First look: Delta One Lounge at LAX dazzles as airline doubles down on big spenders
When Delta Air Lines opened its luxurious Delta One Lounge at New York City's John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) this summer, it was a new chapter for an airline that prides itself on delivering travelers a premium experience.
It certainly was a step forward for Delta: Immediately, the business class-only lounge inside JFK's Terminal 4 became one of the nicest airport lounges you'll find anywhere in the U.S.
Now, Delta is doubling down with its second such airport oasis — on the West Coast.
On Thursday, Delta will cut the ribbon on its second Delta One Lounge in its network, and it's inside Terminal 3 at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX).
At just over 10,000 square feet, the exclusive facility at LAX is roughly a quarter of the size of Delta's sprawling JFK space.
But as TPG saw during a sneak peek Monday, the lounge offers a wide range of thoughtful design touches, amenities, art, and especially food and beverage options to make the space a worthy sequel to Delta's high-end New York outpost.
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An exclusive check-in experience
Your trip to the Delta One Lounge at LAX technically begins curbside, just outside the lower-level baggage claim area at LAX Terminal 3.
It's a special entrance Delta's high-end JFK lounge does not currently offer — though that's set to change in a matter of weeks.
The exclusive entrance at LAX, which actually opened more than a year ago, is reserved for travelers confirmed on tickets marketed as Delta One. The space features a dedicated Transportation Security Agency checkpoint — not to mention none of the noise and organized chaos most travelers expect at an airport check-in area.
This particular entrance opened in 2023 and has saved Delta One travelers time and stress ever since.
However, adding a Delta One Lounge to the mix will truly bring the allure of this concept to life since travelers already get dropped off at the carrier's current LAX Sky Club, which debuted in 2022.
Entering the check-in area
The honking horns on the Terminal 3 arrivals curb fade as soon as you walk through the sliding doors. If you need a moment to relax after the ride to the airport, grab a seat, a drink or a snack in the lobby.
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Then, as TPG saw during a 2023 tour, you can check in at one of the least utilitarian ticketing counters you'll ever see at an airport — one that looks more like the front desk at a luxury hotel.
From there, you'll proceed to the semiprivate TSA checkpoint.
Again, this particular concept has existed for well over a year; today, an elevator just past the checkpoint leads travelers right to a Delta Sky Club.
But Delta One travelers will have an even better option.
Delta One Lounge LAX
Take the elevator up from the low-stress security screening, and you'll find yourself right outside the entrance to the brand-new Delta One Lounge.
For orientation purposes, if you instead take a right and walk down the adjacent hallway, you'll land at the existing Sky Club.
Entry rules
Like at JFK, this space has some seriously tight entry restrictions; you can't purchase a membership to this space, or gain access through any of the airline's cobranded American Express credit cards.
To enter the Delta One Lounge, you have to be flying on a ticket marketed as Delta One — which includes a wide range of long-haul international routes, plus select "premium" transcontinental tickets.
The space is open to travelers departing or arriving on a same-day Delta ticket.
It'll also be available to travelers flying on comparable business and first-class tickets with select SkyTeam alliance partners, including Air France, KLM, Korean Air, LATAM and Virgin Atlantic.
Plus, invitation-only Delta 360 members can also access the lounge when flying on a domestic-style Delta First Class ticket.
Lounge design
When you walk into the Delta One Lounge at LAX, you're greeted with a color palette one company leader described as "coastal vibes meet 'Old Hollywood' golden tones." It's accented by dark wood touches and pops of color through artwork sprinkled throughout the facility.
The lounge features seven distinct spaces.
Library lounge
Immediately when you walk in, you pass through the library lounge area, which features leather chairs and mini tables. Here, you can sit and enjoy a drink and perhaps watch some television.
There's a bevy of outlets and USB-C charging ports here and throughout the lounge.
For those needing to get some work done, Delta is bringing a familiar concept from its New York outposts to this space. Travelers can reserve these complimentary Espresso Displays monitors, offering a more convenient way to get some work done.
There's eclectic artwork throughout the lounge sourced from artists in many of the international communities Delta serves.
Bar area
As you walk farther into the space, you'll encounter the marble "icon bar," which is really the center of the space. The design, one Delta executive remarked, might be the most iconic of any Delta lounge in its network.
Be sure to look up at the golden ceiling, which sports a rippling design pattern — an ode to LAX's location along the Pacific coast.
The bar overlooks additional tables where you can sit down to enjoy a drink or a meal.
Food and beverage
Pick up a menu, and you'll find a variety of cocktails alluding to some of Delta's top destinations from the Southern California hub. Delta calls these its "Destination Libations."
"There is a story for every single cocktail we've created," Claude Roussel, Delta vice president of Sky Clubs and Lounge Experience, said to TPG in an interview Monday.
