Merry Christmas! Live from the Delta Sky Club at LAX. I have spent Christmas at this exact location for 3 years in a row. It all aligns perfectly with how our family celebrates. My family has our big dinner on Christmas Eve. Then my husband and I fly to visit his family on Christmas day to spend the holiday and New Years together. Traveling on Christmas day happens to be the cheapest day to fly around the holidays and I am always going to take advantage of a good deal, especially during gift giving season!
I love the Delta Sky Club at LAX. It is one of the newer lounges in the country for Delta and I feel very blessed that my home sky club is my favorite one I’ve been to. It has made going to LAX infinitely better and has me looking forward to being at the airport. Anything that makes travel easier, especially at such a busy airport is a blessing. Free food, drinks, clean bathrooms, space to relax and a quiet atmosphere are all the great qualities of an airport lounge. Feel your stress melt away as you enjoy your time in this airport lounge.
Food
There are two buffet sections located at the LAX lounge. One toward the entrance and one in the back. While a lot of the food is similar (sandwiches, soups, cheese, charcuterie and crackers, etc.), there can be different main courses. Be sure to visit both to maximize your options.
On Christmas, they tend to up their carving station with roast beef or prime rib. This year there were dinner rolls, green beans, roast beef and gravy. Last year was prime rib with horseradish.
On a standard visit, you will find me getting bowls (yes, multiples) of soup. No matter which Sky Club I am in, if they are serving tomato bisque or roasted pepper and gouda soup, I will eat my weight in them. I urge you to try them if they are available when you visit!
There are also a variety of desserts. Cookies, brownies, cupcakes, puddings, or the elusive rice Krispies which I wish were out all the time. This Christmas they are serving adorable and downright delicious sugar cookies. Nothing beats a cookie and a cappuccino.
Drinks
Speaking of cappuccino, they have those in the lounge as well. Grab a mug or a to-go cup for the flight. There are standard drip coffees, and you can make lattes, cappuccino and more with the very fancy and large coffee machines.
For tea lovers, there are plenty of options of delicious organic teas to choose from. Iced tea is also available.
Want something with bubbles? Sodas are readily available in your standard flavors.
This Sky Club has a water machine that I simply love. You can choose a flavor, adjust the amount of flavor you want, and you can even blend flavors. Then choose still or sparkling and pour yourself a delicious glass of water. I always pick strawberry lemon grass with sparkling water. Refreshing!
The bar is open baby! Delta Sky Club has a long list of free alcoholic beverages to choose from and very talented bar tenders to create them. Mimosas always feel like a must do. But enjoy anything from an old fashioned to a mojito. There are some specialty cocktails that cost extra but I’ve always found the ones provided are excellent. There is also a free beer and wine list if cocktails are not your vibe. At this lounge, there is an indoor and outdoor bar.
Specialty Selections
There is usually a specialty section located near the back buffet and against the wall at this Sky Club. Today, it is a hot chocolate station. Other times they had slushies. Often in the summer, it is a lemonade station where they have lemonades and add-ons like strawberries, mint, and flavored syrups.
The candy station is in the back as well. You can find lemonheads, jolly ranchers and other similar hard candies. These are nice to take a couple on the plane with you if you want a portable sweet treat.
Both sections are just more reasons why you need to mosey to the back buffet!
Restrooms
The restrooms at this Sky Club cannot go unnoticed. First, and most importantly, they are always clean. Then, my next favorite part, each stall is huge and incredibly private with doors that shut and are fully sealed. No gaps in between stalls. No one peering under to see if there are feet sticking out to see if it is occupied. Total privacy, which is a rarity in the United States bathroom game. Light music plays and I’ve never once heard anyone around me.
The soaps and lotions from Grown Alchemist are incredible. They smell so good. I don’t know what air freshener is used but the bathroom also smells like a spa. Bonus for those who menstruate, there are also free period products available!
Shower Suites
Just off the restrooms you will find the shower suites. If you haven’t showered at the airport before, I highly recommend it. My husband showers every single time we are in a lounge that has shower suites.
Each shower suite is cleaned between every use and is completely private. You are given fresh towels and there are plenty of toiletries. There is also a toilet in the suite.
Showering is a great way to relax before a flight or after a long day of traveling. I last used a shower suite in the Seatle Delta Sky Club. After having gone from an early morning on a ship, to a long charter bus ride, to the subway, I still had a flight ahead of me. It was a fantastic way to reset myself during the long day of travel.
For nervous fliers, it is great way to decompress from the anticipatory stress or anxiety of flying.
Seating
There are tons of places to lounge in the lounge. I’ve had to take a meeting online and I used one of the soundproof booths. It was fantastic and no one at work was the wiser. I’ve hung out on the couches outside near the outdoor bar. I’ve also enjoyed the hanging egg chairs outside to read and watch the planes go by. High back chairs for added privacy for solo travelers are available. There are also large communal tables for those in a large group. Dining tables are available as well. I’ve always been able to find a nice place to hang out. Most sitting locations are also equipped with chargers and plugs for your devices.
Outdoor seating is louder than inside due to all the airplane engines. But there is something lovely about sitting outside at the bar at the airport.
How to get in:
Now I am sure you are thinking “Okay, this sounds great but how do I get in?”
Unfortunately for Delta Sky Club, you cannot buy a day pass. You must be a member. Also, you need to reach a certain ticket threshold. You can’t fly Delta Main Basic. Main Cabin is the lowest you can book to be able to have access to the lounge. You must fly Delta or a Delta partner airline that is marketed or operated by Delta.
Having a qualifying credit card is the easiest way to access most airport lounges. For Delta Sky Club that means having Delta Reserve or Reserve Business American Express. Centurion and Platinum American Express members can also enter the lounge with qualifying airline tickets.
I have a Delta Reserve American Express that I truly enjoy. When picking a credit card that partners with an airline, you must make airline loyalty a priority to get the most use out of your card.
The annual fee for this card is not cheap. If you don’t travel at least once a year, this is not worth it. Don’t pay a high annual fee to not take full advantage of the perks, it is not worth your hard-earned money! For me, I get more than I pay for with this card.
- Free Sky Club Entry (they charge $50 for guests to give an example of the price point).
- Yearly domestic companion ticket up to First Class. This is how my husband and I travel first class for half the price! We buy one ticket, get the other free. Let’s say first class is $950 x 2= $1,900 for two tickets but we get one free so it’s $950/2= $475 per ticket which is often cheaper or equivalent to the price of Main Cabin!
- When buying Delta tickets with our miles, we get 15% off.
- There are also big MQD bonuses to earn Medallion status with Delta a lot faster.
- Free bags up to 70 pounds, typically you only get 50 pounds and bags cost 35-45 dollars plus fees if you go over the weight limit.
- You are added to the complimentary flight upgrades list for qualifying tickets. We’ve been upgraded to First Class before with this in combination with our Medallion status.
For full information on eligibility, rules and guidelines, please check out Delta’s website for the most up to date ways you can visit the Delta Sky Club. They have the full details; this is just a brief glimpse of what is offered. You can also learn more about the credit cards there. And my friends, always be mindful when choosing and using credit cards. Don’t go into debt. It is a trap. A trap I say! Spend wisely.
When you find yourself at LAX airport, I hope you can find your way into the Delta Sky Club, relax and have a safe and joyous journey to your destination. And for my fellow Christmas travelers, have a happy holiday!
Leave a Reply