Review: the new Air France lounge, Los Angeles International Airport (Tom Bradley)

This is our review of the Air France business class lounge at Los Angeles International Airport.

Returning from Los Angeles, I was able to stop by the brand new Air France lounge thanks to my Virgin Flying Club Gold / SkyTeam Elite Plus status even though I was flying in premium economy on SAS.

The lounge just opened this past summer with the spa only opening in September. It’s the latest addition to Air France’s portfolio of outstation lounges and adds a much-needed SkyTeam option at LAX.

Air France LAX lounge access requirements

Whilst nominally an Air France lounge, access to a variety of other airlines is also provided. This includes SAS and Condor. Here are the full eligibility criteria for the lounge:

• First Class passengers flying Air France’s La Premiere
• Business class passengers flying on Air France, KLM, SAS, Condor and other SkyTeam airlines
• SkyTeam Elite Plus members (of any airline) flying on Air France, KLM or SAS

Where is the Air France lounge at Los Angeles?

The Air France lounge is located in the satellite terminal of Tom Bradley International Terminal (TBIT). Unfortunately the signage at LAX is not particularly clear and I had to ask someone for directions.

The easiest way to find it is to follow directions for Gates 201-221. This will lead you down a set of escalators to an underground walkway, similar to what you have at Heathrow’s Terminal 2.

When you reach the end of the tunnel (about five minutes’ walk, although there are complimentary buggy shuttles at both ends), do NOT take the escalator. Instead, take the lift to the sixth floor.

You then need to do a U-turn and walk around the atrium to get to the entrance of the Air France lounge.

Air France boasts that its lounge is in a convenient location for its flights. That may be true for Air France, but my SAS flight departed from the main concourse of TBIT. I had to do the whole walk in reverse to get to my gate, so it’s worth checking where you are departing from and giving yourself enough time.

The Air France Los Angeles lounge is open from 9:30am until 11:30pm daily.

Inside the Air France LAX lounge

It’s an impressive size – bigger than I was expecting. Air France touts the lounge as being over 1,100 square meters (12,000+ square feet) and accommodating 172 guests. It certainly felt spacious at 4pm when it was virtually empty – it was a particularly quiet day with the reduced winter schedule from Air France and KLM; SAS was the only flight left.

The lounge is split into broadly two halves. The toilets, showers, spa, nap room and some seating are on the right, whilst the bar, dining area and majority of the seating is on the left.

Let’s start on the right. Unlike the left hand side, this has no external windows. First up is a handful of seats which I imagine are less popular for the lack of natural light, although they do have internal windows into the terminal.

There’s a small drinks and snack station in the corner:

At the far end you have several amenities. These include the toilets (in individual cubicles with sinks) as well as two shower suites with Clarins toiletries:

…. a nap room:

…. and the Clarin’s Spa. There are two treatment rooms and you can choose from three different facials, all of which are complimentary and last 20 minutes. I went for the Detox facial which featured about seven (!) steps as well as a light arm and hand massage during the skincare mask. Not many (any?) business class lounges still offer complimentary spa treatments so this was a real treat.

The left hand side of the lounge is larger, and a nicer space to sit and relax (or work, if you have to).

First up is a staffed bar with a full drinks menu, including a handful of cocktails such as a Grapefruit Daquiri, cognac Old Fashion, Martini and French 75 which I’m told is the Air France signature drink. Beers, wines, mocktails and champagne (Pommery) are also available, although you can also get these yourself in the dining area.

Following the bar room is the dining area and lounge space. Unlike the rest of the lounge, this features large windows on two aspects, ensuring the space is filled with natural light. I suspect this is where most people gravitate.

The lounge space features a range of seating areas with wood and metal dividers to break up the space:

A lot of the seats (if not all, including in the dining area) feature mains, USB-A and USB-C ports so there’s plenty of power to go around.

On the other side is the dining area. This also features a range of seating options, from booths to individual tables to high bar stools.

Food and drink in the Air France lounge

In the centre of the dining area is the buffet selection:

As you would expect in an Air France lounge, this features a full charcuterie and cheese station:

…. as well as three salads (caesar, kale caesar and carrots):

Hot items were limited to a delicious beef bourgingon, salmon provencal, potatoes dauphinois and roasted butternut squash and brussels sprouts:

Opposite this you’ll find a live cooking station, although in reality it’s more of a live assembly station. On the menu today were:

• Butternut squash soup
• Pan seared prawns, tomato, avocado and spring salad mix with champagne vinaigrette
• Vegan tacos with sauteed mushrooms, pickled onions and avocado cream sauce

It was all beautifully presented and well tended, although I’ll admit the selection isn’t especially large – particularly when it comes to hot food. Desserts were elsewhere.

Wines, beers and soft drinks were available to help yourself – for spirits you’d have to go to the bar.

Conclusion

Overall, the Air France lounge at LAX is an impressive new space. Whilst I was there during a particularly quiet period, with more staff than guests, I did ask if it ever gets full and was told ‘not really’.

The complimentary spa treatments are a real stand out – a rarity in business class lounges these days – and the space is generally well designed, with a variety of different seating options regardless of whether you’re alone, in company, working or just relaxing. Whilst some lounges can feel like rows and rows of armchairs all facing the same way, there was a lot of variety and differentiation here.

It’s an impressive premium facility and well worth a visit!

Coming up next in this series is my review of SAS Plus, the long haul premium economy cabin.

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How to get FREE airport lounge access via UK credit cards (January 2025)

Here are the five options to get FREE airport lounge access via a UK credit card.

The Platinum Card from American Express comes with two free Priority Pass cards, one for you and one for a supplementary cardholder. Each card admits two so a family of four gets in free. You get access to all 1,500 lounges in the Priority Pass network – search it here.

You also get access to Eurostar, Lufthansa and Delta Air Lines lounges.  Our American Express Platinum review is here.

You can apply here.

American Express Preferred Rewards Gold is FREE for the first year. It comes with a Priority Pass card loaded with four free visits to any Priority Pass lounge – see the list here.

Additional lounge visits are charged at £24.  You get four more free visits for every year you keep the card.  

There is no annual fee for Amex Gold in Year 1 and you get a 20,000 points sign-up bonus.  Full details are in our American Express Preferred Rewards Gold review here.

HSBC Premier World Elite Mastercard gets you get a free Priority Pass card, allowing you access to the Priority Pass network.  Guests are charged at £24 although it may be cheaper to pay £60 for a supplementary credit card for your partner.

The card has a fee of £290 and there are strict financial requirements to become a HSBC Premier customer.  Full details are in my HSBC Premier World Elite Mastercard review.

Got a small business?

If you have a small business, consider American Express Business Platinum which has the same lounge benefits as the personal Platinum card:

You should also consider the Capital on Tap Pro Visa credit card which has a lower fee and, as well as a Priority Pass for airport lounge access, also comes with Radison Rewards VIP hotel status:

PS. You can find all of HfP’s UK airport lounge reviews – and we’ve been to most of them – indexed here.