Access for Tom Bradley International Terminal LAX

[CarolAB]

We are arriving at LAX (TBIT) at 0640 and our connecting flight to Vancouver does not leave until around 1030am. I am a qantas club member and I was wondering if it is possible to use the qantas club lounge in TBIT for a shower etc. and then proceed to the other terminal as we have heaps of time to spare. We are flying Air Canada so I cannot access their lounge. I realise that we would have to go back through security to get to the lounge and need to know if this is permissable and how does it work as I won't have a boarding pass for that terminal. Other wise are there showers that we could pay to use in any of the terminals?

Thank you

CarolAB

 

[notzac]

We are arriving at LAX (TBIT) at 0640 and our connecting flight to Vancouver does not leave until around 1030am. I am a qantas club member and I was wondering if it is possible to use the qantas club lounge in TBIT for a shower etc. and then proceed to the other terminal as we have heaps of time to spare. We are flying Air Canada so I cannot access their lounge. I realise that we would have to go back through security to get to the lounge and need to know if this is permissable and how does it work as I won't have a boarding pass for that terminal. Other wise are there showers that we could pay to use in any of the terminals?

Thank you

CarolAB

Unfortunately no - at a minimum, you would need a valid boarding pass for a flight leaving from TBIT to access the lounge at TBIT.

 

[Febs]

Unfortunately no - at a minimum, you would need a valid boarding pass for a flight leaving from TBIT to access the lounge at TBIT.

Agreed. If you did have a valid BP though, I'd say it would be fine. I've arrived at T4 connecting to a flight leaving from TBIT, and used the T4 Flounge before heading over to the TBIT lounge. No problems...but I did need to show my boarding pass for LAX-SYD (the desk lady did ask if I was aware the flight wasn't leaving from T4, but had no problem letting me in).

Cheers,
- Febs.

 

[NM]

Agreed. If you did have a valid BP though, I'd say it would be fine. I've arrived at T4 connecting to a flight leaving from TBIT, and used the T4 Flounge before heading over to the TBIT lounge. No problems...but I did need to show my boarding pass for LAX-SYD (the desk lady did ask if I was aware the flight wasn't leaving from T4, but had no problem letting me in).

The boarding pass mentioned is required to get through security screening to the departures area where the lounge is.

Also note that are very few (any??) OneWorld departures from TBIT at that time of the morning, so its quite possible the lounge will not be open even if you could get through the security screening point.

 

[Voyages]

Agreed. If you did have a valid BP though, I'd say it would be fine. I've arrived at T4 connecting to a flight leaving from TBIT, and used the T4 Flounge before heading over to the TBIT lounge. No problems...but I did need to show my boarding pass for LAX-SYD (the desk lady did ask if I was aware the flight wasn't leaving from T4, but had no problem letting me in).

Cheers,
- Febs.

Hi Febs, did you then walk or jump on the free shuttle within T4 to get to TBIT?

 

[Tejas]

Febs.. from MTAU?

anyway i'm doing a term 4 - TB transfer in 3 weeks. wharts the best way? bus or walk?

 

[NM]

Febs.. from MTAU?

anyway i'm doing a term 4 - TB transfer in 3 weeks. wharts the best way? bus or walk?

I always walk.

 

[Blackadder]

Only a short walk from TBIT to T4, so better off walking than waiting for the shuttle IMHO.

 

[djfuzz]

Febs.. from MTAU?

anyway i'm doing a term 4 - TB transfer in 3 weeks. wharts the best way? bus or walk?

If you've checked your bags through, I would have thought that the bus has its benefits too - don't have to clear security again at TBIT, which can be time consuming around the time of night that the QF flights leave (which can be pretty important if you're transferring from QF108 from JFK, which leaves almost no room for delay).

 

[serfty]

Since the SYD flights were moved to TBIT, Qantas have ensure the airside TBIT/T4 bus transfer runs efficiently. From T4 you catch the bus near gate 44; same place as the eAAgle shuttle departs from. Where it arrives at TBIT it about a 25 metre walk to the lift that takes you to the oneworld lounges.

From 4PM until 11PM, the bus departs T4 on the Hour and every ½ hour, taking about 5 minutes for a mini tarmac tour.

You will need a BP for an ex TBIT Qantas metal flight to use it.

Knowing this schedule, in two uses since my total waiting time has been about 4 minutes. I depart the T4 F/L ~5 minutes before the scheduled departure, the bus is normally waiting I board and it departs 1 or 3 minutes later. I have been ensconced in the TBIT F/L within 10 minutes of leaving the T4 F/L.

