I’ve written about what I consider to be the best airport lounges in the United States, though now I think it’s time for a post about what I might just consider to be the worst. I’d like to think I have reasonable lounge expectations, but this just ticked none of the boxes…
In this post:
The awful Swissport Lounge at Chicago O’Hare Terminal 5
Somehow I didn’t have the pleasure of visiting the Swissport Lounge Chicago until this week. In fairness, I had been warned. I remembered a friend complaining about this lounge a few months back, so I texted him prior to my visit, just to make sure my memory was correct.
It was indeed — he said “it’s quite possibly the worst lounge I’ve ever experienced,” and also said “I really can’t think of a worse lounge.” As you’d expect, I came in with exceptionally low expectations, and they were… met?
He wasn’t exaggerating. The Swissport Lounge Chicago makes waiting in a queue to get into a Delta Sky Club feel luxurious by comparison. I’m not convinced the whole lounge isn’t just a practical joke by the operator to see how low they can go while getting money from airlines and Priority Pass.
Somehow this is the lounge that all kinds of premium airlines send their passengers to (including Etihad Airways and Qatar Airways). Admittedly that’s probably not because they want to, but rather because the terminal has a severe shortage of lounge space.
I popped into the lounge midday, which is an off-peak time. The lounge generally accepts Priority Pass around this time, but doesn’t in the evenings, given all the airlines that use this as a contract lounge for premium passengers.
What’s so bad about the Swissport Lounge Chicago?
The Swissport Lounge Chicago is a small windowless room. It has incredibly outdated furniture, lacks decor, and doesn’t even have bathrooms (by the way, the lack of bathrooms is made worse by the fact that there are no dividers between urinals in all T5 bathrooms — bleh). This is a case where I think pictures do the lounge justice. What you see below is just about the entire room.
It’s not just the size of the lounge, but the furniture feels so worn, and there aren’t even any conveniently placed power outlets.
For example, I had a seat at one of the high-top tables, and found it wasn’t in any way secured to the ground, even though it had “bars” to put your feet onto. The table nearly flipped over when I slightly stepped down onto it to stand up.
As far as the food & beverage selection goes, I suppose it could be worse. There are about half a dozen packaged snack options, including Chex Mix, Nature Valley granola bars, cheesy crackers, instant noodles, and muffins. They do have a couple of “fresh”(ish) options in the fridge, including a rather bland salad, and one type of sandwich.
By comparison to the rest of the lounge, the alcohol selection isn’t terrible… which, I could see how this lounge could drive someone to drink.
I was going to write a detailed review of the lounge, but honestly, I’m not sure there’s enough to write about? All I can recommend is to avoid this lounge as much as possible. If you’re in transit at O’Hare, stay in Terminal 1 or Terminal 3 for as long as you can, assuming you have access to American or United lounges. If you’re originating in Chicago and this is the lounge you’ll be sent to, arrive as late as you can, and then go sit in the gate area, or something.
Is there a worse lounge in the United States?
It’s not intended to by hyperbole, but I genuinely think this might just be the worst lounge in the United States. At least it’s the worst lounge in the United States that I can remember visiting. Between the lack of bathrooms, lack of power outlets, lack of natural light, tiny size, Fyre Festival catering, and drab decor, I can’t think of a lounge in the United States I’d want to spend less time in.
I’m curious to hear from the OMAAT community — are there any worse lounges you’ve been to in the United States?
Now, to be fair, I can think of a couple of worse lounges I’ve visited outside of the United States. Air Astana’s domestic lounge at Almaty Airport leaves a bit to be desired, with not-great decor, food & drinks for purchase, and no Wi-Fi.
Meanwhile the No. 7 F/C VIP Lounge used by Hainan Airlines at Changsha Airport isn’t exactly luxurious either. The decor feels a bit more like a foot massage parlor you’d find in a strip mall in the United States (I’m very familiar with these, and a huge fan) than an airport lounge, minus the foot massage.
Bottom line
Terminal 5 at O’Hare has to be one of my least favorite terminals to fly out of (in fairness, the new terminal extension that Delta took over is pretty nice, and I’ve heard the Sky Club is great, but I’m talking about when traveling with other airlines).
The Swissport Lounge Chicago O’Hare takes the airport lounge concept to a new low, in my opinion. I don’t think I’ve been to a worse lounge in the United States.
If you’ve visited the Swissport Lounge Chicago, what was your experience like? Can anyone think of a worse lounge in the US that I should check out?
Haven't had the pleasure of visiting this one, but what about the Primeclass lounge at JFK T4? The one where SQ J pax are banished to (or the slightly better Air India lounge) since Virgin Clubhouse isn't taking *A J pax anymore. That one's pretty grim..
Agree with the Author
I have travelled to 3rd world Countries and the business lounges are way better than the Swiss port lounge in TERMINAL 5 Ohare
I do not know why this lounge issue has been ignored.. I do not have words to describe the appalling condition of the lounge ..
Just confirming that this indeed the worse lounge. Honestly trying to figure out why it exists. It’s a joke. I google searched it and came across this article which is spot on. They
Ugh! I didnt think it could get worse than the Lufthansa lounge in ORD Terminal 5. I'm flying with family next month to Greece via Turkish Air and this is the lounge they're contracted with. Guess I'll save my time and try the Turkish lounge in Instanbul on the way back,
Absolutely worst experience with priority pass, this is very upset, don't even want to come back, it's huge airport in Chicago O'Hara, and worst service at the front desk
Thanks for the heads up. We are departing with EVA in J on Thursday from ORD, so will go to the United lounge instead.
@yepnope
Having been an employee of Swissport I can tell you there's wayyy more than just the baggage handling.
Swissport does cargo handling, cargo ramp, fueling, lounge operations, contract boarding/check-in services, other customer service duties, ramp handling. Honestly, just about anything I can think of at the airport they probably do outside of janitorial, at least not that I'm aware of.
Yep.. there right now and searched google for reviews on this horrible lounge to see if I was the only one who felt this way and ran across this article . The furniture in the pics has been changed … but this lounge is stil terrible
1st time here and hopefully the last time. I might have visited even worse 1 in some of the smaller cities in Germany but I think at least they had toilets...
Looks just like the BA lounge at T5 (or at least how it did a few years ago).
Sounds like you need a hug, the terminal was under construction. City was workig to get Delta in
Why is it that Priority pass gets away without giving access to decent lounges at Ohare..one of the largest airports in the US?????