Cocktail offerings include a Sleepy British Bee (London), a Cucumber Lychee Chuhai (Tokyo) and the Raspberry Tulip prepared by the bartender during our tour — a nod to Amsterdam.
This particular cocktail is made from Bombay sapphire gin, Lillet blanc, lemon, white creme de cacao and raspberry.
Those drinks — along with beer, wine, spirits and spirit-free selections — are complimentary.
In fact, that's the story with the whole menu at Delta One Lounges: Access is exclusive, but everything's free once you're inside.
Well, almost everything: The drink menu sports some ultra-high-end full-bottle wine, Champagne and cognac choices, which visitors can pay for with cash or SkyMiles.
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Dining room
The main dining room is just beyond the bar.
A key distinguishing feature of this Delta One Lounge is that it's exclusively table service. (At JFK, visitors can sit down for a full meal or opt for buffet-style offerings).
That's partially a function of the more limited space, Roussel said, speaking to TPG at a table inside the dining room. But the distinction also speaks, Roussel said, to a laser focus that distinguishes the LAX facility.
"Think about the food and beverage being front and center," Roussel said. "In JFK, you've got the market, which is an area where you can go and pick your own food. We do not have this feature in this lounge. It's much smaller. Everything will be coming out from the kitchen."
The a la carte menu options include offerings like a truffle parsnip soup, street corn pizza, roasted Jidori chicken, steak frites and Ora King salmon.
Or, spring for freshly prepared sushi just across the lounge in the sushi bar portion of the space.
Sushi options on the dinner menu include a Hamachi crudo, spicy tuna roll and veggie futomaki.
Sushi bar
If you'd rather relax a bit closer to the sushi bar, there's seating on that side of the lounge, too. An added bonus: This part of the lounge boasts a view that any AvGeek is sure to appreciate.
Conveniently, these seats also put you in prime proximity to the dessert station. (Again, though, don't go grabbing a pastry off the table — it's all table service.)
Delta has collaborated with local vendors on the desserts — as it has done for a variety of other touches in its lounge, particularly with respect to its food and drink choices. Combined, these touches give true Southern California roots to the lounge, its cuisine and its aesthetic.
Destination Bento boxes
If you're in a rush, Delta offers what you might call an "express" version of the table service in the form of its Destination Bento boxes, which plate multiple courses on one tray.
"Let's say they have 45 minutes and really want to make sure they eat before they leave. You can have a bento box, and it's served all at once," Roussel said. "You dine, and then you're ready to go."
As demonstrated during our visit, the menu features three distinct bento box options with culinary nods to three Delta cities: Boston (which includes a lobster roll, roasted lamb, maple cream whoopie pie), Tokyo (miso black cod, tonkatsu sando with barbeque sauce, matcha panna cotta) and Paris (scallops, beef check bourguignon).
Trust me when I tell you that these "boxes" in no way resemble a traditional grab-and-go meal.
That said, you really shouldn't come to this lounge in a hurry.
Outdoor space
After all, you'll want to allot plenty of time to relax on the outdoor terrace, which sports a wealth of greenery, sun shades and patio-style seating. It's a great place to soak up some Southern California sun while lounge wait staff attend to you wherever you're seated.
There's room for 26 guests out here on the patio. In all, this LAX lounge has space for 191 visitors.
Wellness area
Another reason to arrive early? The wellness area is just off the library lounge. Separated from the main lounge area by a curtain, the space is partially soundproofed to give visitors a break from the many noises that define a day at the airport. Instead, soft spa music plays in the background.
Using a touchscreen in the library, you can reserve one of eight relaxation pods in the wellness area, including four "zero gravity" seats and four massage chairs.
Spa attendants can adjust the lighting to meet your travel needs, helping you fight jet lag by getting a headstart on winding down to get some rest. The space also features some sleep and wellness amenities that'll be familiar to regular Delta One flyers.
Restrooms and showers
There are no communal restrooms in this Delta One Lounge. The facility offers eight single-user restrooms, each featuring a toilet, sink and Grown Alchemist products.
One notable quirk in this lounge is that there are no shower suites directly in the space itself. Two shower facilities are set aside in the neighboring Sky Club. Delta One Lounge visitors who reserve a shower suite will be escorted by staff down the short hallway.
A growing portfolio
For Delta, the exclusive lounge at JFK was just the beginning of a new chapter in its premium offerings.
The addition of its new — albeit smaller — outpost at LAX will give the carrier a high-end lounge offering on the West Coast to match its East Coast facility. Roussel said the JFK outpost was easily Delta's highest-rated lounge in its network in September.
He said it's already boosting the carrier's total premium experience among its Delta One flyers.
"Our intention is to really align the inflight or onboard experience with the ground experience," Roussel told TPG.
And the airline isn't done. Later this fall, Delta plans to unveil a Delta One security concept at JFK similar to what it already offers at LAX. By December, the airline hopes to open its third Delta One lounge at its Boston Logan International Airport (BOS) hub.
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