REVIEW: Oneworld Lounges (LAX)
July 2018
Qantas First Lounge
Access
To access the Qantas First Lounge, you have to either be flying in First Class on a Oneworld flight or have Oneworld Emerald status. There is a Business Class lounge they offer where you can access by flying in Business Class or in any class with Oneworld Sapphire. For AA elites, you have to be on an international itinerary.
Located in the international terminal, it is conveniently next to American Airlines’ main terminal and accessible post-security after a short 5–10 minute walk.
Design & Comfort
This is definitely my favorite lounge at LAX, an oasis in an airport that usually feels so exhausting to get to and from in traffic or even transferring between terminals.
There First Class lounge itself was very spacious with a lot of comfortable seating with bright pops of color and patterned rugs. There weren’t many people when I was there in the afternoon but I spent most of this visit at the dining area to sample the a la carte fare.
The one downside is because there is no natural light since there are only windows into the terminal, it didn’t feel as naturally warm or open — somewhat resembling being in a mall or cruise ship or casino.
The Food
The food was amazing. I ordered quite a bit because I don’t fly out of LAX much internationally so I wanted to really make my visit worthwhile.
The squid was super tender and fresh. Both the accompanying sauces — bright aioli, and a sweet tart chimichurri — were delicious and complementary.
The mushrooms had ample smoke and good, buttery flavor.
The mac and cheese was nothing special but it hit the spot.
My favorite dish was the shrimp ceviche. I didn’t expect to like the coconut flavor so much since I’m not that big on coconut but the whole dish was so fresh and harmonious and bright.
The madeline cake was not great, and a bit too dense.
The ice cream in the sundae was more like a soft serve. The almond praline was very hard, so much so that I worried about chipping a tooth. It also tasted more like popcorn than almonds.
The flat white here unfortunately wasn’t as good as you’d expect from Australia. It resembled a cappuccino more but the coffee had great flavor.
The cutlery provided seemed to be those thin, light metal ones they use on Qantas flights. Initially, I thought it was a cute detail except that during use, they aren’t the most comfortable and the knife doesn’t work very well.
American Airlines Flagship First Lounge
Access
You have be flying on American Airlines in Flagship First, which is mostly on their international and transcontinental flights.
As it shares the same lounge as the Business area, the checkin agent will only give you an invitation to the First Class Dining area if you have access. What was a nice touch was that I was personally walked to the dining room by another attendant and she was genuinely excited for me to experience it.
Design & Comfort
I spent more time than I initially intended at the Qantas lounge so I didn’t have much time to spend in the lounge. It didn’t change much from the Admiral’s Club from before but it has similar feels to the other Flagship Lounges, though I’d say I prefer the ones at ORD and JFK.
After eating, I also took a quick shower just to freshen up. It was spacious and I liked the reflective tile and backsplash but I think it’d be nice to add in some other colors from the AA identity.
The First Class Dining area was set up like a cafe/restaurant though the booths have a bit too much privacy with the high dividers. It actually made me feel too secluded and a bit claustrophobic instead of a more open and inviting feel like you’d see at other lounges.
The Food
I was so full from the Qantas lounge but I know I wanted to at least try the burger because I had heard a lot of good things about it. I decided to try the poke as well just to have something else. If I had more stomach space, I would have loved to try the arancini, short rib, and scallops.
The poke was bright but a bit one note. It also didn’t seem the freshest as it had a fishy aftertaste. The jackfruit didn’t add too much to the dish since I couldn’t taste it and it didn’t add anything texturally.
The burger was definitely good. It was sweet but juicy, and had lots of umami. It’s also a really big portion and I felt bad for not finishing. It would definitely be more enjoyable and satisfying if I wasn’t as full as I was.
I didn’t try any of the buffet options but I did take a look and it had a good variety. I’d also been back another time since this trip, and they had a hand-carved filet mignon station where you could have it as is with condiments or slightly boiled au jus. I really appreciate the special and varied options they have at the Flagship lounges’ different locations. The ORD one also had an amazing scallop amuse-bouche.
