After getting started with its first exclusive business class lounge in New York last summer, Delta gave the West Coast some love by opening a Delta One Lounge at its Los Angeles (LAX) hub in the fall. And what it lacks in size, it makes up for with an intimate, buzzy vibe – and even an outdoor patio that's a real treat.
At just 10,000 square feet, the Delta One Lounge at LAX is a quarter of the size of its counterpart in New York City (JFK) … but with far fewer long-haul flights out of LA, this isn't much of an issue. It helped I was there in the morning hours, but the lounge never felt the least bit crowded.
Plus, this lounge packs a punch with a la carte dining available at each and every seat, an amazing wellness area, and the best outdoor patio at an airport lounge that I've experienced – not to mention a private security lane! Delta did a great job working with a smaller space to create a luxurious area to relax, exclusively for business class passengers.
While the massive Delta Sky Club next door is a solid lounge as well, this new Delta One Lounge is a clear step above – and it should be a lot less crowded, too.
How to Get into Delta One Lounge LAX
The Delta One Lounge at LAX is open from 4:15 a.m. to 11 p.m. daily. It's located in Terminal 3 directly next to the Sky Club.
It's in a great spot with airside access to all terminals – just a short walk to Terminal 2 or a bit further to the Tom Bradley International Terminal, where some of Delta's international partners operate. Here's a map I got while seated in the lounge.
So how do you get in?
You can keep your *delta reserve card* or *amex platinum* in your wallet. They won't do you any good here.
These are Delta's most exclusive lounges, with an entirely different set of entry requirements than your everyday Delta Sky Club:
- Travelers with a Delta One ticket, including long-haul international flights as well as transcontinental routes branded as Delta One
- A Delta One ticket departing from the airport works … but so does a business class ticket arriving earlier that day
- Flyers departing or arriving on a business or first class ticket with some (but not all) SkyTeam partner airlines are also eligible, including:
- Air France business class or La Premiere first class
- LATAM business class
- KLM business class
- Korean Air business and first class
- Virgin Atlantic Upper Class
- Flyers with Delta 360, the airline's invite-only status, can get in … but only with a departing or arriving first class ticket
Since this lounge is almost exclusively reserved for travelers ticketed in a business class on long-haul flights – including Delta One-branded transcontinental flights from Los Angeles (LAX) to Boston (BOS), New York City (JFK), and others – it's much quieter than the busy Sky Club next door.
I was flying LATAM business class from Los Angeles to Brazil, which gave me access to the lounge. If you're arriving in LAX on a connecting flight, look for this entrance across from the food court in the hallway connecting Terminal 3 with Terminal 2.
Private Check-in & Security at LAX
If you're starting your trip in Los Angeles, one of the coolest aspects of flying Delta One (or business class on one of Delta's partners) is that you can use the dedicated Delta One check-in area … and your very own security lane, too.
You'll find the entrance on the arrivals level in Terminal 3, which is nice if you're arriving on an international flight, as it's a short walk after exiting the Tom Bradley International Terminal next door. Just keep in mind that it's not on the departures level if you're getting dropped off.
The luxury starts as soon as you walk in the door. Here you'll find a small waiting lounge with drinks in case you need to wait a few minutes to speak to a check-in agent.
I wasn't able to check in at the desk for my LATAM flight because LATAM uses a different computer system. This means if I had checked bags, it wouldn't make much sense to use this check-in area – I'd have to check my bag at a LATAM desk in another terminal.
Luckily, I was traveling carry-on only, so I used the nice waiting area to simply check in online with my phone. Once I had a boarding pass, I was able to proceed to use the private security lane.
The highlight of the dedicated Delta One check-in is the private security lane. This means you won't need to deal with the chaos of the terminal's main TSA checkpoint.
I breezed through security with no line at all. There was even a comfortable couch to sit on while waiting for the elevator up to the lounge.
Inside the Delta One Lounge LAX
The glowing Delta One Lounge signage really pops as soon as you step out of the elevator. Add in the chandelier overhead and you know this isn't your typical Delta lounge.
As I entered, there wasn't anyone at the front desk to check me in, which was a little odd. I admired the gold-colored decor and plants before I continued down the hallway to look for a place to sit.
You'll have several different types of seats to choose from. Directly to the right after the short hallway are some cozy bucket seats, which could be good for solo diners who want to watch something while eating.
Across from the bucket seats are these wider, booth-style seats. These are great if you want to charge your device with a fancy gold-colored power outlet at each seat – including both USB-A and USB-C.
On the other side of the hallway near the entrance, there's a large seating area. This is where I sat for breakfast when I arrived around 8 a.m. Other areas of the lounge were a little busy at this time, but the entire lounge thinned out around 10 a.m.
The perimeter of this room is lined with comfortable bucket seats and cafe-style tables. In the center of the room, there's a long, marble table with power outlets in the center – a good spot to get some work done.
Along the wall there are some extra-wide seats. You'll feel like a king sitting here. The large privacy shields make each seat nice and cozy.
In the middle of the lounge is an impressive bar. The green marble backdrop and fiery lighting behind the booze give it an elegant look. Sports fans may miss the lack of a television at a bar, but that just means there's a better chance to strike up a fun conversation with other travelers. During my morning visit, the bar remained mostly empty.
Across from the bar, there's a long bench seat, which is partitioned so you can enjoy a face-to-face meal in a casual setting.
The center of the room has a longer high table set for dining with power outlets for each seat. This is a more casual area of the lounge where you can enjoy natural light during the day.
