Lounge Review: United Club Lounge Chicago Terminal 1 Concourse B
Here’s our review of the United Club Lounge Chicago Terminal 1, Concourse B.
Location and Access
The lounge is situated beyond the security checkpoints, right near Gate B18. If you’re wondering who can actually get in, it’s accessible to the following passengers:
Passengers flying with United Airlines who have reached Gold status are allowed in only if they’re traveling internationally. It’s also open to those who are flying in international First or Business class on any Star alliance flight. Plus, if you’re a Star Alliance Gold member, you can freely access the lounge too.
Seating options
The lounge is laid out in kinda like a big “L” shape, wrapping around the corner a bit. Your main choices are these tall bar stool high-chairs, some sofas if you’re lucky enough to snag one, or the regular dining tables with chairs around ’em.
Now, size-wise, the place isn’t exactly massive; it’s on the smaller side, pretty compact overall. It can fill up super fast, especially when you’ve got a bunch of Star Alliance flights taking off from the gates right nearby. Like, one minute it’s chill and the next it’s packed with people hustling in, looking for a spot to sit before they board.
Food and Drinks
So even though this lounge is pretty tiny and basically just a hop from your gate, the food spread they’ve got going on is actually pretty decent, better than you’d expect for such a compact spot.
You’ve got a bunch of solid choices. On the cold side, there’s a variety of fast-to-go meals, like little pre-packed sandwiches, wraps, or maybe some pasta salads. Then there’s a legit salad bar. They’ve also got bowls of nuts as well as some desserts; we’re talking little cakes, cookies, and stuff.
In terms of hot food, the lounge keeps it simple: there’s usually one main hot dish rotating, plus a soup of the day.
Now, drinks, that’s where it gets a little “meh,” especially if you’re used to fancier lounges elsewhere. This is classic U.S. airport lounge energy: you’ve got the basics covered for free, think your standard domestic beers, a couple of house wines and the usual spirits like vodka, gin, rum, whiskey, nothing premium, just the stuff you’d find at any bar.
Want something a step-up? Like a craft IPA, a decent Cabernet, or top-shelf liquor? You have to open your wallet. They’ll charge you per drink.
Other Amenities
In addition to the Wi-Fi, the lounge features a small office space, and that is basically all you get here.
Bottom Line
This United Club lounge is nothing compared to the amazing United Polaris Lounge also located at Chicago’s Terminal 1.
The lounge is relatively small and is situated close to the departure gate. Despite its modest size, it offers a respectable selection of food and the beverage selection is limited.
However, it is quite a walk to some of the B gates through the tunnel to reach the United Polaris lounge, so you probably will only visit this lounge if you have a couple of minutes to spare before your flight departs or if your flight gets delayed, and you do not want to take the risk of missing your flight.
For the purpose of spending only a short amount of time here, the lounge can be described as sufficient.
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