What I Liked
- Runway views with natural light
- Hot food
- Complimentary alcohol
- Small kids play area
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This review is for the American Airlines Admirals Lounge at Los Angeles International Airport. Terminal 4.
It’s a solid lounge. With hot buffet. Complimentary alcohol and runway views. I enjoyed my 1 hour here, before my flight.
There are a number of ways to get entry. I list all of them in this article.
I took loads of photos for this review. Each photo can be clicked, to open out the full slideshow.
A quick heads-up before you go hunting. If you've typed 'admirals club lax terminal 5' into Google, or terminal B for that matter, you're in roughly the right postcode but the wrong gate. The lounge actually sits in Terminal 4, about a five-minute walk once you're through security. And it's parked right next door to American's Flagship Lounge, which is the fancier sibling your Admirals Club pass sadly won't open.
I rocked up on a Tuesday afternoon and had the place to myself. Well, near enough. It was about 30% full, bathed in natural light, with proper runway views out the one big window. There's a manned bar pouring complimentary alcohol and a hot buffet doing genuine comfort food. There's also a USB charging point that left my iPhone stuck at 58% for half an hour. The sacrifices I make for you lot.
Now, a bit of honesty. The food variety is on the thin side, and I'll walk you through exactly what's on offer, from the chicken empanada to the cheesecake shooters my daughter didn't touch (she went straight for the cookies). If the Admirals Club won't let you in, the Centurion Lounge at LAX is the plusher backup I've reviewed, so you can still find a comfy seat and a free drink.
American Airlines operate out of Terminal 4 at LAX, so despite what the search box suggests, there's no Admirals Club LAX Terminal 5 — this lounge is located in Terminal 4. Just a 5 minute walk after you pass security.
It is next to the Flagship Lounge. The Flagship Lounges are the very best lounges that American Airlines have. They also have more stringent entry requirements. Your Admirals Club Pass won’t get you in.
Terminal 4 is American's home turf at LAX. If you're flying American, this is where you'll pass through security, so the lounge is on your way rather than a detour across the airport. No terminal-hopping, no shuttle bus. Which is a relief.
Once you're through security, the lounge is well signposted. Follow the signs and you'll be there before your coffee's gone cold. I didn't have to hunt for it or ask anyone. Straightforward, as airport lounges go.
Worth knowing: the fancier Flagship Lounge sits right beside it, so you don't have to wander far if your status unlocks that door instead. And if neither works for you, the AMEX Centurion Lounge is your other bet at LAX — though that one's over in Terminal B, so it's a proper walk rather than a next-door neighbour.
Airport Parking
Pre-booking your parking at LAX is one of those small moves that pays off big — Los Angeles traffic is unforgiving, drive-up rates near the terminals are eye-watering, and the last thing you want before a lounge visit is circling a full car park while your empanada goes cold. Lock in a spot ahead of time and you roll up, drop the car, and walk straight to Terminal 4 with your blood pressure intact. I'd sort it in advance through AirportParking.com — compare the lots around LAX, grab the rate that suits, and start your trip in the Admirals Club rather than a parking queue.
Walk the Venice Beach Boardwalk You don't need a ticket for this one. Venice Beach is free, chaotic and one of the most people-watching-rich stretches of sand in America. Skateboarders, street performers, the muscle-bound lot at Muscle Beach. I wandered it on a warm afternoon and could've stayed for hours. Bring sunglasses and a bit of patience for the crowds.
Hollywood Sign Hike You can book here for $29, and it's rated 4.9* from over 1,500 reviews. An expert guide takes you to the sign — front, behind, the lot — and shares the history along the way. It's the best-rated pick on this list. Just know it's a proper hike, so wear trainers and don't do it in flip-flops like some optimists I've seen.
Best of Los Angeles Guided City Tour Book your spot here for $69, rated 4.9* from over 2,100 reviews. Four stops plus free time, so you get the highlights without racing past everything through a bus window. A great shout if you've only got half a day and want the greatest hits.
Full-Day Iconic Sights of LA Buy your ticket here for $99. It's rated 4.9* from over 6,400 reviews, which is a lot of happy travellers. Hollywood, Beverly Hills, the beaches and more, all in one go. It's the premium pick and a long old day on your feet, but if you've only got 24 hours in the city, this is how you see the lot.
If you are travelling in international business class or first class with American. Or if you have Platinum, Platinum Pro or Executive Platinum status with AAdvantage. Then you can use the Flagship lounge, which is right next to this lounge.
