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Delta might have just opened the nicest lounge at Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport and it’s not even one of its hubs. The new Sky Club® in Terminal 5 is simply gorgeous and it’s huge. This lounge measures 22,600 square feet and accommodates nearly 400 passengers. This is about four times the size of its old digs in Terminal 2. It outshines United and American’s lounges and some might argue it’s on a par with the Polaris® Lounge in Terminal 1.
Access
Access is granted to passengers with memberships (purchased annually), one-time pass holders (earned from the co-branded American Express cards), Delta One®, SkyTeam premium cabin passengers, SkyTeam Elite Plus when flying internationally in premium cabins, the Centurion® and the Platinum Card® from American Express holders, Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card holders, WestJet business class passengers, and WestJet Rewards Platinum and Gold Elite. Allowed guests vary by access type. A same-day boarding pass is required to enter the Delta Sky Club®.
Anthony’s Take: I’ve been flying Delta more often and having this amazing Sky Club® in my home airport of ORD is going to make me want to fly them even more. An impressive buffet, plenty of space, and some of the friendliest employees make it an oasis in an otherwise crowded terminal.
Upon entering, credentials are quickly checked either via several kiosks or by an agent manning a desk. The first thing I noticed past check in was this cool art.
There is tons of seating scattered around the lounge including spaces for work and relaxation.
Walking further in you encounter more seating and a seasonal display. Departure boards are prominent and located in several places around the lounge.
Bar
Just past here you’ll find the first of two full bars. These offer all of the standard spirits, wine, and beer that Delta provides complimentary as well as some premium options for purchase.
More seating with some views of the planes passing by the windows.
Food
Across from the bar is a large buffet with a nice selection. This includes salads, sandwiches, soups, hot entrees, and desserts.
Salad ingredients
More salad options
Sandwiches
More sandwiches
Garlic bread
Lemon thyme broccoli
Chicken parmigiana (apologies for the shadow in the picture)
Ziti (apologies for the shadow in the picture)
Cold meats and cheeses
Hummus and veggies
Desserts
Next to the bar is a self-serve soda fountain.
Around the corner are several coffee machines and everything you could want for a perfect cup of tea, as well as iced tea and lemonade.
Once you pass the second bar, you’ll find more snacks, a coffee machine, and another soda fountain.
Here you’ll also find a nice stash of candy. It reminded me of the candy found in Lufthansa’s First Class Lounges and Terminal in FRA.
Seating
As pictured above, the lounge offers lots of seating from tables to hightops to couches and some other spaces that make both work and relaxation pleasant. I love the addition of the phone booths for taking calls or hopping on a Zoom meeting without disturbing other passengers.
After passing by the restrooms, you’ll find the second bar and a hot dog cart. The employees seemed especially excited about this addition and kept recommending passengers go check it out.
Amenities
The new Sky Club® offers free Wi-Fi, restrooms, and the food and beverages mentioned above. It also has shower suites that you can reserve with a kiosk found in the hall nearby.
The shower suites are large with their own private toilets and sinks.
The attendant let me in to take a photo and held the door for me. She almost made it out of the picture. Towels, hair dryers, and toiletries by Grown Alchemist are all provided.
In-Lounge Boarding
On either side of the lounge, you’ll see signs for boarding gates. Gates M14 and M11 both can board from the lounge. I saw this earlier this year in Thessaloniki Airport (SKG) from the Aegean lounge but have not seen a US carrier offer this convenience. Apparently, gate M11 will serve flights to New York LaGuardia (LGA) and M14 will serve Air France and KLM flights since some of those passengers will have access to this Sky Club®.
Overall Impression:
The Delta Sky Club® by gates M11 and M14 in Chicago offers a great buffet, tons of seating, spa-like shower suites, and a beautiful space to spend some time before a flight. This just might be my new favorite US lounge.
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Advertiser & Editorial Disclosure: The Bulkhead Seat earns an affiliate commission for anyone approved through the links above This compensation may impact how and where links appear on this site. We work to provide the best publicly available offers to our readers. We frequently update them, but this site does not include all available offers. Opinions, reviews, analyses & recommendations are the author’s alone, and have not been reviewed, endorsed, or approved by any of these entities.
1 comment
Is was at this lounge four weeks ago and can attest to this review. Outstanding food, drinks, ambiance and service. 💯💯