United's Chicago Polaris Lounge is now closed for a big expansion
United Airlines will renovate and expand its Polaris Lounge at Chicago's O'Hare International Airport (ORD), adding more space to the first premium lounge it opened in its now-extensive network.
The hometown carrier temporarily shuttered the doors to its ORD Polaris Lounge on Thursday. United is expanding and remodeling the lounge, and to do so, it must completely close the space for a few months. United expects to debut the fully finished lounge in the spring.
It's no secret that airport lounges are busy these days.
Upgrades clearing less? More passengers are paying for first-class seats. That's hurting your upgrade chances
Although airlines have taken a few different approaches, one of the best ways that airlines and credit card issuers have been able to handle the crowds is by expanding their lounges — assuming they can find more space.
The plan to overhaul the Chicago Polaris Lounge was first outlined in an internal memo, which TPG saw and confirmed with a carrier spokesperson back in August. The lounge then partially closed before the full overhaul, which is currently taking place.
The Chicago Polaris Lounge in Concourse C of ORD opened in 2016. It covers roughly 16,000 square feet and has been subject to overcrowding during peak periods in recent years.
The expansion and renovation will add more seats — including relaxing "premium" spaces — along with more restrooms and amenities such as private seating and workspaces, United said in a memo.
Once complete, the space will span nearly 25,000 square feet, which represents a more than 50% increase in space. United said the number of seats will double. The airline promised to "offer new spaces and amenities that reflect customer feedback."
United did not distribute any renderings or drawings of the revamped space, so we'll have to wait until the expansion opens to get a sense of the upgrades.
While the finished product will undoubtedly be an improvement, the process of getting there won't exactly be smooth sailing.
During the full lounge closure, Polaris flyers can visit any of the five United Club locations at ORD (two in Concourse B, one in Concourse C, one in Concourse E and one in Concourse F).
The airline said that all United Clubs at O'Hare will offer improved complimentary premium beverage selections for Polaris guests. These will include key elements of the existing Polaris Lounge experience, such as the Lanson Pere et Fils Brut Champagne and The Prisoner Red Blend wine.
The Chicago Polaris Lounge became the airline's first business-class-only lounge when it opened in 2016. Since then, the airline has grown the Polaris Lounge network to five outposts, including locations in Houston's George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH), Los Angeles International Airport (LAX), Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR), San Francisco International Airport (SFO) and Washington's Dulles International Airport (IAD).
The airline will also debut a Polaris Lounge at Denver International Airport (DEN) in the coming years and expand the outpost at EWR.
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