BA Or AA Lounge at ORD?
 

Traveling to LHR from ORD soon flying BA (AA code share) in Business Class ( Club World). Which lounge is the better choice pre departure from ORD, the BA Club or the AA Flagship Lounge?

In a vacuum, AA. Full stop. No one will argue otherwise.

However, the T3-T5 airside shuttle you'll have to take is a bit of a walk from the AA Flagship lounge, and takes a while, so be sure to leave plenty of time for the transfer.

BA flights depart from terminal 5, and their lounge is located there. AA lounges are in terminal 3. Traveling between the terminals requires a landside connection. It makes little sense to use the AA Flagship Lounge. However, I cannot comment on the relative merits of the two.

This is not true. There is an airside bus that runs between ORD T3 and T5. (but not in the other direction) It can be slow and inefficient - but it is better than going landside.

isnt the BA shuttle so slow that the whole landside process (exiting security -> train -> re-enter security at T5) is faster?

Will a BA boarding pass be accepted by TSA at T3?

I'll take a secure airside bus transfer anytime over exiting security and reclearing any day. Even if it's somewhat slow. And it is no longer a "BA bus" - its run by airport now, I believe.

And right now the ATS (the terminal train) at ORD is completely shutdown. Its a bus shuttle situation. No way if I am already airside at T3 am I going to go landside to deal with that.

All that said - OP doesn't say if he/she is originating at ORD or connecting. If originating I'm not sure the Flagship Lounge is worth checking in with BA at T5, transferring landside to T3, doing security, going to the lounge, and transferring back. That's a lot of monkey business - even with how generally blah the BA lounge at T5 is.

Depends who your ORD departure is with. If it's BA then as others have said you'll be at T5 where your option is only BA, if your departure is with AA then at T3 you'll have the really very good now AA Flagship lounge. Transferring between the terminals just for a lounge seems like a lot of hard work.

Most of us have found the F and J BA lounges in ORD T5 to be very disappointing.

Yes.

In order to maintain a travel connection between all of O’Hare’s terminals and parking lots, the CDA will operate shuttle buses to transport passengers and employees between terminals (Terminals 1, 2, 3 and 5) and from the terminals to each economy parking lot (Lots E, G, H); the Multi-Modal Facility, where rental cars are housed; and the Metra O’Hare Transfer station. The buses will operate continuously to ensure prompt and reliable service while the ATS is closed.

If connecting between domestic Terminals 1, 2 & 3, you DON’T have to take the shuttle buses, you can walk. Simply follow in-airport signage. The new ATS is scheduled to open Fall 2019.

The International Terminal 5 is not connected to the domestic terminals and is accessible via the Airport Transit System (ATS)​. If you arrive on a domestic flight and must connect to an international flight, you have two options: 1.) you can take the ATS and pass through the security checkpoint in Terminal 5 or 2.) you can take a Terminal Transfer Bus (TTB) from Terminal 3 to Terminal 5 and bypass the security checkpoint in Terminal 5. The Terminal Transfer Bus service is year round with operation hours as follows: 10:30 am - 8:00 pm. If you are arriving​ into the domestic terminals and need to collect your luggage (exit the security side of the airport) and recheck in T5, you will not be able to use this service.

Terminal Transfer Bus (TTB) Terminal 3 Pickup Locations

• Gate G17
• Gate K20
• Gate L24

I agree, the BA T5 first class lounge is one of the saddest FC lounges I've seen. It is small and can be very crowded for the evening flights.

Without Bags and with a BP then the OP can get through TSA at T3, use the AA lounge then take the airside bus to T5.

If the OP has bags then they will have to check in at T5 then take the landside route to T3, pass TSA, use lounge then shuttle back to T5

Depending on the time OP arrives at ORD it may not leave them much time in the AA lounge - especially if on one of the later BA flights when the airside bus has stopped operating and they have to go landside.

I'm sure there is a thread already about doing the T3/T5 shuffle that says to allow at least an hour to get from T3-T5 landside.


(Like those that ask about going from T5 to T3 at LHR to use the QF/CX etc rather than the BA T5 lounges it does seem to be a lot of effort for not much result.)