Review: Oneworld Lounge LAX Tom Bradley International Terminal

By
Ziggy
-
a sign in a building
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The Tom Bradley International Terminal at LAX offers gates used by all the oneworld airlines that fly in and out of Los Angeles (including American Airlines). As such the oneworld lounge LAX in the Tom Bradley Terminal (colloquially known as TBIT) acts as the Business Class lounge for all these airlines and is the lounge I visited when flying with British Airways last month.

Oneworld Lounge LAX – Access Rules

The lounge is open 06:30 – 23:30 daily.

To be eligible for entry to the oneworld lounge LAX you must be departing on a flight that is both marketed and operated by a oneworld member airline. This applies to all visitors wishing to enter the lounge.

On top of this requirement travelers need to fit into one or more of the following categories:

  • Oneworld Emerald status card holders + 1 guest
  • Oneworld Sapphire status card holders + 1 guest
  • Customers flying First or Business Class with a boarding pass for travel on the same day

Full detailed lounge entry rules can be found via this link

Oneworld Lounge LAX – Location

The lounge is located on the 5th level of the Tom Bradley International Terminal at LAX (one level above where you exit security).

a map of a buildingClick To Enlarge

The simplest way to access the lounge is by using the escalators next to “Time Tower” (centre of the image above) to access level 5 and then following the walkway around to your right where you’ll see the lounge.

If you’re visiting the lounge from Terminal 4 you can use the T4 – TBIT connector and the lounge is on the right and approximately 100 yards past the excellent Qantas First Class lounge you’ll see as soon as you enter the international terminal.

Oneworld Lounge LAX – Inside

a woman standing at a desk in a lobbyOneworld Lounge LAX

Seating

The lounge is quite large and offers a variety of seating options depending on your needs.

There are sections with armchairs….

a room with chairs and tablesOneworld Lounge LAX

….sections with more modern and partly reclined chairs….

a group of chairs in a roomOneworld Lounge LAX

a group of chairs in a roomOneworld Lounge LAX

….a section with chairs surrounding a central workbench…..

a room with many chairs and tablesOneworld Lounge LAX

…areas with bar stool seating overlooking the shopping area of the terminal….

a row of chairs in a roomOneworld Lounge LAX

…and sections of chairs which are so regimented they must have been put there for overflow purposes:

a row of chairs in a roomOneworld Lounge LAX

The lounge also has one quirky area which features an indoor fire pit….which I have never seen lit and whose purpose I struggle to understand in a city where the temperatures rarely drop low enough to warrant a fire.

a room with a fireplace and chairsOneworld Lounge LAX

There are quite a few power outlets dotted around the lounge but, if you need to charge your devices, you have to choose where you sit carefully as some areas have considerably less outlets than others.

All the power outlets are of the 2-pin US variety so, if that’s not what you’re used to using at home, be sure to bring an adapter.

The lounge offers a small business area in one corner of the facility but it’s not exactly large.

There’s a table housing six iMac computers…..

a desk with computers and a monitor on the wallOneworld Lounge LAX

…a table with printing and scanning facilities as well as a 3-seater bench with ample power outlets ahead of it.

a room with chairs and a laptopOneworld Lounge LAX

Dining & Drinking

The oneworld lounge had a large dining area on the opposite side of the room to where you enter and it’s just as well that it’s large as there aren’t all that many tables suitable for dining comfortably elsewhere around the lounge.

a room with tables and chairsOneworld Lounge LAX

a room with tables and chairsOneworld Lounge LAX

For a US Business Class lounge the oneworld lounge offers a good selection of food although, on my visit, I couldn’t help but notice that he food area had a Public Health rating of “B”….which isn’t great.

a framed certificates on a wallOneworld Lounge LAX

Still, I had some of the food and I’m still here to write the review so it can’t be all that bad 🙂

The food on offer ranges from snacks/nibbles to full-on meals and, during my evening visit, this is what was on offer:

