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Review: Air Canada Maple Leaf Lounge, LAX Terminal 6, Los Angeles, USA

I left the Star Alliance Lounge in the Tom Bradley International Terminal and headed over to Terminal 6 & 7. There was the usual plane spotting at TBIT, with the most interesting one today being the Hello Kitty Eva Air B777.

I made my way through the maze of tunnels and quickly swung by the United Club in Terminal 7 for a Buck Fizz on the outdoor deck. Having previously visit the newer United Club, I won’t be doing so again. There haven’t been many substantial changes and it’s still likely among the best options of the Star Alliance Lounges at LAX.

Accessing the Lounge:

Having already experienced this place, I didn’t stay too long. Rather, I opted for a look at the new Air Canada Maple Leaf Lounge in Terminal 6. I hadn’t visited this version of the Maple Leaf Lounge since it had relocated from Terminal 2. Unfortunately, the move has come with a massive downgrade in footprint and size.

The new lounge is accessed through a slow moving elevator from the concourse opposite from the Alaska Lounge. On my visit, the elevator was being used by every wheelchair walker, family with a stroller and pilots accessing a staff center one level below the regular concourse. There must have been stairs but I didn’t happen to see them.

Access to the lounge was granted thanks to the class of service on the boarding card.

The Air Canada Maple Leaf Lounge:

The lounge is very small, with a posted occupancy of 178. The reality is that there about sixty seats in the whole place. The lounge is about the same size as the Alaska Lounge across the way. All in all, it’s a tiny space and probably the least interesting Star Alliance Lounge at the Los Angeles airport. The lounge is split in half sofa’s and chairs, with the other half small cafe dining tables and tiled flooring.

Food and Beverage:

On the dining side, the catering isn’t too interesting. The offerings were exactly the same as other Maple Leaf Lounges. The usual tired nacho chips and flat watery salsa, pita bread and hummus was on offer. There were also the usual salads including quinoa and green beans. Ther two usual soups were also available. I suppose it’s a plus for consistency, but like being able to get McDonalds hamburgers everywhere, it’s not not always too appealing. I am afraid to say that the United Club actually has the Maple Leaf Lounge beat in this area. That’s something that I never thought I’d say in this lifetime.

There was self pour liquor was also available with tinned soft drinks. The lounge offers attached bathrooms. No showers were available. However, there were computers available in the back, which may be of benefit to someone.

In summary:

The best part of the lounge was the newer décor and the bright windows that overlooked the apron. Although, I wouldn’t invest the time to visit here in advance… This lounge is a far step down in size than the previous facility that they operated in Terminal 2. I think I’d rank it last of the LAX Star Alliance Lounges behind the United Club out front, followed by the Star Alliance Business Lounge in TBIT as the next runner up.