Delta One Lounge LAX
After an extended visit to her JFK sister earlier in the day, I swung by the Delta One Lounge LAX later that night. Leading up to this trip, I primarily focused on the New York location, but I was still intrigued to experience the west coast version. Given the early morning and long day I had already been through, I must admit I was tempted to skip the second one and just head to the Oceana Santa Monica. But I withstood that urge, as I didn’t know when I’d be eligible to access the Delta One Lounge LAX again. Here’s what I thought of my abbreviated visit.
Arrival
I arrived at the Delta One Lounge LAX located in terminal 3, on the other side of the airport’s best Delta Sky Club and security, a bit after 7 pm. Unlike the JFK version, this LAX lounge has a doorman outside. The agent quickly scanned the boarding pass for my arriving flight and welcomed me in.
I knew the LAX lounge was substantially smaller than the JFK version. Indeed, while JFK comes in at 39k square feet, LAX is approximately 10k square feet, about a quarter of the size. For what it’s worth, LAX didn’t feel that much tinier than those numbers suggest. Perhaps that’s because I didn’t spend any substantial time on the Sky Decks in either location (JFK’s is much bigger), and LAX’s version was very low occupancy for the entirety of my stay. Regardless, don’t let the small footprint scare you. I’m confident Delta makes up for it with their relatively exclusive Delta One Lounge access policy.
Food and Beverage
Delta One Lounge LAX offers a surprisingly wide array of dining options in a small location. The club crafts fresh sushi and bento boxes, seemingly throughout its opening hours. A few workers were making the items during my evening visit. And while Delta doesn’t officially flaunt a full-service restaurant in this location like they do with the Brasserie in JFK, they offer what I found to be a similarly robust experience at LAX.
After taking a look around the club, I plopped my bags down in what I thought was a normal lounge area. It turns out this was one of the club’s main dining areas, something I discovered when a waiter promptly arrived. He presented a quite extensive menu and confirmed the entirety can be served anywhere in the lounge. I doubt that’s a standard option with Brasserie fare at JFK.
I opted for a Pacifico (no draft beer, unfortunately), along with a Caesar salad and margherita pizza – neither which I came close to finishing. The salad was a bit large, unsurprising based on my experience earlier in the day. The woodfired pizza was delightful and a fitting end to my decadent day of consumption. I skipped dessert.
Amenities and Service
Like the JFK location, the LAX spot offers spa and wellness options, such as massage chairs and nap pods. The perky attendant welcomed me into the spa, describing the entire menu. Of special note, the rep didn’t mention any attendant-provided treatments like I received at JFK. I’m unsure if this was due to smaller lounge limitations or the later hour I was visiting.
Service was on par with what I experienced at JFK – consistently above average. Something I found disarming at first, then a bit superfluous was the waiter asking my name and then insisting to say it in every interaction. It sounded sincere, like he was told referring to a customer by name is a good thing. But the level he repeated my name was a bit offputting, to the point of sounding sarcastic. I quickly snapped back to reality, though, especially when I heard him handle another lounge guest the same way.
Delta One Lounge LAX – Conclusion
I won’t be focusing on the Delta One Lounge LAX as much in the future for two reasons – I’m closer to JFK and it offers more. But in and of itself, the LAX version shines. Whether at JFK or LAX, these Delta offerings bring me to largely forget other premium club options domestically. I’ll continue seeking out other Delta One Lounges, whether it’s the teeny-tiny BOS location or future ones. I can’t wait! I also can’t remember the last time I thought that about anything.
Can’t believe you didn’t show the private TSA security. That was one of the highlights of my experience. No lines just an agent dedicated to D1.
He entered the lounge on the air side upon arrival.
And, the Flagship First Dining at LAX remains closed . . . waiting for the upcharge opportunity . . . in spite of its cost already being embedded in the ticket price. But, when finally reopened, it will undoubtedly fall short of what Delta One has rolled out. As you have called it Benjy.
I’d expect the same of AA, Lee. But even if FFD returned there, I’d be oddly intrigued to experience it.