Lounge Review: Admirals Club Chicago (H)

The Admirals Club Chicago is one of the biggest lounges in the USA, but apart from its size, the lounge is nothing special. There are some good aspects about the Admirals Club Chicago like the great view or the good location, but there are also several downers. The washrooms for example are old and shabby, the complimentary food is boring and unhealthy and the seating is anything but modern.

Check out our rating of the Admirals Club Chicago (H)!

As Chicago is the main hub of American Airlines, the Admirals Club Chicago at Concourse H is one of the biggest lounges in whole USA.

This is something you’ll instantly recognize when entering the lounge as there are even different floors for the check-in area, the Admirals Club Chicago and the American Airlines Flagship Lounge Chicago.

• Find more content about Chicago on our city page!

The Admirals Club Chicago itself stretches several hundred square meters and offers a wide range of different seating opportunities.

Comfortable seating with a great view

The most positive aspect of sitting in the Admirals Club Chicago is unquestionably the view. As the lounge is that big, you may enjoy great views of the tarmac in several different locations.

The seating itself is comfortable even though most chairs and armchairs are very old. Seating occupancies are usually equipped with tables, so you are able to work pretty much everywhere in the lounge. However, there is also a dedicated working area where working desks and plugs await you.

There are also some PCs with internet access that you may use when you spend some time in the Admirals Club. The design of the Admirals Club Chicago is not up to the newest standards, but as it is one of the Clubs that did not get refurnished yet, this is not surprising.

There’s also one very positive aspect to mention. There are sun visors on the floor-to-ceiling windows, so seating is comfortable regardless of the time of the day.

Sweet snacks and food for purchase

As all American Airlines non-Flagship Lounges, the Admirals Club Chicago only serves a few complimentary bites. Sadly, there were no healthy choices as for example in the Admirals Club JFK.

Complimentary snacks included cookies (these were pretty good), sweet pretzels and a salty mix. There were at least some fruits as well. Water, soft drinks and coffee as well as tea are also complimentary. At the Admirals Club Chicago, you may also purchase food or bottled drinks as well as alcohol.

The prices for the food for purchase are quite high though. Depending on your frequent flyer status and the airline you are flying with, you may get free vouchers for either bottle drinks or real food.

Limited choice of magazines

Surprisingly, there was only a limited choice of newspapers and magazines available when we stayed at the Admirals Club Chicago. While the Admirals Club JFK had quite a good choice available, the Admirals Club Chicago only offered a few national newspapers, but no magazines.

Even though these may have been used by other clients, I expect a lounge to offer at least enough complimentary magazines. There were also no tablets or anything alike available to spend your time with. Wi-Fi worked fine though. The speed was very sufficient as well.

No surprises at the Admirals Club Chicago

In conclusion, the Admirals Club Chicago did not satisfy us. While the Admirals Club JFK was a positive surprise, the Admirals Club Chicago was exactly what we expected. The washrooms were a shocker as they were really shabby and not even clean and the seating was not any modern as well. The choice of food was as limited as expected.

Sadly, the Admirals Club Chicago did not even have magazines or tablets available to spend your time with. However, the Wi-Fi that is working quite fine, the comfortable seating with a good view and the size of the lounge that gives a little privacy make the Admirals Club Chicago good enough to spend some minutes prior departure.

 

Curious what the world of lounges has to offer in comparison?