United Airlines Opens Reimagined United Polaris Lounge in Chicago
- Joe Breitfeller
- Apr 29
- 3 min read
United Airlines has today announced the opening their reimagined United Polaris® Lounge at Chicago O’Hare with 50 percent more space and Crate & Barrel décor. The new space offers over 350 seats and a larger, 50-seat private dining room.
On Tuesday (April 29, 2025), United Airlines announced the opening of their newly reimagined United Polaris® lounge at Chicago O’Hare International Airport (ORD). The renovated space is now 50 percent larger with nearly 25,000 square feet of space, including over 350 seats for travelers, as well as a larger 50-seat dining space. With modern and elevated amenities, the refreshed Polaris lounge also includes a second bar, six additional restrooms, private spaces for relaxation and work, and a range of curated products, along with Crate & Barrel furnishings. This is the popular home retailer’s first collaboration with an airline. In 2016, United became the first U.S. airline to debut a premium lounge exclusively for international Business Class guests, and currently has six of them in the U.S.
In Tuesday’s announcement, United’s Managing Director of Hospitality Programs, Aaron McMillan, said,
“Our vast international network is one of United’s unique strengths, and our United Polaris lounges help set the tone for business class travelers before or after their long-haul flights. Customers are going to love our new Chicago lounge because it gives them more of all of the things they want most—more space, more amenities, and more dining options—and we’ll carry this new elevated design into future lounge openings and renovations across our United Polaris lounge portfolio.”
With the addition of a second bar in the Chicago Polaris lounge, United is the first and only U.S. airline to offer two full-service bars in a Business Class lounge. Now, there are more than 25 bar seats with an option to take away a drink to another seating area, and a menu of top-shelf liquor, premium wines, non-alcoholic beverages and more. The new, second bar is a speakeasy-style space offering premium wine and champagne options, along with a selection of Chicago-inspired cocktails.
With over 50 seats, the renovated dining area nearly triples the amount of dining seats, where guests can order à la carte meals with curated premium food and beverages, including Prosciutto Parmigiano Crostini, Shrimp, Scallop, Spring Vegetable Risotto and Aperol Spritz cake. Customers can also enjoy a hot buffet with breakfast, lunch and dinner menus, a mezze station with lemon honey whipped ricotta, flatbreads and more, and snacks served at both bars like premium nuts, Mediterranean olives and a charcuterie board.
Elevating the new Chicago Polaris lounge experience, the décor and dinnerware has been provided by Crate & Barrel, the Chicago-based retailer’s first collaboration with an airline. United worked with the company’s in-house design and business sales teams to curate timeless pieces that enhance the guest experience. From Crate & Barrel’s classic Marin dinnerware and new Tuscan Marble collection, every detail was chosen to enhance form and function.
Located in Terminal 1 near gate C18, the United Polaris Lounge in Chicago is open from 7:00 AM to 9:00 PM CT daily. International customers traveling in United Polaris and premium Star Alliance cabins can access United Polaris lounges in Chicago, Houston, Washington D.C., New York/Newark, San Francisco and Los Angeles.
Since 2022, United has renovated nine United Club locations, including the recent opening of United Club Fly in Houston. This year, the carrier will open a new dining room in the United Polaris Lounge in Newark, and a renovated and expanded United Club in Denver’s B West Terminal. Internationally, United plans to reopen the United Club in Hong Kong, while the airline will open a new United Club in San Francisco, as well as their largest-ever United Club in Houston in 2026.
Source: United Airlines / Business Wire
