For travelers with the cash—or frequent flier miles—to burn, passing through LAX just got a whole lot more luxurious with the Delta One Lounge.
Open as of today within Terminal 3, Delta’s brand-new premium lounge is the second of its kind. The first Delta One Lounge, which debuted at JFK earlier this year, set the tone with a personalized, white-glove approach to customer service, a full-service complimentary food and drink menu, and other upscale amenities. A third location is scheduled to open at Boston Logan International by the end of this year.
Access is usually only granted to ticket holders of Delta One, the Atlanta-based domestic airline’s highest seating class on international flights and certain long-haul domestic routes, including L.A. to NYC. (If you’re flying first or business class on certain Delta partner airlines, or a member of Delta 360, an invite-only frequent flier status tier, you can also access any of the Delta One Lounges.)
Though I typically cover L.A.’s sprawling, ever-changing food and drink scene, I experienced the Delta One Lounge through an exclusive press preview the day before the grand opening. I happened to already be at the airport while flying back from FORM, a Phoenix-area music festival, and decided to give Delta’s newest lounge a whirl. While there, I sampled cocktails, coffee and a handful of menu items, tried out one of the massage chairs and even took a shower in one of the reserved suites available at the immediately adjacent Sky Club, which Delta One customers also have access to.
LAX’s Delta One Lounge comes in at quarter of the size of the version at JFK (where the terminal itself is considerably larger), but the approximately 200-person occupancy space still offers a robust array of full-service food and drink items. There’s also a slate of extremely cushy travel perks, including a dimly lit wellness area, additional shower amenities and secondary screens to connect to your laptop. Like the original at JFK, the new Lounge is designed for those with a few hours to kill or linger—so if you’re in a hurry, you’re better off grabbing a meal at the Sky Club.
Since I was already post-security, I entered through the Sky Club, Delta’s preexisting business class lounge. The larger, far busier space offers more casual grab-and-go offerings, plus an entire hall of shower suites for certain ticket holders or frequent flier program members. (Two of these are set aside solely for Delta One passengers.) Most travelers accessing the Lounge will enter through the dedicated Delta One check-in area, which features a private TSA screening line and direct access to both Sky Club and Delta One lounges.
Elegant floral arrangements and a distinctive, highly calming scent—a proprietary, allergy-friendly blend—immediately apart the Delta One Lounge from the Sky Club. Inside, a pair of bartenders were already mixing drinks behind the gleaming emerald quartzite bar with brass accents. My boyfriend and I took a seat at the white marble countertop and ordered from the destination-inspired drink menu.
He opted for the HND Cucumber Lychee Chuhai (a.k.a. shochu highball), named after one of Tokyo’s two major airports, and I ordered the LAX La La Land Martini. Both drinks were expertly made. The HND offered a refreshing, spa water-like experience, while the much stronger LAX left a pleasing citrus aftertaste courtesy of a few drops of Meyer lemon olive oil.
Next, before a formal tour of the space, I ordered a cappuccino from the espresso machine. One of them features a slightly gimmicky-yet-fun 2-D latte art printer, which I used to upload and print the Time Out logo on top of my drink. Unlike most domestic airline lounges designed for efficiency and speed, almost every perk at the Delta One Lounge comes with an actual attendant, up to and including full-service dining. While waiting for more travel writers to arrive, I chose from a buffet-style array of pastries and sweets, including bonbons from Culver City’s Milla Chocolates, one of the best chocolate shops in Los Angeles.
On the tour itself, a Delta representative led us through the various indoor seating areas, including the “library” lounge, semi-separate dining room and curtained wellness area. Elements of modernism and Art Deco, as well as accent pillows by Missoni, gave every part of the space a luxurious feel. Thoughtfully curated pieces of modern art from around the world adorn the walls. As with other airline lounges, some seating arrangement and tables are clearly geared towards sit-down meals, while others are designed for solo business travelers likely trying to get some work done.
What stood out to me the most, however, were two aspects: the small, immaculately landscaped outdoor terrace, which overlooks the tarmac and the on-site sushi bar, currently exclusive to LAX. At the end of the tour, my boyfriend and I decided to have a meal outside. We tried two more cocktails, the housemade bucatini, two out of three rotating destination-themed bento boxes (there’s normally just one available at a time) and a few of the sushi items. All of them were delicious, well-made and a cut above the usual airport fare.
Afterwards, I decided to try out one of the shower suites and one of the massage chairs. Unlike many of the other lifestyle writers and journalists at the preview, I’d actually gotten off a plane that afternoon. A Delta One Lounge staff member led me over through an emergency exit door to the Sky Club’s shower suites. There, a shower attendant showed me to a spotless bathroom complete with complimentary plush robe.
Compared to other Delta SkyMiles members who can reserve suites, Delta One Lounge guests receive a handful of extra items, including deodorant, a shaving kit, menstrual pads and tampons, and a gentle facial cleanser from Grown Alchemist, the cruelty-free, vegan high-end skincare line. You’re also able to get your clothes steamed or pressed and your shoes shined—a boon for time-strapped business travelers who want to look their best.
Next, I booked a 15-minute massage chair session in the wellness area, which is curtained off from the rest of the lounge. It’s worth noting that unlike the Delta One Lounge at JFK, there aren’t any massage therapists or facials available. The space only offers eight curtained “pods” with either traditional massage chairs or zero-gravity recliners, where you can slip Hyperice recovery sleeves onto your legs.
My particular attendant took me through the various ambient soundtracks available with my massage chair, and checked on me halfway through my session. With the curtains closed, the relaxing treatment was the perfect way to unwind after waking up at 5am—and certainly after attending a three-day music festival in almost 100-degree heat. Once I finished my treatment, another staff member offered me one of the infused waters, and I sampled even more Grown Alchemist skincare products available on a tray within the space.
To be honest, I’d only budgeted an hour for the Delta One Lounge press preview, but I enjoyed myself so much I ended up staying almost the entire afternoon. That’s after getting up at five o’clock, plus a long morning of traveling by car and then plane. If that’s not a stamp of approval, I don’t know what is.