Star Alliance Lounge terminal 3 Los Angeles review: beautiful indeed
It is a lounge owned by StarAlliance. There are only six in the world, one even in Rome. These lounges [...]
Star Alliance
LAX
United States of America
It is a lounge owned by StarAlliance. There are only six in the world, including one in Rome. These lounges are designed to serve all guests of the alliance companies with no particular connotation to any particular carrier and are strategically located at important airports around the world where a "strong" ally of the relevant alliance does not operate.
In this article:
The best bonuses
Indeed, Lufthansa, Singapore Airlines and other SA carriers operate in this terminal, 3. United, the American soul of Star Alliance operates from Terminal 7, so the other companies decided to put themselves under one hat and create a really really nice lounge.
N.B. For first class passengers who fly with Lufthansa there is a dedicated lounge operated directly by the German carrier right in front of this lounge.
Location & access
The hall is located on level 6 of the terminal, right in the central plaza. On the floor above that of British, Qantas and Cathay, or the three OneWorld companies that operate in this terminal.
Both elevator and escalator access is available. Admission is free for all passengers in business class or higher on StarAlliance carriers, as well as all passengers with a level At least equivalent to Gold in the same alliance.
Important: At the Los Angeles airport. not è present, at present, not even a Priority Pass lounge, in any of the active terminals.
So either you have the status or you will have to go to one of the many eateries in the different terminals.
The news these weeks is that it is also possible to enter for a fee, the cost is higher than usual: 50$. Let's say that if you are traveling alone and have a very long layover, for example because you have to wait several hours for your connecting flight, it might make sense to pay admission; in all other cases I would not venture to recommend it.
The hall
This lounge, as evidenced by the Skytrax plaques on the entrance wall, is multiple award-winning. I must admit, it deserves all the awards it has received. It is truly beautiful.
Not only because of the many types of seating or the various lounges scattered here and there, but especially because of the two terraces.
The first one is covered because it overlooks the terminal; it is outside the lounge but is still inside the airport facility.
The second one is a real terrace, a pity to have seen it "off" because when it is alive it must really be something spectacular.
Not only because of the presence of the grid, but also because of stylistic choices such as faux bonfires or an illuminated waterfall wall.
All really nice, like the wall of bottles that is very reminiscent of a starred restaurant wine cellar as a solution to hide the hallway leading to the bathrooms.
Scattered here and there are then quotes from famous people related to the history of the film and flight mecca.
Services
There are showers, and they were functional. There is convenient luggage storage so you don't have to lug your trolley around all the time. There is a TV room, which almost looks like a small movie theater, and a business area where you can also have business meetings.
It lacks plusses such as a spa or other special amenities, but overall it is a solid, neat lounge that can cater to passengers from a large number of carriers.
Food & Beverage
I arrived that it was lunchtime and I have to say that I expected something better, since we are talking about rush hour anyway with the departure of several flights. In the photos the lounge may look empty, but only because I was among the first passengers to go through security, ten minutes later there was a line to get in.
The buffet is free access, like in the old days. The offerings were reduced to salads, pretzels and chips. The hot offering was actually jasmine rice, chicken or a vegetable dish. Finally, there were fruit and cupcakes. Let's say a laughable sufficiency.
Definitely better the beverage offerings. Both as wines and beers, bottled or on tap, and soft drinks.
On the opposite side from the buffet is the bar counter with more self-service islands for hot drinks and super spirits. Unlike what happens in so many lounges on this side of the Atlantic, everything was included in the price and there were no paid offerings, although it's good to remember that in the U.S. you always tip even when you don't pay.
At the time of my visit I did not see a bartender behind the counter. You know, in the U.S., people like to drink, so it is strange that they do not have this service, which is also offered in small lounges in secondary airports.
In conclusion
The lounge is nice, the outdoor terrace should really be a unique experience when it is operational at 100%. Too bad that the food offerings are stripped to the bone and there is not at least a bartender to make real cocktails for guests.
This is just one of many reviews you can read on our site, covid and restrictions permitting. Every Wednesday we publish a review of a lounge airport, while every Friday you can read the review of one of our flights or a hotel where we stayed.
Pro
- Locatio
- Terrace
- Patio
Against
- The menu