Find LAX airport lounges by terminal and learn how premium tickets, status, memberships, credit cards and day passes can get you inside.
LAX has airline and card lounges in Terminals 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 and the Tom Bradley International Terminal, plus a landside USO. Access usually comes from an eligible premium-cabin ticket, airline or alliance status, paid membership, qualifying credit card, lounge programme or space-available day pass—not simply any First Class boarding pass.
In our Aviation & Real-World Flying coverage, we treat the published lounge name as a starting point rather than a promise of admission. Your route, operating airline, departure time and exact access credential can matter as much as the card or ticket in your wallet.
Which airport lounges are available at LAX?
The main full-service LAX airport lounges are concentrated in the central and international terminals.
| Terminal or area | Main lounges | Typical access routes |
|---|---|---|
| Terminal 3 | Delta Sky Club; Delta One Lounge | Sky Club membership, qualifying card, eligible ticket or status under Delta's rules; the Delta One Lounge has stricter premium-cabin and route requirements. |
| Terminal 4 | American Airlines Admirals Club; American Airlines Flagship Lounge | Admirals Club membership, selected day passes, qualifying status or ticket. Flagship access is generally limited to eligible international and premium transcontinental passengers and qualifying oneworld elites. |
| Terminal 5 | American Airlines Admirals Club | Membership, an accepted pass, or an eligible status or premium-cabin itinerary, subject to American's admission rules and capacity. |
| Terminal 6 | Alaska Lounge; Air Canada Maple Leaf Lounge | Eligible lounge membership, premium ticket, airline or alliance status, accepted card benefit or partner entitlement. |
| Terminal 7 | United Club; United Polaris Lounge | United Club membership, qualifying card, status, premium ticket or an accepted day pass for the United Club. Polaris has strict eligible long-haul premium-cabin rules and does not function as a general membership lounge. |
| Tom Bradley International Terminal, also called Terminal B | Air France Lounge; American Express Centurion Lounge; Chase Sapphire Lounge by The Club; Emirates Lounge; Korean Air Lounge; Los Angeles International Lounge; oneworld Los Angeles Lounge; Qantas First Lounge; Star Alliance Lounge; Virgin Atlantic Clubhouse | Depending on the lounge: qualifying premium cabin, airline or alliance status, invitation from a participating carrier, an eligible American Express or Chase card, or an accepted lounge programme. Contract-lounge admission periods can be restricted. |
| Landside near Terminals 1 and 2 | Bob Hope USO | Eligible serving military personnel and authorised family members; it is not a paid public lounge. |
Terminals 1, 2 and 8 normally have no conventional full-service airline lounge of their own. We have not counted spas, gaming rooms, restaurants or private-terminal services as airport lounges.
Lounge names, operators and opening arrangements can change during terminal redevelopment. If lounge availability is influencing where you book, our comparison of LAX with Burbank, Orange County and Ontario covers the wider airport trade-offs.
How can passengers get into an LAX lounge?
Passengers need both a same-day boarding pass and a qualifying method of access; merely departing from the lounge's terminal is not enough.
- Check ticket-based eligibility. International First or Business Class often includes an airline or alliance lounge, but the participating carrier and route matter. Ordinary domestic First Class usually does not include lounge access, while selected premium transcontinental services may qualify.
- Check frequent-flyer status. Qualifying oneworld, SkyTeam or Star Alliance status can provide access on eligible international itineraries. Domestic status alone often does not open a lounge when travelling solely within the United States.
- Use a paid airline membership. Admirals Club, United Club, Alaska Lounge and Delta Sky Club memberships can work at LAX, but each operator imposes boarding-pass, airline and guest restrictions.
- Present an eligible credit card. Certain premium cards admit their holders to the Centurion or Chase lounges, while selected airline-branded cards include access to that airline's club. Enrolment, same-day flight and guest charges may apply.
- Use an accepted lounge programme or day pass. Some LAX lounges participate only during defined hours, and day passes may be suspended when the lounge is busy. A pass in your account is not always a guaranteed reservation.
- Use the USO if eligible. Military identification and USO eligibility are required. The USO is landside, so passengers must still allow time for security afterwards.
Can you visit a lounge in another LAX terminal?
Yes, LAX's numbered terminals and Tom Bradley International Terminal are linked by an airside walking route, so eligible passengers can generally reach another terminal's lounge without passing through security again.
The practical limitation is distance. A walk between opposite ends of the airport can consume a large part of a short connection, and the West Gates beyond the main Tom Bradley building add further walking time. Our KLAX airport layout and chart information helps explain how the terminals and airside areas relate, although passengers should follow terminal signs for the actual walking route.
Construction, moving walkways and gate changes can alter the time required. Do not choose a distant lounge unless the return walk still leaves a comfortable margin before boarding, which usually begins well before the departure time printed on the ticket.
Is an LAX lounge worth crossing terminals for?
Crossing terminals makes sense during a long layover or when a premium ticket unlocks a substantially better lounge, but rarely during a tight connection. A comfortable chair is not worth risking a flight for, particularly when the departure gate is at the far end of another concourse.
Ground transport also affects how much lounge time remains before departure. Our guide to public transport options serving LAX explains the main ways passengers reach the terminal area.
Can arriving passengers use an LAX lounge?
Arrivals access is limited and depends on the individual lounge's rules, while passengers with an eligible same-day onward flight have the clearest route to admission.
International arrivals are directed through immigration, customs and baggage procedures, so they cannot simply walk from the aircraft into a Tom Bradley departure lounge. Connecting passengers must complete those formalities, recheck baggage when required, clear security and then present the onward boarding pass.
After a domestic arrival, some airline-club memberships may permit admission with the arriving boarding pass. Card-operated lounges generally require a departing or connecting flight, so never assume that the benefit works after the final flight of the day.
What should you check before relying on lounge access?
Confirm the operating hours, admission rules and terminal location for the exact date and flight before travelling.
- The operating and marketing airlines shown on the ticket
- The cabin and route, especially for Flagship, Polaris and Delta One access
- Whether a card benefit requires advance enrolment
- Guest limits, charges and rules for children
- Whether a lounge programme imposes restricted admission hours
- Capacity warnings or temporary closures
- Your departure gate and the walking time back from the lounge
A mistake we see constantly is assuming that “First Class”, elite status or a premium credit card opens every lounge. At LAX, each lounge applies its own combination of airline, route, cabin, card and same-day boarding-pass rules.