Lounge Info
- Location: Tom Bradley International Terminal. Level 5
- Hours: 6:30 AM until last Qantas departure for the day
- Eligibility: First class Passengers or OneWorld Emerald passengers on a OneWorld flight, Qantas members with eligible status. Full eligibility rules here.
Layout and Atmosphere
The Qantas First Class Lounge in LAX is regarded as one of the best lounges in the United States and it’s hard to argue against that. The lounge itself is HUGE for US standards and offers a terrific dining experience, quietness, and space that most other US lounges just can’t match. I’m glad I was able to come check it out thanks to my flight in Japan Airlines First Class.
The layout of the lounge is simple and is basically just a long corridor divided into 2 main sections: the seating areas and the dining area further down the corridor. At the very end of the initial corridor, there is another small corridor on the left where the bathrooms and showers are located.
The lounge itself boasts a nice ambiance as well, featuring dim lighting in both the seating and dining areas. The darker lighting in the dining area is a nice touch as it makes the area feel more elegant and almost like a private upscale restaurant.
The biggest thing that stood out to me besides the size of the lounge, is just how quiet it is. While I was there, there were maybe at most 20 other passengers which is crazy for how large the space is. Having all that space divided amongst only ~20 guests means that everyone has more than enough room to space out and not be close enough to overhear other parties’ conversations, which is fantastic.
Seating
The first thing you’ll probably notice upon entering this lounge is just how much seating there is. I’m not even kidding when I say that there are a ton of seats. I would divide the seating area into 3 sections. First, there is the seating section with red chairs that immediately greets you upon entry to the lounge. Then there is a second section near the windows that features chairs with footrests and some couches. Lastly, there is the smaller section next to the bar and dining area that has another set of windows.
The initial seating section featuring the bright red lounge chairs can easily seat 30-40 people and features magazines nearby for guests to browse. They are decently comfortable but I preferred the brighter area nearer the window.
Another nice part of this area is that it features a coffee machine as well as some snacks and candy for guests to enjoy.
This next section features more seats and couches that are next to a set of floor to ceiling windows that grant guests a view of Tom Bradley International Terminal. The seats here are more private compared to the red seats in that they have taller backrests and face away from the main area of the lounge. Some of the chairs also have a nearby footrest that you can use to prop your legs up if you like.
I found the lighting here to be much better than the main seating area since the lighting in the main area was a little too dark for my taste. I also liked how the big windows let in natural light and generally made this section feel more welcoming.
Another thing that was convenient about this section is that it features a mini self serve drink bar with champagne, wine, and water.
My favorite part of this window section is that you can look down into the Tom Bradley International Terminal and see a bunch of passengers walking down the hallway. If you’re into people watching, I’d recommend relaxing in this area.
The last section of seats is found further along towards the dining area. This area features some small coffee tables surrounded by a pair of short chairs. The first two seating areas are better in my opinion compared to this area in terms of aesthetics and comfort. However, the one cool thing about this area is that the window overlooks all the check in counters at Tom Bradley International Terminal and it’s really cool to see just how much foot traffic this terminal gets and how busy it can be.
Dining
The dining area is probably my favorite part of the lounge. It’s very spacious and all of the individual tables make it feel like more of a restaurant rather than a lounge. The neat thing is that in the back there is a semi-open kitchen so you can look in and see all the chefs preparing the meals.
All of the tables are arranged in rows that have 2 chairs at each table and are quite spread apart. I felt there was a lot of room and didn’t feel that I was too close to neighboring tables at all. There are multiple waiters walking around to serve food, take orders, and ensure guests have all that they need. The service was prompt and friendly and I had an enjoyable experience overall.
As for food, the meal and drink options were delicious. I started off with a lychee mint mojito which was very tasty.
Next, we ordered several appetizers, starting with Qantas’ famous salt and pepper fried squid. This was VERY good and I highly recommend that you order it.
Next was the heirloom tomatoes with buffalo mozzarella. I’m not big on cheese or tomatoes so I actually didn’t try this dish but my brother said it was good.
The last appetizer we ordered was the croque monsieur which was good but nothing amazing. I’d probably skip this next time.
For the main dishes, we ordered the pork ssam and the roast chicken with butternut squash puree. The pork ssam was quite tasty and I much preferred it over the chicken. The chicken wasn’t bad but had a very strong fall/squash taste to it which I don’t personally enjoy but if you’re into those fall flavors, I think you’d enjoy it very much.
For dessert, I had the spiced chocolate mousse and citrus curd. The presentation was excellent and the mousse itself was delightful but I didn’t care too much for the citrus aspect of it. I saw another gentleman get the Sundae and it looked pretty good so next time I’d try that instead.
We finished the meal off with a latte which was a nice pick me up before the flight!
Drinks
The Qantas First Class Lounge boasts an impressive full bar with a long bar counter and plenty of seats. I didn’t grab a drink from here but I can imagine it’s a great place to relax and chop up some conversation with fellow travelers while enjoying a nice cold beverage.
Amenities
The only real downside that I can think of for this lounge is that there aren’t really any amenities apart from the showers. There aren’t any kinds of unique things like a gym or game room which is not a big deal to me but may be things people look for.
There is free wifi offered that is easy to connect to and I had no speed issues.
Bathroom and Showers
The bathrooms and showers are located at the very end of the lounge, past the sitting and dining areas. You’ll make a left turn at the end and you’ll pass by the bathrooms. The bathrooms have a white marble-like interior and are very clean.
Past the bathrooms, you’ll come to the entrance to the shower area where there is a counter to request towels or assistance. The shower itself is very nice and extremely spacious. It features a full glass door shower, stools for sitting, and a personal toilet.
The cool thing was that the soaps and lotions in the lounge are made by LaGaia Unedited which is exclusively provided to Qantas first class.
Unfortunately, the hot water wasn’t running when I was there but I decided to tough it out and shower anyway lol. Hopefully, you won’t have to go through that.
Conclusion
The Qantas First Class Lounge at LAX is excellent and definitely worth a visit. The large, quiet space with great dining and seating options makes this the perfect place to rest and refresh before your flight! What are some of your favorite lounges in the United States?