Tucked in the far corner, you'll find a dimly lit dining area, with a chandelier above giving it an old Hollywood feel. This is a more formal setting and definitely one of the quietest parts of the lounge.
There's bench seating around the perimeter of this room and booths in the middle.
If you prefer to sit inside but still want a view of the tarmac, there are individual seats along the windows.
All of the bathrooms in the Delta One Lounge at LAX are individual stalls. They are clean, spacious, and there's even an area to set your bags so you don't have to leave them on the ground. If you need to freshen up, there's a large mirror, too.
An Amazing Outdoor Patio
For me, the highlight of the Delta One Lounge at LAX is its outdoor patio.
Sure, it can be a bit noisy – there are airplanes with monster engines operating on the tarmac below, after all – but you can't beat getting some fresh air before a long flight. A self-serve bubbly station doesn't hurt, either…
I always enjoy watching the airport operations. It's truly fascinating to see how much work goes into sending a large metal tube into the sky for multiple hours at a time. The mountains in the distance make this view even better.
There are also some comfortable seats at the back of the patio with some greenery to give the space a quasi-backyard feel.
Service & Dining
You won't find your typical lounge buffet here.
Instead, you can order from the menu at any seat inside the lounge. At times, it seemed like the staff almost outnumbered the guests, so you shouldn't have any trouble finding a server.
The breakfast menu included a variety of options, with classics like eggs benedict or a breakfast croissant to avocado toast and shakshuka. The drinks included smoothies, fresh juices, and some morning libations, too.
Since I don't see shakshuka on the menu every day, I ordered it along with an energizing juice and a cappuccino. The shakshuka was delicious – so delicious, in fact, that I've ordered it at a few restaurants since, and yet this one remains the best.
The bread was nice and crispy, and the poached eggs were cooked perfectly.
While there wasn't a buffet, there was a selection of pastries readily available. Due to the sheer number of staff at the lounge, it was a little confusing if this was self-serve or if you were supposed to order from your seat. It seemed like either method worked.
There are also a few complimentary wine carts located throughout the lounge if you want to help yourself to a drink at any time.
If you're looking for a finer wine or premium spirits, Delta charges for its top-shelf beverages – you can pay in either dollars or SkyMiles … but it's a worse deal than what you get buying a bottle of bubbles at your everyday Sky Club. I stuck to the free booze during my visit, but the option is there.
The complimentary cocktails on the menu all have a theme based on different airports around the world. I wasn't ready for a drink with breakfast, but I ordered a gin cocktail later on at the bar.
I got the best of both worlds during my visit. Shortly after I finished breakfast, I could see the sushi bar getting prepped to open for lunch, which started at 10:30 a.m.
I enjoyed lunch in my favorite spot in the Los Angeles Delta One Lounge – the outdoor patio. To start, I ordered a spicy tuna roll and yellowfin tuna in a ponzu sauce with onion crunch. My favorite dish was the yellowfin tuna.
Trust me: The quality of the sushi is shockingly high.
The beet salad was also delicious, with a colorful presentation giving it a fine-dining feel. Making sure I got my fix of seafood, I ordered ceviche for dessert, which was a little bland.
I sampled some champagne before it was time to head to the gate. It was OK – I'm no champagne buff, so I can't really speak to the quality – but it's always nice to celebrate a little before a long flight, and I won't say no to free champagne.
Extra Amenities
There are a few extra amenities that come with access to these exclusive Delta One lounges that you won't find in your typical Delta Sky Club.
Most notably, there's an excellent wellness area with nap rooms, massage chairs, and hyperice therapy equipment.
There are kiosks in the lounge where you can reserve a time for a relaxation pod, massage chair, or shower. You can also scan the QR code and reserve these from your phone.
The showers are actually down the hall in the main Delta Sky Club, which you'll be escorted to when the time comes. While there are some showers reserved for Delta One Lounge guests, it can still be difficult to reserve a time. It's best to reserve one immediately when you enter if you'd like to use the shower suites.
I wasn't able to find a time to check out the showers, but my colleague Nick caught a glimpse of these luxurious showers when he visited the Delta Sky Club at LAX a while back.
Luckily, there was no wait for the nap rooms, so I reserved a spot and was immediately invited to take an hour break in the relaxation pod.
Inside these small rooms is a zero-gravity chair and a small table. It felt a little strange when I reclined the chair all the way to upside-down mode, so I just kept it at roughly a 180-degree angle.
You'll get the same pillow and blanket set that you receive in the Delta One cabin onboard the plane. While the seat doesn't lie flat, it's comfortable enough to get a quick nap in either before or after a long flight.
To my surprise, I was asked if I wanted to try out any of the therapy equipment during my visit to the wellness area. This included compression boots, a back warmer, a vibration vest, and a self-massage gun.
I had never used compression boots before and the agent at the check-in area convinced me to give them a try along with the back warmer. I'm so glad she did … these boots might make you look like you have alien feet, but they're a game-changer for relaxation.
Who knew how good it would feel to have compressed air squeeze your legs in different spots and then release the pressure? If you get the chance to try these out, I'd highly recommend it.
In the middle of the wellness area, there's a nice seating area with water stations in case you want to unwind before heading back to the main lounge area.
Bottom Line
The Delta One Lounge at Los Angeles (LAX) airport is a big step above the Sky Club down the hall.
It's possible that I lucked out and visited the lounge during a slow time, but it never really felt crowded. The highlights were the relaxation room, sushi bar, patio with a view, and the private security lane.
If you're flying business class from LAX on Delta or one of its partners, it's worth getting to the airport a little early to check out this fancy new lounge.
