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Home » United Airlines » Swanky New United Airlines Gate Areas At Chicago O’Hare
Chicago ORDUnited Airlines

Swanky New United Airlines Gate Areas At Chicago O’Hare

Matthew Klint Posted onMarch 11, 2022November 14, 2023 17 Comments

The rubber blue chairs in the gate areas are a staple of the United Airlines terminal at Chicago O’Hare (ORD), almost as iconic as the neon-lit underground walkway separating the B gates from the C gates. But during a recent trip through I was pleasantly surprised to see the gate areas are undergoing a total refresh.

Refreshed United Airlines Gate Areas At Chicago O’Hare Invite Passengers To Stick Around

Those blue chairs carry many memories for me, some happy, some not so much. I love Chicago and so seeing these chairs means I’m in a city I love. But it also reminds me of the days of my youth, when I would spend nights in airports instead of in hotels to save money. The chairs themselves were not uncomfortable, but it was always a challenge to find a section of seats that did not have rigid metal armrests (which made slumber impossible).

a row of blue chairs in an airport

And of course it was off these chairs that a pizza thief stole my beloved stuffed-crust pizza.

a box on a bench


> Read More: I Set A Trap For The Chicago O’Hare Pizza Thief


But the fact that these chairs have been around for as long as I remember probably suggests they are getting past their prime. While United has experimented with charging ports and refreshed gate areas at Chicago O’Hare, I noticed a totally different look being unrolled in both the B Gate and C gate area during my recent trip…and I liked it.

The big difference between U.S. airports and European or Asian airports, in my mind, is that the latter wish to make you comfortable, not just encourage you to spend your money. Now that’s a bit simplistic, but case in point are the chairs in terminal concourses and gate areas. Yes, the U.S. has a homeless problem, but it’s not like vagrants can simply access the secure area of airports without a ticket. In so many major US airports, you see exclusively immovable armrests, which prevent people from sleeping in chairs.

While I understand you don’t want to encourage people to sleep in airports, sometimes people do face flight delays or cancellations in which having room to stretch out and charge your devices would be nice. United seems to have that in mind with its latest gate area design, which includes comfortable couches, more charging outlets, and even some chairs designed for lounging or sleeping.

Monitors have also been refreshed and new status screens installed at the entrance to gate areas. This all looks great and I know passengers will appreciate the extra comfort.

I snapped these pictures:

a group of people standing in a line in a terminal

a group of people in an airport

a group of tables with chairs in a room

a room with chairs and tables

a room with chairs and tables

a group of chairs in a room

a close up of a computer

a screen with a schedule and time

a large couch in a room

a large couch in a room

I do have two concerns. First, I’m not sure who thought up the placement of boarding zones, but prior to my flight to Los Angeles (gate B2) the zone was boarding was smack in the path of…a row of immovable chairs.

a group of people in a terminal

a chair in a room

Second, will this furniture age well? Let’s hope these are very durable, because they will no doubt endure a lot of abuse.

CONCLUSION

United Airlines is refreshing its gate areas at Chicago O’Hare, adding couches and power outlets that make the space more practical and comfortable. Turning gate areas into hospitable zones helps to win loyalty too. Well-done, United.

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About Author

Matthew Klint

Matthew is an avid traveler who calls Los Angeles home. Each year he travels more than 200,000 miles by air and has visited more than 135 countries. Working both in the aviation industry and as a travel consultant, Matthew has been featured in major media outlets around the world and uses his Live and Let's Fly blog to share the latest news in the airline industry, commentary on frequent flyer programs, and detailed reports of his worldwide travel.

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17 Comments

  1. Ed Reply
    March 11, 2022 at 10:29 am

    I saw this while flying on Monday. Looks pretty nice and agreed the boarding lanes are placed terribly. Maybe they have a plan to address that. Facility wise, ORD just needs to fix those leaky ceilings and open up that new UC in C.

  2. MFB123 Reply
    March 11, 2022 at 12:25 pm

    I can’t really say I’ve ever noticed an effort at European airports to make me feel comfortable

    • Matthew Klint Reply
      March 11, 2022 at 1:24 pm

      Really? Outside CDG I love European airports.

  3. FinnSailor Reply
    March 11, 2022 at 1:03 pm

    Now all they need to do is have staff available somewhere in the B Concourse. You can only check in there if you have carry-on only, and if you have a question or issue you have to walk from Terminal 2 to Terminal 1. The QR-code app is great in theory, but keeps dropping the conversation and when you call back, you get a new person and have to start over.

  4. Jim Reply
    March 11, 2022 at 1:46 pm

    I would once again like to welcome United to doing what Delta has had for the last five years.

    • PC Reply
      March 11, 2022 at 5:29 pm

      United’s App functionality blows competitors away, particular Delta.

  5. derek Reply
    March 11, 2022 at 1:53 pm

    These LED screens show that labor costs are so high that it is easier to be pro-global warming by using electricity consuming signs. Up to even a few years ago, the gates in US airports used plastic reusable letters and numbers, particularly Southwest Airlines.

    Of course, part of it is also technology. I remember seeing the flight departure board in Santiago, Chile in the old terminal where it was a video feed of a board. You could see a human hand take down numbers and put up numbers!

    • ptahcha Reply
      March 11, 2022 at 2:24 pm

      Hello time traveler. ORD haven’t had manual gate boards for at least 20 years. Southwest ended their usage of plastic boarding cards shortly after 9-11.

      • Jerry Reply
        March 11, 2022 at 6:00 pm

        He’s referring to non-digital gate displays, not the old plastic boarding cards.

        Does Southwest still use the non-digital displays? I feel like I’ve seen them recently, but I don’t fly Southwest. If they stopped using them, it’s been very recent.

        • Louis Reply
          December 19, 2022 at 10:34 am

          As of last month Southwest still uses one at BUF

    • StevenA Reply
      March 12, 2022 at 10:01 am

      I prefer gate agents focus on serving and interacting with customers rather than have to change numbers on a sign. Given how often flight info changes at times, the ability for instant electronic updates is far preferable for keeping customers accurately informed.

  6. Scott Reply
    March 11, 2022 at 2:23 pm

    Have you seen the united express area of Terminal B is completely redone like this and it’s pretty nice. Even at the end of Terminal B where the international flights generally leave from there is an entire area that has been retrofitted and is pretty comfortable. I spent a few hours there one night/early morning.

  7. Justin Harkey Reply
    March 11, 2022 at 3:15 pm

    The boarding lanes – as mentioned above – are horrible! They make preboarding groups walk past everyone already in line for 1 and 2…. It’s beyond stupid.

  8. Joy Strait Reply
    March 11, 2022 at 3:25 pm

    What is your favorite airlines to fly?

  9. Scott W, Reply
    March 11, 2022 at 4:05 pm

    Now if only United’s IAH hub will upgrade their gate areas like this, (seating and gate information displays).
    C North has monitors behind their gate counters, while C South and all of E Terminal still use the old red LED boards behind the gate counters.

  10. UAFlyguy Reply
    March 12, 2022 at 7:10 am

    Hi guys! I hope you like the new gate design at ORD. (I’m part of the team that helped innovate and design these new gates) as it is currently in trial at ORD and a modified version will be rolled out at other hubs eventually based on customer feedback. So please let me know your suggestions and options on this.

    • TDawg Reply
      March 13, 2022 at 12:07 pm

      This looks great! Would love to see this at the other United Hubs like SFO!

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