The New Delta One Lounge at LAX Has an Outdoor Terrace, a Wellness Room, and Lots of Local Touches
The airline's latest premium offering opens October 10.
Courtesy of Delta Air Lines
When Delta Air Lines launched the first-of-its-kind Delta One Lounge at the JFK airport in June, people were thrilled. In fact, it’s now Delta’s highest rated lounge, according to Delta Air Lines. Now the airline hopes the concept holds up in a different space–LAX. The new lounge here will open its doors on Thursday October 10. (Spoiler, I saw it and have to say… I think it will.)
One of the biggest differences between the Delta One Lounge at JFK and the one here at LAX is size. JFK’s is nearly four times as big space-wise, but the 10,280 square feet of the lounge at LAX still has plenty of the features that one would expect from the premium lounge — a big, beautiful bar, a restaurant area, an outdoor terrace, and even a wellness room with massage chairs. It has 191 seats and is accessible to customers traveling with a same-day departing or arriving Delta One ticket, or Delta 360 members traveling to any destination with a same-day departing or arriving first class ticket.
Samantha Leal/Travel + Leisure
“While we were not able to replicate the entire DNA of JFK, we picked up what we needed. So number one, our goal is to align with the [level of the] onboard service, which you don't have today in the regular Sky Club,” says Claude Roussel, VP of Sky Clubs and Lounge Experience in an interview with Travel+Leisure. He notes there are touches of LA throughout, including partnerships with local female-led business like Sqirl for jams, The Butcher’s Daughter for juices, and Milla Chocolates for chocolates. The fish tacos and street corn pizza on the menu were done in order to instill and celebrate the “LA vibe.”
When it comes to food, the menu is plentiful. It features a la carte options including the aforementioned Street Corn Pizza and Crispy Fish Tacos as well as Bucatini Verde (with fresh pasta made daily). You can be served these options coursed out or all at once, whatever your preference (or timing). For those who want something quick but tasty, there’s also a rotating Bento Box option featuring four “courses”, as well as a fresh-made and working sushi bar. There’s a dessert table, as well as ice cream sundaes and cheese plates.
Along with wellness drinks one can find a variety of cocktails, wines, and spirits you can order, as well as a full bar. You can also order reserve wine and spirits, both by the glass and by the bottle, for purchase with money or miles. I tried the complimentary Sleepy British Bee, a take on the Bee’s Knees, and loved that it was refreshing yet calming, with chamomile and honey.
Speaking of calming, the wellness room is a quiet area that has 8 relaxation pods with Human Touch massage chairs and zero-gravity chairs. Hyperice tools like compression boots for even more relaxation (which you can reserve for the pods as well) are available. There are two Delta One shower suites, located at the adjacent Delta Sky Club. Everything is reservable via kiosks, and once your turn is secured, you’ll get a text with directions on where to go. (For the shower, an attendant will guide you to your specific shower.)
Samantha Leal/Travel + Leisure
The whole space felt lively and a nod to Los Angeles glam. The service is great (there’s an attendant always at the ready, and the team has been training for four weeks prior to open). The team learned from the New York opening that there’s not always time on everyone’s side, which is why patrons receive a welcome card detailing all the amenities offered, as well as a map of the gates (with walking estimates) from the lounge.
To get to the lounge, Delta One customers can check in at LAX at the special entry on the arrivals level of Terminal 3, which will then go up to the Delta One Lounge on the fourth floor. (If you get dropped at the regular check-in, you need only make your way down one level outdoors to find the specialized check-in, or go through regular security and then head to the Delta One Lounge.)
The next Delta One Lounges to open will be Boston (BOS) by end of year, and Seattle (SEA) in early 2025.
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