That $4–5 bottle of water by your T1 United gate
Hudson News in Terminal 1 sits in United territory and basically runs as the default convenience store for UA flyers who forgot something. Expect classic airport pricing: snacks at roughly double 7‑Eleven prices and basic bottled water in the $4–5 range. It’s all post‑security, so you’re paying for not having to backtrack or detour to another terminal.
Hours track the United bank schedule, roughly 5:00 a.m. to late evening, so you can grab something before a 6:00 a.m. departure or on a 9:30 p.m. arrival. Food and drinks are where the markup hits hardest, while magazines and paperback books sit much closer to cover price. If you want a $12 bag of candy before a transcon out of T1, this is where you’ll end up.
Accessories are exactly what FlyerTalk regulars complain about: basic Lightning or USB‑C cables at about 3x Amazon, generic power banks that can run $40–60, and over‑ear headphones that feel like a $9 item priced at $29.99. A United flyer on Reddit calls it “highway robbery for bottled water,” but also admits that if you forgot a cable before a 5‑hour flight, there aren’t many alternatives near those gates.
What regulars do: they hit CVS or Target downtown Chicago, toss snacks and a name‑brand cable in their bag, and treat Hudson as true emergency backup only. If you do walk in, buy print media or a single specific item, then step away from the coolers to avoid impulse damage to your credit card.
Tip: If you need a charger in T1, price the smallest compatible cable only, skip the bundle, and keep the receipt in case it fails mid‑trip.