United Polaris Lounge Chicago Closed: Being Expanded+Renovated

Intro

United Polaris lounges are some of the best business-class lounges in the world, featuring sit-down dining, sublime shower suites, and plenty of space. However, one of their lounges (actually the first-ever Polaris Lounge) has now closed completely for renovations. While a good thing, this will be a shame for passengers flying through Chicago in the coming months.

The Details

As of the beginning of January, the United Polaris Lounge at Chicago (ORD) is now closed permanently.

In terms of how this will affect Polaris Lounge eligible passengers, they will now be able to visit any United Club and receive premium drinks by showing their eligible boarding pass. Presumably, these will be the same premium drinks that are offered in the Polaris Lounge.

All other Polaris Lounges are open, such as the one pictured (EWR)

Interestingly, the only Polaris Lounge I have yet to visit is the one in Chicago...

Future Plans

So why is United Airlines doing this now? Well, for the past 8 years, United's long-haul network has been extensively growing. As this was the first lounge to be built, it was also intended for fewer passengers than it serves at the moment. During the evening Bank of Europe/Latam departures, this can cause extreme overcrowding in the lounge.

With the United Club closing next door, United is effectively knocking down the wall between them to create the following changes:

• The lounge will be expanded from 16,000 square feet to 25,000 square feet, an increase of over 50%

• The lounge will feature twice as many seats

• The lounge expansion is expected to include more restrooms and amenities like private seating and workspaces. Something that I think is a fantastic feature, as there have been constant wait times for restrooms at multiple Polaris Lounges...

While no one knows exactly when the Polaris Lounge will re-open, I would be extremely surprised if it wasn't open by May (at the latest) due to the busy summer schedule that UA operates.

Final Thoughts

The United Polaris Lounge in Chicago has now officially been closed for expansion and renovation. As of now, we are unsure when the lounge will re-open, but expect it to be sometime in April (presumably). United is gaining the additonal space by adding in the old club that recently closed down and merging the two together. While annoying in the short term, this will be a blessing in the long term.