Who can we complain to?
I have been in Swissport lounge at terminal 5; and l think it is one of the better ones, that l have been in, and l have been in a lot of airport lounges in the USA.
Swiss Air should be embarrassed and ashamed of themselves! What a joke this lounge is…actually I will never fly through O’Hare again for International travel, Terminal 5 thumbs down
Swissport has nothing to do with Swiss the airline. It's a ground handling company. It used to be a subsidiary of Swissair, but was sold and re-sold to other companies.
Absolutely agree. The lounge is nothing more than a joke. The attendant at the desk acknowledged the restrooms have been out of service of “over 3 months”. The Reviewer’s description of the furniture, food and decor is spot on. You would be better served by standing in line to get through security for an hour than going to this place for 20 minutes. Avoid it!
Totally agreed. I am at the swissport lounge ORD now and I thought this is totally insane. Qatar airline known as world best airline using this lounge for their business class passenger. Why?
Just visited the Swissport lounge. All the bad stories of it were proven true. Toilets out of order. Crappy food selection. I finally walked out when one staff member came to the room yelling about someone using a power socket to charge their phone. Apparently even the few power outlets are not for customer use but just ”decor”.
Much nicer place to sit in a bar with a paid beer than stay any longer in that ”lounge”.
Yup worse lounge and I didn’t even get in . We got there on Saturday around 3:45pm. Airport was not busy and nobody else was waiting to get in. One of the two attendants told me they no longer accept Priority Pass. After I asked since when she said 2-3 months ago. I was surprised and said “wow I didn’t realize” then the other attendant quickly said they don’t have space for priority customers. We...
Yup worse lounge and I didn’t even get in . We got there on Saturday around 3:45pm. Airport was not busy and nobody else was waiting to get in. One of the two attendants told me they no longer accept Priority Pass. After I asked since when she said 2-3 months ago. I was surprised and said “wow I didn’t realize” then the other attendant quickly said they don’t have space for priority customers. We were about to leave then I had to ask what do you mean after hearing what he said. Then the first attendant quickly interrupted and said they don’t accept priority pass member after 3pm.
I mean, just tell me the truth from the beginning. I wouldn’t have stayed around and asked more questions. I have a feeling they want to limit patrons and maybe cut down beverages and food cost. After see the pictures and comments from others, I’m glad we got denied entry
I agree with you! The worst lounge I have visited in Mexico/USA/Canada! And they deny the access almost everytime to priority pass users (because they are supposed to be full of airlines first class travelers)
Just got turned away as a Priority Pass member, saying it was full. But there was only a few persons inside. They just refuse to let in Priority members, even though they are obligated to allow members inside. Just a terribly run lounge, they should be closed and give the space to another lounge. Just awful people.
Worst ever lounge disgusting shit hole
Agree. Just visited and it is the worst I’ve ever been to.
At the lounge now. The SAS lounge in the same terminal (by gate m20) makes the Swissport lounge feel spacious and luxurious!
I just got refused entry as a Priority Pass due to "capacity constraints " but the whole place was empty. The when I argued that it's hardly at capacity, the receptionist said he would call the cops ♀️ lol.
I’ve never written a review, ever. Been traveling for 55+yrs and I’m at a loss for words. I actually left the lounge to sit at my gate until my flight, my wife and are currently at the gate and can’t stop shaking our heads. Amex would be ashamed to have this in their line up.
Very amused to see this: Friday I flew back from Chicago to Dubai via Qatar, and had exactly this terrible experience. I get that our gulf airlines have world class facilities, so don’t expect that elsewhere. But this? This was laughably poor.
I collected a Diet Coke, sat and thought about what to do next, and left to go to a spare gate with my headphones and a book. Awful, just awful.
So bad it’s closed. Jan 16,2023. From the reviews I don’t feel like I missed anything.
Much better than the Copa flagship lounge in Panama or many lounges in China and in the us.
At least they have cans and not that sewing water with syrup they offer in many us lounges.
I have never been able to use this lounge in conjunctioon with a Qatar flight including two flights out this past fall. Is that new? Since Qatar lost the KLM/Air France lounge at ORD?
Sounds like the BA lounge there, when I saw the pictures I did think it was the BA lounge at first
BA is much better than what is pictured here
You haven’t been to the LH lounge in DTW talk about awful
I've been to that lounge many times. First time in the ORD Swissport Lounge now. I completely disagree. While the LH lounge in DTW isn't the cream of the crop, it's much better than this one. Furniture not run down, one room has windows, clean working (albeit small) bathroom facilities. Even the food is somewhat better.
If you really want to see the pits in airport lounges, then you need to go to Abuja. At least I could see some fresh food in your pictures, unlike in the ABV lounge. What's really irritating is that what I have described is the 'standard' lounge to which all business class pax are sent and the Swissport lounge looks roomy by comparison. By contrast, there is an enormous, empty lounge which is only accessible...
If you really want to see the pits in airport lounges, then you need to go to Abuja. At least I could see some fresh food in your pictures, unlike in the ABV lounge. What's really irritating is that what I have described is the 'standard' lounge to which all business class pax are sent and the Swissport lounge looks roomy by comparison. By contrast, there is an enormous, empty lounge which is only accessible by paying. Needless to say, on the two occasions I visited, it was deserted.
I recently traveled via Qatar, being a AA Platinum I was offered the Swissport Lounge Ticket. I was traveling Economy Class so part of me was looking forward to enjoying the lounge luxury due to my OneWorld Sapphire Status but Swissport Lounge was immensely disappointing to say the least. I echo the feedback provided by the author of this article, my thoughts exactly, Swissport Lounge made me feel depressed, I walked out of the lounge...
I recently traveled via Qatar, being a AA Platinum I was offered the Swissport Lounge Ticket. I was traveling Economy Class so part of me was looking forward to enjoying the lounge luxury due to my OneWorld Sapphire Status but Swissport Lounge was immensely disappointing to say the least. I echo the feedback provided by the author of this article, my thoughts exactly, Swissport Lounge made me feel depressed, I walked out of the lounge immediately with only with a bottle of water. It should not be classified as a airline lounge, it’s a disgrace to airport lounge standards.
The KLM lounge in houston!
I've been lucky and never flown out of ORD T5. But in your dire comparisons overseas, the Almaty domestic lounge you pictured is downright high end compared to the Egypt Air domestic lounge in Cairo.
