A firsthand look inside PS LAX, the private terminal Starlux first class passengers use before flying to Taipei, from caviar service to tarmac limousine rides.
The generous caviar, martini, and 7 Series do seem 'nice,' but the 'best' part of this is that it was 'included' with your ticket, because otherwise, let's be real, if not for a review (or, if you truly 'need' the 'privacy' as an 'actual' VIP), this is inherently bad value.
As Ben mentions, it's $1,295/person/visit without membership; or, I was reading, it's $750+ per use even with memberships (starting at $1,250 annually for 'Salon' members, and upwards of $4,850/yr for whatever 'All Access' includes).
Sorta related, I was discussing the lack of a D1 lounge at ATL with a Delta 360 member recently; they remarked how they just pay for P/S, instead. (Eh, I guess some folks are 'bad with money,' or it's all a 'business' expense/other peoples' money, which, c'mon, not all that different.)
We all define "value" differently. As you said in another comment, some very wealthy people fly economy class to visit their third home. I know a very wealthy person who drives a Camry and buys their clothes at Uniqlo, but doesn't bat an eyelid when dropping tens-of-thousands on the wine at fine dining restaurants. It's an individual thing - for some people the money spent on PS represents value, and for some people it doesn't.
"bad with money" in YOUR perspective, because this doesn't hold any value to YOU. for others, this is something they value, and if they can, they will gladly pay for it and use it and enjoy it. Its all personal and relative. Im sure you have something that you see worth spending money on, that the next person would say is a waste of money. Its all relative. So let people enjoy things. If its not for you, that's okay. But if its valuable for others, that's okay too, and doesn't make them "bad with money".
There will be comments to the effect of "it's not worth it." Which is framed in solely dollar terms. And, for this type of person, it's not worth it. There are others who assign subjective value to this service and believe it is worth it . . . to themselves. And, if they have the financial means, they'll use it.
Eh, even 'rich folk' are not a monolith. In fact, some of the wealthiest people I know are the stingiest around—flying basic economy on their way to their third home in Aspen. 'Penny wise, pound foolish,' and yes, very subjective. Meanwhile, the Instagram crowd would sell an limb just to post from there, but many of them are juggling credit cards to pay rent. Anyway, if someone really wants it, let them (but nobody needs this). P/S’s business model somehow works... for now. (Who knows, like with Blade and Blacklane, maybe Bilt will soon provide a Bilt Cash redemption for access... Ankur??)
Well , for that price I get a lift bar next to the commode . Many places don't invest in lift bars for the disabled .
Maybe I’m foolish but I think PS (at least the Salon) is worth it now and again for a special occasion. Makes a trip feel so much more relaxed and luxurious.
Nice that you can recoup some 'value' of the points you purchased in this experience
I have to admit, this appeals to me more than I expected. Not because I particularly need caviar before a flight, but because almost anything that allows me to pretend LAX doesn’t exist has some value.
That said, $1,295 is a lot of money to spend when you’re still being told to show up two hours before an international departure. At that point I’m not sure we can call it a time saver so much as an extremely pleasant place to serve your sentence.
The avgeek in me would probably justify the entire thing based on the drive across the airfield in a 7 Series. Included with a Starlux first class ticket, though? Absolutely. That’s a genuinely impressive ground experience.
"...because almost anything that allows me to pretend LAX doesn’t exist has some value."
#COTD
I think one other thing worth mentioning is that food can also be prepared to go, so if you prefer, you can have them prepare food for you to enjoy on the flight.
@Ben, let's imagine that a 'poor' soul booked this facility to enjoy it right before an ultra long-haul [gasp!] economy [gasp!!] flight operated by [name your favorite arline with bad food] [gasp!!!].
Would you be able to have a full meal here and then order another full meal packed to go?
@ hbilbao -- Hah, there are no stated limits, so I think that should be fine. I mean, I'm sure there's some theoretical limit if you ask for 50 meals to go, but I also imagine that there aren't too many "value maximizers" dropping $1,295 on this experience, and then seeing just what they can get away with.
bilbao - The person asking must be (a) large , (b) with a white beard , and (c) be wearing a red Santa Claus suit .
