The LAX Star Alliance Lounge was the perfect starting point for our recent Singapore trip. This award-winning lounge is one of the best lounges we’ve been to in North America and one we look forward to returning to. Here is everything you need to know about the Star Alliance Lounge at LAX!
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Star Alliance Lounge at LAX – Overview
Normally we don’t plan to spend much time at LAX as it always seems to be under construction and generally just feels chaotic overall. However, we recently found ourselves with a long layover at LAX on our way to Singapore.
We were booked on Singapore Airlines A350 in business class which thankfully granted us access to the LAX Star Alliance Lounge. Before boarding our 17-hour flight, we spent a relaxing three hours in the lounge.
Location
The LAX Star Alliance Lounge is located in the Tom Bradley International Terminal (Terminal B).
After exiting from security screening, turn right into the central atrium and take the elevator up to Level 6.
Upon exiting the elevator, you will see the Star Alliance Business Class Lounge entrance in front of you.
There is also a separate Star Alliance First Class lounge across the hall, by the escalators.
Lounge Access
To access the Star Alliance Lounge at LAX, you must have one of the following:
- an international First Class or Business Class boarding pass for a Star Alliance flight departing by 5 am the next morning
- Star Alliance Gold status with a boarding pass for any class on a Star Alliance flight departing by 5 am the next morning
- United Club or Air Canada Maple Leaf Club Worldwide Membership with a same-day boarding pass for a Star Alliance flight in any class
- Star Alliance Lounge Access Pass
Note: If you normally rely on Priority Pass to access airport lounges, you’ll be disappointed to learn that there are NO Priority Pass lounges at LAX.
Price
If you are not traveling in a premium cabin and don’t have status or membership, you can opt to pay for access to the LAX Star Alliance Lounge.
The price is $75 USD and the pass can be purchased online. This paid access pass grants you a three-hour stay in the lounge.
Hours
Monday to Saturday: 8:30 am – 1:00 am
Sunday: 9:00 am – 1:00 am
LAX Star Alliance Lounge Review
As mentioned earlier, we were departing on a Singapore Airlines business class flight, so we were excited to get the chance to check out this Star Alliance lounge. Our flight was set to depart at 9:20pm so we headed up to the lounge at around 6:30pm.
After exiting the elevator, we handed our boarding passes to the attendants at the door to be scanned and proceeded inside. This turned out to be a great time to visit the lounge as it did not seem to be very busy at all.
Luggage Storage
Upon entering the lounge, there was a luggage storage room immediately to the right. It was not being attended to by anyone, so we chose not to leave anything in there. However, I assume the staff working at the entrance keep an eye on it should you wish to leave your jacket and bags.
Seating
We were impressed with the wide variety of seating options in this lounge. It is definitely one of the more spacious lounges we’ve visited in North America.
As you walk in, there is a large lounge section in the centre, with many sofas and loungers. Complimentary magazines are available.
Library
There’s a small library-type room with sliding doors that can be closed for a quieter, more private space.
Media Room
Towards the back of the lounge, there is a small media room with plush chairs and a good-sized TV screen. It seemed to be the chosen spot for those wanting to quietly relax/snooze.
Dining
One of the biggest draws for us at any lounge is the food. Therefore it’s no surprise that we headed straight to the dining room to see what they had in store for us.
The dining area has a good amount of seating for both individuals and groups. We appreciated that there were electrical outlets at all the tables so we could charge our devices while eating.
After grabbing a table, we were excited to check out the hot and cold options at the buffet.
Food
The food in the Star Alliance Business Class Lounge is all self-serve buffet-style.
You’ll find a mix of hot and cold options. Cold options included wraps, sandwiches, salads, chips and bread, and hot options were pasta, orange chicken and rice.
At first, I thought it stopped there, but hidden around the corner past the drinks was a noodle bar! I was super excited when I saw it.
There were two different types of noodles to choose from: wheat or rice, and two different types of broth: Thai curry coconut or chicken, plus a variety of toppings.
Dessert options included cheesecake, fresh fruit, lemon bars and apple cinnamon bars.
For drinks, you have fountain drinks and self-serve alcohol, plus filtered and sparkling water.
We sampled a bit of everything but the noodles were my favourite!
The Thai curry coconut broth was like a green curry with some spice and was so delicious.
My pesto penne pasta salad was also quite good, as was the Basque cheesecake.
Bar
There is self-serve alcohol in the dining area, as well as next to the serviced bar on the other side of the lounge.
Indoor Terrace
The Star Alliance Lounge has a nice indoor terrace that overlooks the terminal’s Grand Hall.
It is very open and airy and seemed to be the most popular place to sit as it was all full while we were there.
There is also a coffee bar over here with an espresso machine, teas, juice and muffins.
Outdoor Terrace
A unique feature of the LAX Star Alliance Lounge is the outdoor terrace. During the day, you can soak up the California sun and look out to the Hollywood hills in the distance. At night, it’s a lovely place to sit by the fire tables and watch the action on the runway.
Although the inside of the lounge became quite busy while we were there, there luckily weren’t too many people seated out on the outdoor terrace. Perhaps not many people knew it was here as it was all the way in the back of the lounge with not much signage.
We enjoyed lounging out here over some espresso and watching the planes below.
I’d say this was definitely a highlight of the lounge for me.
Shower Suites
If you need to freshen up, you can request to use one of the eight shower suites. They are first-come, first-served. Speak with one of the attendants to book one, and if they are all full, you’ll be given a pager.
We didn’t need to use them while we were there but they looked very clean and well-maintained, each with a sink, toilet, shower, toiletries, and hairdryer.
Wi-Fi
The lounge offers complimentary Wi-Fi and we had no issues with the speed or connection.
Final Thoughts
Usually, we are not too impressed by lounges in North America, but we can now say this is one of our favourites. It is definitely a nice spot to relax before an international flight. We loved the ambiance, the outdoor terrace, and the food was decent as well.
I personally wouldn’t spend $75 for a lounge access pass, though, but I would happily spend a few hours here before another business class flight.
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