Snacks/Nibbles/Desserts

a buffet line with food on it

  • Roasted almonds
  • Marinated olives
  • Corn tortilla chips
  • Blueberry and lemon cake
  • Chocolate brownie with macadamia nuts
  • Fresh fruit

a plate of chocolate on a tableOneworld Lounge LAX

a table with plates of food and utensilsOneworld Lounge LAX

bowls of food in a glass caseOneworld Lounge LAX

a bowl of oranges and bananas on a counterOneworld Lounge LAX

Salads/Salad Items

  • Corn salsa
  • Romaine Caesars salad
  • Fruit salad

a row of bowls of foodOneworld Lounge LAX

  • Sliced chorizo potato & canelini beans with roasted bell peppers and salsa verde
  • Mexican bean salad with coriander, crumbled feta and honey lime vinaigrette
  • Bell peppers with chickpeas, corn & coriander with mango and jalapeño dressing

a row of bowls of foodOneworld Lounge LAX

Main Meal Items

a buffet with food on the counterOneworld Lounge LAX

  • Spiced carrot soup
  • Spanish braised chicken with olives
  • Fragrant jasmine rice
  • Paprika roasted potatoes with garlic
  • Eggplant parmigiana
  • Thai vegetable stir fry

a group of food containers on a tableOneworld Lounge LAX

On the drinks front the lounge offers a full-service bar……

a bar with a bar and a man behind itOneworld Lounge LAX

….which, unlike the food service area, was displaying a public health rating of “A”:

a sign in a glass caseOneworld Lounge LAX

Aside from the full service bar there are also some self-service options in the food area.

These include various wines (with more snacks)….

a bar with bottles of wine and snacksOneworld Lounge LAX

a group of wine bottles and glassesOneworld Lounge LAX

a bucket of wine bottlesOneworld Lounge LAX

a group of glass jars with food in themOneworld Lounge LAX

…as well as a coffee machine (which can also serve hot chocolate), tea and a set of soda fountains:

a counter with many glasses and cupsOneworld Lounge LAX

a coffee machine and coffee dispenser on a counterOneworld Lounge LAX

a shelf with packets on it

Oneworld Lounge LAX

There are further coffee machines and soda fountains in other areas of the lounge too:

a coffee machine on a counter

Shower Facilities

The lounge offers a number of shower rooms which, by most Business Class lounge standards, are pretty nice.

The shower attendants have a variety of amenities and toiletries to offer guests should they require them (razors, toothpaste, toothbrushes etc..) and the design of the shower rooms are similar to what you’ll find in a number of Admiral’s clubs.

a bathroom sink with a towel and a mirror

a bathroom with a sink and toilet

The shower offers very good water pressure and the water heats up very quickly so you get to avoid the long wait for the water to go above freezing.

a bathroom with a glass shower

a shower with a hose and shower head

a bathroom with a tile floor

The toiletries on offer within the showers and by the sinks are by Aspar and are very similar (but not quite as good) as the Aspar toiletries offered a few yards away in the Qantas First Class lounge – as Business Class lounge toiletries go these are very good.

a couple of white bottles on a shelf

Thoughts

Negatives:

  • The “B” Public Health rating in the food area was poor so, hopefully, by the time you’re reading this, the issues have been ironed out and the facility has gone back to having the “A” rating it needs to have.
  • The lounge is quite dark. While the are certain areas within the lounge that offer more light than others the overall ambiance is certainly not light and bright.
  • A few more side tables at armchair height wouldn’t go amiss as, if you’re not sitting in the dining area, you’re mostly left to use low-level coffee tables for which you have to lean forward and down every time you need to pick up your drink or your plate.
  • More power outlets would be nice….but this isn’t a major issue

Positives:

  • The lounge is big…and it needs to be because it can get busy at peak times.
  • The seating is generally comfortable and the more modern, partly reclined, chairs are relaxing.
  • The food offering is good and broad enough to suit a lot of different tastes
  • The shower facilities are very good and the attendants are friendly and helpful.

Bottom Line

The Star Alliance lounge is the Business Class lounge to beat at LAX’s Tom Bradley Terminal and the oneworld lounge doesn’t do that – the Star Alliance lounge has an outdoor terrace that the oneworld lounge cannot compete with – but it’s still a solid offering.

It’s better than the Korean Air lounge and it’s light-years ahead of the Los Angeles International lounge which you’ll find just a few steps away.

Clearly I wouldn’t use this lounge if I had access to the Qantas First Class lounge or the American Airlines Flagship lounge (over in T4), but as a place to spend a bit of time before a flight, this really isn’t too bad at all.

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