Admirals Club/QC at T4 LAX

[FlyboyAl]

After 10 enjoyable days in the US I'm heading home today.
Been throuth Detroit, Dallas, Denver and Portland in 5 days for work, flying Frontier, Alaska and Horizon.
Best service of them all was Horizon with FREE drinks from Portland to LAX. They were even good boutique US beers!
The rest of the flights were uneventful other than on the way to Detroit the pilot pulled the airbrakes on unanounced at 30,000ft and we dropped like a rock for about 2000 or 3000 feet. No PA announcement, it just happenned!

After the rental car bus dropped me at Tom Bradley, and after they politely told me I was at the wrong terminal, i am now sitting in The Admirals Club at T4 as I made the mistake of booking QF26 via Auckland.

Having come out of Tom Bradley 1 or 2 times a year for the last 4 years, I have to say the Admirals Club in T4 is a total dissapointment.

Limit of 2 free drinks.
Cubes of rubber cheese or savory NutriGrain,
Apples and Oranges and thats it!

The food in the QC at Tom Bradley is light years ahead of this place, plus you can drink all you want.

As I normally get here 3 or 4 hours early, without wanting to appear stingy, I will make sure I never do QF26 again as I really do not believe I am getting my QC money's worth out of the lounge, plus I prefer the direct flight from LAX to SYD. the booking was my mistake and I don't recall seeing anything about via Auckland at the time.

I'm still a lowly bronze QC member (so no FC lounge access), but is it just me that is disappointed, or am I being over critical?

And, as an aside, why is it that QF use T4 for the Auckland/Bris flights, and Tom Bradley for the rest?

 

[serfty]

...
Limit of 2 free drinks.
...

When you have used those vouchers, there is nothing to stop you going back to the Qantas service desk and requesting more.

They only issue one or two at a time because some unscrupulous passengers hoard them.

 

[FlyboyAl]

Thanks for the tip on the drinks. By the way, if you are in Oz, why aren't you sleeping?

 

[FlyboyAl]

Wow, some cut up baguette type things just arrived. One plate, gone in about 30 seconds. Chicken, a piece of lettuce and a piece of tomato in sourdough bread!

 

[serfty]

About the food - see these FT threads:

Tom Bradley or Terminal 4 LAX
Sandwiches in the evening - Is this a LAX AC thing only?

 

[serfty]

Thanks for the tip on the drinks. By the way, if you are in Oz, why aren't you sleeping?

Ummm.. 'tis 12:03pm Tuesday in Melbourne!

 

[moa999]

On the flipside the FL (Flagship Lounge) at T4 has an open bar, and in my opinion better food than the FL (First Lounge) at TBIT

and WIFI that has a decent speed (they provide you with a TMobile card).
In fact when you get that card and then go to TBIT you can still use it


FL at T4 is to the right of the desk (access via a swipe card that the main desk provides you). Need to go back into the main AC for showers.

 

[NM]

Need to go back into the main AC for showers.

No, the FL at T4 has its own showers. Ask for a key at the FL reception just through the sliding door and showers are at the far left end of the lounge near the toilets. If none are available at the time, they will take you name and page you when one is free.

The only thing you you to go to the AC for is if you want to use their computers.

 

[FlyboyAl]

Ummm.. 'tis 12:03pm Tuesday in Melbourne!

oops, seems my clock is a little out!
I just checked by booking details on the QF website, and now I know why I didn't know about Auckland.
Nowhere is it mentioned!
It just shows as LAX - MEL then MEL - ADL. I guess I'll just try to remember for next time!
Oh well, back to the bar with another coupon

 

[brucory]

When you have used those vouchers, there is nothing to stop you going back to the Qantas service desk and requesting more.

They only issue one or two at a time because some unscrupulous passengers hoard them.

When we last used this lounge, the friendly Australian rep told us to come back for more vouchers. The showers there are great!!!

 

[Warks]

While we're on LAX QC or the partner lounge I was wondering if after SYD-LAX and transitting to continue on to YVR with Alaskan I am able to use the lounges (have QC membership). With a family of four for this trip and a long wait between flights it'd be really nice. I've used the lounges here before but only because I was flying onwards with American. Not sure where Alaskan fits in.
Thanks.

