A look at the American Airlines Admirals Club at LAX Terminal 5

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As I found myself passing through LAX last week and, for once, using Terminal 5 rather than Terminal 4 or the Tom Bradley International Terminal, I took the opportunity to take a quick look at the Admirals Club that American Airlines offers at T5.

Who gets access?

The following passengers can access American Airlines Admirals Clubs:

• Admirals Club members + up to two guests (IMO the best value membership is to be had via the card_name).
• Customers in First Class or Business Class on a qualifying* departing or arriving international, transcontinental, or other domestic flight marketed and operated by American, a oneworld® airline, or marketed by JetBlue and operated by American Airlines (First Class customers can bring 1 guest. No guest privileges for Business Class flyers)
• AAdvantage Executive Platinum, AAdvantage Platinum Pro, and AAdvantage Platinum members traveling on qualifying* international flights (+1 guest)
• Non-AAdvantage oneworld Emerald and Sapphire members traveling on any departing or arriving flights marketed and operated by American Airlines or a oneworld® airline (regardless of cabin) + 1 guest.
• Admirals Club one-day pass holders + up to 3 children under the age of 18.
• U.S. military personnel who are traveling in uniform and traveling on a same-day flight operated by American Airlines (+ up to 2 guests).

*Link to more details

Location & opening times

The lounge is open between 05:00 and 00:00 daily.

The entrance to the Admirals Club at LAX Terminal 5 is to be found opposite the Farmers Market eateries…

…and behind the escalators leading up from the walkway to LAX Terminal 4.

The club is located one floor above the level of the gates and can be accessed by stairs or an elevator.

Inside the Admirals Club

I was visiting the T5 Admirals Club in the morning on a busy travel day and a little surprisingly, the lounge was relatively quiet. What may also surprise some readers is that the lounge feels quite spacious even though it’s not particularly large.

While this may vary according to the time of day that you visit, when I was there, the lounge appeared to have struck a good balance between the number of seats on offer and the space between the seats – it felt comfortable.

As with most Admirals Clubs, the type of seating available varies depending on what part of the lounge you find yourself in. There are high-back armchairs…

… regular-size armchairs…

… and chairs with a more relaxed style on offer.

The lounge’s two primary seating areas are separated by the bar/buffet and the dining area and any visitors wanting as much natural light as possible should head to the sitting area on the far side of the bar/buffet. This area overlooks the LAX apron and is considerably brighter than the sitting area closest to the lounge’s entrance.

Most of the seats in the T5 Admirals Club are well served by power outlets and USB ports…

… but international visitors should be aware that all the AC outlets are of the standard US 2-pin variety so a travel adapter may be needed.

At the heart of the lounge is a manned bar area…

… as well as a self-serve food and beverage area.

Complimentary sodas, coffee, and other hot drinks are available throughout the day…

… and in the mornings, a small selection of complimentary breakfast items are also offered.

The “famous” American Airlines avocado toast station is also on offer at the T5 Admirals Club with visitors being given the choice of a variety of toppings which, among other things, include smoked salmon, onions, sliced boiled eggs, and peppers.

As well as the small buffet and the complimentary Avocado toast station, the Admirals Club also offers an a la carte menu which can be viewed on smartphones via QR codes placed around the lounge.

This menu offers guests the option to pay for a variety of food items ranging from breakfast burritos, to club sandwiches and salad bowls…

… as well as a variety of alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages.

Lastly, I should probably mention that the Admirals Club at LAX T5 is capable of offering shower facilities…

… but at the time of my visit, these facilities were closed and guests who wanted to use the showers were being redirected to the Admirals Club at Terminal 4.

When I enquired, the lounge staff were not able to say when the T5 shower facilities would become available.

Bottom line

The American Airlines Admirals Club at LAX T5 is a middle-of-the-road US airport lounge that neither wows nor disappoints… at least not if you’re visiting in the morning.

The lounge offers a nice space in which to relax or to do some work before a flight, but as is the case with most US domestic airport lounges, anyone arriving with low expectations is likely to have a better experience than someone arriving expecting a Middle Eastern First Class lounge experience.