Chicago Midway Airport
Lasting Impressions....
Memorable comments left by travellers:
"I was so panicked and desperate that I actually made a shuttle trip out to O'Hare to see if I could get anything there. Of course, there was nothing so I had to come all the way back." (steverino)
"I was assured by some idiots that there would be lockers at midway. Well, no lockers, needless to say." (Kim)
"what a nice lullaby, announcement, which say, you have to leave airport after midnight and before 5AM if you are not airport employee or security staff" (Bryan)
"Concourse B is very big and cozy. I slept in a chair and time flew by." (nt)
"It [was] transformed into a kind of cruel, bizarre, Chicago-themed amusement park." (?)
"I rifled through my backpack and produced my hiking tent, which we proceeded to set up right there at the gate on the carpeted floor.... We decided to take the annoyance up a notch by cooking some ramen on the camp stove." (?)
"THE DUMP" (?)
FEATURED REVIEWS
by steverino, 10/29/2009
This was my first experience sleeping in an airport and, while it was not the best travelling experience I have ever had, it was certainly not the worst. I missed a 6:30 pm flight to Detroit a couple of weeks ago and realized I would have to wait until the following morning before leaving. Unfortunately, I think the only mistake I made was actually leaving the area beyond Security (since there might have been some good sleeping spots there). However, I was so panicked and desperate that I actually made a shuttle trip out to O'Hare to see if I could get anything there. Of course, there was nothing so I had to come all the way back.
I was heartened, in arriving back at Midway around 10 pm, for two reasons - one, that I was actually allowed back into the airport and two, that I was not the only one having to spend the night. Many other travellers had already claimed their sleeping areas and, unfortunately, all of the couches on the concourse were already taken.
However, I eventually made my way down to the baggage area and chose a spot at the far end, next to a baggage carousel. As I was still not entirely sure I would not be kicked out, I wanted to be as far out of the way as possible (technically, I was not even a legitimate passenger since I had only my expired boarding pass and could not get a new boarding pass until until the following morning). This ended up not being the best of decisions since a) the baggage carousel ended up running until 2 am and b) my chosen bench was directly under a loudspeaker, whose timed announcements continued throughout the night. Needless to say, I don't think I ever fell completely asleep. However, in trying to sleep, I was passed many times by security personnel as well as someone who seemed to be a mid-level manager of some kind. Not once was I even approached ...
All in all, not the worst place to get stranded but if you do, claim your couch upstairs (next to the ticketing counters) as early as possible. Otherwise, the benches in Baggage are not bad (many are without armrests) but be prepared for the rumbling of carousels and timed loudspeaker announcements.
by kclibby
I decided to sleep at Midway because I had a 5:45am flight. (Important: if you plan on sleeping on Midway the night prior to your morning flight, you need to know that the Orange Line on the L stops running around midnight each night, so if you don't head out early enough the night before, you will get stuck at a station at the loop waiting for a train that will never come.) The worst thing about the airport is that nobody is allowed in the concourses between midnight and 4:30am, so the sleeping options are limited to the three floors of the terminal. I slept on the third floor at the end on a row of seats thankfully without armrests between the seats. They were cushioned, but it was hard to get comfortable because of the spaces between the seats. People were constantly talking around me (one lady seemed to be breaking up with her husband over her cell phone due to another woman - I woke up at 4:30 to find her asleep on the other end of the same row of seats I slept on). I would avoid flying out of Midway at all costs next time I travel to Chicago - O'Hare was much better. But in the end, it wasn't a disaster. At least the place was clean and nobody bothered me.
Airport Guide
Here is some information that we've picked out of from your reviews. Be sure to read the review pages for the most up-to-date experiences:
- limited cushioned benches in ticketing area
- bright
- 3rd floor ticketing area is good for sleep
- friendly and helpful staff
Discount Travel Links
- Hostels and Budget Accommodation - I've booked my own accommodation on this site. If you are too old for hostels and too cheap for hotels, like me, you'll find some good properties. They offer dorms, private rooms, B&Bs, Apartments.
