• Home
  • Reviews
    • Flight Reviews
    • Hotel Reviews
    • Lounge Reviews
    • Trip Reports
  • About
    • Press
  • Contact
  • Privacy
  • Award Expert
  • Advertising Disclosure
Live and Let's Fly
  • Home
  • Reviews
    • Flight Reviews
    • Hotel Reviews
    • Lounge Reviews
    • Trip Reports
  • About
    • Press
  • Contact
  • Privacy
  • Award Expert
  • Advertising Disclosure
Home  >  Los Angeles LAX • Lounge Reviews • Star Alliance  >  Review: Star Alliance First Class Lounge Los Angeles (LAX)
Los Angeles LAXLounge ReviewsStar Alliance

Review: Star Alliance First Class Lounge Los Angeles (LAX)

Matthew Klint Posted onOctober 14, 2017 7 Comments

The Star Alliance Lounge at LAX offers a quiet oasis from the bustling terminal with à la carte dining and personalized service. But it also has some rough edges.

First, take advantage of an escort if you are flying first class on ANA, Asiana, Lufthansa, Singapore or SWISS. While you will almost always be offered one, request one if you are not. They will escort you through security (usually to the hidden checkpoint), always bypassing all lines, and lead you directly to the lounge. It’s a great benefit of flying Star Alliance First Class from Los Angeles.

Inside the lounge there is a small check-in area which is bypassed if you are with an escort.

The lounge is a small single room divided into 3/4 seating and 1/4 dining. Seating is a mix of couches and chairs and quite comfortable.

A buffet stretches across the west side of the lounge, offering light snacks, fruit, salad, and a few hot items. Next to it, a bar offers a wide-selection of self-serve liquor and a coffee machine.

A dining area includes four round tables.

Behind the dining area are two private bathrooms, each offering privacy…but no showers. If you wish to shower, you will be escorted to the business class/Star Gold lounge next door.

When I visited the lounge in July, the à la carte menu was quite limited:

I had a turkey burger while John had marinara. Both were very unremarkable and we regretted ordering food.

When we returned a month later to fly Lufthansa first class again, the menu changed…for the better. There were several additional choices on the menu:

Sadly, I never got to sample anything. More on that below.

Two Areas of Improvement Desperately Needed

I was very disappointed during my last visit that service was so poor. I ordered Huevos Rancheros and John ordered flatbread pizza. We waited about 20 minutes and John’s food showed up, but mine did not. The lounge attendant forgot to order my dish…

By then it was time to board. The chef brought out the food personally and was horrified to learn that I had ordered eggs. He promised to rush them right out, but by then it was too late.

I don’t fault him, but I fault the sloppy staff for taking our order without pen and paper. Service is not at all polished in the lounge: the employees need some serious training on basic skills like writing down orders, offering drink refills, and checking in on guests. We practically had to beg someone to even order food. I’ve never understood why a waiter or waitress would not note down orders…this happens at restaurants too and the order inevitably gets screwed up.

The second problem is internet. It is terrible. Both visits it was practically non-functional. The lounge also seems to be surrounded in concrete and therefore cell phone reception is very poor. There may not be an easy fix for the cell phone problem, but there is for the internet — better routers.

CONCLUSION

The Star Alliance Lounge at LAX has first class elements, but also lacks key service details that would vault into the top tier of lounges. It is worth a visit, especially if you want to sit down and order some food, but in all other respects the beautiful business class lounge next door is a far better place to wait for your flight.

> Read More: Star Alliance Business Star Gold Lounge LAX Review

Previous Article A Tribute to the 747
Next Article Defiant Delta CEO: We Will NOT Pay “Nonsensical” Bombardier Tariff

About Author

Matthew Klint

Matthew is an avid traveler who calls Los Angeles home. Each year he travels more than 200,000 miles by air and has visited more than 135 countries. Working both in the aviation industry and as a travel consultant, Matthew has been featured in major media outlets around the world and uses his Live and Let's Fly blog to share the latest news in the airline industry, commentary on frequent flyer programs, and detailed reports of his worldwide travel.

