Review: American Airlines Flagship Lounge, Los Angeles LAX
By Chris C., December 22 2017
Country
United States
City
Los Angeles (CA)
Airport
Los Angeles (LAX)
Alliance
oneworld
Airline
American Airlines
Cabin-class
Business & First
Notes
The Good
- Bollinger Champagne
- Extensive buffet dining for most guests
- Separate dining room for first class flyers
The Bad
- No barista coffee, bartender service
- Lack of privacy for first class flyers outside the dining room
X-Factor
- Generous guest list provides access for most business travellers
Introduction
American Airlines' new Flagship Lounge at Los Angeles Airport welcome both business class and first class travellers along with Qantas Gold and Platinum-grade frequent flyers, being a step-up from your typical Admirals Club.
For example, all food and beverage comes free-of-charge – including Champagne – with high-speed WiFi, ample power points and a business centre for productive road warriors.
There's a separate dining area reserved for American Airlines' first class passengers jetting to New York or on long-haul international flights, although most of the lounge is easily accessible, including to Qantas passengers flying to Australia.
Join Australian Business Traveller as we put AA's newest airport lounge to the test on a recent journey through LAX, from the perspective of an international business class passenger.
Location & Impressions
After clearing security at LAX Terminal 4 (or coming across from TBIT via the airside terminal connector), follow the signs marked 'Admirals Club'.
I found this a tad confusing at first because I was looking for the Flagship Lounge, not the Admirals Club, which American Airlines normally regards as two separate facilities.
I also initially walked straight past the unassuming entrance while hunting for the next blue directional sign, but eventually spotted the small doorway across from Gate 40.
Once inside, present your boarding pass to the agents in the lobby, and if you're entitled to access the Flagship Lounge, you'll receive a black invitation:
Take that invitation upstairs, and rather than venturing right for the Admirals Club, turn left instead towards the Flagship Lounge sign, and surrender the card for access.
The Flagship Lounge offers dedicated service desks just inside, with flight information screens at hand...
... and a variety of zones catering to travellers planning on relaxing, working or dining.
Access
- American Airlines' first class and business class passengers on flights to Australia, New Zealand, Asia, Central America, Europe, Mexico City and South America, plus New York JFK
- First class and business class flyers of other Oneworld airlines, such as Qantas, when flying to the same destinations
- Connecting passengers arriving on long-haul first and business class Oneworld flights continuing onto a short-haul Oneworld flight in any class of travel, including economy
- Qantas Gold, Platinum, Platinum One and Chairman's Lounge members prior to any flight with Qantas, American Airlines or any other Oneworld airline to any destination, including USA domestic travel
- Oneworld Sapphire and Emerald frequent flyers, other than those belonging to the American Airlines AAdvantage scheme, prior to any Oneworld flight to any destination
- American Airlines ConciergeKey cardholders departing on or connecting to any Oneworld domestic or international flight
- American Airlines Platinum, Platinum Pro and Executive Platinum members taking a Oneworld flight to Australia, Asia, Central America, Europe, Mexico City, New Zealand or South America only. No access for USA domestic travellers (including to Alaska, Hawaii and JFK) or on short-haul international trips to Bermuda, the Bahamas, Canada, the Caribbean and Mexico (except Mexico City).
Members of the Qantas Club and Admirals Club schemes have no access here unless also covered by one of the categories above, but can visit the neighbouring American Airlines Admirals Club lounge.
Dining
American Airlines offers two tiers of service within this lounge, with restaurant-style 'Flagship First Dining' for AA first class passengers jetting to New York JFK, Asia, Europe and South America, and buffet dining for everybody else.
If you're part of that first class set, you'll find your exclusive dining room tucked away on the far right of the lounge:
For everybody else, the main dining area is at the opposite end of the lounge, where you'll spot both long benches and individual dining tables.
To the side of that are the buffet counters – and rather than having only six or so items available plus a few salads, as in the old Flagship Lounge, the new lounge brings some much welcome variety.
