Review: Oneworld Business Class Lounge LAX

A few weeks ago I made a quick solo trip to Helsinki for a couple days. The trip included an overnight layover and then all-day wait in LAX. Normally, I wouldn’t be too keen on a layover this long where I wasn’t planning to explore, but as I was flying Finnair A350 business class to Helsinki (and super excited about it), this meant I could hang out in the Oneworld business class lounge LAX all day, if needed.

Which was exactly what I did for several hours.

Oneworld Business Class Lounge LAX Access

To access the Oneworld Business Class Lounge at LAX, you need to either be flying a same-day long-haul business or first class ticket with any Oneworld carrier, or be a Oneworld Sapphire or Emerald member. Here’s a rundown on the eligibility criteria:

• Customers flying First or Business Class with a Oneworld member airline (First class passengers are also welcome in the Qantas First Lounge)
• Emerald and Sapphire tier frequent flyers (Emerald tier members are also welcome in the Qantas First Lounge)
• American Airlines Airlines AAdvantage members, regardless of their tier status or class of travel, are not eligible for lounge access when travelling solely on North American flights within or between the U.S, Canada, Mexico (except Mexico City), the Bahamas, Bermuda and the Caribbean.
• If you’re a non-AA Oneworld Emerald or Sapphire elite, you can access the Oneworld Business Class Lounge LAX on domestic flights, and flights to Canada, Mexico, and the Caribbean.
• Connecting between oneworld marketed and operated flights:
  • First and Business Class customers connecting on the same day of travel, or before 6am the following day, can access the lounge when travelling between an international long haul (a oneworld international long haul flight is defined as an international flight marketed and operated by any oneworld carrier with a scheduled flight time longer than 5 hours) and an international short haul or domestic flight (and vice-versa).
  • Lounge access will be determined on the international long haul ticketed flight (either First of Business Class) regardless of the ticketed class of travel on the international short haul or domestic flight.
  • You must be prepared to show your boarding pass or itinerary showing travel in First or Business class on the international long haul flight, in order to access the lounge before your international short haul or domestic flight.

The lounge is open between 6:30 AM and 11:30 PM daily. First Class passengers and Emerald and Sapphire elites may invite one guest to join them in the lounge. The guest must also be travelling on a flight operated and marketed by a oneworld airline.

The Oneworld Business Class Lounge LAX is located airside in the Tom Bradley International Terminal (TBIT). After passing through security, follow the signs and head upstairs one level. The lounge is located on the mezzanine, near P.F. Chang’s. If you’re traveling from the Terminal 4 connection, you should already be on the correct level. Turn right and continue past the Qantas First and KAL Lounges.

Since my flight was a departing segment in Finnair business class, I qualified for access as a business class passenger. However, scanning my boarding pass from my phone proved to be a challenge. Eventually, I got the machine to take it, and in I went.

General Space

The Oneworld Business Class Lounge LAX is quite large. Given the number of Oneworld airlines, I expected it would be. There are several different spaces, so you should be able to find one that meets your needs. There is a large seating area straight ahead of you as you enter, or you can head left to some of the more secluded areas, or right to another seating area past the bar. I walked through the whole lounge before settling on a place to sit.

If you head left, you’ll find the business center with workstations at large desks. I almost at here as I planned to work for several hours. But I ended up just using my laptop at one of the tables. There is also a coffee machine and soda machine in the corner for convenience. The rest of the food and beverages are at the opposite side of the lounge.

Continuing around the middle atrium area is another seating area with armchairs and these recliners facing the windows. This is one of the more quiet areas in the lounge.

Circling the next corner, you’ll find another area with a large table as well as pairs of seats at small tables against the windows. This was the best area of the lounge in terms of natural light during the middle of the day.

At this point you’ve basically made a circuit of the lounge, coming back to the first seating area you saw near the food.

There are more tables and chairs at the back of the lounge, however. This was one of those moments I really needed a better camera, as my phone was struggling to take a decent shot. I’m resisting the urge to drop a bunch of money on an iPhone 11, although the camera on Apple’s newest phone has basically sold me.

There is one more corner of the lounge past the bar with chairs typically arranged in pairs with tiny tables.

This is where the indoor fireplace is also located. It wasn’t on while I was there, but it might be a fun spot if you’re traveling with a group. Given that you can easily lay down on the circular benches, this is the one spot I found a couple people sprawled out napping later.

Overall, the Oneworld Business Class Lounge LAX has plenty of seating. The number of guests ebbed and flowed through the day, but the lounge never felt excessively busy (a la some Centurion lounges), given how much people can spread out.

Food Selection

The Oneworld business class lounge had one of the more excellent food selections for a domestic lounge that I’ve seen. There were several hot options, including steamed rice, braised lamb with vegetables, spiced coconut pumpkin curry, pasta, and steamed veggies. The curry and lamb with rice were both quite good. The soup option that day was sweet corn and basil.

The salads included a spinach and cauliflower mix and a kale salad with braised fennel and sweet potato. I’m not normally keen on kale, but that one was actually my favorite of the three.

There is also a well-stocked selection of fresh fruit.

You can also pick from brownies, pies, and some other sweet options. There is also a pancake machine, if that’s more your style.

After only a coffee and pastry for breakfast from Starbucks across the street from the Candlewood Suites LAX Hawthorne, lunch was the first thing on the agenda by the time I made it to the lounge at LAX.

While the majority of the food is in one area, there is also another corner with some snacks and wine near the entrance to the showers.

I was pleased on the whole with the food offered at the Oneworld Business Class Lounge LAX. There are some excellent options, far more than most domestic lounges, which is nice.

Beverages

The Oneworld Business Class Lounge LAX offers a full, staffed bar. They also have a selection of self-serve wine, which I found more extensive than the typical domestic club lounges that I’ve visited.

The options include three white wines, a rose, and three reds. There is also a sparkling wine as well.

Unlike other domestic clubs where some drinks are at an extra cost, everything is complimentary. The sparkling wine was the best of the few I tried through the day.

Beyond the alcoholic beverages, you have tea and lemonade, water, and multiple coffee stations. There  is one by the main food area, and a second on the opposite side of the lounge near the business center.

Other Features of the Oneworld Business Class Lounge LAX

Hidden at the back of the lounge is a kids play area. I say hidden, since it took me hours to realize that the seating area past the food area wasn’t actually the back of the space. There are a couple doors that open into the play area, but it is generally secluded from the rest of the lounge.

This is honestly a great design. It gives families a great space to enjoy while keeping kids and noise from disturbing other guests. I’m certainly for lounges welcoming families and kids, and would have no issues with them in the rest of the lounge. It’s simply nice to have a dedicated space.

The Oneworld Business Class Lounge LAX features showers as well. There is a station, usually staffed by an attendant, where you can request to use of the the shower rooms. When I asked, there was no wait, and I was escorted immediately to one of the available showers.

The shower rooms are large, clean and well-stocked. It was nice to freshen up again before the long flight to Helsinki. There is a bench for your bag and also a hook on the wall to stow it. Each shower room is essentially a full bathroom with a toilet and sink.

The other restrooms are on the opposite side of the lounge. I found these to also be clean and maintained well.

Conclusion

If you’re traveling on an eligible business class ticket or have access as an elite, the Oneworld Business Class Lounge LAX is a great space to unwind before your flight. The lounge is large, and there is an ample variety of seating, including a great area for families traveling with kids. The food is good, and there is an excellent selection of drinks compared to most domestic clubs. On the whole, it’s one of the most excellent lounges I’ve visited within the U.S.