Review: The Private Suite LAX

I am guessing there is also a solid marketshare for people who have realistic security concerns.

A buddy of mine also works in security and one would be suprised how many "low profile" i.e. "unknown but rich" people have a 24/7 security detail.

"Just inside the gate was the driveway*...."

So did you use the duffel bag and empty out every drawer ? I would take some stuff probably whahaha (for that price for the suite anyway)

I don't understand the market for this either. To me, for the rich and private the ultimate experience would be just the super short secuity line and straight to the plane 10 minutes before departure. Why hang out at a room for hours (trying to get the most out the $4K) when they're most likely coming from their mansion or the Beverly Wilshire?

Literally ZERO people reading this blog will use this. We like to "primarily use miles and points to fund our first class experiences."

I am quite impressed by how easy the Private Suite allows one to escape the terminal madness at LAX. I assume arriving flights do the same thing in reverse, but I’d be curious in that scenario to learn who picks up your luggage and how fast that meets you at the Suite. I suspect this service is quite popular with the very wealthy business/executive types who simply want to avoid the terminal riff-raff and worries of the terminal and lounges, for celebrities who don’t want to be recognized, and for the splurge types who want a VIP experience that is completely out of the ordinary. I also can imagine splurging for this for a one time special occasion trip from LAX since we live just an hour or so away. With it serving every airline at LAX, both domestic and international, it isn’t hard for me to imagine thos service doing very well.

Good luck Gavin. If he truly believes this isn't for celebs but instead for people who will pay the price of a one-way first class flight ticket only so they can "avoid congestion, lines, delays, hassle, car traffic getting to LAX" then this place won't be around in a year from now. Sorry.

Jelly Belly, M&M’s, Skittles? More like Snack Towers of Happiness

Awesome post @lucky, one of your best in months. I don’t mean to be “that guy” but there have been a significant amount of grammatical errors in your posts recently (including this one), so please make sure to proofread them, or at least get software like Grammarly to help you so we don’t have to hassle you all the time 😉

Have fun in Israel!

"being driven around a global hub in a luxury car is basically a wet dream for me."

gross writing

Lucky, were you travelling with just a carry-on? If you were going to check a bag, would it be checked right as you arrived at the terminal or would you have time to grab everything from the suite into your luggage and check it later? 🙂

I think a big selling point is the time component. You got there several hours before your flight, but really you could have arrived at 11 AM and been out the door at 11:10 AM. This is also a big motivator for flying private, especially for high-up businessmen and women.

“being driven around a global hub in a luxury car is basically a wet dream for me.”

Great writing.

I think the market may be bigger than you think: not just rich people with (legitimate) personal security concerns, but mega-businesspeople wanting to keep a low profile (secret negotiations for financial deals), and rich people desperate to avoid the limelight for whatever reason...

Air Canada's CEO, no less, says there's a relatively tiny market between business class and those people who take private jets. But the latter are a strange bunch: there's the story of the UK-based banker with his own corporate jet, but who always flew home first class because he could sleep better on the massive commercial airliner than on his Gulfstream. His papers followed him home in the otherwise empty private jet.

Though I still think you underestimate the sheer scale of the private wealth in the world if you seriously think that "And even for rich people, several thousand dollars per visit is a significant amount".

The day bed looks absolutely filthy.

But the most surprising thing in the review was this:

"suffice to say it was an awkward conversation"

Seriously? You travel the world, but asking an Uber driver to take you to a specific address is considered awkward...?

A lot of celebs fly commercially. Remember sia and courtny love in Lufthansa first class?

Looks like a 7-eleven with seating and a minibar.

@ JJJ -- What's awkward isn't asking to be taken to a specific address, but having your Uber drive have to drive into a pretty serious looking compound and having him be nosy about what it is. He asked a lot of questions (out of curiosity), and short of saying "I'm going to a facility where people pay thousands of dollars to avoid having to deal with the hassle of an airport" is something I'd rather avoid saying, personally.

@ Carlos -- Yep, I just had a carry-on. That's a good question about when the bag would have been checked. My guess is that they transport it to the plane separately and prior to you, but I'm not 100% sure. Let me see if I can find out.

@ CS -- While that certainly represents a large portion of the blog's readership, I think you'd be surprised (at least based on some of the emails I get, many of which are from people paying for full fare first class out of pocket, etc.). Some people are into airline products as a hobby, while others are into it to get a deal.

Doesn't sound like that much of a time saver...send copies of passport, arrive 2 hours before, leave lounge 1 hour prior to boarding, long drive to the plane. However, it does eliminate a lot of hassle. That surreal TSA checkpoint is almost worth the price of admission. Seems more like a security/privacy advantage. Foreign and domestic dignitaries with entourages, uber-wealthy with family, etc. Reminds me of the Windsor Suite at LHR that used to be just for the royal family, now open to anyone with enough $$$ or £££.

@Lucky

That makes more sense. Maybe this busienss should offer to pick you up as part of the service.

