British Airways will be treating its passengers in Chicago O'Hare Airport to a more comfortable pre-boarding experience ahead of changes to its lounges. The airline plans to refresh its lounge in Chicago as part of a £6.5 bn ($8.4 bn) investment project.

Chicago lounge updates
Specially designed chairs in Chicago O'Hare help passengers relax. Photo: British Airways

A better pre-flight experience

British Airways this week revealed that it will be putting a portion of its sizeable $8.4bn customer investment into Chicago O'Hare Airport. The British air carrier announced that it has plans to develop the Club and First lounges at the airport to create a more relaxing atmosphere. British Airways is already underway with the refurbishment and hopes that the lounges will be complete in as little as two months' time.

By spring 2020, it's hoping that customers will be able to enjoy a range of updates including improved furnishings, floors, and decorations. Some of these new fittings include marble tables and bespoke designed seats. In addition, BA passengers will enjoy better connectivity with more charging points across the lounges and sleeker dining experience.

Marbles tables Chicago lounge
Stylish new marble tables give that luxury feel. Photo: British Airways

In a press release, the Director of Brand and Customer Experience at Brtish Airways said that the refurbishment work was important. Carolina Martinoli said:

“Lounges are incredibly important to our customers traveling in our Club and First cabins, or to those with Executive Club status, and they are rightly a focus of our £6.5bn customer investment. We’ve recently refurbished nine lounges across the network, and we’re looking forward to refurbishing more in 2020.”

That's right, Chicago O'Hare is just one of a multitude of airports undergoing a transformation.

Not just Chicago O'Hare

Edinburgh and Berlin are the next in line for updates. They are currently undergoing similar investments in Chicago with the provision of a more enticing lounge experience. However, it appears that, out of the two, it is Edinburgh that will see the largest improvement. British Airways says that it is working to create a more interactive welcome experience for passengers in the Edinburgh lounge.

British Airways will unveil both lounges in Berlin and Edinburgh in spring 2020 alongside the newly-designed Chicago O'Hare. Once they are completed, British Airways will have a set of 12 revamped lounges. It started back in November 2017 with the redesign of the Concorde Room in Heathrow. At the tail end of last year, British Airways completed its ninth refurbishment with the installation of a craft beer room and a lobby bar in Geneva.

Geneva craft beer bar
Geneva now has a new craft beer room and lobby bar. Photo: British Airways

But the latest three airport lounges are not the last to profit from British Airways development either. The airline plans refurbishments to Heathrow Terminal 5 as well.

Stretching the investment budget

Despite this investment, lounge refurbishments are not the only way that BA is spending its money. (Although, it is a large part of it.) British Airways wants to make more large-scale developments to its operation. For that reason, it will work to include better quality WiFi on its aircraft as well as redesigning the interiors of its long-haul aircraft. What's more, the airline has also invested in 72 new aircraft.

It seems as though British Airways is using its money wisely with so many new developments. Admirably, the airline is also making these changes alongside investment in the environment since it has now begun carbon offsetting its domestic flights.

Do you like the look of the new lounges? Will you be using them? Let us know in the comments below!