Terminal 5, Los Angeles International Airport (LAX)

Based on Visit: 1 January 2022 approx. 8:30 to 10:00pm

Introduction

This is a review of my visit to the American Airlines Admirals Club in LAX’s Terminal 5.

This is also an important piece of information if you are traveling via one of the 52 Gates!  

Entry Conditions

If you’re flying First domestically, or First or Business Internationally you can access the Admirals Club – as well as being a Sapphire or Emerald member of the OneWorld alliance.

It may also be the case that if you are members of various US banks (ie Wells Fargo, or Citi etc) then you may have access – but I’m not sure!

Opening Times

The lounge is open daily between 04:30 and 01:00.

How to Get There

I came a bit of a convoluted way, as I had just arrived from London. I had left Terminal B and re-checked in at Terminal 4, before walking to Terminal 5. I walked through a very long tunnel, up some escalators and I was there.

I guess the best marker is it’s next to the Duty-Free shop in Terminal 5.

Once there, it’s up some stairs (or in the elevator) and into the famous frosted glass doors.

Layout

The layout of this lounge is fairly straightforward.

As you enter the frosted glass doors there is a desk to check in at, and then a right turn takes you to the main area.

There is a variety of different seating and also some ‘dining’ areas.

There is a bar to get drinks, and self-service buffet…….and that’s pretty much it!

Food and Drink

Food

Admirals Clubs have a limited amount of ‘included’ food and drink available. However, if you want anything more, there is a full menu service and premium drinks available.

Pre-Covid you used to get vouchers on entry for a ‘premium drink’. This didn’t seem to proactively happen here, but I only remembered once I’d sat down – and it had been a long day!

I wasn’t in the mood for going to the bar (and I didn’t have cash for a tip), so I was happy with the self-service drinks fountain, which is free!

Food wise, there is a self-service buffet……Covid-19 doesn’t appear to have stopped the ‘traditional’ cheese cubes, carrots, celery and cookies – this has always been an Admirals Club staple.

There is also a nacho bar, which is served by a server. Because I didn’t have cash to tip the server, it’s slightly awkward, so I didn’t bother!

Drinks

In the same way with the drinks, there is also a fairly extensive paid food menu available, which you can access via a QR code. The menu was so long I didn’t take screenshots – but it’s burgers, nuggets, fries, etc – for around $12 to $18 per meal.

I don’t believe in paying for stuff in lounges – so I didn’t order off the food menu.

Wifi

Wifi was pretty good! I had to sync my Dropbox with some documents I had been working on from my flight from London, and the Wifi coped with this no problem.

Showers

Having just come off my London flight, having a 4-hour layover (nearly an hour waiting for my suitcase!), the one thing I REALLY wanted was a shower to refresh!

Unfortunately, however, “due to Covid” the showers have been temporarily closed. I’m not sure if this is the same across all Admirals Clubs/LAX/California/USA – I’ll be finding out in the coming months.

It was disappointing not to be able to refresh, but California is taking Covid-19 VERY seriously – and therefore are really enforcing belt and braces compliance.   

Gate 52E

I am going to put this in here as a warning:

When checking in for my Connection, the Agent didn’t inform me that Gate 52E was not part of the main Terminal 5. Luckily the lady in the Admirals Club did!

In fact, all 52A to 52J Gates are on an island. This means going to the Gate 52 door and getting a bus to take you there.

The bus takes around 20 minutes – I am told sometimes a lot longer if there is a lot of aircraft traffic that the bus has to give way to.

American tend to board domestic flights 30 minutes before Departure, I would allow 45 minutes. Add or allow 20-30 minutes for the bus – you need to be making sure you get the bus around 1:15 before your flight is due to depart!

There is also an Admirals Club at 52 Gate Island, but it closes at 10:30pm. Again, had the Check In Agent explained that, I probably would have gone straight to 52 Gate Island and waited there.  

Conclusion

This is by no means the best lounge in the world I’ve ever been to. I think there is a much larger Admirals Club in Terminal 4, which I will review at some point. However, it’s comfortable and somewhere in Terminal 5 to go without having to walk to Terminal 4.

I would also add that it would have been helpful for the American Airlines Check In Agent to tell me (a) the length of time it takes to get to Gates 52 – and (b) that there is an Admirals Club there!