A array of lighter bites can be found at one end, with the individually-plated beef tenderloin atop arugula salad with horseradish cream proving particularly tasty...
... continuing with more substantial salads, where the sweet chilli turkey and green papaya dish in particular was nice and fresh...
... and, of course, the hot food, such as chicken wings and steamed fish...
... through to vegetables, stir fry, curry and soups:
At the end of the buffet is a separate station serving up custom-prepared Vietnamese pho: a noodle soup, with your choice of chicken, prawns or tofu, mixed with a selection of fresh ingredients...
... and, for the sweet tooth, a range of dessert options – some being Christmas-themed given my December visit – aside other snacks like potato chips:
Beverage options include machine-made coffee, tea, juices and soft drinks from a counter in the lounge proper...
... with these same drinks available behind the buffet, along with local and imported beers in the fridge nearby...
... and an extensive range of spirits and liqueurs, which are all self-serve. There's another Coca Cola machine nearby, should you require a mixer, and wine within reach too.
But the highlight of this lounge is most certainly the Bollinger... lots of Bollinger.
You'll find it in the middle of the long dining bench, and yes, there are seats close by!
However, AA's Flagship Lounge does lack true restaurant dining and cocktail bartender service for most passengers – which Oneworld Emerald frequent flyers can experience one terminal over at LAX in the Qantas first class lounge – excepting the AA Flagship First Dining facility that most lounge guests can't access.
Work
For light work before your flight such as a quick email or two, perch yourself in one of the many comfy seats throughout the lounge...
... most of which offer cocktail tables for your drinks and snacks, and a reading light for your newspaper or work documents:
Those cocktail tables also house AC and USB power points: you'll just need to dig out your US power adaptor as there are no international plugs here.
You can also recharge by connecting your device to the base of each lamp, which again features USB and AC power, although these AC sockets don't accommodate three-pin plugs, so for larger gadgets like laptops, you'll need to plug these into a regular power point.
Fittingly, the lamps are your signal that extra power points are found nearby...
... and for any serious work, set yourself up at one of the laptop benches lining the windows, which again offer power and have three-pin AC outlets – it's just a shame there's not more of these, which would be handy at peak times:
A separate business zone provides desktop computers and printing facilities, with complimentary WiFi throughout the space.
After getting the day's password from reception, I measured download speeds of a staggering 201.3Mbps, uploads even faster at 266.2Mbps, and ping speeds of 4ms.
That's literally more than twice as fast as Australia's best-performing household NBN fibre plans, so even if multiple lounge guests are using the connection to stream HD video, you're unlikely to notice any difference in usability while browsing.
Relax
Pass the time before your flight by taking in views of the airfield from many of the floor-to-ceiling windows, which bring in plenty of natural light throughout the day...
... catch up on the latest news and happenings in sport in the TV viewing area...
... pick up some reading material, which you'll be able to devour in peace and quiet as boarding calls aren't made here, so keep an eye on the flight information screens as your flight draws closer...
... head to the dedicated 'quiet area' for some solitude or a nap on one of the recliners (which were in use during my visit, and therefore not photographed)...
... or, freshen up before your flight in one of the many shower suites, with the keys for these available from the Flagship Lounge reception.
All that remains is to make it to your gate, and for passengers flying with American Airlines (including to Sydney and Auckland), there isn't far to walk, as these flights depart from Terminal 4 where the lounge is located...
... although passengers travelling with Qantas, or with other Oneworld airlines from the Tom Bradley International Terminal, will need to walk across to TBIT via the airside connector, which avoids the need to clear security again.
Don't exit Terminal 4 and walk to TBIT by going outside: make sure you follow the signage to 'Gates 130-159, Terminal B' within the airport's secure area...
... otherwise, you might end up stuck in a queue like this one, as I observed while taking that (queue-free) airside walk between T4 and TBIT:
All in all, American Airlines' Flagship Lounge at LAX is a solid space for business class passengers to spend some time pre-flight, and a great alternative to the Oneworld Business Lounge in TBIT for business class passengers and Oneworld Sapphire frequent flyers in particular.