Related Posts

  • Qatar Airways Al Safwa Lounge Review

    Review: Qatar Airways First Class Al Safwa Lounge

    January 25, 2023
  • Review: JAL First Class Lounge Tokyo (NRT)

    January 21, 2023
  • Review: Qantas International First Lounge Los Angeles (LAX)

    January 18, 2023

7 Comments

  1. JoeMart Reply
    October 14, 2017 at 7:28 pm

    The cook is responsible for giving exacting instructions to the front of house staff on how to write orders. If the cook accepted unwritten food orders that falls squarely on him.

    • AT Reply
      October 14, 2017 at 10:52 pm

      Is that*A lounge rule? Because it certainly isn’t a general restaurant management rule. I’ve run multiple restaurants including a James Beard award winning one, that service failure is solely on the FOH manager, not the chef.

      • Matthew Reply
        October 15, 2017 at 5:50 pm

        I don’t think it is a rule — I think it was a lazy server with a shallow grasp of the English language.

  2. AT Reply
    October 14, 2017 at 10:48 pm

    Totally agree about writing down orders. Even if you pull it off I’m not impressed, mess up the order and I’ll be disappointed. Just get it right whatever is needed!

  3. Jordan (Windbag Miles) Reply
    October 18, 2017 at 12:57 am

    Is it in any way an upgrade over the business class lounge at LAX? The pics of the business lounge in your review from earlier this year look stunning, and this one just kinda looks drab and dark.

    • Matthew Reply
      October 18, 2017 at 2:17 am

      This one is very drab. The only difference is the a la carte menu.

  4. Pingback: Review: Star Alliance First Class Lounge Los Angeles Airport - PointsWise

Leave a Reply

Cancel reply

Search

Recent Posts

  • Pre-Boarding With Children: How Old Until They Are Too Old? January 27, 2023
  • Dog Business Class Turkish Airlines
    Dachshund Flies Business Class To Paris…In Her Own Seat January 27, 2023
  • United Airlines Polaris Meal Service: The Sad State Of Affairs January 27, 2023
  • Jordan Visa On Arrival
    How To Obtain A Visa On Arrival In Jordan January 27, 2023

Categories

Popular Posts

  • Casting Couch? Kuwait Airways Forces Prospective Flight Attendants To Undress For “Research Purposes” January 4, 2023
  • Spirit Airlines Captain Runs Out Of Cockpit After Woman Yells “I Hope Y’All Crash And Die!” January 17, 2023
  • SWISS First Class Awards Bookable With United Airlines MileagePlus January 5, 2023
  • Helsinki Airport Train Guide
    Guide: How To Travel Via Train Between Helsinki Airport And City Center January 3, 2023

Archives

January 2023
M T W T F S S
 1
2345678
9101112131415
16171819202122
23242526272829
3031  
« Dec    

As seen on:

live_and_lets_fly

The new United Polaris Lounge at Washington Dulles The new United Polaris Lounge at Washington Dulles is the most beautiful of all Polaris Lounges. Stay tuned for a detailed look and many more photos on the blog tomorrow. Well done @united.
@malaysiaairlines just announced it would retire i @malaysiaairlines just announced it would retire its A380 fleet. While not surprising, it is sad to see the growing list of carriers retiring this superjumbo jet. On Malaysia Airlines, I flew the #A380 once from Kuala Lumpur (KUL) to London (LHR) and had the entire first class cabin to myself (full review on the blog). It was a beautiful flight that I will always remember.
Welcome to @fly_bur @aveloair! I am so excited tha Welcome to @fly_bur @aveloair! I am so excited that a new carrier, Avelo, has launched, especially from an airport just 12 minutes from my home!
I greatly miss the @lufthansa #747-8 at @flylaxair I greatly miss the @lufthansa #747-8 at @flylaxairport. Hopefully this summer it will return.