The Air India lounge at JFK T4 definitely belongs in the list of contenders for worst lounge in the US.
The Quantas lounge at Tim Bradley Terminal say LAX is one of the worst. The food is disgusting. The only thing good about the lounge is a cappuccino make by the bartender.
Well, go to Seoul International Airport. Lounge of Korean Airways is example of nice furnishers, but very basic food. Taking shower, a old toalhas were provided... And closing early, even partner airlines have flights later in the night.
In America consumers have choices. It"s simple really- either go or don't go.
Lol yes it is...
Amex plat for the win.. Delta sky lounge @ORD. I don't mind paying $59 if I must take American or United into their lounges. Lounge life is necessary in 2022
This is my home airport and I have unfortunately been in the Swiss lounge a couple of times, and was not able to one other time. But it stems from the fact that T5 at O'Hare is possibly the worst international terminal of any major city in the world. There is no space and such poor, limited options for food and drinks. Half the food vendors were out of supplies as well. And if you...
This is my home airport and I have unfortunately been in the Swiss lounge a couple of times, and was not able to one other time. But it stems from the fact that T5 at O'Hare is possibly the worst international terminal of any major city in the world. There is no space and such poor, limited options for food and drinks. Half the food vendors were out of supplies as well. And if you have a late flight then everything is closed.
Thankfully the city recently announced a $7 billion overall and expansion with around $1.2 billion for an expanded T5 that is well underway. Can't come soon enough.
Could not agree more! I pride myself in making time to relax in a lounge prior to my flights and my Business class seat on Turkish Air left me forced to use the Swissport lounge. I should have know when I had to search long and hard to find it and when I entered I literally couldn't believe my eyes; what a dump!!! O'Hare ought to have a Centurion Lounge by now. Horrible start to a long day of travel.
Honestly, pour yourself liquor? I'll take that and the privacy over many united clubs
I tried to eat single serve packets of Ritz crackers there a few months ago. All stale. Then I got yelled out because I took an extra bag of Chex mix. It’s a sh*thole. No. Worse than that.
Oh yes! There's a worse one. Virgin Atlantic Airlines at LAX is just a joke. They do offer coffee, tea, cereal and muffins. A complete joke
I fly mainly internationally, and I completely agree with you — it is tied for the worst lounge with any developing world airport lounge I’ve had the “pleasure” of experiencing. The operators should be embarrassed with their product. In addition to the many deficiencies you described, the staff are unprofessional and treat you like sh*t because they know they are working in a sh*thole!
However, I’m assuming this is a temporary situation while OHare T5...
I fly mainly internationally, and I completely agree with you — it is tied for the worst lounge with any developing world airport lounge I’ve had the “pleasure” of experiencing. The operators should be embarrassed with their product. In addition to the many deficiencies you described, the staff are unprofessional and treat you like sh*t because they know they are working in a sh*thole!
However, I’m assuming this is a temporary situation while OHare T5 is undergoing expansion & renovation. My understanding is that the upgraded terminal will have world-class lounges. Let’s see.
It was years ago, but I, like a previous commentor, got turned down for this lounge, and I ended up at the one across the way. THAT one still ranks #1 for worst domestic lounge IMO (Trieste Italy ranks my worst overall).
What is sadder? The lounge or the abysmally poor examples of reading comprehension in some of the comments. Oh I know. The Swissport lounge.
I do have a vote for honorable mention Gary, the lounge that British Airways uses/used in Las Vegas. It seemed to me to be a janitorial supply closet that was fitted out with some cast-off furniture and a beer spigot. Would have been okay, maybe, in college for a pre-party...
What is sadder? The lounge or the abysmally poor examples of reading comprehension in some of the comments. Oh I know. The Swissport lounge.
I do have a vote for honorable mention Gary, the lounge that British Airways uses/used in Las Vegas. It seemed to me to be a janitorial supply closet that was fitted out with some cast-off furniture and a beer spigot. Would have been okay, maybe, in college for a pre-party but was nobody’s idea of a premium lounge. Greyhound probably wouldn’t ask it’s traveling proletariat to bunk out there.
This is a Ritz-Carlton compared to an Admirals Club I visited several years ago at LGA. That "lounge" consisted of a roughly 6 foot by 15 foot sliver of space between gates (without walls) and barely any creature comforts whatsoever - one chair, a table with a couple snack baskets, and a small fridge of drinks. It was the airline equivalent of a movie that's so bad it's almost good, being comically underwhelming.
I'm not surprised given what a dump the old LGA was. I'm sure the Admirals club in the new Terminal B is quite ok now.
The new Admiral’s Club is actually
quite nice and I talked to bartender (who was from Colombia and absolutely adored him).
100% accurate. You committed the abrasiveness and unprofessional service of the staff.
As you state.....the whole thing is an absolute joke.
Detroit Lufthansa lounge takes the win for most depressing lounge in the US. I was better off in the terminal.
Not in the terminal that lounge is in. No real food and beverage service there. If it ain't Delta, it ain't getting any attention from DTW in terms of creature comforts. As for the Lufty Lounge, it's also the de facto Star Alliance lounge, and after using United Clubs, I was actually a little impressed. Food was pretty good, and they had self-service beer and wine. It is a little small, but it's really there...
Not in the terminal that lounge is in. No real food and beverage service there. If it ain't Delta, it ain't getting any attention from DTW in terms of creature comforts. As for the Lufty Lounge, it's also the de facto Star Alliance lounge, and after using United Clubs, I was actually a little impressed. Food was pretty good, and they had self-service beer and wine. It is a little small, but it's really there to service the LH flights at their dedicated gate. Once the afternoon flight to Frankfurt started to board, it cleared out enough to quiet down, get a good seat, and get some productive work done with a wine and meatballs.
The AirFrance lounge at SFO has all the charm of an East German apartment from the 1980s.
Currently closed for renovation - new lounge in the latest design/decor to open in April!
I experienced 3 hrs of delay in getting our luggage out from the airplane by Swiss port which happens to be handling luggage at Manchester Airport!
One of my very bad experiences at airports! Swissport never even acknowledged or apologized for the incident
It’s a dump, the entire terminal is a mess. Hopefully after the renovations it will be lees like a narrow hallway to something closer to an actual terminal. Because of Delta’s monumentally screwing us over at every turn this trip (not weather related) we had to fly JFK O’hare MEX (24 hours vs the 5 Scheduled) we arrived into Chicago at 930 looking for dinner everything in All terminals close at 10 even though there...
