LAX Qantas Lounges

[Reggie]

Hello frequentflyer members, long time lurker first time poster.

I am asking of others experiences when flying out LAX and using the QC in terminal 4 (I think). We were flying J with Cathy from LAX to Hong Kong, and on checking they gave us passes to the QC as they were using that as their Business Class Lounge.

We went up the elevator to the lounge which was good, but found the ammenties were outside and shared by the other lounges on the same floor.

We were quite shocked to find that some person (looked like people) had urinated all over the toilets and the floor. You couldn't even get near the urinals without having to walk throught it.

Upon going to board we noticed there were no shops airside to do any duty free shopping. There was then a 5 to 10 minute bus ride to what amounted to cattle run to get up onto the plane.

So getting to the question, what Qantas flights leave this terminal, and has anyone else experienced the unsanitary ammenties.

 

[Damien]

I am asking of others experiences when flying out LAX and using the QC in terminal 4 (I think). We were flying J with Cathy from LAX to Hong Kong, and on checking they gave us passes to the QC as they were using that as their Business Class Lounge.

Welcome to AFF Reggie.

Are you sure you weren't in the Tom Bradley International Terminal? That's the terminal that CX normally uses.

Terminal 4 is really only used by AA and QF. The QC here is a combined Admiral's/Qantas Club, and I have never experienced any problems with the cleanliness.

 

[Reggie]

Damien,

Not exactly sure which Terminal I flew from now, but it was Flight 0885, it was definitley a QC, but wasn't the AA/QC shared one you refer.

It may have been Terminal 1

 

[Damien]

Not exactly sure which Terminal I flew from now, but it was Flight 0885, it was definitley a QC, but wasn't the AA/QC shared one you refer.

It may have been Terminal 1

Perhaps this will help jog your memory.

Terminal 1

Los Angeles International Airport Terminal 1 serves America West, Southwest, and US Airways. It contains gates 1-13.

Terminal 2

Los Angeles International Airport Terminal 2 serves Air Canada / Canadian, Air China, Air Mobility Command, Air New Zealand, Hawaiian Air, Interstate Jet, Jetsgo, KLM, Miami Air, Northwest, Omni Air, Virgin Atlantic, and World Airlines (AMC).

Terminal 3

Los Angeles International Airport Terminal 3 serves AirTran Airways, Alaska, American TransAir (ATA), Frontier, Horizon, Midwest Express, and West Jet. It contains gates 30-39.

Terminal 4

Los Angeles International Airport Terminal 4 serves American Airlines, American Eagle, and Qantas arrivals / departures. It contains gates 41-48.

Terminal 5

Los Angeles International Airport Terminal 5 serves Aerolitoral, Aeromexico (arrivals), Air France, Air Jamaica, Air Tahiti Nui, China Southern, Delta, Legend Airlines, Omni, Song, Spirit, and Sun Country. It contains gates 50-58.

Terminal 6

Los Angeles International Airport Terminal 6 serves Continental Airlines, Copa Airlines, United (International), and United Express. It contains gates 60-69.

Terminal 7

Los Angeles International Airport Terminal 7 serves Ted, United, and United Express. It contains gates 70-78.

Terminal 8

Los Angeles International Airport Terminal 8 serves United Airlines. It contains gates 80-88.

Tom Bradley International Terminal

The Tom Bradley International Terminal at Los Angeles International Airport serves Aero California, Aeroflot, Aer Lingus, Air India, Air Pacific, Air Tahiti Nui, Alaska, All Nippon Airways, Asiana Airlines, British Airways, Cathay Pacific, China Airlines, China Eastern, Copa Airlines, El Al Israel, EVA Air, HMY Airlines, Japan Airlines, Korean Air, Lacsa Airlines, LanChile, LanPeru, LTU, Lufthansa, Malaysia, Mexicana Airlines, Omni Air International, Philippine Airlines, Qantas (departures), Singapore Airlines, Sun Country Airlines, Swiss International, TACA, Thai Airways, and VARIG Brazilian Airlines.

I'd say you were in the Tom Bradley International Terminal, as the only Qantas Clubs at LAX are in there and Terminal 4.

 

[Reggie]

Yep your are correct.

Sorry bout that.

Is Tom Bradley International Terminal still classed as LAX

 

[Damien]

Is Tom Bradley International Terminal still classed as LAX

Yes. As I've never used that particular lounge (I always use Terminal 4), I'll leave someone else to answer your questions.

 

[robertz]

TBIT should be shut down....
Its a absolute disgrace for any airline to call their facilities 'Lounges' in that place.

