As a smaller company, Alaska Airlines operates a small suite of lounges across the Western United States. It features lounges in Seattle, Portland, Anchorage and Los Angeles. It has since opened a space in New York and is soon to open San Francisco. Alaska Airlines describes these spaces as a an unparalleled airport lounge service in a quiet space to relax and recharge, or get a little work done between flights. We’d try out their Alaska Airlines Los Angeles lounge offering before our onward flight.

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This post is one chapter on our trip to South Africa, Namibia, Zimbabwe, Mauritius and the United Arab Emirates. This trip was redeemed through American Airlines AAdvantage & Alaska Mileage Plan. For more information on how this trip was booked, please see our trip introduction here. For other parts of the trip, please see this index.

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Review: The Alaska Lounge, Los Angeles – Terminal Six, Los Angeles International Airport, United States of America

This review is of the Alaska Lounge in Los Angeles International Airport Terminal Six. For another review of a competing lounge in Los Angeles Terminal Six, please see our review of the Air Canada Maple Leaf Lounge Los Angeles Terminal Six.

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“The Alaska Airlines Lounge offered a functional space to relax in at Los Angeles Terminal Six with great airside views. Getting in will be the hardest part, thanks to restrictive access and limited Priority Pass accessibility”

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On an Emirates Award redemption, Alaska Mileage Plan allows a free connection to a city of origin paired with the Emirates award space. I couldn’t find any business reward space on our Alaska Airlines ticket from Los Angeles to our home city of Vancouver. As a result, we had to settle for Seattle, or end the ticket in Los Angeles and buy our own way home. I figured we would just get ourselves to Seattle in First Class and worry about the shorter distance home.

Locating the Alaska Lounge:

After floating off our Emirates First Class Dubai – Los Angeles flight, we dropped our connecting bags at the connection desk in Tom Bradley International Terminal. We wandered over to Terminal 6 and located the Alaska Lounge, previously known as the Alaska Board Room.

The Alaska Lounge was located up one level from the main Los Angeles Terminal 6 concourse.

Accessing the Alaska Lounge:

The Alaska Lounge is accessible through a variety of means.

Alaska would probably prefer that you purchase an annual membership for it’s lounges. Holding a membership card allows you access prior to your departing flight. Unlike many other American carriers, you can also get access as a paid first class passenger. You unfortunately don’t get access as an elite upgrader if you’ve purchased an economy fare and have found yourself upgraded to First Class. Select One World Sapphire and Emerald Members get access, dependent on the rules of their itinerary per the One World access policies. You may also get access by purchasing a one day pass. Lastly, this lounge belongs to Priority Pass, but has a reputation of not allowing Priority Pass members to attend due to over crowding. As a result, I wouldn’t rely on Priority Pass if you were insistent on visiting this location.

Our access today was courtesy of our Alaska Mileage Plan First Class Award redemption, which is one of the categories that allows complimentary access. Even upgraded fares do not allow Alaska Lounge access., making access to this location a little challenging at times.

Inside the Alaska Lounge:

This visit marked my first visit to an Alaska Airlines Lounge. On our visit, it was quite an earthy looking place as a result of the brown tones throughout the space. The lounge area was compact and contained both a lounge seating, dining and short bar area.

One of the best features of the lounge was the nice air side views, through large windows. Day light is the best feature of any airline lounge, of which the Alaska Lounge offers plenty of light.

Food and Beverage:

The Alaska Lounge offered some light snacks. These included snacks you don’t always find in lounges: – nacho chips and a chili cauldron!?! The usual cubed cheese also made an appearance as an offering in the fridge.

While it was nice to have the offer of some food, it’s not a location that I’d treat as dining for a meal replacement.

There was also a kids room available. Although after the jet lag today, the kid in me was not ready to come out and play.

We would spend just a little time in the Alaska Lounge Los Angeles, prior to heading off on our Alaska Airlines First Class Los Angeles – Seattle flight to take us home.

Summary of The Alaska Lounge LAX:

The Alaska Airlines Board Room was a perfectly satisfactory place to check in for some free wifi, and perhaps a drink or a snack. It wasn’t by far the nicest place around, instead it was perfectly functional. The worst part was that our last lounge was the beautiful Emirates First Class lounge Dubai, which made this place look a little worse for wear. We didn’t stay too long and just stopped for a quick fuel up and water before the next leg.

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If you regularly visit Los Angeles International Airport, what is your “go to” lounge to visit ?

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