 

[CarolAB]

On our way back from Dallas to Los Angeles we have around a 4 hour wait till the QF12 flight. Would it be better to use the Admirals Lounge in Terminal 4 and then make our way across to TBIT a little later in the evening. I have been told that the lounge in TBIT can be very crowded in the evening.

CarolAB

 

[serfty]

... Would it be better to use the Admirals Lounge in Terminal 4 and then make our way across to TBIT a little later in the evening. ...

Note that they tend to board QF12/QF94 around ¾ hour before scheduled departure and it can be a 10 minute walk to the gates normally used (101 or 123), or a long ride if using a "Bus Gate" so this cuts your transit time significantly. (FWIW, I plan on departing the TBIT lounges just under an hour before planned departure.)

If you have access to the F/L's (in both T4 and TBIT), I'd spend about 50% time in each.

If you do not have F/L access then it's the the respective A/C's and J lounges. I'd pay a visit to the A/C for a short time, say about ¾ hour and then head to TBIT. You could perhaps have a shower before heading over. While you would get drink vouchers for complimentary coughtails in the A/C, there is minimal food catering, the TBIT J lounge is better in this respect.

Note that once you depart T4 airside, either through security or on the airside bus, it can be difficult to get back airside at T4.

 

[MelUser]

My view is get into the proper oneworld Business Class Lounge TBIT ASAP.

If you are late and it's busy they send you to the Star Alliance lounge.

The food, drinks, computers, decor are all better in the proper Oneworld Business Class Lounge in the TBIT. And, if you are early you can get a better position as it does get VERY busy as the night rolls - a bit like a good nightclub really!

 

[CarolAB]

Thank you for your valuable information. Will make sure we have plenty of time to get to one world lounge in TBIT with plenty of time to get a seat.

CarolAB

 

[Cyclogenesis]

Dragging up an old thread here to have a bit of a winge

I went through TBIT on my way home (QF 94) for the third time since getting access to the lounges (first as QP now AA Plat) and was each time the J Lounge has become busier and busier! I dont know if it is because more people are qualifying, or if it is due to Mexicana joining the alliance (QF 94 is now codeshare AA/QF/Mexicana) or more QP memberships being sold.

Last time (friday night LA time) was starting to get a little beyond a joke, most of the time was spend standing, getting to food was somewhat of a battle, and dont get me started on how terribly slow the network connection is there!

So I guess the point of my post is to ask why is the lounge (which is very new so any hope that they may improve it is probably a bit slim) so small? If I was flying J (rather than gaining status access) and was genuinely trying to do some work (which I was but fortunately is was a 5 minute job of submitting an abstract I wrote on the ORD-LAX flight) I would be quite annoyed!

/rant

 

[tuapekastar]

Dragging up an old thread here to have a bit of a winge

I went through TBIT on my way home (QF 94) for the third time since getting access to the lounges (first as QP now AA Plat) and was each time the J Lounge has become busier and busier! I dont know if it is because more people are qualifying, or if it is due to Mexicana joining the alliance (QF 94 is now codeshare AA/QF/Mexicana) or more QP memberships being sold.

Last time (friday night LA time) was starting to get a little beyond a joke, most of the time was spend standing, getting to food was somewhat of a battle, and dont get me started on how terribly slow the network connection is there!

So I guess the point of my post is to ask why is the lounge (which is very new so any hope that they may improve it is probably a bit slim) so small? If I was flying J (rather than gaining status access) and was genuinely trying to do some work (which I was but fortunately is was a 5 minute job of submitting an abstract I wrote on the ORD-LAX flight) I would be quite annoyed!

/rant

I recall reading post(s) (perhaps here, perhaps on FT), stating that oneworld was offered the entire relevant floor in TBIT to rebuild their lounges, but opted to only utilise half of it. I think price (surprise surprise) was the main factor.

 

[serfty]

I recall reading post(s) (perhaps here, perhaps on FT), stating that oneworld was offered the entire relevant floor in TBIT to rebuild their lounges, but opted to only utilise half of it. I think price (surprise surprise) was the main factor. I can't vouch for the veracity of the posts...

Look on FT for relevant posts by number_6 ...

 

[docjames]

Look on FT for relevant posts by number_6 ...

Care to share any of that here (work filter blocks FT for me, but allows AFF - weird!).

I too agree the TBIT lounge is stupidly small when three planeloads of QF 744s/A380s are arriving/leaving.