Chicago O’Hare United Club Review: Spacious and Serviceable

The United Club at Chicago O'Hare's Terminal C is big and functional — and it can serve you well during a long layover or flight delay. Just don't expect the elevated food, drinks or design you'd find at more premium lounges.

I'm typically a Chase, American Express and Capital One lounge person, since I hold each of those big banks’ premium travel credit cards.

But I found myself with a long layover in Chicago, and as it turns out, O'Hare’s lounge situation is limited. It doesn’t have a Centurion Lounge, a Capital One lounge or a Chase lounge. There are two Priority Pass options in O’Hare, but I'd heard lackluster reviews, and they were in another terminal anyway.

Since my husband holds the United℠ Explorer Card — which includes two United Club one-time passes per year — we decided to burn them in Chicago for our first-ever United Club experience.

The lounge, located in Terminal C, was good, but not great. I’d say it was about the quality of a lower-tier Centurion Lounge. It was spacious and checked all the usual lounge boxes (e.g., a buffet, open bar, clean bathrooms and speedy Wi-Fi), but the design lacked personality. The food was also underwhelming.

If you have complimentary access to the Chicago O’Hare United Club through an eligible card or an international first class seat, then sure, stop in.

But I wouldn’t purchase a day pass, which costs $59 per person, unless I had a long layover or faced a major flight delay.

How to access the United Club at O'Hare Terminal C

There are five United Club lounges scattered throughout Chicago O'Hare, as well as a United Polaris lounge (which is fancier and exclusive to certain business class and first class flyers).

This particular lounge was located in Terminal 1, Concourse C, near Gate C10. There are also United Clubs in O’Hare’s Concourses B, E and F.

People who can get into the United Club lounges include:

• United Club members.

• Travelers with the United Club℠ Card (includes United Club membership): $695 annual fee.

• United℠ Explorer Card holders (two one-time passes per year): $0 intro for the first year, then $150.

• Star Alliance Gold members flying on a Star Alliance flight.

• United premium cabin passengers on eligible flights.

• Travelers who purchase a day pass (when available).

» Learn more: 7 things to know about United Club lounge Access

The crowd situation: Surprisingly manageable

This lounge is massive, and even on a Sunday — typically one of the busiest travel days — I had no trouble finding a seat when I arrived. There's a good mix of seating options: lounge-style chairs, desk setups for working and tables of assorted sizes for small groups versus solo travelers.

Things were getting more crowded when I left a couple of hours later, though. A sign popped up at the entrance saying they weren't accepting United one-time passes at that time due to capacity.

Food and beverages at the United Club

The food: Just OK

The food situation was fine, but unexciting.

There were a few types of salads, which I genuinely appreciated as someone who wants something fresh at the airport. But they were all premixed options, not a salad bar where you could customize your toppings and dressings.

Protein options were lacking. The spread leaned heavily on pasta salad and premade sandwiches, which felt somewhat cheap.

Desserts included cookies, donut holes and sweet bread. They were good enough to satisfy a sweet tooth, but nothing you'd write home about.

Near the bar, glass containers offered snacks like corn nuts, plantain chips and gummy bears.

If you're used to the creative, locally inspired food programs at Centurion Lounges or the posh small plates at Capital One Lounges, this will feel like a significant downgrade.

The drinks: Basic bar, great coffee

The bar offered basic drinks, like a vodka soda or a gin and tonic. It lacked the robust cocktail menu you’d find at other lounges.

The bright spots? A Coke Freestyle machine, allowing me to try some wacky soda flavors (pineapple Sprite Zero, anyone?).

There was also an Illy coffee setup, meaning my airport coffee was a little higher-end than usual.

The water stations had flavors I had never heard of before. The pear- and cinnamon-infused water was surprisingly refreshing.

Design and atmosphere

The design elements were generic. There was one area with a cute hanging book element on the wall. Other than that, it was relatively plain.

I appreciated the dedicated customer service desk, which I could see coming in handy in an emergency. There was also a large screen displaying updated flight statuses.

Bathrooms

The bathrooms were adequate and clean with more than enough stalls. There was a gender-neutral bathroom, too. However, there were no showers, which may be disappointing to some.

United Club O'Hare Terminal C: Is it worth it?

The United Club at O'Hare Terminal C is what I would consider perfectly serviceable. It offers a quiet place to sit, with no speakers blaring overhead with gate announcements. It gets you access to basic food and drinks and enough space that you're not fighting for a seat.

But if you're used to the elevated experience of other lounges, this will feel like a step down.

For me, using our two annual United℠ Explorer Card passes felt like a reasonable use of a benefit we already had, especially given the United℠ Explorer Card's low annual fee of $0 intro for the first year, then $150.

Would I go out of my way to access this lounge? No. But for a long Sunday layover with few other lounge options at O'Hare, it did the job just fine.