Airline review: Delta One airport lounge at LAX, Los Angeles
LAX is despised for being crowded, impossible to navigate and generally loathsome but this just-opened lounge takes the pain away.
LAX is despised for being crowded, impossible to navigate and thoroughly unpleasant but this just-opened lounge takes the pain away.
Location
LAX’s brand new Delta One Lounge changes the game by offering start-to-finish service at one of the world’s busiest airport hubs. From the moment I alight at Terminal Three, I enter a slipstream exclusive to Delta One passengers (the airline’s business class) and Delta 360 Medallion members. Behind kerbside sliding doors at Arrivals, a check-in area offers cushioned seating, bottled water, wine, Veuve Du Vernay Brut, hors d’oeuvres and M&Ms. Three staffed counters process ticketing with no weigh-in, and checked luggage is whisked away. After passing through the blissfully empty security process, an elite service staff member directs me via a lift to the directly connected 390sq m lounge upstairs.
Seating
The lounge’s design elements and artwork exude clubby warmth; seating for 200 spans several zones. Padded leather bar stools line the Icon Bar, under a shimmering gold feature ceiling that nods to LA’s starry status in the cultural firmament, earthed by leather and walnut accents and an emerald quartzite back bar. The open Lounge Bar, framed by palms and peace lilies, has oversized timber privacy pod chairs, a long communal marble table, and cafe tables at a sumptuous, velour banquette where I spy actor William Fichtner (Blades of Glory, The Dark Knight) pecking away on his smartphone. A neighbouring female traveller is lost in a crafternoon reverie, stitching a tapestry. The carpeted Living Room is cloistered behind a decorative screen and features leather swivel chairs and wooden pod seating for groups, along with Missoni accent pillows and coffee table books. The Sky Deck terrace has resort-style seating for 26, overlooking the comings and goings of Delta aircraft.
Food and drink
An adult playground atmosphere is conjured by full service to every seat, cocktails on loop (I recommend the moreish Sleepy British Bee, which contains gin, honey and lemon with chamomile buds), and a 360-degree tiered dessert selection (fruit jellies, fine chocolate and fluffy, tangy yuzu chiffon cakes).
Bento boxes, inspired by LAX Delta One destinations Paris, Tokyo and Boston, are handy if you’re in a rush. A sushi station has five varieties of fresh rolls; a la carte dishes such as viscous parsnip soup, crispy duck tacos, and hamachi crudo in a zingy orange ponzu sauce are delicious. The Dining Room has dramatically lit, fluted walnut panelling and a massive chandelier.
Work and tech
Up-to-date Omni power chargers are in abundance, including at the island work space in the library lounge, a space dedicated to quiet work where oversized wingback chairs create privacy and a “second screen” function allows business travellers to double their laptop workspace. Flight notifications come by app and wallboard.
Refresh
The Wellness Suite sets Delta One apart by providing a spa-like oasis. Eight cubicles each close with the swish of a double-height curtain, as you tilt backwards in an advanced zero-gravity recliner, with gentle thunder piped into your ears. Normatec Elite boots provide air compression for legs, brilliant for kickstarting sluggish circulation to allay the physical toll of flying.
A Venom 2 vibration heat belt melts away tension in the lower back. One male traveller, laid over for three hours en route to JFK, is enthralled by the octopus-like attentions of the advanced massage chair, exclaiming “I wish we were staying longer.”Shower suites are available and gender-neutral marble restrooms are single for privacy. High-end Grown Alchemist samples are a beauty bonus.
Extras
One-to-one attendant service means there is always someone to adjust your compression belt or serve your orange madeleine. Art curator Susan Nicole Gibbs adds personality with a refreshingly international collection.
The verdict
Delta One provides exceptional service-led dining, hotel-like glamour, and a wellness lounge that lets passengers press pause and actually enjoy their layover. By adding LAX to its JFK Delta One experience, Delta offers travellers a premium ground experience that bypasses the stress of going through one of the world’s most hated airports.
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