Your concerns are noted but unfortunately well known to us all Well me anyway, I have had the pleasure several times of leaving from that hell hole terminal.
I call it the TshIT terminal.

Rob

 

[NM]

The problem with TBIT is that it is owned by the Los Angeles Airport Authority and they have not invested any money it for a long time. The lounges are positioned in an area that does not have the plumbing infrastructure to allow the airlines to install toilets and shower facilities inside their lounges. The shared facilities at the end of the corridor are provided and maintained by the airport authority, not the lounge providers.

This is one of the main reasons I avoid flying out of TBIT as much as I can. Qantas uses both TBIT and Terminal 4 for its flights, with the Sydney and New York flights departing from terminal 4 and the Brisbane, Auckland and Melbourne flights departing from TBIT. As such I prefer to take the Sydney flight so as to avoid using TBIT.

And yes, you are correct that there are very (maybe none) duty-free shops after you pass through security. You are free to go back out into the check-in area to shop and then come back through security again if you wish. The only shops after security are bars and maybe a news stand or similar.

Duty-free shopping at USA airports is a different affair to most other countries. You are not permitted into the shops unless you have a boarding pass for a flight departing the use from that airport (connections don't count). And when you purchase, they take the goods, bag them, and arrange to have it delivered to the aircraft door for collection. This is because there is no customs-sterile area at USA airports and if they did not do it this way people could purchase duty-free and give the good to someone remaining in the USA.

Apparently the TBIT is about to undergo its first major renovation in many years. This is partly to prepare the terminal for A380 operations, but also to reverse the affects of years of neglect. The rumours say there will be two main lounges built, one for OneWorld and one for Star Alliance airlines, and the assumption is they will each be on one of levels 5 and 6 of the terminal. The construction is going to take about 12 months and in that time lounge access will be limited due to the construction work. So its going to get worst before it gets better.

The remote stands that are sometimes used at LAX are needed due to the lack of gates. When there are no gates available for the aircraft, the passengers have to use buses to the remote stands that are basically a big concrete ramp and cattle herding area. I have no used these for departures, but have use them for arrivals on a number of occasions.

It sounds like you experienced the very worst of LAX, hitting TBIT, arguably the worst Qantas Club lounge in the network (not Qantas' fault, but due to TBIT), and the LAX remote stands. I hope the renowned Cathay Pacific on-board service helped to provide some positive influence on the overall travel experience.

 

[Kiwi Flyer]

Apparently the TBIT is about to undergo its first major renovation in many years. This is partly to prepare the terminal for A380 operations, but also to reverse the affects of years of neglect. The rumours say there will be two main lounges built, one for OneWorld and one for Star Alliance airlines, and the assumption is they will each be on one of levels 5 and 6 of the terminal. The construction is going to take about 12 months and in that time lounge access will be limited due to the construction work. So its going to get worst before it gets better.

That has been on the cards for a long time, but AFAIK is unfortunately now back on indefinite hold.

 

[NM]

That has been on the cards for a long time, but AFAIK is unfortunately now back on indefinite hold.

Something is going to have to be done before QF and SQ start flying their A380s to LAX. Otherwise the A380s are going to relegated to the remote stands with lots of very unhappy passengers.

Lets hope the revised plan includes demolition.

 

[serfty]

It's the info found on threads like these that make me glad of forums like AFF.

Never having been to LAX I posed a question elsewhere some months ago regarding travel from LAX to OZ and the answers convinced me to pay the additional fuel fine and head back to MEL last week via SYD rather then go directly. This purely to avoid TBIT.

The T4 QP / FL was fine; I'm sure one day soon I will need to use TBIT, butfor now the longer I have to wait, the better.

 

[duffshot]

Good posting NM - as usual your high standard of posts sums it all up.

Sad to hear the TBIT is not going to explode anytime soon. I was looking forward to the renovations so those of us who fly between BNE and LAX don't get tempted into the extra pain of going to SYD just to avoid TBIT. I am putting myself through the pain of it all again soon QF108 / QF176 shuffle. Thankfully the connection is tight enough that you don't have to spend much time there.

 

[Kiwi Flyer]

That has been on the cards for a long time, but AFAIK is unfortunately now back on indefinite hold.

Something is going to have to be done before QF and SQ start flying their A380s to LAX. Otherwise the A380s are going to relegated to the remote stands with lots of very unhappy passengers.

Lets hope the revised plan includes demolition.

Lack of preparedness at LAX is one of the reasons why SQ's first A380 routes will be the kangaroo route.

