Bar hours in UA lounge on Sunday at ORD
 

I get into ORD on Sunday at 8am and have a 3 hour layover. I know the lounge is open but what time do they start serving alcohol on a Sunday? It doesn't specify in the app, nor could I find anything concrete with a google search...

Thanks!

Don’t know when they start but you shouldn’t have any issues at that time.

If ORD is like LAX or SFO - they open the bar at roughly 6am

I know there was discussion at some point about the opening time of the bar in EWR on Sundays probably due to outdated local laws in Newark and/or Elizabeth (I think term A is Elizabeth and B/C in Newark). Have not seen it discussed in a while, but I seem to recall they couldn’t serve before 11 or noon - at least in the past - not sure if it is still the case. Have not heard about this in other jurisdictions (in terms of lounges having to wait until a specific time to serve).

there are other weird laws - they can’t serve alcohol on the ground onboard in Canada unless they procure/pay tax on it there - so I guess AC will but UA won’t (because why cater alcohol at higher prices and double the tax when you can double-cater from US and just not serve for like an extra half-hour.).

ORD is 7a.

Even on Sunday?

It’s at least 7 - 7 is the open time during the week

Yes this is true -- as a long time traveler through UA hubs EWR was always the trouble point on Sunday's -- so you went to the UA club in terminal A on a Sunday if you wanted a drink before your flight -- which I did every time on my way home to Tokyo from upstate NY.... To be honest though I don't recall ever being rejected in terminal C once the the Polaris lounge opened on a Sunday -- maybe they have a different license?

Yes.

Generally, it doesn't have to do with the license, per se. It's more to do with local and/or state laws regarding sales of alcohol.

Sunday's bring up another variable with Blue Laws still being prevalent around the country.

OT for this thread, as this deals exclusively with EWR, but there was an NJ law passed a few years back (2018?), SPECIFICALLY for EWR to allow them to serve alcohol outside the usual, restricted hours:

https://www.assemblydems.com/assembl...s-restaurants/
"Legislation sponsored by Assembly Democrats Tim Eustace, Eliana Pintor Marin and John Burzichelli expanding the hours Newark Airport is allowed to serve alcohol was approved by the Assembly, 77-0-1, on Thursday.
Specifically, the bill (A-2419) would allow bars and restaurants operating within an international airport to sell alcoholic beverages between the hours of 6 a.m. and 3 a.m. In New Jersey, this bill would only affect Newark International Airport."

This opened up the ability for all United Clubs and the Polaris lounge to serve alcohol for extended hours (and sooner) and be much less restrictive on Sundays.

To fill in some backstory specific to EWR. In NJ each municipality set their own rules regarding alcohol sales. Some allow it, some disallow it, and others have some middle ground. For the ones that sell each may have their own nuanced versions specific to that town.

The issue at EWR was that Terminal A is in the city of Elizabeth while Terminal C is in the city of Newark, each with their own liquor laws. Apparently the newish state law mentioned above solved the inconsistency.

My experience at ORD on a Sunday, albeit AA and pre-covid, was a delayed bar opening untill 11am or noon.

I’ve never been in the United Clubs at ORD in the morning and not been able to get a drink when i want one. About a month ago on a Sunday, I ordered a Bloody Mary and the bartender goes, “i’ve been making those all mornings” and when I pointed out it was a Sunday, she was like, “that makes sense, sometimes I forget day of week”.

Well, that's not quite true, as neither Newark nor Elizabeth would have allowed liquor at 6am on Sundays. the law was specifically made for EWR with travelers in mind.