I really dislike traveling through O’Hare Airport because it’s so large and because it’s inconvenient to get to from downtown Chicago. Fortunately, I have found an alternative to O’Hare in its airport neighbor to its south, Midway Airport. It’s much smaller, but I find its experience much more pleasant on a number of fronts.
Ease of transportation to and from the airport. Midway Airport is about a half hour from downtown Chicago, compared with about double that time to O’Hare. In addition, it is quicker by the CTA Orange Line. Midway also wins the battle when it comes to parking. Though there is not as much parking at Midway, it is easier to use surface lots or short term lots because they are closer physically to the airport.
The security line. Midway beats O’Hare , hands down, when it comes to the TSA security line. Not are lines shorter, but they are also quicker because of TSA ‘s ski-slope-like coding system. I would suggest that you only need to arrive an hour and a half before your flight if you are flying out of Midway, instead of two hours before if you are flying out of O’Hare.
Gate amenities. Midway is not an exciting place, so don’t plan to spend more time in it than you must. The restaurants are few, and there is no mini shopping mall like there is in O’Hare. If you are stranded for any length of time, I would even suggest leaving the airport and traveling downtown rather than trying to stick it out at Midway. The most abundant store is the newspaper stand.
Airlines serving Midway. Midway is a hub for Southwest Airlines at the time of this article’s composition. United Airlines, American Airlines, and others serve Midway. Most foreign flights do not serve it, and do not except the same flight availability as you would find at O’Hare. In fact, flights through Midway can be slightly more expensive than at O’Hare because most carriers prefer O’Hare.
Baggage claim. I find baggage claim much more pleasant at Midway because it is a smaller airport. Not only is the physical distance to baggage claim shorter, but the wait time for luggage is less because there are fewer flights daily. Sometimes my bags are already on the carousel by the time I deplane. I don’t get that speed at O’Hare.
Traveling with children. If traveling with children, I would suggest you choose O’Hare Airport versus Midway. For starters, O’Hare has more things for children to do. It even has a children’s museum. Also, it has better bathroom facilities including changing facilities. Finally, O’Hare has more food options for picky eaters than Midway.
Overall, I believe Midway Airport wins out if you prefer easy transportation to and from the airport, short security lines, and a pleasant baggage claim. Midway Airport does have its drawbacks, so keep that in mind while scheduling flights. Happy flying!
