We arrived on our United “Polaris” flight from London and had a four hour layover in Chicago before our connecting flight. This gave us plenty of time to check out the brand new Polaris Lounge which we were rather excited about since it is consistently rated as one of the best airport lounges in the US. Unfortunately, it was a few days before they began serving restaurant-style order-off-the-menu meals so those won’t be part of this review. A day late and a dollar short. Or something like that.
We cleared security and headed over to Terminal C through the psychedelic tunnel.
Connector Tunnel At Chicago O’hare Airport
As you come up the escalator, the United customer service counter is straight ahead.
United Polaris Lounge Chicago
And the Polaris Lounge is just to the left of it.
United Polaris Lounge Chicago
The Polaris Lounge is between gate C-18 and the regular United Club, which was under renovation.
United Polaris Lounge Chicago
There was an advance matron outside the lounge doing some pre-screening for credentials as it seems there is still quite a bit of confusion about who has access and who does not.
United Polaris Lounge Chicago
We flashed our boarding passes and then entered the foyer where there’s a cool United Polaris Lounge sign that is almost impossible to get a good picture of.
United Polaris Lounge Chicago
And finally we came to the reception desk where they scan your credentials. We were warmly greeted.
United Polaris Lounge Chicago
There were chocolates and bottles of water at the end of the counter.
United Polaris Lounge Chicago
It’s a somewhat dimly lit space which calls attention to the artistic light on the ceiling.
United Polaris Lounge Chicago
Apparently it depicts the lights of the Chicago skyline. There’s a map on the wall to help you orient yourself. The oval on the map corresponds to the oval shape of the light.
United Polaris Lounge Chicago
As you go past the reception desk, the main part of the lounge is to your right.
Since we had arrived around 4 PM — sort of peak timing for the European departures — the lounge was quite busy. This made finding space for our family of five a bit of a challenge. The lounge cleared out considerably after about an hour or so and that’s when I took some of these pictures.
United Polaris Lounge Chicago
United Polaris Lounge seating options
There are roughly five types of seating in the Polaris Lounge.
There are what I would describe as open-faced cubicles. There are 16 of these in the front area, comprised of two rows of eight.
United Polaris Lounge Chicago
There are 16 more cubicles behind the bar, so 32 in total. Note that there are left- and right-handed versions of them. Half of the ones in the front area are left-handed, while all of the ones in the back are right. I’m guessing most people don’t think about that when they sit down though.
United Polaris Lounge Chicago
Then there is a long bench along the wall with tables and chairs. These seats are good if you are with someone and want to work or eat.
United Polaris Lounge Chicago
United Polaris Lounge Chicago
There is another bank of these in front of the bar and a longer version behind the bar.
United Polaris Lounge Chicago
Then there are the typical comfy chairs that you find in lounges. These are along the windows and are also good if you’re traveling with someone.
United Polaris Lounge Chicago
Next there are three low-height circular tables. One of them is in the lobby, meaning you’ll be sitting in a high traffic area out in the open. The other two are near the buffet. Either way, these could be good for families or groups of three or four.
United Polaris Lounge Chicago
Finally there are two-person tables and chairs out in the middle next to the bar area. Note that I think these are going to be reserved exclusively for those dining off the menu.
United Polaris Lounge Chicago
We eventually found some of the chairs by the emergency exit. This turned out to be good because the views of gate C-18 are fantastic. It’s almost like you can reach out and touch the plane. My son loved it.
United Polaris Lounge Chicago
The views from the club are excellent. You literally feel like you are right on top of the gate. We got to watch a 777 roll in, board, de-ice, and then depart for Frankfurt while we were there. It was cool to watch a de-icing from up close, yet not on a plane.
United Polaris Lounge Chicago
United Polaris Lounge buffet
I wasn’t really hungry but headed up to the buffet to check it out.
United Polaris Lounge Chicago
There was an array of breads, salads, and meats and cheeses, along the outer wall.
United Polaris Lounge Chicago
United Polaris Lounge Chicago
United Polaris Lounge Chicago
United Polaris Lounge Chicago
United Polaris Lounge Chicago
The hot food is on the center island and consists of a selection of several individually sized pans.
