LAX Lounge [J PAX/WP on VA to use EY facility from 19th Dec]

[Kolo]

I just noticed in a Velocity email that as of Monday departing LAX, WP and J pax use the EY lounge and SG pax use the *A lounge. Lucky says the EY lounge is the best at LAX and the only one with an a la carte option. Sounds good to me. ☺

 

[serfty]

https://www.virginaustralia.com/au/en/experience/at-the-airport/international-lounge-access/

Hmmm ... I wonder if they will continue to do so after May when they are supposed to move back to T3(/T2).

 

[sausagefingers]

This is relevant to my interests.

 

[Denali]

Does EY have a outdoor lounge like *A?

 

[Cryptarcadian]

I wonder if WPs will be allowed to "downgrade" themselves and still access the *A J lounge like SGs, or if we'll be turned away?

Sure the EY lounge will have better food, but the outdoor terrace over at *A is a nice drawcard!

 

[bullerdude]

I wonder if WPs will be allowed to "downgrade" themselves and still access the *A J lounge like SGs, or if we'll be turned away?

Sure the EY lounge will have better food, but the outdoor terrace over at *A is a nice drawcard!

I doubt it since VA's lounge access is arranged on a per lounge basis

Agree that Etihad will likely have better services and food (given it's one of their merged first class lounges) but the *A lounge is much, much larger as well as having the terrace which excellent.

The Etihad lounge actually looks a tad cramped.

 

[Denali]

I read last night that EY sits 76 pax, 120 total occupancy.

I've been on a AKL-SYD flight and there was approx 80 status flyers.

J Plus WP +1 could easily reach 50 if not more.

I prefer the outdoor terrace.

 

[serfty]

Having a quick look, EY currently only has the one daily 3:50pm flight.

Do any other airlines use this lounge?

 

[MH_fan]

AZ and AB also use the lounge. Not sure when their flights depart though.

 

[Ausbt]

and the only one with an a la carte option. Sounds good to me. ☺

I was at the LAX *A lounge on Tuesday, flying on a J upgrade VA ticket. The lounge check-in advised me "you actually have access to the First Class lounge". I entered the small First Class *A lounge and noted the table service and menu. Unsure if you would call it a la carte but I enjoyed a nice prawn salad with feta and watermelon, followed by some cannoli. Noted they had real G H Mumm and Grey Goose. However I didn't linger in this space as despite being 'First Class' I prefer the open terrace of the business lounge. A door provides easy access between the two.

 

[Kolo]

I was at the LAX *A lounge on Tuesday, flying on a J upgrade VA ticket. The lounge check-in advised me "you actually have access to the First Class lounge". I entered the small First Class *A lounge and noted the table service and menu. Unsure if you would call it a la carte but I enjoyed a nice prawn salad with feta and watermelon, followed by some cannoli. Noted they had real G H Mumm and Grey Goose. However I didn't linger in this space as despite being 'First Class' I prefer the open terrace of the business lounge. A door provides easy access between the two.

The two times I've been in the *A F lounge (last time was January) the a la carte menu was the same as the buffet in the J lounge; the difference was that staff got it for you. In Etihad lounges the a la carte menu is different to the buffet, and as far as I could tell, the food is freshly cooked/prepared.

I've never thought much of the *A F lounge (but acknowledge the J lounge is one of the best) so I'm quite happy about this change. Although, as Serfty says, it presumably will only be until they move to the Delta terminals in 2017.

 

[Jurahn]

So if you're VA Gold travelling in J (as I will be in March/April next year), I wonder if that means you could access either lounge?

 

[Kolo]

So if you're VA Gold travelling in J (as I will be in March/April next year), I wonder if that means you could access either lounge?

Sounds like it!

 

[Jurahn]

Sounds like it!

Hmm, well in that case, I'm going to need comprehensive feedback from my fellow AFFers to make my choice . I really like the *A lounge - as everyone says, the outdoor terrace is a big drawcard - but have never been in the EY lounge. I'll be interested to see the recommendations one way or the other.

 

[Denali]

..... I'll be interested to see the recommendations one way or the other.

Eat in the EY lounge then drinks on the outdoor terrace in *A J lounge

 

[Jurahn]

Eat in the EY lounge then drinks on the outdoor terrace in *A J lounge

Now that's an idea

 

[Jurahn]

It appears from this AusBT article that Gold pax travelling in J will move to the EY lounge as well, as there's only reference to Gold pax in Y+ and Y still using the *A lounge.

 

[Denali]

VA keeps this up, this will be the chart to figure out what lounge to use.

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[serfty]

It's actually pretty easy for a WP ...

Just check here: https://www.virginaustralia.com/au/en/experience/at-the-airport/international-lounge-access/

... Before every flight ...

 

[grubbidok]

So Mrs G (SG), Little Miss 3yo G (no status) and I (WP) will be travelling through the US early next year and coming back from LAX. We usually got around the "only 1 guest" thing in the *A lounge because we both had status. Does this mean they're now going to send us to different lounges and tell us we can't all be together?

VA - sort your s**t out!!

EDIT: Called Virgin to ask, and they don't even know how this will pan out.