During a time when new airport lounges are constantly aiming to one-up each other—with landscaped patios and over-the-top shower suites—Delta Air Line’s newest offering sets a high bar.
The new Delta One lounge at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) opened earlier this month, exclusively for people flying in the airline’s premier first-class cabin. The second of its kind (the brand opened the first Delta One Lounge at New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport in June), the upscale 10,280-square-foot sanctuary features a private outdoor terrace, zero-gravity massage chairs, and a made-to-order sushi bar.
Here’s everything you need to know about the new Delta One Lounge at LAX.
How to get into the Delta One Lounge at LAX
The Delta One lounge is in Terminal 3 at LAX—Delta’s home base at LAX, which recently received a massive overhaul. The lounge is open every day from 4:30 a.m. to 11:30 p.m.
The space is exclusively for Delta One fliers, Delta 360° status members, and select Delta partner passengers (specifically those with an equivalent class seat on Korean Air, AirFrance, KLM, LATAM, Virgin Atlantic, or SAS Airlines flight). No credit cards will give fliers access to this lounge.
Delta One lounge guests can get some fresh air with airport and city views on the landscaped terrace.
Photo by Jason Dewey
Layout and design
With space enough for roughly 200 passengers, the lounge is separated into seven distinct spaces, including a library (featuring wing-back chairs and bistro tables) and a dining room (with leather booths and marble tables). The most glamorous space is arguably the Icon Bar, with a golden ceiling, wraparound marble bar, and walnut accents, giving it an old Hollywood vibe. There’s also a landscaped terrace that seats 26 people and has views of the Hollywood Hills.
Rather than source work from local artists (a focus of Delta’s recent Sky Club Lounge in Minneapolis), the Delta One lounge at LAX gathered pieces by artists from across the United States, the Philippines, South Africa, Haiti, and Japan to represent the global reach of the coastal hub.
The bar evokes Hollywood glamour with its golden ceiling and marble counter top and details.
Photo by Jason Dewey
Food and beverage
Unlike other lounges, where buffets are the norm, guests awaiting their flights in this new lounge space are served largely from their seats (the exception being a central table with a selection of pastries from L.A. bakery Sqirl in the morning and desserts by local chocolatier Milla Chocolates in the afternoon). It may not be the most convenient option for those short on time, however, so the neighboring LAX Sky Club lounge (which Delta One passengers also have access to) offers faster, self-serve options for those who are on the go.
Los Angeles–inspired entrées include crispy fish tacos (with tempura cod, pickled fresno chiles, crema, and slaw) and street-corn pizza (topped with corn crema, mozzarella, cotija, and scallions). A sushi bar prepares fresh, made-to-order rolls, such as a classic California roll and a salmon ceviche hand roll. Plus, there’s the option to order one of the three bento boxes: the Tokyo, featuring a tonkatsu sandwich, miso black cod, and a matcha panna cotta; the Paris, with beef cheek bourguignon, petite potato salad, scallops grenobloise, and a “floating island” dessert; and the Boston, which comes with lobster toast, roasted lamb with green lentils, pear and frisée salad, and a maple cream whoopie pie.
International destinations also drive the inspiration for the bar menu, with signature cocktails named after airport codes. The PPT (Tahiti’s international airport) is a twist on a mai tai; the LHR (for London’s Heathrow), a gin-forward drink, is a nod to the spirit’s storied history in England. A slew of nonalcoholic beverages, including coffee drinks by Verve Coffee Roasters and juices from the Butcher’s Daughter, round out the libations.
All the food and beverages are complimentary, save for some ultra-high-end wines by the bottle and cognac pours, which visitors can purchase with a card or SkyMiles.
For some preflight zen, lounge-goers can sit back and relax in one of the zero-gravity massage chairs.
Photo by Jason Dewey
Wellness
For travelers with aches and pains or those who are just looking to unwind preflight, the new lounge offers a dedicated wellness area with eight zero-gravity massage chairs, plus access to a variety of Hyperice relaxation products, including the Hypervolt 2 massage gun and the Venom 2, a heat and massage wrap for your back. There’s also a rolling wellness cart, stocked with spa water, refreshing towelettes, and product samples from Grown Alchemist. The area also features lighting Delta claims will help fight jet lag (which could be true or may bunk science, depending on how you look at it).
What’s next for Delta One?
The next Delta One lounges are slated to open at Boston Logan International Airport by the end of the year and at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport in early 2025.