However, for international first class flyers, the Flagship Lounge itself is a bit underwhelming compared to the neighbouring Qantas First Lounge.
Granted, there's the separate Flagship First Dining space which elevates that part of the experience, but for the remainder of your visit, you're in the same lounge as practically everyone else: and in the home of Hollywood, many first class passengers would preference privacy above all else.
Chris Chamberlin travelled to Los Angeles as a guest of Qantas: a Oneworld alliance partner of American Airlines.
Chris is a a former contributor to Executive Traveller.
15 Feb 2013
Total posts 163
Slight correction on the internet speed: nbn offers a 1gbps product (5x faster than the above speed). Only one retail service provider currently offers this in Launceston (yes, Tassie has the fastest internet in the country) but it will likely appear elsewhere once the demand appears. Given most people select 25mbps or less though, it might be some time away.
United Airlines - Mileage Plus
12 Sep 2011
Total posts 332
So no separate dining room for First passengers like in JFK where the buffet is only outside of the Flagship First Dining Room which is small, exclusive and is managed by excellent staff? Outside of the First Dining Room at JFK its just like a glorified Business Lounge in Australia Germany Switzerland Recently used JFK Flagship Lounge for F JFK-SFO on AA and a few days later F JFK-HKG on CX
24 Apr 2012
Total posts 2432
There's the separate Flagship First Dining room for AA Flagship First passengers as mentioned in the article, but outside of those dining tables, the rest of the lounge is shared with everybody else.
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
25 Jul 2017
Total posts 3
So coming off business QF95 Mel-LAX then onto a AA business flight to Las Vegas a few hours later. Do I qualify to use this lounge? QF Gold status.
24 Apr 2012
Total posts 2432
Yes, as covered in the Access section, you'd have access as a long-haul international business class passenger connecting to a short-haul flight, and also by way of your Qantas Gold status.
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
28 Jul 2016
Total posts 106
How would you rate the Flagship First dining against the Qantas First Lounge at LAX?
24 Apr 2012
Total posts 2432
Flagship First Dining isn't part of this review.
12 Dec 2012
Total posts 1029
The LAX F lounge looks a lot like the JFK lounge.
When did it open? It was still under construction when I was in LAX in mid Oct.
Might have been easier to say that the TBIT-T4 airside connector is beside Gate 41.
AA also has a number of gates in T5. The LAX-JFK flights have been using T5 gates recently.
24 Apr 2012
Total posts 2432
It's a newbie: opened just last week.
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
21 Jun 2017
Total posts 39
Side note, Offering looks better than the new QF lounge in LHR.
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
22 Jul 2015
Total posts 219
Will post a view. In London and heading home in a few days so will check out the LHR QF lounge. My favourites are Singapore, HK and TBIT so let's see. The AA lounge looks terrific
14 Nov 2017
Total posts 2
LAX-SYD AA First Class Seat 2A
23 Feb 2015
Total posts 260
So if QF gold flying QF is it worth the walk to T4 for this lounge or better staying in TBIT and heading into the QF business lounge?
24 Oct 2010
Total posts 2560
We'll do a more direct comparison between them in the new year, Steve, but at first glance the AA Flagship lounge looks to beat the Qantas/Oneworld business class lounge.
23 Feb 2015
Total posts 260
Terrific, thanks David. Happy holidays to you
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
18 Jun 2015
Total posts 105
The access list is interesting. So really the only difference between the Flagship vs Admirals club is that paid memberships (Qantas Club & Admirals Club). Are flagship lounges meant to be a step above in quality and service compared to Admirals clubs?
Qantas
19 Apr 2012
Total posts 1427
Sdtravel in the Admirals Club you have to pay for any food above a veggie stick and dip or soup and any grog above a house plonk or v average beer. The difference is in the extent of choice and free hot food. As QF gold in the Admirals Club you also get a couple of drink vouchers. As platinum you may get more (vouchers that is).
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