United Polaris Lounge Chicago
United Polaris Lounge Chicago
United Polaris Lounge Chicago
United Polaris Lounge Chicago
United Polaris Lounge Chicago
United Polaris Lounge Chicago
Finally, there is a dessert area.
United Polaris Lounge Chicago
It all looked pretty good but we weren’t feeling the best so we decided to pass.
I will say that I was a little surprised that the food had pretty much disappeared by the time we left around 7:45 PM despite the fact that the lounge was open until 9 PM.
The hydration station, including self-serve cans of soft drinks, is around the corner in the main lounge area.
United Polaris Lounge Chicago
United Polaris Lounge bar
The bar is one of the highlights of the lounge.
United Polaris Lounge Chicago
United Polaris Lounge Chicago
There is a self-pour area.
United Polaris Lounge Chicago
And an extensive drink menu.
United Polaris Lounge Drink Menu
United Polaris Lounge Drink Menu
United Polaris Lounge Drink Menu
United Polaris Lounge Drink Menu
United Polaris Lounge Drink Menu
United Polaris Lounge Drink Menu
United Polaris Lounge Drink Menu
United Polaris Lounge Drink Menu
I read somewhere that they plan to keep specific bottles of wine on hand for Polaris regulars.
United Polaris Lounge Chicago
I’m pretty sure you won’t see one with my name on it anytime soon.
The signature drinks come with handcrafted mini-airplanes clipped to the glass. I figured my kids would get a kick out of those so I asked for just the airplanes. But given that it was pretty quiet by then, the bartenders offered to make three mocktails for the kids. They loved them.
United Polaris Lounge Chicago
United Polaris Lounge amenities
The restrooms are down a hallway.
United Polaris Lounge Chicago
They are very similar to the United Club at London Heathrow in that they are private rooms with a toilet, sink, and a bench.
United Polaris Lounge Chicago
There are ten of these which I’d say is a reasonable number, and twice as many as in London, despite this the Polaris Lounge being maybe a quarter of the size. The issue here, however, is that the occupied / vacant indicator is hard to read in the low light so everyone walks down the hall squinting. I could barely get a picture of it.
United Polaris Lounge Chicago
There was also a wellness room which, given how I was feeling, seemed like maybe a good idea. I’m actually not sure what the room is for, but it seems like it could be good for nursing mothers.
United Polaris Lounge Chicago
Next I wandered over to take a look at the showers.
United Polaris Lounge Chicago
By now they weren’t at all busy, so I asked the attendant if I could have a little tour. I’m sure they are getting a lot of requests for that right now, and he was happy to oblige.
They have six shower rooms, probably the nicest you’ll find anywhere in the United network.
United Polaris Lounge Chicago
United Polaris Lounge Chicago
United Polaris Lounge Chicago
United Polaris Lounge Chicago
United Polaris Lounge Chicago
They also have four daybeds of which two were open which enabled me to sneak a peek. I would have loved to sack out for a few hours on one of those. Then I remembered that I have kids.
United Polaris Lounge Chicago
Towards the front of the lounge there were three United representatives who can help you with your travel. It was dimly lit over there, kind of like United wants to keep their agents in the dark.
United Polaris Lounge Chicago
The service in the lounge was definitely several notches above what you would find in a typical United Club.
The first thing we noticed is that there are a lot of staff. There seemed to be several servers assigned to the buffet area, for example. And more to just wander around and be helpful.
Everybody we interacted with seemed sincerely friendly and acted like they wanted to be there — it’s almost as if United plucked the best staff from the entire United Club network and brought them here.
United Polaris Lounge Chicago bottom line
The United Polaris Lounge Chicago is a fantastic lounge, clearly a step or three above the United Clubs and just about any other club operated by the legacy airlines. The service was fantastic and we felt like the staff truly cared.
I do worry a bit about the crowding as it was very busy when I arrived. There are some other small quirks that they can work out — ensuring there’s food all the way until closing, for example — but otherwise this is an awesome lounge, and arguably the most noteworthy feature of the Polaris product so far.
I can’t wait to return and try the menu service.
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