It’s a dump, the entire terminal is a mess. Hopefully after the renovations it will be lees like a narrow hallway to something closer to an actual terminal. Because of Delta’s monumentally screwing us over at every turn this trip (not weather related) we had to fly JFK O’hare MEX (24 hours vs the 5 Scheduled) we arrived into Chicago at 930 looking for dinner everything in All terminals close at 10 even though there were many large international flights leaving until as late as 140 AM. Leaving Hudson News as the ONLY place open. Horrible. The aforementioned Delta lounge closes stupid early rendering it useless.
Has anyone been to the Air France Lounge in Boston.....Love Air France but the lounge in Boston is an embarrassment to the brand.
With all that free alcohol, one could easily get drunk. Once drunk, most things look much better & that warm fuzzy feeling goes a long way in the betterment of such a poor lounge.
The Swiss lounge at JFK is not better and for making things worst, they remove all the food as soon as the last Swiss flight leaves (i was flying Avianca to BOG). In the same topic, the Korean Air at LAX is the same trash ...
Fully agree on dismal Swissport Lounge. Better the BA lounge where I was hoping to be since I was on EI flight last week. Unfortunately the early EI flight is assigned to Swiss lounge rather than BA because of BA crowd on A380.
The worst part of all this, is that Chicago had the ability to add multiple lounges with the new terminal 5 expansion. An Amex lounge would have been ideal, even a new Swissport lounge with actual amenities would have sufficed. So how many did they add? ZERO. There is so much wasted space and the cost to add a lounge would have been passed onto the consumer anyway. Total miss. Now the current Swissport lounge...
The worst part of all this, is that Chicago had the ability to add multiple lounges with the new terminal 5 expansion. An Amex lounge would have been ideal, even a new Swissport lounge with actual amenities would have sufficed. So how many did they add? ZERO. There is so much wasted space and the cost to add a lounge would have been passed onto the consumer anyway. Total miss. Now the current Swissport lounge will continue to be a blight in this overcrowded, underwhelming, lack of everything terminal. Hey Chicago, it's 2023, come join the rest of us.
I'm not really sure what's going on at O'Hare but it is definitely being mismanaged. Amex had done a couple of "pop-up" lounges over the years and I remember hearing of them starting to get an actual lounge in there. There was also supposed to be a Minute Suites in there. They announced it publication and everything, but it never happened. I have seen signs for at least 1 other airline lounge in T5, but...
I'm not really sure what's going on at O'Hare but it is definitely being mismanaged. Amex had done a couple of "pop-up" lounges over the years and I remember hearing of them starting to get an actual lounge in there. There was also supposed to be a Minute Suites in there. They announced it publication and everything, but it never happened. I have seen signs for at least 1 other airline lounge in T5, but it says it is closed and directs you to the Swissport one. I think it is Singapore? Can't remember.
Lufthansa Business Lounge IAD. Checks all the boxes of this lounge, minus any liquor.
Both times I tried to access this lounge using Priority Pass on a Saturday morning in 2022, I was denied access due to capacity. It looks like I did not miss much.
Agree. Anyone who goes there more than once is out of their mind. Unless you’re single and need to get drunk.
Hawaiian lounge in Maui is worse. No alcohol, no food, no bathrooms, just water, coffee/tea and a few fountain soda choices. It's also about the size of a conference room.
Lufthansa lounge in DTW is pretty bad too. Similar to Swissport Chicago but at least it has windows.
My worst in the USA was BA First lounge at LAX about 15 years ago. Worst international was SQ in Phuket
Was traveling to JFK from Terminal 2 on JetBlue arrived early at my gate, still 2 hours before departure so I figured let me go to Swiss lounge since I have priority pass. Took the air train to terminal 5 where is located, a long TSA line in a very dim lite hallway, luckily I have TSA pre check finally after 15 minutes of travel time from terminal 2 to the lounge I arrived with...
Was traveling to JFK from Terminal 2 on JetBlue arrived early at my gate, still 2 hours before departure so I figured let me go to Swiss lounge since I have priority pass. Took the air train to terminal 5 where is located, a long TSA line in a very dim lite hallway, luckily I have TSA pre check finally after 15 minutes of travel time from terminal 2 to the lounge I arrived with a not a greeting agent which told me the lounge is full & can not accept anymore guests, I told her it took 15 minutes to get here &one person is not going to effect it, got in they were only 15 guests with plenty of open seatings, I have been to lots of lounges all over the world. I think this is the worse one I visited.
I experienced much worse lounges:
CDG Paris Terminal 2E yotel air. Waiting area like at dentist. You are allowed 2-3 snacks like chocolate bar or olives - distributed by receptionist and 1 beer if they have it left.
Bergamo-Milan - 2 very dated lounges with only warm beer and soft drinks and snacks like potato chips and sweets.
I don't remember the name of the lounge, but I once flew QR out of IAH and that was pretty grim and windowless too
Swissport cargo in Chicago is the worst cargo vendor so I wouldn't be surprised their lounge isn't any better.
I use Alaska Air Cargo a lot and they use Swissport in Chicago and 4 times I've sent my stuff there and 4 times they have lost my large tent. 4 times it turned out it was in Chicago the whole time. The last two times I lied and told them that it had an airtag...
Swissport cargo in Chicago is the worst cargo vendor so I wouldn't be surprised their lounge isn't any better.
I use Alaska Air Cargo a lot and they use Swissport in Chicago and 4 times I've sent my stuff there and 4 times they have lost my large tent. 4 times it turned out it was in Chicago the whole time. The last two times I lied and told them that it had an airtag on it and that I saw that it was in their warehouse and to search again (this is a large 6ft bag... It's hard to miss)... Low and behold they find it. They also have absurd daily holding rates that no other airport (even Swissport) have.
Anyway sorry but I hate Swissport for their cargo, I wouldn't venture into their lounges, looks like my bias is proving right about them.
Priority Pass IASS at NRT Narita Japan was my worst experience
The lounge at TIA may be worse.
Upon seeing lots of HNL mentions here, it occurred to me that my weakest lounge experience was probably the KE lounge there. Are all of the HNL lounges terrible??
The Admirals’s Club / JAL lounge at HNL is lovely. All the Hawaiian Airlines lounges are a joke and not worth the effort.
