The Membership MDW: Inside the primary lounge at Chicago’s Halfway Worldwide Airport

As a Chicagoan, I’ve visited a majority of the lounges at O’Hare Worldwide Airport (ORD), together with the latest United Membership. Though I sometimes fly out of Halfway Worldwide Airport (MDW), there was no lounge to go to till September, 2024.

However after 96 years of doing with out, Halfway lastly has a lounge for vacationers passing by town’s smaller airport as of September.

Here is what it is like inside.

The Membership MDW location

Halfway solely has one terminal for all concourses, and The Membership MDW is situated on the entrance to Concourse B, subsequent to the Evolve retailer. It is only a quick stroll from the safety checkpoint.

The Membership MDW is open each day from 4 a.m. till 10 p.m.

The Membership MDW entry

Since it’s not tied to an airline or bank card, The Membership MDW is accessible to all vacationers flying from Halfway.

Nevertheless, The Membership MDW is a part of the Precedence Go community, so members can entry the membership without spending a dime. In any other case, $50 day passes can be found to all Halfway passengers with a legitimate departing boarding go.

Visitors can entry The Membership MDW inside three hours of scheduled departure. Kids age 17 and underneath have to be accompanied by an grownup, and vacationers underneath age 2 are complimentary.

The Membership MDW structure

At simply 3,300 sq. ft, The Membership MDW seats 67 folks, however the lounge can accommodate as much as 96 folks in complete, in line with a lounge spokesperson. Total, the area is vivid and welcoming, regardless of it feeling a bit tight.

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The lounge was fairly crowded throughout my go to round 1:30 p.m. on a Tuesday, with almost each seat taken. While you first stroll into The Membership MDW, you will note one massive part with tables, offering probably the most area for eating, and a bigger communal desk towards the again. Except for bar seating, the tables within the membership are for one or two folks; there are additionally particular person desks.

Based mostly on my go to and conversations with membership workers, The Membership MDW has routinely been crowded. Which means some potential visitors are probably being turned away. The excellent news is that folks can be part of a waitlist by scanning a QR code on the door.

“After signing as much as the digital waitlist, the platform reveals queue instances together with anticipated entry time and offers visitors the power to provide suggestions on their intent on returning,” a spokesperson confirmed.

The Membership MDW facilities

The Membership MDW is a bit bare-bones in comparison with some bigger golf equipment, so there are not any actual facilities. Nevertheless, there are two gender-neutral restrooms, each of which have a altering desk.

The Membership MDW meals and drinks

There’s one buffet with complimentary cold and hot meals gadgets, together with comfortable drinks. Within the fall, each day menu choices included soup of the day (patate e fagioli was the soup once I was there); andouille sausage with bell peppers, onions and chili lime rice; soy-glazed tempeh; romaine and child area greens salad (with toppings); rotini pasta salad; and couscous salad. Dessert choices included chocolate chip and oatmeal raisin cookies, together with mini strawberry shortcakes.

The bar affords a wide range of alcoholic drinks, together with white, pink, rose and glowing wine; beer, together with from native breweries Revolution Brewing and Two Brothers Brewing; and several other signature cocktails, together with two paying homage to Chicago — the Southside (gin with lime juice, easy syrup and mint) and the Chicago Fizz (aged rum with ruby port, lime juice and membership soda). Nonalcoholic drinks similar to sparking and nonetheless water, Coca-Cola merchandise, espresso, and tea are additionally out there.

Backside line

The Membership MDW is actually a welcome addition for individuals who can use it. As a traveler with dietary restrictions, I appreciated the readability in offering ingredient and allergen labels for the meals — and the aware alternative to supply meals choices for these with restrictions.

In time, I’d be involved about capability points, particularly for Southwest Airways flyers, as Halfway stays a key a part of Southwest’s community.

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