Even for the ultra-high net worth, flying private to Asia or Europe from LAX is not inconsequential, especially if you're traveling by yourself, so they're flying commercial F. For those people, though, an extra $3-4K *is* inconsequential. Combined with the population of celebrities in LA, I actually could see it working. The concept works @ LHR.

It's worth noting that the price includes up to 4 people(if you're a member).
So, they could use it for a meeting before a flight, eat, take a shower, have a massage, play some jenga drinking game and then be driven to the plane.

Many big-name celebrities fly commercial. This past summer I sat across the aisle from Usher on Lufthansa in First Class.

He walked on the plane right at the end of boarding and stayed on as the rest of us deplaned, presumably to avoid the crowds.

@Greg is right. A long haul flight on a private jet might be more than $50k. A first class ticket paired with this service is cheap by comparison.

@Lucky, how long did the drive take? If someone valued their time more than anything, do you know if The Private Suite would let them cut things close, for example, maybe showing up only 30-45min before an international flight (you could send luggage and passports ahead in a separate car for check in).

It’s ridiculous how many people think the rich just fly private everywhere. That’s rarely done on long hauls because of both range and cost considerations. But saving an hour of time and hassle dealing with the masses is certainly worth more than a few thousand for many of the super wealthy.

The flag for "English" is wrong lol.
Also, what is "roasted spring vegetable"? Vegetable what? Vegetable pie, vegetable pasta? Bad English, rather like something poorly translated from Asian languages to English to be fair.

I don't think they are selling it as a time saver, but as a privacy and security service. Even in my home airport of Nashville, there is a 'celebrity TSA' screening area. Security is becoming more of a concern for business, political, and celebrity travel.

Noting the furnishings, the emphasis is clearly not on bling, or luxury, but security and privacy. Its nicely appointed, but that is really secondary here. This assures ZERO interaction with the general public until the actual boarding of the plane in a controlled place.

Thanks for the review of this place. I am glad you enjoyed the opportunity to experience it. It is fascinating.

My wife and I use services like this all over the world, but they typically run under $1,000, (in some cases just a couple hundred,) and are as nice or nicer than this. We would certainly use this at LAX, but not at this price point.

@David is correct. Flying private usually means a small jet, which cant quite fly from LAX to Asia. Only Saudi princes have their own 757s

JJJ, a Bombardier Global 7000 can easily fly LA to Seoul, Bali and even Tokyo - https://www.businessaircraft.bombardier.com/en/aircraft/global-7000#!#bba-pdp-section-4

not sure why my comment got removed

@Mike H

watch some TMZ. you always see these paparazzi basically follow celebrities at the airport asking questions and a ton of flashing lights from the cameras... It would be nice to board/deboard a plane without seeing in public like that.

CVS is right! I think I even see Trojan condoms just behind the deodorant!

Although it was a breeze I'd still prefer to go through immigration/customs and TSA before I relax in any lounge or suite. You never know if you might hit a problem or delay there, and leaving it to the last minute is an issue.

It's also insanely expensive for what it is.

Rich and famous cant and dont fly private in long haul LOL. I have friends with jets and they use it mainly domestically. Celebrities still definitely fly First Class in international flights, so this seems like a terrific service for them.

Lucky, Im also interested in knowing what they do with checked bags.

Pretty sure they don’t call it “the interstate” in Southern California. 😉

Its really tacky having all those food and toiletry items on display like that. At least put them in a basket.
And in those two wide-angle shots of the room, the window bench looks like there is a huge stain on the upholstery.

Schar,

Nah, you can fly any distance in a private jet. You just need to refuel here and there.

Not for the likes of you and me, but the winners and high rollers do it all the time

Kewl.

I totally see who this is for. Private jets are great within the US, especially to odd-ball locations where there isn't frequent service or a connection would be required. There's a TV show on the AWE (Wealth) channel called Selling Jets about people who buy private jets, and you can get a better understanding of the needs there.

For long-haul, commercial often works out better. Instead of being cramped in a small jet for 13+ hours, often with fuel stops, you get in a large jet with all the amenities like proper bathrooms, hot meals, and maybe even a shower. It's not crowded up in first class either.

So this service just adds the privacy and speed in the part leading up to actually boarding the plane.

I can also see a lot of corporate execs using this service, for security reasons. No worry about some crazy in the airport coming up to you.

@Jim Brughton Where can I learn about where this type of service is available (at a lower price) at other airports?

Last year I used the arrivals service in Dublin. For a little over $100 euros, I was picked up at the plane, taken through immigration (front of line) and deposited in my private room. They collected my bags while I had a shower and breakfast (and the obligatory taste of the local whisky at 7am). They ordered me a car and I was on my way.

Not nearly as many services as LAX, but the escort and baggage claim were the best parts. As @lucky says - completely different than the very nice experience of, say, Virgin arrivals facility at LHR.

Worth every penny at that price!

“being driven around a global hub in a luxury car is basically a wet dream for me.”

Ew, TMI.

Interesting to see that the BMW that took you to the plane has New Jersey plates...

