By the time I finished my dinner at PF Chang’s, I had one goal in mind. The only way to finish our amazing New York Trip and cap off my Day at LAX. Going to the Alaska Airlines Lounge at LAX. What? Why is that the goal? Well if I could manage to spend some time in that lounge, I would have spent time at all 3 priority pass lounges at LAX and ate at both of the Priority Pass Restaurants. Isn’t that every travel nerds goal? Well… probably not, but it was my goal.
Location/Getting to the Alaska Airlines Lounge
PF Chang’s and the Korean Airlines Lounge are located in the Tom Bradley International Terminal. While the Alaska Airlines Lounge is located in Terminal 6. Luckily, Tom Bradley International Terminal and Terminals 4-8 are all connected airside via creepy underground tunnels (well going from 6-8 are on the concourse level, but the creepy tunnels get you from TBIT to 6). So I did not have to go through security. The creepy tunnel connection takes about 15ish minutes to get from TBIT to Terminal. With about 45 minutes before my flight left I got to the Alaska AIrlines Lounge.
Alaska Airlines Lounge
With my flight boarding in 15 minutes, I knew I didn’t have too much time, but this had been my new life’s dream for like a whole 30 minutes. So of course I would check out the lounge despite barely having time to sit down. The Alaska Airlines Lounge is the only Priority Pass lounge at LAX that does not limit the times when Priority Pass customers can access. The Lounge, however, does arbitrarily prohibit priority pass customers access when the lounge is overcrowded. This does occur quite frequently. Luckily, when I arrived at the lounge they were admitting Priority Pass customers despite a relatively large crowd.
Size/Seating
The Alaska Airlines Lounge at LAX is is a relatively large lounge considering that its primary use is domestic travel for Alaska’s first class fliers out of LAX. The Lounge provides plenty of cushy and comfortable chairs as well wekk as both bar and table seating. Whether it is relaxing, eating, working, or socializing, the Alaska Airlines lounge has your seating options covered. Like all of their lounges, they provide a decent number of of power outlets. So long as you are not dealing with people who are hogging the outlets with multiple devices, you should be able to power up,
Food/Snacks/Drinks
As a lounge designed for domestic use, the Alaska Lounge at LAX does not provide the wide variety of food options you would find at an international lounge. Generally you will find some soups, salads, veggies, hummus, and other dried snacks.
However, what makes this lounge a favorite is the Pancake conveyor belt. Morning, afternoon, or evening you can treat yourself to some hot pancakes using their fancy machines.
While their food offering is extremely limited compared to most lounges, drinks are plentiful at the Alaska Lounge. In the food area they provide self serve sodas, teas, and a wide variety of coffee from the coffeebot. At the bar they offer complimentary wine, beer, and cocktails.
Other Amenities at the Alaska Airlines Lounge
While a lot of international lounges include spas, showers, sleeping rooms, and office space, you will not find any additional amenities at this lounge. Other than the food, drink, and power you get access to a decent bathroom, newspapers, and free wifi.
Overall
The Alaska Airlines Lounge at LAX a quality lounge for a lounge designed for domestic travel. However, it lacks the variety of food and other amenities you can find at lounges designed for international travel.