Interesting comment re LAX lounges

[tuapekastar]

A quick search finds no evidence to support this statement I found at www.airlinequality.com under the Airport Review section. Was wondering if anyone else had heard of anything to support this.

LAX Int'l Airport by C Reader
21 July 2005

It is the City of Los Angeles' intention to take away all lounges in the next 9 months from individual airlines at the international terminal, and establish common "Alliance" and "Non-Alliance" lounges for both first and business classes. Move in date for the new lounges is currently scheduled for 03/07/06. As a result, none of the airlines in LAX are investing in upgrades to their current lounges, nor would it be particularly wise to do so under the circumstances.

 

[Guest]

Now I'm a tad confused...... which terminal exactly is THE "International" terminal?

Secondly I'm wonderring since when the City of Los Angeles owned LAX.

Thirdly I am interested to know why LAWA would want to take lounge responsibility away from individual airlines by standardizing the lounges so that there is no difference between airline A, B, C, D (you get the idea) pre-flight, aside from check-in.

Finally, if an airline left once of these alliances, they would essentially be without a lounge, or have a coughpy replacement at best, confusing the hell out of passengers in the meantime.

For some reason..... I don't buy it...

 

[thadocta]

Would have to be an improvement, the lounge that QF use at TBIT is a disaster area.

The joint QF/AA lounge at T4 is okay though.

Dave

 

[Kiwi Flyer]

Refers to TBIT. There's been some threads on FT about it. Apparently will be one lounge (presumably with separate first & business) for all OW and another for all *A.

I havent been through TBIT since building on this was supposed to have started so dont have any first hand info.

 

[AlwaysUpThere]

Why not ask Heather and Blair what's going on?

 

[NM]

Yes this refers to TBIT, and is one of factors that lead QF to move their SYD flights to T4 and to invest in the joint QF/AA lounge there. The airlines are not advertising the fact that for many months there will be very limited (exactly how much is not known) lounge facilities at TBI while the renovations are undertaken.

As it stands now, there are times when some people are turned away from lounges there due to capacity limits. So when they close a significant amount of the current space for renovations, there are going to be a lot of disappointed people.

Currently there are two levels of lounges at TBIT. I don't know the final plans, but it seems to make sense to renovate one floor at a time. So it would again make sense to me that each alliance would be given, say 1/3 of each floor to build a two-level lounge facility. So if they start by renovating level 5, they could continue to use the level 6 lounges at the same time. Then when level 5 is complete, each alliance will have some new lounge space to use while level 6 is renovated.

But since when did logic come into play with such things?

 

[duffshot]

I support any initiative which results in replacing the current Qantas lounge in the TBIT!

 

[tuapekastar]

Thanks...sounds like some short term pain for (hopefully) long term gain.

 

[NM]

Thanks...sounds like some short term pain for (hopefully) long term gain.

But the short term pain may last a year or more! There are going to be a lot of really annoyed people who have paid or earned memberships who will not be able to enter a lounge at LAX TBI over an extended period of time.

These BB's are going to filled with complaints about this topic. Those of us who know about it will ensure we never depart from TBI, but always take the SYD flights. The other option will be for those making an AA connection to use the T4 lounge before heading over to TBIT. Just have to time the walk over to TBIT correctly to ensure you make it through security before the flight leaves. In my experience, the security check at TBIT takes between 1 and 20 mins depending on the queue - closer to the evening departure times the queues can get longer.

 

[bravoecho1]

Should be interesting for our QF 26 departure in Jan 2006.

Would have preferred a T4 departure via SYD however the tickets are FF Awards and QF26 was the only J seats available.

Look forward to everyone's comments before then so we can see what the lay of the land is.

 

[NM]

I would expect that any passengers denied access to an appropriate lounge at TBI will be given some form of voucher to spend on food/beverages in the main terminal facilities.

If you know there won't be lounge and are prepared for it, it won't be too bad. But those who turn up expecting a lounge and find there isn't one might be a little disappointed.

 

[QF WP]

bravoecho1, just when is your departure on QF26. Ours is Jan 12. I think I recall from our chat that we are on different days.

This thread is also making me think of changing to a SYD-bound flight and connecting back up.

The TBIT F lounge isn't anything to write home about - same size as the BNE F lounge.

 

[NM]

The TBIT F lounge isn't anything to write home about - same size as the BNE F lounge.

And often crowded until the last BA flight leaves, and no view, no toilets, no food (except cheese and crackers) and basic beverage selection. Compare that with the T4 Flagship Lounge and if I expected to be spending any length of time at LAX, I would be looking to a T4 departure or at least a T4 connection to use that lounge before heading next door to TBIT.

 

[QF WP]

Hmmm, flying SEA/LAX on AS190 at T3,getting in at 6.25pm. QF26 takes off at 8.30pm, so it doesn't leave much time to go to the TBIT F lounge anyway.

Better go and look at what times the SYD flights leave T4, to see if it meets better scheduling?? Hmmm,

QF012 22.30
QF108 23.45
QF176 doesn't fly on a Thursday

 

[tuapekastar]

Qantas does say this on their website:

During periods of peak demand some members may be accommodated in associated lounges within the Tom Bradley International Terminal.

Of course, with the reconstruction affecting all lounge areas, this may be a moot point anyway!

 

[NM]

Hmmm, flying SEA/LAX on AS190 at T3,getting in at 6.25pm. QF26 takes off at 8.30pm, so it doesn't leave much time to go to the TBIT F lounge anyway.

Better go and look at what times the SYD flights leave T4, to see if it meets better scheduling?? Hmmm,

QF012 22.30
QF108 23.45
QF176 doesn't fly on a Thursday

But the downside of taking the SYD flight is that it goes to SYD :evil: .

 

[Bob]

I say just raze the whole TBIT and start again - it's not just the lounges that are a disaster area.

 

[QF WP]

But the downside of taking the SYD flight is that it goes to SYD :evil: .

But as we are leaving LAX on a Thursday and arriving Australia on a Saturday, we have no time constraints as it's only a relaxing weekend before I fly to PER on Tuesday AM.

Plus more SC's for me in my current earning year 8)

 

[bravoecho1]

bravoecho1, just when is your departure on QF26. Ours is Jan 12. I think I recall from our chat that we are on different days.

This thread is also making me think of changing to a SYD-bound flight and connecting back up.

The TBIT F lounge isn't anything to write home about - same size as the BNE F lounge.

Lindsay,

you are correct. We leave 2 days earlier on the 10th of Jan. We are in LA for 3 days leading up to the flight so if it sounds like the lounges are a no go, we will just do a late checkout and get to the airport a bit later than we normally do.

 

[NM]

you are correct. We leave 2 days earlier on the 10th of Jan. We are in LA for 3 days leading up to the flight so if it sounds like the lounges are a no go, we will just do a late checkout and get to the airport a bit later than we normally do.

I have not tried it myself, but many people have recommended the restaurant in the big spider building over the car park between the terminals at LAX. So you may like to get to the airport early enough to checkin and then have dinner at that restaurant before heading back to TBI, through secutiry and then head to the lounge for port and cheese before boarding.