Access the Qantas LAX lounges before an American Airlines flight
By David Flynn, September 20 2017
You've just stepped off a Qantas flight to Los Angeles, with a connecting American Airlines flight to a domestic US destination still to go... but that doesn't mean you have to make do with AA's pedestrian Admirals Club lounge at LAX.
Provided there's enough time between those QF and AA flights, many travellers will have the option of dining and relaxing at the far superior Qantas Los Angeles business lounge...
... or even the Qantas first class lounge, with its Rockpool dining room and a familiar if pared-down breakfast menu.
(Either way, you're almost certain to get the last decent cup of coffee until you're back in Australia.)
But hang on: with the Qantas lounges at Los Angeles' Tom Bradley International Terminal (TBIT) and American Airlines flights departing from LAX T4, how do you perform this 'terminal tango'?
It's quite easy when you know the trick. So here's the trick.
1. Once your inbound Qantas flight arrives at LAX you'll need to collect your luggage and re-check it for the onwards flight – so far, so normal.
2. You'll exit TBIT, turn right and head towards Terminal 4 to check in for your American Airlines flight and make your way through security into T4. Again, this is par for the course.
3. Now look for signs to the terminal connector walkway, which lets passengers seamlessly stroll between T4 and TBIT without going back out through security.
Walking from T4 to TBIT at LAX
John Nguyen, AirlineReporter.com
John Nguyen, AirlineReporter.com
4. Once you reach TBIT, head to the Qantas lounges and have ready your inbound Qantas boarding pass, your connecting American Airlines boarding pass and – if necessary – your Qantas Platinum or Gold frequent flyer card or Qantas Club membership card.
Which Qantas LAX lounge can you use?
If you flew in on Qantas first class or have Qantas Platinum (or Platinum One or Chairman's Lounge) status, make your way straight through to the first class lounge. We suggest that a glass of champagne isn't the worst welcome to America.
If you flew in on Qantas business class or have Qantas Gold status, settle into the business class lounge.
Qantas Club members can also use the Qantas business lounge before a domestic American Airlines flight provided that flight was booked and ticketed under a QF flight number, not its native AA flight number. As long as your boarding pass lists a QF flight number, you're in.
Note also that your class of travel on the American Airlines flight makes no difference to what Qantas lounge you can use.
To quote the lounge access rules for the Oneworld alliance (which counts both Qantas and American Airlines as members): Lounge access will be determined on the international long haul ticketed flight (either First of Business Class) regardless of the ticketed class of travel on the international short haul or domestic flight.
Avoiding the T4 trek entirely
It's sometimes possible to avoid shlepping across to T4 and then back via the connector to TBIT.
After your Qantas flight offloads you at TBIT, look for the American Airlines checkin desks at the 'Connections' area. If they're open you should be able to drop off your bag and head straight upstairs to the TBIT arrivals security area.
Show them your AA boarding pass and when told that your flight leaves from Terminal 4, just explain that you're visiting TBIT for lounge access and will use the connector to get across to T4.
Of course, this same strategy works if you're travelling to the US with hand-luggage only – a fairly impressive feat for a stateside business trip – and already have the boarding pass for your American Airlines flight.
Regardless of how you get to the Qantas lounges at TBIT, you'll of course want to set an alarm on your smartphone to remind you when it's time to leave the lounge and head back to T4 before boarding commences on your American Airlines flight.
David Flynn is the Editor-in-Chief of Executive Traveller and a bit of a travel tragic with a weakness for good coffee, shopping and lychee martinis.
Virgin Australia - Velocity Rewards
08 Jul 2014
Total posts 58
Thanks David - the connector has made life much easier at LAX. Have the previously reported inconsistent interpretations of the access policy been sorted out, to your knowledge? - e.g. would one expect access to the F lounge if arriving on CX F and connecting to AA F domestic, no OW status?
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
30 Mar 2017
Total posts 2
I am flying from JFK to Sydney next week on a QF flight . I will be changing planes in LAX to board another QF flight. As a Qantas Club member will I have access to the Qantas lounge during the stopover and or the AA lounge while in transit.
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
29 Nov 2013
Total posts 475
Have done this and its a fantastic option...The walk around to T4 is pretty quick or if you time it right the AA team will drive you in the golf cart!
20 Feb 2012
Total posts 66
How long is the walk from the lounge to the first gate at T4?
12 Dec 2012
Total posts 1027
The QF F lounge is right next to the TBIT end of the connector.
Gate 41 in T4 is right next to the connector at the T4 end.
Last July, I walked from the connector TSA checkpoint to the F lounge in about 2 minutes.
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
29 Nov 2013
Total posts 475
Depending on how fast you walk you could leave Qantas F lounge and be in T4 in under 10mins
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
09 May 2013
Total posts 138
I'm assuming this does not apply if you are already in LA and taking the AA flights domestically or if you are flying into LAX with another carrier but taking AA flights domestically (regardless of Qantas status?)
21 Sep 2017
Total posts 1
If flying AA domestically only, you can still access the lounges with Oneworld Emerald or Sapphire. I'm Qantas platinum and do this quite a bit in LAX - it's nice to have a decent flat white or a Coopers!
21 Dec 2016
Total posts 39
And what if you are flying on an AA international flight from LAX to SYD? Which lounge to use?
16 Apr 2016
Total posts 4
I recently did this and enjoyed the Qantas first class lounge especially as the AA lounge is being renovated and not nearly as good but word of warning - as you can no longer check your bags all the way through to a connecting US city with American Airlines, be very careful that they do. I recently flew to LAX and connected to AA flight to Miami - AA staff didn't tag my bags - despite me asking them to check that they had - and they never arrived in Miami nor could the AA staff track them because they had no label. Luckily Qantas at LA went on a physical hunt and found them and sent them on a day later......