But in fairness the HA lounges are free for all their gold and platinum members Plus first class.
Looks awful. But, have to say, also looks about the same as the British Airways lounge at ORD T5, which is a shared Club World/First facility. I've been in way nicer middle school cafeterias.
THE very worst Virgin Manchester albeit a few years ago so perhaps better or diff now? It was ONE small room - so small that the stiff classroom type chair were LINED up against the wall like you were waiting to get a vaccine in a clinic. Ugh. Fast-forward to Tokyo 12/2022...Narita has two (that I know of) ANA lounges. We were flying UAL and UAL's was closed until next month and we were directed...
THE very worst Virgin Manchester albeit a few years ago so perhaps better or diff now? It was ONE small room - so small that the stiff classroom type chair were LINED up against the wall like you were waiting to get a vaccine in a clinic. Ugh. Fast-forward to Tokyo 12/2022...Narita has two (that I know of) ANA lounges. We were flying UAL and UAL's was closed until next month and we were directed to use ANA and were specifically directed to a nasty little one room awful windowless basement of an ANA lounge in the hinterlands. BUT I have flown ANA biz so I knew there was a great ANA lounge. So we switched. BTW that lounge is very nice!
THE CLUB LOUNGE at ATL.
How can an airline like TK use this lounge?
Less than mediocre.
TK is a less than mediocre airline (and I am talking here about their int'l J product, exclusively), so they are being consistent. Can't hold that against TK.
Totally agree. I have been in a lot of lounges in third world countries, that were to this lounge as Four Seasons to a Comfort inn (not to offend Comfort Inns). And this is International terminal in one of the biggest country airports.
Been to a few lounges but this one takes the cake as the worst I have ever stepped in. Absolutely horrible and used by all airlines outside of skyteam! Sitting outside in concourse F is nicer than this pitiful excuse of a 'lounge.'
Hawaiian Airlines' lounges by far take the award. Especially Kauai. A closet is bigger than that "lounge"...an unstaffed soda machine coat closet.
Incredibly strong honorable mention: The Club at ATL
I agree it is dismal. ORD has a severe shortage of priority pass lounges. I sure wish Amex would add a centurion lounge. Certainly enough traffic at ORD to justify it.
This lounge is luxurious compared to the business class Air France lounge at JFK. A large but sparsely furnished and uncomfortable room with virtually no food or drink.
Enough traffic. Not enough space. There is simply no room for any Priority Pass locations or a Centurion Lounge.
IASS at HNL I think is worse...spending time in the cultural garden is far better...the lounge has all the outdated furniture you mention, but with none of the snacks.
I had no idea there are so many bad lounges in the world.
For USA, I'd offer MIA's "Club America Lounge" in terminal F. It's like a trip back to the '80's, minus all the cool or fun aspects. The food and drink offerings might actually be weaker than what's on hand at this ORD Swissport lounge. I do kind of like these lounges with self serve booze, though, which Club America had. No one to tip! The weakness of this lounge doesn't feel so pronounced because MIA...
For USA, I'd offer MIA's "Club America Lounge" in terminal F. It's like a trip back to the '80's, minus all the cool or fun aspects. The food and drink offerings might actually be weaker than what's on hand at this ORD Swissport lounge. I do kind of like these lounges with self serve booze, though, which Club America had. No one to tip! The weakness of this lounge doesn't feel so pronounced because MIA has multiple other priority pass lounge options to choose from.
International: "Skyview Airport Lounge" at MHH (Marsh Harbour, Bahamas). Located in what feels like the attic of the small airport, with such little space and paltry offerings as to beg the question, "what's the point?"
This cannot be worse than a lounge at EWR that is located BEFORE the TSA security check point. I almost missed my flight even though I got out of that lounge with a full hour to spare.
Art & Lounge! That closed during the pandemic and seems to be gone for good. At least the seating was a little better than this Swissport lounge though.
The Cancun airport's 'The Lounge' on Priority Pass is the most wretched lounge I've visited. Boiled, then sliced hot dogs served on a chafing dish, languishing in congealed ketchup. Plain white rice that was more grey than white. That was the food on offer.
Only saving grace was the unattended Don Julio Anejo bottles to numb the experience long enough to leave and go to the other lounge next door.
MY GOD. I think this is it. This is the absolute worst I have ever seen. It was so so so so so so bad I put it out of my memory. Yes. The Cancun lounge was so bad we left to buy overpriced drinks at the Margaritaville restaurant place
Admirals Club at PHI terminal A is probably very close.
I laughed when I saw this, because you are right. I live in Chicago and it's at the bottom of my list of lounges that I have been to, and that's if they let you in. I have Priority Pass access through my Capital One Venture X and the last three times I tried to enter the Swiss Port Lounge, I was denied access. The employee was sitting in a chair, before you could get to the front door, like a bouncer, and told me that I can try again TOMORROW. I laughed and left.
Ha ha ha , had the same experience. But since I am raised in NYC I wouldn’t take a no for an answer.I insisted to go in to see if it’s full as she was claiming, sure enough it was half empty. So I went back & told her let me talk to your supervisor. she claims she is not around & to go ahead & get in. It’s the worse lounge I ever been into..
The hawaiian lounge in Maui is awful. No food or alcohol. There is a water station and a juice box.
I have throw the ICBC lounge at XIY out there. I was sent there on a business class flight by KE and it made the main terminal seem like the best option. Small warm soft drinks and no food when I was there.
Air India lounge at JFK is worse 100%. Tiny, awful food/amenities. No staff.
The Centurion Lounge at BWI is pretty awful. You're lucky to find chair without a rip in it. The only substantial food I found for breakfast was an omlet glued to the pan (probably after 2 hours)
BWI has a Centurion lounge?? Do tell!
Confirm one of worst lounge ever visited, been there last november while flying with Eva Air that surprisingly using such awful place, a kind of oppressive cubicle with junky food and bad staff. Luckily on return with an LH flight delighted to visit United Polaris that left me speechless for ambiance, staff ( mostly Afghani refugees that provide outstanding, genuine service) and food, both buffet and a la carte restaurant. Took a shower and surprised...
