This 95-year-old U.S. Airport Is About to Get Its First Lounge
The lounge at Chicago’s Midway International Airport will begin construction next spring, and is targeting a fall 2024 opening.
Courtesy of Chicago Department of Aviation
Travelers at Chicago’s Midway International Airport soon have more enjoyable departures and layovers.
The popular Midwest airport will soon be home to The Club MDW — the airport’s first airline lounge in its 95-year history according to a statement from the airport. The Club MDW will be a brand-new lounge will include comfortable seating, food and beverage, and workstations. The 3,300 square foot lounge will be located adjacent to Terminals A and B, and open to all travelers through the purchase of a day pass, or complimentary access for travelers who are members of the Priority Pass network of airline lounges.
“Each year, more than 22.7 million people travel through Midway, and we’re excited to be able to offer each of them this new service worthy of our world-class city,” Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson said in a statement celebrating the new lounge.
The lounge will begin construction next spring, and is targeting a fall 2024 opening. The design will be inspired by Chicago’s architecture and feature monochrome colors.
Travelers may welcome the expanded space as Midway has been outpacing pre-pandemic passenger traffic, with a 106 percent load for the year so far, the airport shared. Midway is a hub for Southwest Airlines and Frontier Airlines, and accommodated over 19 million passengers in 2022. The airport claims to be the “world’s busiest square mile for incoming and departing flights” due to the frequency of planes. Midway Airport currently features a variety of dining and shopping options including Dunkin’, Farmer's Fridge, Woodgrain Neapolitan Pizza, and more.
Many credit cards offer access to the Priority Pass lounge network, which includes access to 1,400 airport experiences across 600 cities. Priority Pass, which recently celebrated its 30th anniversary, also has memberships available for travelers who do not have access through the credit card. The branding of The Club has been used at other airport lounges including Las Vegas, Cleveland, and Atlanta.
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