Swissport Lounge in Terminal 5 is the only ORD lounge on the Priority Pass network. It often runs at capacity, and Priority Pass walk-ins are sometimes turned away when it's full, so arrive early and have a backup plan.

Priority Pass

A business- or first-class ticket on the operating carrier (or an alliance partner) is the simplest route into that airline's O'Hare lounge — United Polaris and United Club, American Flagship and Admirals, or the Delta, SAS, LOT and JAL lounges in Terminal 5.

UnitedAmerican AirlinesDeltaLOTSAS

Match the terminal to your airline

• —O'Hare's lounges are airline-driven — United's are in Terminal 1, American's in Terminal 3, and the international carriers cluster in Terminal 5.
• —The four terminals don't connect airside, so pick a lounge in the terminal you're flying from before clearing security.
• —Terminals 1, 2 and 3 sit in the domestic core; Terminal 5 is the separate international building.

Priority Pass is thin here

• —The Swissport Lounge in Terminal 5 is the only Priority Pass option at ORD — there's no Priority Pass coverage in the domestic terminals.
• —Swissport often runs at capacity and can turn Priority Pass walk-ins away, so arrive early or have a backup.
• —If you don't have airline status, Terminal 5 is the terminal with the most independent option.

Know the premium tiers

• —United's Polaris Lounge is reserved for Polaris business and Star Alliance intercontinental premium flyers — United Club members need a business-class ticket to get in.
• —American's Flagship Lounge is a clear step above the Admirals Club, with a sit-down feel and better food.
• —If you're connecting, the nearest United Club to the Polaris Lounge is just steps away near Gate C10.

Timing and crowds

• —O'Hare is one of the world's busiest airports — lounges fill fast around the morning and late-afternoon departure banks.
• —Most lounges open early (around 04:30–05:00) for the first departures and close mid-to-late evening.
• —Terminal 5's airline lounges can track the flight schedule, so hours flex with international departures.