Confirm one of worst lounge ever visited, been there last november while flying with Eva Air that surprisingly using such awful place, a kind of oppressive cubicle with junky food and bad staff. Luckily on return with an LH flight delighted to visit United Polaris that left me speechless for ambiance, staff ( mostly Afghani refugees that provide outstanding, genuine service) and food, both buffet and a la carte restaurant. Took a shower and surprised to receive even a personal deo not given even in 1st class lounges as Al Safwa in Doha or La Premiere in Paris. So if u have time and eligibility go for Polaris or stay in terminal that will be better than use such awful lounge as Swissport in Ord.
Oh yes! There's a worse one. Virgin Atlantic Airlines at LAX is just a joke. They do offer coffee, tea, cereal and muffins. A complete joke
The EgyptAir business lounge in Cairo is possibly the worst ever
the priority pass lounge in Maui is way worse. No bathrooms and not nearly the food/bev options as this
Both of the Business class lounges at DEL are HORRIBLE. Overcrowded, haphazard bars, food is picked over and messy and...easily the most disgusting lounge bathrooms Ive ever seen. Most common airport bathrooms are cleaner and more inviting than those.
Shocking considering the Business class lounges at BOM are among the nicest Ive been in outside of the Middle East
I got the sh*ts there.
My vote for worst domestic lounge, as noted by two others, is the IASS Lounge at Honolulu International Airport. No amenities, no food, and barely anything to drink.
This lounge is ghastly, and as you note, what compounds it is the total lack of lounges in T5. It's shocking just how bad the situation is with this terminal. It's easily the worst international terminal at a major american airport.
There are some lower tier lounges I've been in at secondary airports that are nothing special, but this one is the worst major airport option for the exact reasons you mention. Also, it's a PITA to get to T5, which is part of the issue.
My vote is for Air India Maharajah Lounge at JFK T4.
Oy, there is nothing good at/about T5 in terms of lounges. As for the worst lounge, I loved it, but I might go with Lincoln Flyers Club in LNK.
I thought swissport just dealt with baggage handling lol. Surprised they operated lounges. It looks like an employee breakroom.
Plenty of worse lounges. The one at Colorado Springs airport is basically a private room with snacks and water. (COS is a not a big airport to be fair).
Honestly, the last time I was at a non-Polaris lounge at SFO, the aesthetics were better to be sure but the F&B were worse than the pictures from the swissport lounge. No free hard liquor and the food was cheese cubes and tomato soup.
This is the Business side of the lounge the First Class side is much better. Cathay used this lounge for their premium cabin passengers.
There are no separate business and first class sections in the Swissport lounge. You may be thinking of the old SWISS lounges that have since closed.
If you had more time you could have gone to the UA Polaris in Terminal One. I know its out of the way but it is an option.
Do people even read the articles before posting comments? He mentions the AA and UA lounges as being preferable options.
No dividers between the urinals? Really Ben? Are you one of those guys that does the towel dance while changing at the gym?
Not sure what Ben's objection to them is, but personally I prefer not to get splattered by some other dudes piss just because his aim is off.
I was flying out of T5 at ORD a few weeks ago and could not even find this lounge...where the heck is it??!
The T5 lounge situation has always been so bad. Luckily the new DL SkyClub is now open, but that doesn't help those flying non-SkyTeam airlines. Hopefully T5 gets another new lounge eventually...
Can I get in to the new DL SkyClub in Terminal 5 with my Platinum card if I am flying on Air France?
Why would you?
It was in response to Jacob McCarthy's comment. "Luckily the new DL SkyClub is now open, but that doesn't help those flying non-SkyTeam airlines." I didn't know if somehow someone with the Platinum card could somehow get in there in any SkyTeam flight, or if he rather meant someone with SkyTeam status.
This gives me flashbacks of the PP lounge in T3 of Cairo airport... the food selection was worse and there wasn't even any alcohol.
That lounge is awful. However I had the pleasure of visiting the delta lounge across from it about a week ago and it was excellent. It looks brand new and I don’t frequent Chicago so I’m not sure if it was recently renovated or just new but it was impressive.
The Terminal 5 Sky Club is brand new, literally only a few months old. However, it's Delta, so it sucks.
I am based in Chicago and travel every month. The predecessor to this lounge was as hideous as it is now. It's embarrassing and wonder why priority pass doesn't delist this lounge.
Try the LH lounge in Vienna. Bring sanitary wipes. You've been warned.
The Hawaiian Airlines lounge in Terminal 1 at HNL is the worst. The line was hours long (they have a wait list at least), the lunge tiny and they only offer coffee, soda and taro chips. No other food, no beer, wine or juice even.
Yes, we fly Etihad via ORD several times a year and every time we are in this lounge I keep telling myself this is the last time. Place is terrible and Etihad should be ashamed compared to their lounges in Abu Dhabi
Etihad has no control over this lounge, you do know that, don't you?
You sir are wrong. They absolutely have control over the product. The fact they contract the place is proof positive they have made a conscious decision. Do you even think before you post or just guess at everything without the slightest concern if factuality correct?
Genuine question. I would love to know
Etihad needs a lounge at ORD. Their high rollers expect a lounge. Who are Etihad supposed to contract out to? They're not a member of an alliance. There's no room for a dedicated lounge and not enough traffic to support one. So Swissport is their only option. Beggars can't be choosers. And they are contracting out. They have no control over the service or the food selection. That's all on Swissport. I guarantee you that...
Etihad needs a lounge at ORD. Their high rollers expect a lounge. Who are Etihad supposed to contract out to? They're not a member of an alliance. There's no room for a dedicated lounge and not enough traffic to support one. So Swissport is their only option. Beggars can't be choosers. And they are contracting out. They have no control over the service or the food selection. That's all on Swissport. I guarantee you that there's nothing in the contract between Swissport and Etihad that gives Etihad a say over quality control in the Swissport lounge.
Now if Etihad just caves in and joins SkyTeam, their passengers would get to use Delta's lounge, which is a de facto SkyTeam lounge anyway. Personally, I think it's overrated, like all Delta lounges, but you may have a different opinion.
Try the non Schengen lounge in the A concourse in PMI. It’s worse than this. Now that United flies there from EWR, you have the perfect opportunity.
It’s like a grandmas living room from the 1970s…
I went to this lounge last year before an AF flight. Truly tragic...with COVID policies in place you couldn't even pick up your own bag of chips. You had to wait for someone to "work" the tiny bar and hand you a bag of Lay's. Looking forward to the terminal renovations and the new AF lounge opening.