Oh my....so many misconceptions. Contrary to some readers' beliefs, there are people who read this blog who DO use these special airport services. I use the Windsor Suite at LHR because of the totally inept and difficult wheelchair services that are available in the regular terminals. The Jet Quay service at Changi (SIN) provides fantastic comfort and service as well as very enjoyable tours through the terminals by golf cart. So many airports provide similar services and LAX has caught up finally. Having lounges with "bling" is not what we users of these services want.....having ease of travel and uncrowded/hassle-free experiences is what we're willing to pay extra for.

I was in the T4 LAX Admiral's Club with Diana Ross a couple months ago, and a friend has met Dr. McDreamy there. Plenty of rich and famous fly commercial.

I know several extremely wealthy businesspeople who routinely fly commercial first longhaul, even though they already own private jets. Flying on a Gulfstream or a Falcon is still cramped and wildly cost-ineffective for one person, compared to flying say, CX or JL F cabin across the Pacific. I think there is a very substantial market for this type of service, and expect they can do quite well with this business plan.

I wonder how difficult the logistics would be to expand this to JFK for example, or HKG. They would have a huge customer pool, though I suspect space-restricted airports (LHR, JFK in particular) would not be racing to make room for this.

Actually only just realised Windsor Suite offers similar services at LHR already, at a similar price point.

It's appalling that the U.S. Govt is staffing TSA and CBP checkpoints solely for the purpose of this facility.

The gov't better not just be coming out even, but nicely profiting from the provision of these staff members.

@Anthony: Why? I get that you don't want them funding this service for the 1% but if the government is breaking even and providing a service, why would you take issue? That is what the government is there for to provide services for all citizens -- including those willing to pay more for better service. Have you heard of pre-check? And, by the way, it is illegal for the federal government to make a profit by providing a service to another entity or the public. So they are most definitely NOT making a profit.

Your review was absolutely fine. What I'm having trouble wrapping my head around is value for "the luxury." While they don't mind a client taking items in the room, when you add the membership and the per visit use fee together, you could take all of the refreshment and convenience amenities... plus the towels, bedding, furniture, TV, lighting, bathroom fixtures and the two ear buds plucked out of the ears of your limo entourage, and probably still have enough money left over to warrant the privacy service. The doctor is nice touch, but is it your own or their in-house plastic surgeon/cardiologist? I thought the greatest shortcoming was the suite appearance lacking any discernible or inviting comfort. Four grim chairs facing each other, a cushioned patio bench serving as a daybed, and sad view of the parking lot just felt like a corporate park waiting room for an ambulance chaser's office suite. Is desolation and the occasional utterance of "sir," (and I suspect "ma'am," when appropriate,) plus a phone call alerting you that brooding soul is lurking outside your door with a cup of Joe, worth THIS much money? Really? If so, this underscores the adage that you can't buy happiness.

Oh... I was so enthralled by the sheer sterility of "private" that I overlooked the lack of a reasonable closet. Coat hooks? For a client's potential furs? And fine overcoats? My suburban mud room is tricked out with better outerwear storage. And not a stitch of artwork. Or a rug. (Or did the previous occupant confiscate them as their "takeaway?" ...When you have too much money...

As a senior citizen, I only ask one thing of a 1st class or Private Lounge; please wake me up in time to catch my overseas flight, which apparently PL does by phone. A nice touch if the phone ring is discreet.

I've awakened to find the lounge empty! I know, my bad, but couldn't someone, anyone, have nudged me?

There's a terminal like this in Ottawa for visiting dignitaries. From my recollection of it, it was a bit nicer than this concept, but likely stood empty 95% of the time. In many cities, having a private company operating such a terminal would make good economic sense. I'd be curious to know how much of that $3-4K goes to the TSA and security infrastructure.

This is so fascinating! I was wondering about their target and then I read the last part. I wish I could know how many people actually book the suite.

That TSA checkpoint must be a cushy job lol. They must handpick the best officers.
The pricing is a bit rubbish. To have to pay for membership just to get some hot food is not great. For someone like me this would be a once a year experience and I'm not going o pay the membership fee.

You know what I like about you Lucky? You review Life outside the Square - regardless of how unattainable it is to us mere mortals.

What does it matter to anyone how this service operates, who it serves and whether it is viable. The fact is: it's there right now. And we got a magnificent glimpse of how the Chosen Few can relax before they fly.

I see it all as a bit off fluff, but it's sure fun to read and Lucky always takes us along for the ride.
Keep 'em coming mate!

I received an offer to try this for my whole family for $750 on a int'l flight out. Because I'm a jetsmarter member (I don't endorse JS at all).

Will be interesting to try.

I work with many people in the $50-100m category, and even for them, a $200k charter to Asia is hard to swallow, especially if it's only for one person. Int'l F + charter at destination is far superior.

I've known one family to bring their own plane (G4) to Asia and they had to stop in Anchorage for fuel, then Saipan for fuel and to let the pilots rest. Seems silly to me when you could fly Singapore F and have a plane waiting when you arrive. But some people like their planes.

Looks like it was kind of small detention center at the airport to keep specific passengers away from public eyes.