 

[NM]

While we're on LAX QC or the partner lounge I was wondering if after SYD-LAX and transitting to continue on to YVR with Alaskan I am able to use the lounges (have QC membership). With a family of four for this trip and a long wait between flights it'd be really nice. I've used the lounges here before but only because I was flying onwards with American. Not sure where Alaskan fits in.
Thanks.

You will not be able to access the T4 or TBIT lounges because you will not be able to get through the security screening point for access to teh departures area of those terminals as you will not have a boarding pass for a departure from the terminal.

Upon arrival from SYD you will exit the arrivals area through the customs screening point and be land-side and not be able to get back to the lounges whoch are air-side of the security screening.

Your AS flight will depart from T3.

 

[dot]

And, as an aside, why is it that QF use T4 for the Auckland/Bris flights, and Tom Bradley for the rest?

To avoid confusion, all LAX-SYD and LAX-MEL direct flights operate out of TBIT because that is the only terminal with A380 capable gates. Since the A380 does not fly LAX-BNE or LAX-AKL-MEL, those flights use T4.

 

[tonybne]

Hi all,

I was in the T4 AC last week for my flt LAX-BNE. The AC was only 50% full but as others have stated food was snapped up very quickly once it was taken out.Loads back to BNE in J were about 65%. About 8 spare seats on the upper deck for the taking. Missed out on row 16, but the flt was good to very good in J.

Cheers,

Tonybne

 

[serfty]

tonybne, welcome to AFF!

 

[FlyboyAl]

QF26 was about 60% from LAX - Auckland and about 70% to MEL. Business class was almost empty.
I'm still of 2 minds if the AKL fight is better than going direct. The duty free shopping is pretty good in AKL and I got a fantastic deal on a bottle of Johnny Walker Blue, plus another malt at NZ$179. Suspect someone got something mixed up, but once I was on the plane and checked it, there wasn't much I could do about it if it was a stuff up.
The run to MEL was an easy 3 hrs and the shower in the MEL QC was FANTASTIC. I was smart on this trip and had a full change of clothes which made it even better.

 

[Cyclogenesis]

QF26 was about 60% from LAX - Auckland and about 70% to MEL. Business class was almost empty.
I'm still of 2 minds if the AKL fight is better than going direct. The duty free shopping is pretty good in AKL and I got a fantastic deal on a bottle of Johnny Walker Blue, plus another malt at NZ$179. Suspect someone got something mixed up, but once I was on the plane and checked it, there wasn't much I could do about it if it was a stuff up.
The run to MEL was an easy 3 hrs and the shower in the MEL QC was FANTASTIC. I was smart on this trip and had a full change of clothes which made it even better.

Is it any more expensive to go via AKL?

It would be nice to break that haul up on the (15.5hr) haul home!

 

[file51]

You will not be able to access the T4 or TBIT lounges because you will not be able to get through the security screening point for access to teh departures area of those terminals as you will not have a boarding pass for a departure from the terminal.

Upon arrival from SYD you will exit the arrivals area through the customs screening point and be land-side and not be able to get back to the lounges whoch are air-side of the security screening.

Your AS flight will depart from T3.

You are correct about the lounge part, but accessing T4 is possible

AA & AS have a special transfer service that runs every 10-15 minutes.

If you arrive into T4, you are allowed back in to get on the bus which also services all AA Eagle flights from the remote terminal. I do this at least 8-10 times a year when flying into and out of LAX (going from an AA or QF flight to meet my AS flight usually to Seattle or Portland).

Once through security just follow the signs to the American Eagle bus transfer which is on the lower level.

btw, the transfer affords you some fantastic viewing op's of the aircraft at TBIT, especially good when QF have an A380 parked at the gate as the transfer bus pretty much drives almost underneath the tail section as it makes it way round to T3

 

[uzza]

Is it any more expensive to go via AKL?

It would be nice to break that haul up on the (15.5hr) haul home!

From personal experience it's quite often cheaper or the same cost as QF94. I know last year when I flew HBA-MEL-AKL-LAX-ORD-YOW the QF25 flight (Ie MEL-AKL-LAX) was the cheapest option as I had a STA "Blue" fare for students and QF93 would have cost an additional $400 to fly it!

 

[serfty]

Be careful with QF25/QF26. from June 9th it changes to a 737 between MEL and AKL and a 744 between LAX and AKL. note that the QF25 departs MEL at OMG o'clock 5am or 6am depending on the time of the year.