I visited Swissport Lounge on Jan. 1 2023. I agree with everything you said about this lounge. This was the worse lounge I have ever visited in the US and I visited many. I stayed 30 minutes, rather than 2 hours I had intended. I will not waste my time there again! I was more comfortable in Terminal 3.
Worst lounge I’ve ever been to is the priority pass lounge in Victoria Falls Zimbabwe, it’s a room with a couch no food, water bottles and that’s it. Not that I expected better but it was pretty pathetic.
Also the priority pass lounge in Cairo is horrible.
I’ll be visiting there later this month with my parents, did you try both international lounges? Anyone better than the other?
Thanks
If your talking about Victoria falls I tried all the lounges the worst was the one I just described the other 2 were pretty much the same thing with the addition of coke bottles and WiFi so I guess it is much better. None of the lounges have bathrooms.I don’t recommend spending much time in the airport though. Enjoy your trip.
This Swissport lounge was my first ever lounge experience 5-ish years back. The fact that it is so utterly dreadful has helped ground my experience and expectations at other lounges. I often find myself thinking it could be much, much worse; I could be at T5 Swissport .
You should visit a Hawaiian Airlines Premier Club. Surely those are worse, No food. No booze. Very tiny and depressing.
This lounge has better food and drink selection than most US lounges, so it seems pretty ridiculous to claim that it is the worst in the country just because it lacks windows and toilets...
The only thing I want to eat in that lounge is a pistol
Air India lounge @ JFK T4.
+1; I came here to say this. At least this lounge has a reasonable selection of booze and sandwiches you can sneak out. The Air India lounge at JFK is truly awful.
If you're a business class passenger then why steal the snacks and drinks when you can have all you want on the plane....smh
When it's between that somewhat empty lounge, and a Delta lounge with a 30 min line to get in, no empty seats, no alcohol, limited/no food (as it's being consumed so fast), and constant loud noise across the entire lounge, I'd say the Swiss lounge has some significant upsides!
A Delta lounge with no alcohol? huh?
I argue there is competition at ORD from the satellite United lounges - these are some real stinkers with terrible food.
There is only one satellite lounge, and that's the one in Terminal 2 (and that's my favorite due to a lack of crowd and children). The other three are pretty central and normal-sized.
I hate to admit it, but usually the US iteration of several airline lounges tend to be or at least it seems, pretty bad, very paltry.
I fly ORD-IST on TK and ORD-CPH on SK frequently (in business, as a *G) and honestly don’t think that the T5 SAS lounge is any better.
As an ORD-based passenger, I agree 100% that this is the worst lounge in the U.S. It is an embarrassment. Lucky for me, I can just stay at home longer and go straight to the gate. Hoping the new ORD Global Terminal replacing T2 will have international departure lounges more worthy of our city, but it's at least 8 years away from completion.
Judging by the timeline it took to complete the ATS upgrade, I would argue its more like 20 years away.
I'm 58. I don't expect to be around to see the Global Terminal open.
My condolences that you had to experience this lounge, which I used as an Air France J passenger a few months ago before the Delta Skyclub was finished. Not worth the wait (originally was told to come back closer to the time my flight was leaving).
Judging by the pictures I am guessing that you turned right after entering. I turned left since the right side of the room was full. I can deal with...
My condolences that you had to experience this lounge, which I used as an Air France J passenger a few months ago before the Delta Skyclub was finished. Not worth the wait (originally was told to come back closer to the time my flight was leaving).
Judging by the pictures I am guessing that you turned right after entering. I turned left since the right side of the room was full. I can deal with the pretty awful seating, the drab decor, the uninspiring cheap packaged food. What I couldn't stand was the fact that both the wifi did not work nor did the cell phone data network once I entered the room. But the cell phone network did start working again once I reentered the lounge lobby so going into the lounge itself was worse. Did either of them work at your portion of the lounge?
Originally I would have said the Marconi Lounge at BLQ or the Korean Air Lounge at KIX was the worst lounge I have been in. Nope, this is much worse by far.
As another commented, there are private washrooms near the entrance to the club. I'm surprised you mention urinal dividers. In what world does that matter? Embarrassed about something?
If you want embarrassment, go use the bathrooms at Wrigley Field
Hahaha. Yeah - not a place for the modest or, um, shy.
My personal nominations:
KLM Lounge at IAH
The Hawaiian lounge upstairs by the shuttle pickup. I remember walking in, looking around and walking out.
sorry. HA Lounge at HNL by the shuttle pickup.
Yeah the AF/KL lounges at IAH are laughable
Looks a lot like the AF lounge in BOS.
Oh crap I totally forgot about this lounge. At least the wine selection was good there.
The AF lounge at SFO is pretty bad too. Very small, always crowded, also has outdated furniture and lack of amenities. The food is okay (sandwiches and other small finger food only), the alcoholic drinks are mediocre.
The lounge can barely handle the business class pax for the evening AF/KL flights. There's always a line of priority pass members being turned away. Now they just give them a sandwich and can of coke and send...
The AF lounge at SFO is pretty bad too. Very small, always crowded, also has outdated furniture and lack of amenities. The food is okay (sandwiches and other small finger food only), the alcoholic drinks are mediocre.
The lounge can barely handle the business class pax for the evening AF/KL flights. There's always a line of priority pass members being turned away. Now they just give them a sandwich and can of coke and send them on their way...
What I don't understand is why the SFO lounges in general are so tiny and bad given that it's such a premium destination and also given that SFO has a very nice, spacious, and modern international terminal. At a minimum they could combine the tiny Korean Air and Air France lounges into a larger SkyTeam lounge that's more worthy of a large business market like SFO.
I use the AF lounge at SFO often. It is on the smaller side and gets crowded during peak times, even so I have never been turned away as a Priority Pass member. They offer a nice salad and fresh fruit bar, several different sandwiches on fresh baguette, a selection of chesses, two hot entress, including a vegetarian one, different types of deserts, plus all the alcohol, soft drinks and premium coffee you want. At...
I use the AF lounge at SFO often. It is on the smaller side and gets crowded during peak times, even so I have never been turned away as a Priority Pass member. They offer a nice salad and fresh fruit bar, several different sandwiches on fresh baguette, a selection of chesses, two hot entress, including a vegetarian one, different types of deserts, plus all the alcohol, soft drinks and premium coffee you want. At SFO I also use the AA, AA and UA lounges and much prefer the AF one for the superior food and service, despite the smaller size.
The virgin Atlantic is far superior to anything you mentioned. If you have platinum you can get in.
