Midway Airport to get first lounge in its history

A new passenger lounge is set to open at Midway Airport, believed to be the first in the airport’s 95-year history.

The lounge follows other changes at the Southwest Side airport, where work recently finished on the security and parking areas and another round of new food and retail concessions has been opening this year.

Construction on the airport lounge, called The Club MDW is expected to begin in early 2024, and the lounge is set to open in the fall. It won’t be affiliated with an airline or ticket class, but rather will be accessible through the lounge membership program Priority Pass, which is available for purchase and through some credit cards. Midway passengers will also be able to purchase day passes for $50.

The 3,300-square foot club will be located at the intersection of concourses A and B, and is expected to offer free food and drinks for members or those with passes.

The new lounge was announced as Southwest Airlines, Midway’s dominant carrier, has been making a push to attract more corporate travel, whose frequent flyers often seek out amenities. Airport clubs, in general, have also gotten increasingly crowded as travel surged after the COVID-19 shutdowns.

“Chicago’s original hometown airport is a tremendous driver for jobs and economic opportunity across the South and West sides, and I am thrilled about the new jobs and amenities this club will provide for our residents and the traveling public,” Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson said in a statement.

The lounge will be the latest construction project at Midway. An expansion of the security area, over South Cicero Avenue, opened in 2020, parking facilities now include electric vehicle charging stations and elevators were upgraded.

The airport’s large central food court closed for construction in the spring, as the airport worked to bring new food and retail options there and elsewhere throughout the airport. The first of the new restaurants, which include another Garrett Popcorn, Connie’s Pizza and M Burger, are scheduled to begin opening next month, Chicago Department of Aviation spokesman Kevin Bargnes has said.

Yet Midway, like O’Hare International Airport, continued to lag its peer airports in customer satisfaction on J.D. Power’s 2023 North America Airport Satisfaction Study, released earlier in September. Though they ranked below average, both airports improved in the rankings from 2022, as overall satisfaction with North American airports rose.

Passengers, meanwhile, have returned to Midway in droves. Through July, 12.7 million travelers had passed through the airport, exceeding 2019 levels by about 6%. At O’Hare, meanwhile, travel has not yet reached pre-pandemic levels.

“This new lounge in the heart of Midway is the next step in elevating the passenger experience as Midway continues to see travel numbers that outpace pre-pandemic statistics,” Department of Aviation Commissioner Jamie Rhee said in a statement.

sfreishtat@chicagotribune.com