Virgin Australia and Delta are moving to LAX Terminals 2, 3
By David Flynn, July 21 2016
Virgin Australia and its US partner Delta Air Lines will move to LAX Terminals 2 and 3 by the middle of 2017.
The terminals will be renovated and joined together in a US$2 billion development, Delta Air Lines Vice President Ranjan Goswani told Australian Business Traveller at a media event in Los Angeles to launch Virgin Australia’s new Boeing 777 business class.
Virgin currently flies into and out of the Tom Bradley International Terminal, although checkin is done at T3, while Delta operates out of the dated T5 and parts of T6.
"We've been working on this for the last two years now" Goswani says of the shift, which will see T2 and T3 and developed into "a state of the art complex."
"We'll renovate T2 and completely redevelop T3, which needs to be razed and redone" Goswani explains, "and link the two with a whole new checkin facility."
Concept image: revealing the look of the new T2/3 facility...
Goswani expects the new terminals will "probably open in the April-May timeframe, definitely in Q2," with an airside link to TBIT also planned to allow easy connections between Delta and its SkyTeam partners Air France, Alitalia, China Eastern and China Southern.
The shift will also shorten connection times for Virgin Australia passengers transferring onto Delta flights, although it means that Virgin Australia’s business class travellers and top-tier frequent flyers will no longer enjoy access to the highly-regarded Star Alliance business class (pictured) and first class lounges at TBIT.
Instead, Virgin Australia passengers will use one of two all-new Sky Club lounges at T2 and T3 depending on the gates used by their onwards Delta flight.
But Goswani promises that Delta’s all-new Sky Club lounge will eclipse the Star Alliance lounge with "better food and complimentary alcoholic beverages from top-shelf bar menus."
There'll also be an outdoor terrace which Goswani says will be "much more than a verandah."
The new T2/T3 complex will also boast a Delta One check-in lounge as already seen over at Terminal 5...
Relax in the exclusive Delta One check-in lounge in Terminal 5...
... for the exclusive use of Delta One business class passengers, including on flights to Sydney and New York.
AusBT review: Delta One Boeing 767 business class, LA-NYC
Meanwhile, some 20 airlines currently in Terminals 2 and 3 – among them Air Canada, Virgin America, JetBlue and Qatar Airways – will move to Terminal 5, Goswani says.
"They're getting a brand new T5, which we redeveloped one and a half years ago at a cost of $230 million."
David Flynn travelled to Los Angeles as a guest of Virgin Australia.
Follow Australian Business Traveller on Twitter: we're @AusBT
David Flynn is the Editor-in-Chief of Executive Traveller and a bit of a travel tragic with a weakness for good coffee, shopping and lychee martinis.
Turkish Airlines - Miles & Smiles
08 Jun 2014
Total posts 262
Showers in Delta lounge up-kept like Star Alliance does? They were fantastic and clean and the Star Alliance was well serviced too.
United Airlines - Mileage Plus
29 Jan 2011
Total posts 157
I like the idea of a combined VA/DL terminal for the convenience factor, I just hope that the lounge benig proposed meets the standard of the existing lounge in TBIT and exceeds it.
I guess it will be a case of wait & see.
26 Apr 2016
Total posts 5
Would this impact Velocity Platinum access into the *A F lounge?
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
25 May 2012
Total posts 580
Yes, with the possible exception of flights or NZ or SQ.
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
02 Jul 2011
Total posts 1374
If they do as mentioned build a TBIT - T2/3 airside connection, then you could still use the Star Alliance lounge.
Much like you can use the oneworld TBIT lounges before departing AA from T4 or T5
24 Apr 2012
Total posts 2431
That's only true if Virgin Australia continues its current special agreement in LAX with NZ/Star Alliance, which it has little reason to do if there's a lounge in the terminal it departs from.
Virgin Australia not being a member of Star Alliance means that access isn't automatic, despite the Air NZ partnership.
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
30 Aug 2013
Total posts 13
I love the influence that Westfield is having in the entire redevelopment of LAX - the transormations of TBIT and Terminal 1 are astonishing and once the remaining terminals are completed LAX will be no longer be "as bad" of an airport to transit through.