.
.
.
.
#Lufthansa #FirstClass #747 #747-8 #StarAlliance #Miles #Points
I recently spent a weekend at the @ventanabigsur. I recently spent a weekend at the @ventanabigsur. This is not only a lovely, all-inclusive resort, but one of the best properties to use your @hyatt World of Hyatt points.
.
.
.
.
#Hyatt #BigSur #California #WorldofHyatt #CA-1 #Points #Hotels
In terms of a spacious first class product, the @E In terms of a spacious first class product, the @Emirates suite on a 777-300ER is hard to beat. My preference is Suite 2K.

.
.
.
.
#Emirates #777 #firstclass
Nearly five years ago, I took a “break” from I Nearly five years ago, I took a “break” from Instagram ahead of the birth of my first child. Goodness, how time flies. While I’ve enjoyed catching up on others over the years, now it is time for me to return to Instagram. In this first post, I highlight two joys in my life, my two children, whom I trust will grow up to be prolific travelers that circumnavigate the globe as ambassadors of love and respect.

.
.
.
.
.

#travel #airplanes #airlines #miles #points #familytravel #human #integrity #honor
United Airlines' new Polaris seat is a huge improv United Airlines' new Polaris seat is a huge improvement over UA's current business class seat. Check out my blog at liveandletsfly.com for 70+ photos of how @united is transforming its entire business class experience starting this December!
The perfect @flysas name tag for #Longyearben! The perfect @flysas name tag for #Longyearben!
Spotted four #polarbear outside of #longyearbyen - Spotted four #polarbear outside of #longyearbyen -- oh, and I love 40°F summer weather!
One of the best crews I have ever had the pleasure One of the best crews I have ever had the pleasure of flying with in all my years of flying. Thank you @flysas SK940 on 11 Aug 2016
Next stop ARN! But dear @flysas , next time if I a Next stop ARN! But dear @flysas , next time if I assign a window seat months in advance, don't move me to a center seat "for my convenience" with no way to get my original seat back... 😞
Ready for #PIA from #MAN to #JFK -- we will be rac Ready for #PIA from #MAN to #JFK -- we will be racing the #Delta flight to JFK at the gate next to us, which also departs at 12:45p. With @onemileatatime
Another room with a beautiful view... #hyattregenc Another room with a beautiful view... #hyattregencycasablanca #cassablanca #hyatt
Enjoying #shanghai with @onemileatatime from the i Enjoying #shanghai with @onemileatatime from the inside of the @grandhyatt_shanghai ... It is 40°C outside! 😓
From my front gate to my boarding gate in 15 minut From my front gate to my boarding gate in 15 minutes flat. I ❤️ #bur #burbankairport
@malaysiaairlines #747 out of retirement and in se @malaysiaairlines #747 out of retirement and in service at #kul -- beautiful livery!
View from my 61st floor room at the beautiful bran View from my 61st floor room at the beautiful brand new @parkhyattguangzhou -- look for a full review coming soon on the blog #hyatt #parkhyatt #guangzhou #parkhyattguangzhou
Will miss the @united #globalfirstlounge at #ord, Will miss the @united #globalfirstlounge at #ord, which closes tomorrow and the Queen of the Skies #747 which will be retired in 2018.
The colonial #architecture of #mumbai is stunning. The colonial #architecture of #mumbai is stunning. If you're ever here, get up at 5am and have a walk around the city before it gets busy. You can hear the birds instead of honking horns.
Load More... Follow on Instagram
facebook twitter instagram rss

This site is for entertainment purposes only. The owner of this site is not an investment advisor, financial planner, nor legal or tax professional and articles here are of an opinion and general nature and should not be relied upon for individual circumstances.

 

Advertiser Disclosure: Some links to credit cards and other products on this website will earn an affiliate commission. Outside of banner ads published through the Boarding Area network, this compensation does not impact how and where products appear on this site. While we do try to list all the best miles and points deals, the site does not include all card companies or credit card offers available in the marketplace. Please view our advertising policy page for additional details about our partners.

 

Editorial Disclosure: The editorial content on this page is not provided by any entity mentioned herein. Opinions expressed here are the author's alone, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of these entities.