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
11 Nov 2016
Total posts 47
....you can't get a decent coffee in a country of 325.9 million people? Australian coffee snobbery strikes again.
13 Sep 2016
Total posts 177
You can but you need to really search for it, the US has very few independent coffee shops because most are franchise chains, and not all of those indies actually care about coffee. But the ones who do are a life-saver!
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
30 May 2013
Total posts 372
I've been to America five times and have never found a good coffee! I'll be hunting out an Australian owned cafe in New York in the coming weeks though!
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
29 Nov 2013
Total posts 475
There's a really really good Aussie cafe in Brooklyn. Had breakfast there earlier this year - A decent Flat White!!!
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
29 Nov 2013
Total posts 475
Bluestone Lane - Prospect St in Brooklyn was the one I went to. Its a couple of cafe's run by some ex-Melb ppl.
12 Feb 2015
Total posts 91
markpk how will you ever own a house if you keep paying for smashed avo on toast? :-)
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
29 Nov 2013
Total posts 475
Company expense account my friend!
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
22 Jul 2015
Total posts 219
There is one heading west on 55th st from Seventh Avenue. Little basement place and from memory has an Aussie name but cannot for the life remember what it is. They do know what a flat white is. Failing that Pret a Mange do something resembling a flattie
13 Sep 2016
Total posts 177
Check out Flat White, which is owned by an Aussie in NY. It's a lot like in London, many of the really good cafes are run by Aussies or Kiwis or have them as baristas and sometimes advertise that fact! Blue Bottle is also good, they have an outlet across from the Chelsea Markets and a cart on the Highline walk, as well as being well-represented in San Francisco.
QF
04 Apr 2014
Total posts 209
Blue Butterfly Coffee Co, El Sugundo. 10 minutes max from LAX. Great coffee.
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
30 May 2013
Total posts 372
Good to know. Similarly it would be great if Sydney Airport had an after security terminal connector walkway between T2 and T3 - particularly for those Qantas Club members on Jetstar flights.
04 May 2015
Total posts 262
I very much doubt that Sydney Airport would pay for something like that just so that people flying on a budget airline could stop by the business class lounge in another terminal, after Qantas stopped paying rent on the lounge it did have in T2 (when it was closed) and already moved its regional flights to T3, so that connecting passengers have no need to change terminals!
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
06 May 2016
Total posts 33
(Unrelated to main topic ....) We visit our family in Houston about three times a year and the coffee in St Arbucks is terrific.
20 Sep 2017
Total posts 2
After arriving at TBIT and clearing immigration etc, and after placing your bag on the transfer conveyor just prior to exiting the TBIT building, is is possible to transfer internally from TBIT across to Terminal 4 without going outside and re-entering the building into Terminal 4 ?
I did it once and it was way quicker with a very short line to process security clearance versus the long line up when you walk in the front of Terminal 4.
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
28 Oct 2011
Total posts 461
Yes it is, but you'll need to go through security at TBIT. Then just walk up to the QF lounge and proceed from there along the connector into T4.
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer Platinum
07 Feb 2013
Total posts 548
Is it possible to do this with a QF ticketed flight (AA metal) cheers
QF
04 Apr 2014
Total posts 209
If you have TSA Pre its generally quicker to clear security at T4 than at Tom Bradley.
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
10 Aug 2016
Total posts 64
Thanks for the review David. Have taken a copy for future use.
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
29 Nov 2013
Total posts 475
Just keep in mind the signs are a big ambiguous - from memory they indicate you're heading for international check-in when in fact you arrive at a security point, and are then airside within TBIT
12 Dec 2012
Total posts 1027
The signs say "connections"
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
01 Dec 2015
Total posts 9
I recommend using the AA terminal just for getting through security quicker than Tom Bradley. Check in stroll around the outside to AA and breeze through.
I often like to pop out for a smoke through TBIT and stroll towards to AA. Good to stretch the legs and kill a bit of time
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
29 Nov 2013
Total posts 475
I disagree with this strategy - if you come off a QF flight and walk around to T4 you end up in long morning queues trying to get through security.
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
01 Dec 2015
Total posts 9
While I suspect we are talking about the same security point, I should add, that my way is more reliable for when you are leaving LAX to come back to Australia.
Which would tend to be later in the day of course.
I think you are correct about the longer morning lines
30 Sep 2017
Total posts 1
Well we arrived at Tom Bradley with every intention of taking your advice. However, in all the turmoil and with only 4 hours sleep, we somehow missed the connector walkway. Finished up in the AA Club at terminal 5 (because the one at T4 is being refurbished). Too tired to retrace our steps so we will just have to wait until we are back at Tom Bradley for the flight home. By the way, this AA Admiralty Club lounge is pretty spartan!
29 Apr 2018
Total posts 4
Thanks David. Love you guys - in the Qantas LAX lounge now before an American flight. Fantastic to know this ‘trick’.
04 Aug 2018
Total posts 1
Hey David, thanks for a great post. I read it as I have an upcoming flight booked from Melbourne - Mexico City, stopping in Sydney and LAX. The first 2 legs are Business Class, however the final (LAX-Mexico City) is American Airlines and Economy due to availability.
Singapore Airlines - KrisFlyer
03 Nov 2012
Total posts 1
Hi
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
14 Apr 2018
Total posts 1
Thanks so much for this article. I can confirm that this process works beautifully - I'm sitting in the First lounge prior to an American domestic flight right now, having arrived yesterday from Australia and stayed in LAX overnight.
24 Oct 2010
Total posts 2555
Thanks for the feedback – the connector walkway makes all the difference, doesn't it!
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