I consider these facilities well worth it. Since airline loyalty has become less rewarding and most airlines don’t offer first on many routes, I’ve changed my behaviour. I’ve realised that I place a huge value on the ground experience à la LH or AF first. I’ve drifted away from using any airline in first that doesn’t offer this at least on one end of the itinerary and I’ll take an inferior product in F to get the ground service. As a European based flier, now when travelling long haul I often book a cheaper ticket with a decent cabin in biz rather than my “preferred airline/alliance” at a premium price. Then I pay the private terminal fee for the hassle free airport experience. That way the lounge quality is irrelevant and the lack of a first cabin is almost irrelevant as most of the benefit I value is on the ground anyway. For half the price of first I get a good biz product and the LH first style ground service and on almost any route. I can also take advantage of good biz offers as well without thinking about loyalty. Not all hubs in Europe have this offer however many do and combined with the decent biz seat and bedding and reasonable drinks quality, I’m content. I’d happily book on price/value in LA and then add the terminal for 1k.
I don’t get this. Unless you’re in for a long layover, you’re going to spend 5-8x more time in the air than on the ground
You're paying for quiet, zero hassle and being around "other people like you".
That said, potato chips are an underrated accompaniment to caviar. Salt + Salt = Mmm, Salt.
"As you can see, a PS visit will generally cost you $1,295 per person without a membership, but that pricing can drop as low as $895 per person with a membership"
As low as $895. lol.
I'm not sure we collectively appreciate just how much "wealth" has been accumulated in the last 18 months.
The DJIA in April 2025 was at ~38,000. The 52-week low is 45,000. Today it's back near 52,000 (albeit down from its 52-week high of 54,750).
Using rounded numbers but the point remains - we're talking about a ~36% increase over the last 18 months. So if you retired 18 months ago with, say, $2.5m in a DJIA tracking fund, you now have $3.4 million. That's, uh, more.
Now... retiring with $2.5 million is not the norm for most. But it's achievable for some. And certain segments of the population are absolutely taking those gains out for a spin right now.
Is paying $1k for a lounge visit how I would spend those theoretical gains? Nope - if I want some caviar and potato chips, a lot cheaper to buy some to enjoy at home. But some people will for sure.
The outdoor space is basically a small paved garden outside in the parking lot. I wonder if someone has ever used it
Let me be the first one to say i won't be absolutely using this service unless its complimentary. I would rather give $1295 to charity and bear the experience that is LAX.
And this service is not stunning or has some real wow factor to it. Looking at the food and beverage menu, the cutlery and the food, there is no wow factor. The caviar is presented very poorly. UA Polaris has better cutlery. The food at Delta One looks better. The collection of wines and champagne are very mid. And i did not see any spirits list. Than there is issue of time limits.
All in all i am glad we get to see what this service has to offer through articles like this. But it tells me I would not be trying this out.
You can see spirits in the photo of the bar. Presumably they're not there just for show and Ben simply didn't take a photo of the list, or maybe people can simply see what they have and request it by name.
@ BBT -- There was a big selection of spirits, I imagine there just wasn't a printed menu because they change with some frequency.
Do you worry about getting run over by a plane on the taxiways?
Did you have to tip the staff or is that included in the pricing?
So American. They should pay their employees a living wage. No sane person tips anyone for simply doing a job that they are there to perform. You’re going to have million and billionaires using the PS. Are they expected to hand over a few dollars in a velvet bag to the “ servants”?
I can't imagine many billionaires using the terminal, but yes, at these prices it's not unreasonable to expect that the staff are being paid a living wage and that the vulgarity of public tipping would be actively; if politely; discouraged.
@ LW -- I didn't tip, and I'm usually someone who is a bit too "American" in that regard. Ultimately I interacted with so many different people, so it just didn't seem practical.
Probably not worth the $1.3K price, but - wow - not bad at all.
I want to know what your rideshare driver thought about picking you up at LAX only to drive you to the PS!
@ jallan -- Hah, surprisingly he had no questions, so I guess that makes him professional. :p
No mentions of "barista coffee"?
Hilarious. You'll slam other lounges for not having a barista, yet this $1295 lounge doesn't have one and you're ok with a "high quality espresso machine", which really goes back to the point it's not about baristas. It's about the machine and bean quality.
@ yoloswag420 -- There *was* barista coffee. I'm saying it was a very high quality espresso machine with which barista coffee was prepared. You can see the machine in the pictures, behind the bar.
The irony is that I tried to incorporate the feedback you provided a while back where you criticized my use of the term barista coffee, and said it's more important how high quality the beans and machines are... and now you call me out for doing that!
Is tipping expected ?
glad you were able to review PS LAX, Ben! im so happy PS exists, its not for everyone but for those that value this kind of experience, its pretty amazing.