Lounge Review: Delta’s New LAX SkyClub

Delta’s SkyClubs have always been amongst my favorite U.S. airline domestic lounges, aside from business class lounges such as United’s Polaris lounge and American’s Flagship lounge. Not only do I find that they typically have better food and beverage offerings, but I have found the experience to be consistently good.

Delta has been renovating a number of their SkyClubs, and after checking out their gorgeous new lounge in Salt Lake City, I have been curious to see their other newer sites. When they opened the lounge in LAX, feedback was overwhelmingly positive, so I was excited to see this before my inaugural flight to Tahiti, which was on Saturday, December 16th. 

This article is part of my Trip Report: Winter Holidays in French Polynesia that includes:

• Lounge Review: Delta’s New LAX SkyClub
• Inaugural Flight Celebrations on Delta LAX to Tahiti
• Flight Review: Delta Economy LAX-PPT
• Hotel Review: Hilton Tahiti Resort
• Room Review: Hilton Tahiti King Residence Suite
• Flight Review: Air Tahiti PPT-BOB 
• Hotel Review: St Regis Bora Bora Resort
• Hotel Transfer: Chartering a Private Boat in Bora Bora!
• Hotel Review: Conrad Bora Bora Nui Resort
• Room Review: Conrad Bora Bora Nui Deluxe Overwater Villa with Pool
• Day of Departure in Moorea: My Thoughts

Location

Shortly after clearing security in terminal 3 at LAX, is the entrance to Delta’s newest SkyClub. As long as you make sure to turn right, you won’t miss it.

Just inside the doors of the SkyClub were plenty of agents to help with check in, although this is pretty much a self-serve process, which involved scanning my boarding pass and then swiping my Amex Platinum before it gave me the go ahead to proceed into the lounge. The agent on service could have been of help if anything had gone wrong. 

Just outside the club is a rope, which I presume is there to help with cueing if it fills to capacity. However, even during a peak travel day ,there was no line to get into the lounge (likely because everyone was stuck at the horrendously long lines at check-in).

The Space

After going up the escalators, I found the lounge to be exceptionally bright and open. To the left, there are help desks with agents available to answer questions, and to the right, is the first of two buffets. 

There were also two small kiosks for those interested in signing the waitlist for a shower. I immediately signed-up, not knowing how long it would take, and surprisingly learned that a shower room was immediately available. When having multiple legs to a flight, a quick shower can be really nice. Having had a good experience with Delta’s shower suites in the past, I needed to check this one out and an attendant quickly found a room for me. 

At first glance, the room is impressively clean and there were towels wrapped in twine.

Additionally, the marble accent in the shower, as well as the more traditional marble throughout, makes the suite aesthetically pleasing. It was nice to briefly calm down before returning to the chaos of the airport (and the lounge for that matter). 

The lounge has plenty of seating with a variety of options from tables to couches. I think that a highlight for many people doing work while they wait for their plane are the phone rooms that Delta opted to install since the lounge is quite noisy. 

For the av-geeks, the highlight will be the outdoor terrace that has a bar, as well as plenty of seating for all of the plane-spotting your heart desires. Especially on long travel days, it is nice to get a breath of fresh air (minus the smell of jet fuel) between long flights.

The artwork and attention to detail in the space really stood out to me. It has awesome lighting choices and beautifully decorated areas. 

Food and Beverage

I think the food and beverage is where Delta really shines above its legacy carrier counterparts in the U.S.. Although I was only in the lounge for the breakfast hours of food offerings, the variety was appreciated. 

The fruit, cheese and meat options, and a variety of breads were expected . However, the addition of pastries and other items such as chia pudding and overnight oats were right up my alley. Touches like this are not costly by any means for the lounge and make the experience more enjoyable. 

There is also a hot bar where an attendant helps customize your own breakfast taco. They did look good, but since I was in a time pinch, I opted for something I could immediately grab. 

Finally, the beverage offerings are diverse. In addition to the normal bar offerings including non-alcoholic and alcoholic drinks, both inside and outside, there are self-serve drink dispensers including coffee, hot water, and a specialty coffee machine that makes cappuccinos and lattes. Finally, there is a Coke freestyle machine that I am sure could supply nearly any carbonated soft drink you could want. 

Long story short, no one should go hungry or thirsty in this lounge. Also, many food offerings, though not all, had allergy information listed, so be on the lookout. 

The Last Point

Despite many people’s dissatisfaction with SkyClubs due to overcrowding, I have rarely had an issue with this. I enjoy the access via my Amex Platinum card, although I could understand why elite members may be annoyed from recent access changes. 

Overall, the lounge is well designed, both the physical space as well as the beverage and food options. Was this lounge mind blowing and lavish? No. But, it did the trick, and it offered what I needed and wanted before a long haul flight. 

I look forward to seeing if Delta has an exclusive business class lounge in the future but until then, I am very happy with their current offering in Los Angeles.