30 Jul 2015
Total posts 104
I agree! Also a monorail is planned to linked all the terminals to a new central car rental depot...and a new metrorail (subway system) currently being built will go to Hollywood and Downtown.
24 Apr 2015
Total posts 128
when is monorail planned to be completed ?
28 May 2016
Total posts 127
Will be great for transfers for VA and DL pax, but apart from that I don't think the terminal swap will be that great.
It is hard to get excited about the lounges operated by US carriers and I don't think that the DL will be better than the *A lounge. So a bit of a step down in quality for lounge dwellers.
Virgin Australia - Velocity Rewards
07 Dec 2015
Total posts 54
Yes, the TBIT *A lounge is something else, the bar has been set very high! I will miss the easy connection to VX at T3 though. So easy to walk next door..
Air New Zealand - Airpoints
05 Nov 2014
Total posts 65
A better lounge than the Star Alliance one?
How silly do Delta think we are? This will be a primarily domestic lounge - probably with Business Class international passengers given a voucher for one glass of wine. Just look at the United Clubs - or the awful Delta Sky Club lounge in T5 - to see just how cheap and nasty domestic catering is.
And even for soft drinks you have to order at the bar - and leave a tip.
This is a step backwards for Virgin Australia passengers.
20 May 2015
Total posts 579
I understand your skepticism, but do remember American is improving their lounges substantially, and United are introducing the Polaris lounges too. It makes sense Delta could up the ante in LAX to compete. They could always have a special "lounge within a lounge" for Delta One/International And Transcon Business passengers also.
31 Mar 2016
Total posts 619
Agreed. Too many critics here are already commenting on the badly done ending before the book itself was even published....all based on the pre-conceived notions about an author(And his/her American peers competing for the same readers) who is rapidly evolving in recent yrs.
I hv used DL SkyClub @ NRT hub numerous times and except JL's & NH's, it has been @ least on-par with the others there(And clearly better than the CX's, KE's or BA's lounge @ NRT) all along. The SkyClub recently built @ DL's hub in JFK T4 is also amazing(1st SkyClub with the outdoor sky deck) and more new ones following the same style/theme/caterings will be popping up @ the ATL and SEA hubs. I hv no reason to doubt the upcoming SkyClub @ LAX T2+3 will differ fm the new batch of DL lounges designed in recent yrs.
There's also a biz imperative for DL to seriously upgrade SkyClubs: Its deeply+extensively integrated JV with VS
Their lounge standards must be aligned for the JV to be effective particularly for J segment pax.
31 Mar 2016
Total posts 619
"Just look at the....SkyClub lounge in T5 - to see just how cheap and nasty domestic catering is."
Which is certainly 1 perspective(i.e based more on historic DL) to predict what the upcoming SkyClub @ T2+3 LAX will be like. Another valid perspective to predict can be based on what DL has done re its recent batch(i.e. More from current/future DL) of new SkyClubs already in op(JFK) or will be in op later this yr(SEA, ATL). e.g., I wouldn't describe the Moet Chandon, gelato AND live jazz in SkyClub this summer @ ATL hub as "cheap and nasty". Try Delta Sky Club News & Updates to learn more.
I believe the latter perspective is more likely than the former perspective re upcoming SkyClub @ T2+3 LAX.
Virgin Australia - Velocity Rewards
07 Dec 2014
Total posts 170
I wonder if this feeds into the fact that Virgin America is disappearing soonish, after being swallowed into Alaskan. So potentially Delta will be Virgin Australia's only US partner.
31 Mar 2016
Total posts 619
"I wonder if this feeds into the fact that Virgin America...swallowed into Alaskan."
It is. AS is based in T6 which is right nex to T5....where VX is moving into fm T3.
"...Virgin America is disappearing soonish."
U may be thrilled to learn that AS is now having 2nd thoughts about how to merge with VX. AS' CEO recently stated that they're reconsidering the possibility of maintaining VX as a separate brand permanently.
03 Sep 2014
Total posts 3
Virgin Atlantic has a VERY nice Clubhouse at T2....
03 Sep 2014
Total posts 3
Virgin Atlantic has a VERY nice Clubhouse at T2....
Virgin Australia - Velocity Rewards
30 Oct 2015
Total posts 61
As long as the security line beats TBIT - 45 minutes as VA Platinum last time......
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