Korean don’t have there own lounge at SFO and depending on the flight use the china airlines lounge, or Cathay Pacific.
The AF/KL lounge is the old NW intl lounge and I’ve never had a problem personally with overcrowding as a Skyteam Elite plus
The Korean Air lounge down the hall from this at O’Hare is actually even worse.
It’s completely pointless when most passengers with access to the Korean Air lounge also have access to the underwhelming, but much better Air France lounge.
My nomination goes to the Turkish Airways lounge at MIA...
Huh? Not sure I agree.
There are actually two Turkish Airways lounges at MIA. I was fine with both of them. Another vote for the Priority Pass lounge in Maui. No real food. Minimal drinks. Very small. No bathrooms. I remember walking around looking for the rest of the lounge--and it wasn't there.
Don’t sleep on the primeclass T4 lounge at JFK! That sucks pretty bad too. This is just as bad.
It is not a surprise. This company is managed hands-off from Switzerland. Nobody has an idea of what happens cross borders. The management style is talk talk and do nothing. Switzerland is well managed and has good leadership, but the rest of the world isn’t. Most operations are permanently loss-making and the level of corruption rampant. Facilitating payments, lease backs, expediting payments, you name it. South Africa is the best (worst) example of corruption under...
It is not a surprise. This company is managed hands-off from Switzerland. Nobody has an idea of what happens cross borders. The management style is talk talk and do nothing. Switzerland is well managed and has good leadership, but the rest of the world isn’t. Most operations are permanently loss-making and the level of corruption rampant. Facilitating payments, lease backs, expediting payments, you name it. South Africa is the best (worst) example of corruption under Eric Born’s reign. The Audit Function was led a by Nelsy Perez, an utterly incapable Venezuelan lady who cared more about her hair and makeup than doing the right thing. The executive titles are inflated, the equipment is leased at outrageous rates, misallocated and misused. The US in particular was managed by two guys who felt entitled and knew nothing about the business: Dany Nasr (CEO) and Mike Hargett (CFO), both incapable of running even a small burger shop. The lounge is an accurate reflection of the company in general but particularly in the USA. Most passengers would be shocked to learn the insufficient safety practices and the nickel and diming that takes place to save a few bucks and to show on paper that an entire airline contract makes a 1 or 2% profit.
Hardly surprising when you take into account that Swissport till a year or two ago was owned by the Chinese Communist Party ( HNA group - the biggest company in the world ) . After a lot of pressure they were sold to other investors, but likely it will take some time from the period of Chinese communist ownership …
*to recover
The IASS Lounge at Honolulu International Airport is probably close to being as horrible (if not worse) to this lounge. The single time I had the misfortune to visit this lounge a long time ago, and it was basically seats, soda cans and a waste basket. I'm not sure if it's still in operation at this time.
The IASS Lounge (priority pass network) at HNL is terrible. I’ve seen pictures and don’t even want to enter. I think they just have water as a refreshment and the decor is so old.
I don't know about worst, but the most disappointing lounge I've been to is the Miracle "First Class" Lounge in BKK Terminal F. The pictures of everything looked great. When we got there, it was practically empty, the food was all microwave warmed-over, the decor was that chintzy mall style, the lighting was really harsh, etc, etc. We packed up within 5 minutes and went to the AF lounge, which was mediocre but a massive upgrade by comparison.
The old US Airways lounge at LaGuardia was far worse, with ripped and stained furniture and torn up carpet.
https://viewfromthewing.com/and-the-award-for-worst-airline-lounge-in-north-america-goes-to/
I'd say the Mobile Airport Authority Executive Lounge, but in fairness it does have a restroom.
https://viewfromthewing.com/hacking-way-airport-lounge-free/
A decade ago I wrote that my candidate for worst in the world was the CIP lounge in Lahore, Pakistan. It featured a fan, bug zapper, and instructions on how to use the toilet.
https://viewfromthewing.com/saudia-business-class-trip-report-cip-lounge-lahore-pakistan/
The old US Airways lounge at LaGuardia was far worse, with ripped and stained furniture and torn up carpet.
https://viewfromthewing.com/and-the-award-for-worst-airline-lounge-in-north-america-goes-to/
I'd say the Mobile Airport Authority Executive Lounge, but in fairness it does have a restroom.
https://viewfromthewing.com/hacking-way-airport-lounge-free/
A decade ago I wrote that my candidate for worst in the world was the CIP lounge in Lahore, Pakistan. It featured a fan, bug zapper, and instructions on how to use the toilet.
https://viewfromthewing.com/saudia-business-class-trip-report-cip-lounge-lahore-pakistan/
Unless something has changed in the last four months, there are bathrooms near the lounge check-in desk. They are … not great.
There's a Priority Pass lounge in BOS that is extremely dreadful as well (I think it's The Lounge in terminal C if memory serves well). When I went a year or 2 ago it was so incredibly filthy, old furniture no bathrooms either, windowless and depressing all around. It almost felt silly to sit there. Although the one from this review does look a bit worse, but def similar vibe.
Not much has changed. I was just there last week and it’s pretty lackluster (though it did have decent restrooms inside the lounge). JetBlue really needs to step their lounge game up in BOS if they want to attract that premium clientele on their LHR, (upcoming) CDG, and all their transcon routes. It’s a shame because Mint is a great hard and soft product.
The Pearl Lounge (part of Priority Pass) in Casablanca, Morocco is probably the worst lounge in the world. They charge you for the food and the bathrooms are outside and gross. Read the Google Reviews. https://goo.gl/maps/o9kAfCpHikEiFENJ6
The Lufthansa Business Lounge at IAD is the worst lounge I have been to. Cheap American wines like Canyon Road, no German wines and bad food with the sole exception of the pretzel. The room is also one big overcrowded room.
If the LH IAD lounge is the worst you've been to, I envy your lounge experience!
The business lounge downstairs, not the first class lounge which I do like.
I agree that the LH IAD biz lounge is gross (it's like a really nice...dungeon), but as FMLAX implies, there really are a ton of worse lounges...
Overall, ORD Terminal 5 is awful. Not only are the other lounges very poor (SAS is OK-ish, but BA is another depressing, windowless room) but it's compounded by the lack of non-lounge options. One bar, always busy, terrible service.
Really sad way to commenced international travel. But beware - if you don't have Pre Check, security lines are typically terrible too, so don't turn up too late.