Background:
I’ve visited the Alaska Lounge at LAX numerous times in the past but not since the recent renovation back in 2018, so I was excited to see how it looked. Normally I’ve visited with Priority Pass and countless times have seen the “Full House” sign. But this time, I booked a paid first class ticket which directly grants you lounge access and so I didn’t think I would have to wait. But currently with covid and capacity restrictions, I did have to join a waitlist. For reference, I tried entering the lounge at 2:30 PM on a Saturday afternoon at the end of June 2021.
You can also check out my First Class flight review here if you would like.
Access:
You have to take an elevator up to the Alaska Lounge which is located near Gate 64 in Terminal 6. The lounge is open Daily from 5:00 am – 8:30 pm.
You can gain access with:
- Alaska Membership or Admirals Club Membership
- Flying on paid Alaska First Class or an award (Passengers upgraded to First Class, (booked in U class of service) whether complimentary, paid, or using miles do not have complimentary access to the Alaska Lounge).
- Priority Pass
- Emerald and Sapphire members earned through Alaska or American Airlines are eligible for complimentary lounge access when they travel on an itinerary to Mexico City, Central America, South America, Europe, Africa, Asia or Australia. (Note: if you’ve earned Emerald or Sapphire status outside of Alaska or American, you can access the lounge even on domestic itineraries.)
- Active duty military travelling on orders
- Certain elites from (Hainan, Icelandair) can access the lounge when flying Alaska
- Day Pass ($50)
You go up to the check in and they jot your name down and will text you when an open table is ready. As a first class passenger, you get priority over others such as Priority Pass members. There were 32 parties on the waitlist but we were put as #3 on the list since we had an Alaska First Class ticket. I bet for a while it’s going to be quite hard for Priority Pass members to gain access.
For Priority Pass passengers, you can scan a QR code outside the elevator and add yourself to the waitlist rather than having to go to the check-in desk at the lounge.
The Lounge:
Thankfully we only had to wait about 15 minutes and received a text message that our table was ready at the lounge. Since we only had 20 minutes before our flight; our trip to the lounge was a bit short.
I did appreciate how they handled access as they assigned each party a seat and cleaned the area before we sat down. Almost like going to a sit down restaurant.
We got a nice little seat at the window which has a little construction view at the moment. The lounge has an array of seating options, from sofa style chairs, to dining tables and even high top seating.
The bar offers both complimentary and paid options. There were some wines, champagne and some hard liquor to make some basic cocktails. I opted to try the complimentary Rosé, which was ehh. Also they had some 4 beers on tap to choose from.
In terms of snacks and food, the buffet area was a bit lacking, with a small salad option, brownies, muffins, cookies and fruit. There’s a coffee machine as well as Coke machine too. Little finger sandwiches would have been a nice touch. I just nibbled on a prepackaged cracker and tried the brownie which was actually not bad. And of course, they had the famous Alaska Airlines pancake machine. If you don’t like the buffet options, there are some meals for purchase at the bar if you would like.
On my flight back home from Portland, I was also able to visit the Portland Alaska Lounge and they had little wraps and some prepackaged chips to choose from- a much better selection in my opinion.
Additionally, the restroom was nice, large and clean, and great to avoid the traffic inside the airport bathrooms.
The Verdict:
Overall, the Alaska Lounge at LAX is a nice place to stop by for a quick flight especially when the alternative is waiting in the crowded LAX terminal. While the food selection can be improved, it’s still a great clean lounge to grab a quick drink and relax.
Have you visited the Alaska Lounge at LAX recently? What were your thoughts? Comment below!
Cheers,
Ty
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