Review: Qantas First Class Lounge Los Angeles

After our appetizers were* cleared

I loved the lounge but was disappointed with the staff after being denied bringing in a guest when it was clear in their rules that I was allowed one. Lounge wasn't full, staff just wasn't up to date on guest rules. I filed a complaint but nothing came out of it, oh well.

I am confused about who has access to this lounge. I will be flying the new AA flight from Sydney to LAX in February in business class. Will I have access to this lounge before my fight?

@bluedevil

Considering how the lounge is in LA and your flight originates in Sydney, I don't think accessing this lounge will be an issue for you 😉

Assuming what you wrote was a type and your routing is LAX-SYD in business class, then no, you don't get access unless you are oneworld Emerald level.

Er, typo, not type. Irony is a bitch.

@wwk5d Ooops. I'm flying the AA flight both ways, so I will be going LAX-SYD and SYD-LAX. Which lounge will be my best option to spend a few hours in LAX before departing?

@bludevil - AA flies out of Terminal 4, which is different from the International terminal that Ben posted here. There's a pretty nice Oneworld Business Lounge that you can access if you really want, but you'll have to come back out and clear security again to actually catch your flight to SYD.

The only lounge you'll have access to in Terminal 4 is the AA Admirals Club and that's not really worth spending much time in.

My last time in this lounge, the kitchen was having some sort of melt-down and the food took AGES to arrive (like, 45 minutes for entrees). When it finally did come it seemed ok but not up to the standard of the Sydney/Melbourne lounges.

Also the shower attendant was blatantly touting for tips which didn't seem particularly in keeping with the "first class" atmosphere.

" The Qantas Lounge feels a bit more “proper,”... "

Well, it is a First Class Lounge...

I was in the lounge last month for a Cathay Pacific flight. It was nicely furnished and you were welcomed in but no one offered drinks etc. I agree natural lighting would help. I did not get a chance to eat there since I wanted to have an appetite for the flight. It was a nice place to wait but I was not overly impressed as it didn't have much character. I haven't been to many lounges in the states but Qantas' First lounge in Sydney and Cathay's Pier lounge in Hong Kong are top notch.

@bluedevil

From what Lucky posted:

"At the entrance we were promptly admitted with my British Airways business class boarding pass, which indicated my oneworld Emerald status. If I weren’t a oneworld Emerald member, we would have have had to use the oneworld Business Class Lounge next door, which is still quite nice for a business class lounge."

Scroll back up for a link to Lucky's review of that lounge, or just click on the link: https://onemileatatime.com/review-oneworld-business-class-lounge-los-angeles-lax/

As Luis said, it all depends on how much time you have going back and forth between terminals.

A few details from 2 visits in the last few days:

Connected in LAX (AA) to HKG (CX F) in the morning. There is now an airside bus service from T4 to TBIT, same place as the gate 44 shuttle. This is new in the last few weeks and few seem to know it exists. Dropped us off at a distant, unused part of TBIT, but still was easier than doing the TBIT TSA.

Quantas First lounge was very quiet in the morning, salmon and goat cheese omelet was excellent and a couple spicy bloody marys were tasty.

On the return, (CX882 around 1:00pm) TBIT passport que was well past the maze, and long line at the customs checkpoint also. Global Entry saved us 2 hours. We went right back upstairs and did TSA at TBIT to use the Quantas lounge again. No problem (except 25 minutes) getting into TBIT with AA boarding pass for T4.

Afternoon was quiet at Quantas Lounge from 2-5pm. Perhaps 3 or 4 people came and went for the Air France CDG afternoon flight (Sky Team. Why?). A few more on BA to LHR, then only a couple stragglers like us remained. Service was friendly and attentive. They were proactively offering drinks in the lounge areas, and would have brought food to us anywhere in the lounge, though we chose to dine at a regular table (not a low height coffee table). The squid was fantastic and the reuben sandwich very good.

We chose to exit TBIT and walk over to T4 for our connection as we figured TSA precheck would be quicker and easier than seeking out the mysterious airside TBIT/T4 shuttle. It was quick and easy walk and reentry.

Best lounge in the USA. On par with the Wing and the Pier. Easy to forget you're waiting for a flight!

We enjoyed this Qantas lounge last year when flying BA (AA) First Class from Hawaii to LHR. It was a long stopover in LAX but the lounge was everything anyone would need for such a journey. We both used the shower facilities, had some food and drink and relaxed before our flight back to London. All in all, whilst not Cathay Pacific "The Pier" Hong Kong it was nonetheless a pretty decent lounge that added to our overall journey.

@Lucky

Hi Ben, I booked first class tickets using AA miles to return from Sydney (Qantas SYD-LAX and then American LAX-IAD). For the 3-hour morning layover in LAX, what is the best lounge I'll have access to (with no status) in LAX? The Qantas First Class Lounge, this American Flagship Lounge, or other?

Thanks.

Arrived from Sydney in Economy onward connection to JFK in AA first. As one world Emerald I had no issue with access.

Is the Qantas first class lounge the one i will use at lax for my first class flight to London LHR on British Airways?

Bartender forgot my order. Apologized profusely and brought my order quickly once I reminded him. Otherwise kudos to the drink selection and the quiet atmosphere but nothing special. Maybe better service at the tables.

Just visited the OW First Class Lounge for the second time in 3 months on Tuesday. Found it to be poorly staffed, with slow service and mediocre food. After entry at about 4:30 pm, I went to the dining area and waited several minutes for someone to acknowledge me. Then, after being seated, the person brought my drink and forgot about me. About 15 minutes later, another person came by to ask if I needed a refill. I asked if I could order. He verbally acknowledged my order.

15 minutes later I was served an appetizer. Once completed, I waited another 20 minutes while groups of workers, including kitchen staff, chatted all around the dining area (there were only about 5 other customers there at the time). Many looked over at my table and that of others - none made any effort to provide food or at least explain the delay.

I gathered my things and left after telling the "greeter" that it was the worst F--ing lounge experience I have ever had!!

I would have rather gone to a Denny's in Compton! I would have received better service.

@jjj

Very similar experience there July 2nd of this year... the Biz class lounge a floor below was better and more friendly. After 5 minutes of awaiting an entree after the appetizer was cleared no refills no acknowledgement - I left for downstairs where at the least I could not depend on these horrid people