Lounge Review: Delta Sky Club® (ORD – Gate M11-M14)

by Anthony Losanno
Delta Sky Club ORD

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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.

Delta Sky Club ORD

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.

Delta Sky Club ORD Art

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.

Delta Sky Club ORD Seating 1

There is tons of seating scattered around the lounge including spaces for work and relaxation.

Delta Sky Club ORD Seasonal

Walking further in you encounter more seating and a seasonal display. Departure boards are prominent and located in several places around the lounge.

Delta Sky Club ORD Bar

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.

Delta Sky Club ORD Seating 2

More seating with some views of the planes passing by the windows.

Delta Sky Club ORD Buffet

Food

Across from the bar is a large buffet with a nice selection. This includes salads, sandwiches, soups, hot entrees, and desserts.

Delta Sky Club ORD Salad

Salad ingredients

Delta Sky Club ORD Salad 2

More salad options

Delta Sky Club ORD Sandwiches

Sandwiches

Delta Sky Club ORD More Sandwiches

More sandwiches

Delta Sky Club ORD Garlic Bread

Garlic bread

Delta Sky Club ORD Lemon Thyme Broccoli

Lemon thyme broccoli

Delta Sky Club ORD Chicken Parm

Chicken parmigiana (apologies for the shadow in the picture)

Delta Sky Club ORD Ziti

Ziti (apologies for the shadow in the picture)

Delta Sky Club ORD Cold Cuts

Cold meats and cheeses

Delta Sky Club ORD Hummus

Hummus and veggies

Delta Sky Club ORD Desserts

Desserts

Delta Sky Club ORD Soda Fountain

Next to the bar is a self-serve soda fountain.

Delta Sky Club ORD Coffee

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.

Delta Sky Club ORD Coffee 2

Once you pass the second bar, you’ll find more snacks, a coffee machine, and another soda fountain.

Delta Sky Club ORD Candy

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.

Delta Sky Club ORD Seating 3

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.

Delta Sky Club ORD Bar 2

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.

Delta Sky Club ORD Shower Kiosk

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.

Delta Sky Club ORD Shower 1

The shower suites are large with their own private toilets and sinks.

Delta Sky Club ORD Shower 2

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.

ORD Sky Club Boarding

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®.

Delta Sky Club ORD Entrance

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

Katherine Matheson December 13, 2022 - 1:52 am

Is was at this lounge four weeks ago and can attest to this review. Outstanding food, drinks, ambiance and service. 💯💯

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