That lounge is definitely better. When you enter the Flagship First Lounge, you have a lady pouring champagne for you!
If you're an Admirals Club member, it's worth knowing whether the perks travel with you. I put the Admirals Club in Denver through the same test, so you can see what your pass actually buys you city to city.
So here's how you actually get through the Admirals Club LAX Terminal 5 door:
The Lounge Access with Priority Pass
A full Admirals Club membership is a proper annual commitment. If you're only in a lounge a handful of times a year, that's a lot to swallow.
Priority Pass is the better-value move in my book. Signup here and get a 30% discount.
Unlimited membership costs $422 and gets you into over 1,800 lounges worldwide. Standard Plus is $263 for 10 visits — so $26.30 a visit. The cheapest tier is $69.
For me, a lounge beats buying food in the terminal every time. A sit-down breakfast and a coffee in Terminal 4 will run you close to $30 once the service charge lands. Add a cocktail to start the holiday and you're near $50 for one person.
Priority Pass isn't flawless. Lounges fill up, and a full one can turn you away at the door. I paid $7 to pre-book a timeslot, which guaranteed my seat.
One thing to flag for LAX: there's just 1 Priority Pass lounge here, the Virgin Atlantic Clubhouse over in the Tom Bradley International Terminal.
A quick note on access, because I get asked it a lot: the Admirals Club isn't a Priority Pass lounge. So if you were planning to swipe a Priority Pass membership at the door of the admirals club lax terminal 5 you'd been Googling, that won't get you in here. Entry runs on American's own access rules, not on a lounge network pass. If Priority Pass is what's in your wallet, LAX has other lounges that'll happily have you — this one just plays by different rules.
The Admirals Club LAX Terminal 5 is a medium size rectangle shape. With one side having a window, facing the runway.
The American Admirals Club at LAX is my favourite style of lounge. Where there is only one room. Simply because I have to take fewer photos! It’s easier to show what a lounge is like, if there's only one room.
The lounge has the following facilities:
The runway views were pretty nice. The lounge was bathed in natural light.
The lounge wasn’t too busy on this Tuesday afternoon. It was about 30% full.
The decoration was functional, but not luxury. There were low style lounge seats, restaurant style tables and chairs and communal tables. Everything was in good condition.
There were USB charging points. I’m using one right now. It’s kinda crap! My iPhone has been stuck on 58% for 30 minutes!
There was a small kids play area. Just a room with kids TV playing.
One thing worth flagging, since the article can't nail down a seat count for you: this is a single-room lounge that felt roomy at 30% full, so on a busy morning rush I'd expect it to fill up rather than sprawl. Plan for a seat near the window if runway views are your thing. Get there early and you'll have your pick.
The lounge is only half the American Airlines story, of course. If you're wondering what the pointy end of the plane is like once you leave that comfy seat, here's my honest take on American Airlines Business Class.
There was a small buffet counter, which served all the food.
The variety of food was somewhat limited. But it looked good quality. I wasn’t actually hungry, so I didn’t try anything.
The two hot dishes looked pretty good. It was definitely comfort food!
My daughter had two cookies, which she enjoyed. Naturally!
You could also order premium food you pay for. Such as pizza and fresh sandwiches.
There was coffee from a machine. Also drip coffee.
There was also a small selection of luxury teas.
I had a cup of drip coffee. Which I enjoyed.
Alcohol was offered from a manned bar. There was a small variety of complimentary alcohol. Premium alcohol was chargeable. As is common at lounges in the US.
If you've been searching 'admirals club lax terminal 5', let me save you a walk: it's actually in Terminal 4, five minutes past security, and it's a solid little lounge. I had my hour here on a quiet Tuesday afternoon, about 30% full, bathed in natural light with proper runway views out the big window. Complimentary alcohol from a manned bar, a hot buffet doing honest comfort food, and a drip coffee I genuinely enjoyed. For a quick pre-flight sit-down, it does the job nicely.
It's not the Flagship next door, mind. The food variety is thin — a chicken empanada, some street corn, a few cold cuts and the cheesecake shooters my daughter walked straight past for the cookies. And the USB point left my iPhone sulking at 58% for half an hour. So temper your expectations. This is a comfy seat and a free drink, not a fine-dining detour.
Bottom line. If you're flying American out of LAX and have a pass, it's an easy yes — get there early and grab a window seat before the rush. And if the Admirals Club won't have you, don't fret. A Priority Pass membership through my link gets you into 1,700 lounges worldwide, so your next layover at LAX still ends with a comfy seat and a cold one.