 

[NM]

Sad to hear the TBIT is not going to explode anytime soon. I was looking forward to the renovations so those of us who fly between BNE and LAX don't get tempted into the extra pain of going to SYD just to avoid TBIT. I am putting myself through the pain of it all again soon QF108 / QF176 shuffle. Thankfully the connection is tight enough that you don't have to spend much time there.

I have managed to avoid TBIT departures for quite a while now. But mostly because my USA trips have been DONE4, DONE3 or DCIR22 fares, and I arrive into LAX from the east and depart from other points (ORD, JFK etc).

 

[duffshot]

Sad to hear the TBIT is not going to explode anytime soon. I was looking forward to the renovations so those of us who fly between BNE and LAX don't get tempted into the extra pain of going to SYD just to avoid TBIT. I am putting myself through the pain of it all again soon QF108 / QF176 shuffle. Thankfully the connection is tight enough that you don't have to spend much time there.

I have managed to avoid TBIT departures for quite a while now. But mostly because my USA trips have been DONE4, DONE3 or DCIR22 fares, and I arrive into LAX from the east and depart from other points (ORD, JFK etc).

For some reason I seem to be doing Westerly DONE4s of late so have a much closer relationship with TBIT than I would like. I'm hoping DFW or ORD becomes a new hub someday soon. I don't enjoy LAX at all really and the further you can go on QF the better in my books. If there is one thing I am more allergic too than LAX it is AA.

 

[NM]

For some reason I seem to be doing Westerly DONE4s of late so have a much closer relationship with TBIT than I would like. I'm hoping DFW or ORD becomes a new hub someday soon. I don't enjoy LAX at all really and the further you can go on QF the better in my books. If there is one thing I am more allergic too than LAX it is AA.

In my opinion, westerly is the better way to do an ATW trip. Means you can opt for more long-haul daytime flights rather than the short overnighters that tend to make up easterly ATW routes.

So that means you have a few choices:

• Accept TBIT as in need of a facelift and use it as the most convenient flights (non-stop to BNE)
• Route via SYD and put up with inbound formalities and transit there
• Use CX via HKG and depart from SFO, YVR or JFK
• Use AA via NRT and depart from ORD (great AA FL there)

 

[Reggie]

NM,

Yes the service offered by CX was great. We flew them because out of Perth they were $6000 cheaper than QF. A big enough savings to put up with lesser lounge standards.

However thanks to your advice where possible in future, I will try and fly LAX to Syd with QF avoiding the TBIT.

Once again NM thanks for your knowledge on this and many other items I have seen your advise on.

 

[PaulZ]

On the 29th of July i am flying from JFK - LAX (arrive Terminal 4 at 650pm). My flight back to Melbourne (on QF26) departs at 940pm.

Can I use the QF Lounge in Terminal 4 for perhaps an hour or so before moving over to TBIT? How much time should i allow for the transfer between terminals? It has been quite a while since I had to do the terminal transfer.
(Is the difference in lounges really worth my trouble? - From messages on this forum it seems so?)


Thanks for any info you can provide!!

 

[NM]

Yes the service offered by CX was great. We flew them because out of Perth they were $6000 cheaper than QF. A big enough savings to put up with lesser lounge standards.

However thanks to your advice where possible in future, I will try and fly LAX to Syd with QF avoiding the TBIT.

Great to hear that you enjoyed the CX service. Another option is to take the CX flight from SFO or YVR. Also note that for business class travel to the USA West Coat from Perth you can generally save a lot of money with a DCIR22 Circle Pacific fare, and enjoy the service of both QF and CX.

 

[NM]

On the 29th of July i am flying from JFK - LAX (arrive Terminal 4 at 650pm). My flight back to Melbourne (on QF26) departs at 940pm.

Can I use the QF Lounge in Terminal 4 for perhaps an hour or so before moving over to TBIT? How much time should i allow for the transfer between terminals? It has been quite a while since I had to do the terminal transfer.
(Is the difference in lounges really worth my trouble? - From messages on this forum it seems so?)

Yes, you can use the LAX T4 lounge. When you arrive into T4 on the connecting flight, the lounge agent will inform you that you departing flight leaves from TBIT. Politely acknowledge that and indicate that you like to briefly avail yourself of the facilities here for a shower etc as there are no showers available at the TBIT lounge.

You will be informed that it is your responsibility to be at TBIT in time to board and that security screening can be time consuming at peak times, and that there will not be any boarding announcements or flight information on the monitors at the T4 lounge.

I would be leaving T4 at least an hour before departure. Note that the TBIT lounge is not a complete disaster. My biggest complaint is that there are no toilet and shower facilities inside the lounge and the shared facilities are not up to the usual Qantas Club standard. And the lounge can get crowded in the evenings when there are several imminent departures.