Qantas First Class Lounge LAX
There has been a lot of blog posts written about the Qantas First Class Lounge LAX. Many crown it the best lounge in the US. I had not visited until my visit prior to my flight on Japan Airlines in First Class. I was flying SEA-LAX-NRT and had a few hours in Los Angeles. After making my way from Terminal 6 to Tom Bradley, I was excited to try out this jewel.
Japan Airlines is a oneworld partner; passengers flying First Class have access to the Qantas lounge. JAL does not have a lounge at LAX. Located on the 5th floor of the Tom Bradley International Terminal, it is the first lounge you hit after coming out of the Terminal 4 Connector. All of the lounges in TBTI are located in the same general areas, including the oneworld (Business Class) lounge and Emirates lounge.
Upon entry I showed my boarding pass and I was welcomed in with no trouble. The lounge is smaller than the oneworld Business Class lounge, but has similar views/vibe due to the atrium that lets in natural light.
The lounge is one long rectangle. As you enter, the seating is the first 2/3 of the lounge while the bar/dining room is the last 1/3. There are a row of lounge chairs that face the atrium (above), as well as plenty of other variety of seating throughout.
Off of the seating area are a few drink stations that have self serve wine, coffee, and a few snacks.
There are also two private rooms that are reserved for VIPs/celebrities.
The bathrooms are all single stalls, and there are two sets of bathrooms that are identical; one towards the front and the other at the back with the showers.
The bar and dining room are at the back. There is not much division between the seating area of the lounge and the dining room. Basically the dining room starts where the bar along the wall starts.
The bar is quite long and designed in an attractive decor.
The seating for the dining room is basic and the kitchen is open to the dining area.
The menu is limited which is a good thing in my opinion. It means they have a limited number of ingredients they must buy and keep fresh.
I sat down around 10:30 and breakfast was still being served.
I ordered some fruit and hash browns, wanting to wait to have a real meal at lunch time.
Of course I also ordered some Champagne. I went with the Perrier Jouet
The lunch menu in March 2018 is below.
My biggest complaint is that they do not start serving lunch until noon. You can order breakfast until 11:30, but if you want lunch you have to wait until noon. This is a problem for the LAX-NRT flight on JAL as the flight leaves at 1:00pm.
I mentioned the fact I was on that flight to my server and she said she would make sure to get my order in right at noon. She said she would get them in right away and bring them out as soon as they were ready. I wanted to try a few dishes, so I ordered the Salt and Pepper Squid, Classic Beef Burger, and the Rockpool Mac and Cheese.
I was definitely the first guest to order their lunch and she got it in right at noon.
Other guests’ food started coming out at 12:15. I kept waiting and started to get nervous. At 12:30, just half an hour before my flight was scheduled to leave, I let her know she should cancel my order as I had to leave.
She apologized and then went to tell the kitchen, and realized my squid and mac and cheese were ready so she brought them out.
I had a few bites of each but left most of the food on the plates as I had to run to my flight. It tasted okay, though the mac and cheese was soupy and too hot to eat in my rushed state. I was disappointed to miss the best part of the lounge — the food.
Overall I left not very impressed by the Qantas First Class Lounge LAX. The service was subpar. Both in the dining, but also in the rest of the lounge. Before going to the dining room, I spent an hour or 90 minutes sitting in the lounge. Never once did any staff come by to offer to get me a drink or refill, or to take away empty glasses. There was a staff at the front desk and then staff at the bar and dining room, but the rest of the lounge was neglected.
I would not say that the Qantas First Class Lounge LAX is the best domestic lounge. I personally would give that to the JFK Flagship Lounge with Flagship First Dining at least of the lounges I have visited. Qantas lounge is nice, but they need to increase their service and figure out the timing of their lunch. Beginning service at 11:30 would be a good place to start. Hopefully I can make another visit soon to give the food portion of the lounge the time it deserves.