Delta Sky Club LAX Review: The Sky Deck Is the Star

Even if you’re at Los Angeles International Airport for only an hour or two before your flight, you might as well enjoy the weather while you can. At least, that’s the thinking behind renovations at Delta Air Lines’ newest lounge at LAX. The airline is no doubt capitalizing on its location.

The Delta Sky Club at LAX, close to Terminal 3, is 30,000 square feet in size with enough room for more than 500 guests. The main attraction is an outdoor space dubbed the Sky Deck, complete with a bar and views of both an airport runway and the Hollywood Hills.

Here’s a preview of what you can expect at the Delta Sky Club LAX lounge, along with ways you can gain access.

When you enter the Delta Sky Club, you’ll check in at self-service kiosks and then head up the escalators.

Extra space for passengers

The space is massive — bigger than the existing Delta Sky Club at LAX in Terminal 2, which will remain open to accommodate Delta passengers going through the airport.

Delta is in the middle of an expansion and renovation at LAX slated to finish in 2023, which will soon have the airline operating 27 gates between Terminals 2 and 3. That’s up from the 16 gates it currently has. The extra space in the lounge will be a welcome addition for frequent Delta flyers out of Los Angeles.

Lounge-goers can choose from different types of seating, including theater seating near the entertainment screen, single booths in the dining area (great for solo travelers) and armchairs facing the windows.

There are even a few phone booths lined up against the wall for anyone who needs to take a private or work call. They’re surprisingly soundproof, too, so your colleagues won’t hear the background noise.

Excellent views

The north-facing wall is lined with giant windows, giving guests great views of the runway and surrounding scenery. On a clear day, you can even catch a glimpse of the Hollywood sign.

It’s very entertaining for aviation enthusiasts who might like to watch the planes land from their seats in the lounge.

Sky Deck

To get even closer to the action, you can check out the Sky Deck. This outdoor space has a retractable roof and heaters to make it comfortable in all weather conditions — or at least in all of the temperate, sunny days in LA.

You could definitely spend a few hours out there because the Sky Deck has a convenient outdoor bar — you won’t have to go very far for beverages.

The Delta lounge at LAX has two buffets and two bars (the outdoor bar on the Sky Deck and an indoor version of it on the other side).

There’s a variety of food and drink options, including to-go snacks for travelers. There are plenty of sandwiches and wraps.

While there's no shortage of desserts, pastas and filling entrees, Delta also offers plenty of options to up your fiber intake with salads and veggie platters.

Delta has partnered with local chefs to showcase some regional cuisine as well. It also takes into account dietary restrictions, with plenty of options that address common diets such as vegan, vegetarian and gluten-free.

The entire design of the lounge is intended to reflect the natural beauty of Southern California.

This influence is most obvious on the ceiling, where you’ll find overhead lighting creeping out from panels that look like waves on the sand. There’s also the outline of mountains in the wood paneling separating the dining area.

Like the food and drinks, the art inside the lounge is also intended to showcase local culture.

Coffee grotto

Perhaps one of the most unique places to sit in the entire lounge is a nook dubbed the “coffee grotto.” This space has a unique backsplash made with imported Italian tiles, and it was designed to evoke the glamour of Hollywood’s Golden Age. You’re not far off if you think it looks a little like the iconic Beverly Hills Hotel wallpaper.

Showers

Travelers who need a quick refresh before a long flight can reserve one of eight shower rooms at the kiosk near the bathrooms. These showers truly feel like a spa, with unique backdrops and Grown Alchemist soaps and lotions.

You must have a Delta Sky Club membership, a Delta One ticket or a premium cabin ticket on a partner airline, elite status or a certain credit card to be able to enter the Delta Sky Club. Unfortunately, you can't buy a day pass to Delta Sky Clubs unless you have a co-branded Delta credit card that allows you to do so.

Here are the credit cards that grant access to Delta's lounges:

• Centurion Card from American Express: You get complimentary access if you're traveling on a same-day flight operated by Delta or marketed by Delta and operated by WestJet.

• The Platinum Card® from American Express: Cardholders receive 10 complimentary visits to Delta Sky Club per year when traveling on a same-day flight operated by Delta or marketed by Delta and operated by WestJet. (However, if you spend $75,000 or more on the card in a calendar year, you get unlimited access for the rest of that year and the next year). Cardholders can bring either two guests or immediate family (spouse/partner and children under the age of 21) at a rate of $50 per person per visit.

• The Business Platinum Card® from American Express: Cardholders receive 10 complimentary visits to Delta Sky Club per year when traveling on a same-day flight operated by Delta or marketed by Delta and operated by WestJet. (However, if you spend $75,000 or more on the card in a calendar year, you get unlimited access for the rest of that year and the next year). Cardholders can bring either two guests or immediate family (spouse/partner and children under the age of 21) at a rate of $50 per person per visit.

• Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card: Cardholders receive 15 complimentary visits to Delta Sky Clubs per year when traveling on a same-day flight operated or marketed by Delta. After those 15 are used up in a year, visits cost $50 apiece. Cardholders flying a Delta partner pay $50 per visit. However, if you spend $75,000 or more on the card in a calendar year, you get unlimited access for the rest of that year and the next year. Cardholders also get four one-time guest passes per year.

• Delta SkyMiles® Reserve Business American Express Card: Cardholders receive 15 complimentary visits to Delta Sky Clubs per year when traveling on a same-day flight operated or marketed by Delta. After those 15 are used up in a year, visits cost $50 apiece. Cardholders flying a Delta partner pay $50 per visit. However, if you spend $75,000 or more on the card in a calendar year, you get unlimited access for the rest of that year and the next year. Cardholders also get four one-time guest passes per year.

Terms apply.

For more information on how to access Delta Clubs, check out our full guide. Keep in mind lounge access is not available to arriving passengers and departing passengers can only enter up to three hours before their flight (excluding layovers).

Though it opened back in 2022, this lounge still maintains a new, upscale feel. Guests will enjoy the outdoor Sky Deck, showers, phone booths, coffee grotto and, of course, views. If you have access, look no further for a place to rest at the airport.

Featured photo by Meghan Coyle.

To view rates and fees of The Platinum Card® from American Express, see this page.

To view rates and fees of The Business Platinum Card® from American Express, see this page.

To view rates and fees of the Delta SkyMiles® Reserve Business American Express Card, see this page.

To view rates and fees of the Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card, see this page.

All information about the Centurion Card has been collected independently by NerdWallet. The Centurion Card is no longer available through NerdWallet.