The Air France Lounge in Chicago O’Hare (ORD) is a small but comfortable SkyTeam lounge in Terminal 5 with a selection of food and drinks that satiated my family ahead of our transatlantic flight.
Air France Lounge Chicago Review (ORD)
O’Hare Terminal 5 actually has two SkyTeam lounges: a Delta Sky Club and Air France Lounge (sadly, the SAS Lounge closed in October 2025). It was Christmas Eve and the Delta Sky Club was closed, which meant a big crowd in the Air France Lounge at 6:00 pm.
Hours + Access + Location
The lounge is located in T5 near gate M17 (next to the LOT Polish Lounge) and open daily from 5:00 am to 8:00 pm.
You can use this lounge if traveling on a SkyTeam flight in a premium cabin or while holding SkyTeam elite status:
- La Première (though Air France does not presently offer first class service from Chicago)
- Business Class
- Flying Blue Gold status
- Flying Blue Platinum status
- SkyTeam Elite Plus status
(this now includes domestic itineraries)
A guest is permitted unless you are traveling in business class without SkyTeam Elite Plus status.
This is also a Priority Pass Lounge, but only between the hours of 5:00 am and 12:00 pm and then from 5:00 pm to 8:00 pm (since the Air France and KLM flights leave in the late afternoon and the lounge gets crowded)
We faced a lounge filled to capacity and a line out the door that reminded me of an American Express Centurion Lounge…from what I’m told, though, this lounge is very rarely crowded so I think our visit can be blamed on the Delta Sky Club closure.
Seating
This lounge is 5,060 square feet (470 square meters), with seating for 105 guests…all in a single large room with a bar on one side and food buffet on the other side.
There are chairs intended for lounging, tables with chairs, and seating at the bar.
It was quite crowded when we entered the lounge, but by the time we left about 30 minutes later, the lounge was almost empty…
Food + Drink
My kids were very hungry (they’re at that age!) and the lounge had many hungry people hovering like vultures around the buffet. Every time a dish was brought in, it was quickly devoured. There were not even enough plates, bowls, or utensils.
That said, the food looked appealing. There were hot and cold items including salad, quiche, sliced meats and cheese, soups, Shepard’s pie, and a tandoori chicken dish. Once the “rush” died down, there were no shortages.
(I was glad to save my appetite for the flight, since SAS catering rarely lets down…but I’d certainly eat lunch here if stepping onto a domestic flight)
Self-serve coffee, tea, water, and soft drinks were in the buffet area and a bar on the other side offered alcoholic beverages.
Restrooms + Showers
The lounge has male and female restrooms and a handicapped restroom that also has the shower suite (it was occupied so I don’t have a picture).
Lockers
Near the entrance, there are six lockers that can store carry-on bags (these can be locked and unlocked through a four-digit combination you set yourself).
CONCLUSION
We didn’t have a positive first impression of this lounge with the extreme crowding, but I understand this likely was an anomaly due to the closure of the Delta Sky Club. That said, this is a very nicely-designed lounge with tarmac views and a respectable variety of food and drinks, plus clean restrooms and a shower suite.
As a Priority Pass Lounge, it truly beats the pathetic Swissport Lounge down the hall (which, by the way, was also so crowded on Christmas Eve they were turning away Priority Pass guests).
On the one had, sad that the SAS lounge ended up closing, as it did give Skyteam members more choices. On the other hand, it wasn’t anything special (though at least with the Swissport lounge active, it wasn’t the worst lounge at ORD).
I wonder what, if anything, will replace it.
How did you manage to get the “clean” lounge shots – did you take them at closing time?
The ironic thing was that although the lounge was packed to the gills when we entered at 18:00, by the time we left just before 19:00 it had emptied out.
That’s actually a really nice lounge. Air France has been investing in its locations overseas. Good to see. Looking forward to whatever they come up with at the new JFK T1, when it’s eventually opened (starting 2026, fully by 2030).
AF is really solid and under-appreciated, for both lounges and onboard service and F&B. Saver award availability has seemed to be shrinking (though I did find some in early June and will be flying them TATL then), but from my experiences many years ago back when I regularly flew international in the back of the plane for work, their economy class is also one of the best of the international carriers.
Delta flyers are like a swarm of cicadas. They’ve been trained through influencer posts to maximize their consumption of all free goods and services regardless of whether they need them or want them. It is a scientific fact that Delta loyalists will consume all the free food within 300 yards of their position. There is no customer group that is more adept at rapidly consuming free calories, and their appetite has no limit. The most horrifying event in the eyes of a Delta loyalist is seeing someone else get more free food than they had consumed themselves.
Nice to see the lounges in T5 improving. Before the T5 overhaul, Swiss had a lovely longue that is long gone. Hopefully, they get one back because Star options in T5 are pathetic. Lot doesn’t seem to play nice with the other carriers for giving access.
The Swiss lounge was…ok. Not that great, but it did yivr Star Alliance passengers an option innT5 that was better than the Swissport Lounge (an admittedly low bar to clear, though).
The LOT lounge looks nice, shame though if they are being stingy with the access though.
How are they being stingy with access? Who are they denying?
When SAS was Star Alliance, it was very easy to get in when traveling on a domestic United itinerary.
You’ll have to ask Joe, not me lol
This AF lounge is a great addition to T5 at ORD… A clean and comfortable place to relax… The food and drink options are somewhat limited, but pretty tasty.
The Delta lounge was closed because it was Christmas Eve? How charmingly provincial.
That looks vastly better than the old AF lounge in Chicago where food was largely sandwiches packaged like you’d see at a 7-11 and no bathrooms in the lounge.
Matthew – if you theoretically access to both when flying out of ORD, would you take the SkyClub or this lounge out of T5?
I was really hoping to review both, but will have to wait…I’ve never been in Delta lounge. Also need to review LOT Polish lounge!