Previous to our ANA enterprise class flight to Japan, we spent a while within the United Polaris Lounge Los Angeles. 

I’ve beforehand loved some very nice visits to United Polaris Lounges in Chicago and Newark. Nevertheless, It’s been a number of years since I final visited one, so I used to be wanting ahead to testing the Los Angeles location for the primary time.

I used to be anticipating it to be pretty just like the opposite Polaris lounges, however it’s at all times fascinating to check out how every lounge is exclusive from its counterparts.

United Polaris Lounge Los Angeles – Entry

The Polaris Lounges are a premium airport lounge idea, reserved explicitly for worldwide enterprise class passengers flying with United or Star Alliance accomplice airways.

There’s a strict set of entry necessities. Entry is restricted to these flying on United Airways or Star Alliance companions departing from Los Angeles to Europe, Asia, Australia or particular South American nations (Argentina, Brazil, Chile, and Peru).

You can even fly into Los Angeles on an inbound United Airways enterprise class flight, with a seamless journey on United Airways enterprise class, and entry the Polaris Lounge as properly. Nevertheless, entry isn’t granted following inbound Star Alliance accomplice flights.

In our case, we have been flying ANA enterprise class, which might grant us entry forward of departure. Nonetheless, it wasn’t fairly that easy.

LAX is a large airport with eight terminals and 146 gates organized in a horseshoe form. ANA and most different Star Alliance accomplice airways fly out of the Tom Bradley Worldwide Terminal (TBIT), which is positioned on the far finish of the airport.

Nevertheless, the United Polaris Lounge is positioned the place United Airways operates: Terminal 7. It’s a stable 20-minute brisk stroll down the lengthy airside hall which connects Terminals 4, 5, 6, 7, and eight with the TBIT.

We had a good bit of time to spare previous to our 1pm departure, so we determined to make the lengthy stroll.

In any case, I’ve been to the Star Alliance Lounge within the TBIT a number of instances, so I used to be eager to attempt United’s à la carte eating right here within the Polaris Lounge, which the Star Alliance lounge doesn’t provide.

It took 20 minutes to achieve the lounge, strolling at a reasonably quick tempo. Whereas it isn’t a brief journey, that is actually a good way to get some every day steps in, particularly when you have a protracted flight forward as we did.

The United Polaris Lounge is positioned after safety in Terminal 7, between Gates 73 and 75A.

There’s signage throughout the concourse, which you’ll observe till you attain an entryway the place an elevator or stairs takes you to the fourth flooring. You possibly can entry the lounge from 5:30am to 11:30pm.

United Polaris Lounge Los Angeles – Seating

The lounge has a chic and stylish ambiance. In step with the United model, the area is adorned with mushy shades of blue and gray.

As you arrive, the entrance counter and the again wall are adorned in marble, with bespoke lighting fixtures hanging above. Lights constructed into the counter create a welcoming glow as you enter the area.

The swanky lounge has 140 seats inside in an open-concept seating plan. At 12,000 sq. toes, it’s undoubtedly a smaller area than a few of the different Polaris Lounges in United’s community.

Seating varies from outsized plush couches to clusters of two-person and four-person eating tables. Every seat throughout the lounge has energy and USB retailers beneath.

The central communal space is dominated by a set of outsized blue couches with espresso tables, hanging beneath an ornately designed set of sunshine fixtures impressed by the Polaris emblem. 

To the fitting of this space, there’s a cluster of seats for teams of three, and extra seating alongside the bar.

The bar is visually beautiful, with a chic, curved form and marble partitions as a backdrop. A choice of native wines, draft beers, and artistic cocktails can be found to order.

If it had been a bit later within the day, I might’ve actually liked to take a seat down right here and revel in a number of drinks earlier than my flight. 

Alongside the home windows, a mixture of snug lounge and armchairs provide attractive floor-to-ceiling views of the tarmac and runway.

It’s at all times good to take a seat again, loosen up, and revel in a view of the airport previous to hopping on a flight.

There are a complete of 12 non-public working pods – a mainstay function throughout United Polaris Lounges. Every pod options energy retailers, USB ports and particular person lighting.

As you proceed additional into the lounge, a round hallway is constructed across the rotunda in Terminal 7, and also you really overlook the concourse beneath.

Right here is the place you’ll discover a number of drink stations and some buffet stations. As we arrived within the lounge at 11am, the breakfast buffet was nearly getting cleared up and swapped for lunch.

The eating room of the lounge is comparatively intimate, with partitions for added privateness. There’s simply sufficient area for 16 visitors to take a seat down and revel in a meal from the à la carte menu.

There are extra seats overflowing into the rotunda, in case you occur to reach at a time when area is restricted within the eating space.

The lounge wasn’t too busy on the time of my noon go to. After talking with a few of the employees, I acquired the impression that it by no means will get very busy in any respect right here within the Los Angeles Polaris Lounge.

LAX is likely one of the smaller and fewer traffic-heavy United hubs, as there are solely a handful of worldwide United departures every day. In the meantime, there’s actually a big variety of Star Alliance departures; nonetheless, given their location within the Tom Bradley Worldwide Terminal, many passengers presumably aren’t keen to make the 20-minute journey.

If in case you have a number of hours to kill previous to a flight out of TBIT and need to benefit from the peace and quiet of a really spectacular lounge, you then’ll be richly rewarded for placing within the steps and making your approach over right here to the Polaris Lounge.

United Polaris Lounge Los Angeles – Eating

We hadn’t but had breakfast once we arrived, so we have been feeling fairly hungry.

Sadly, we may solely seize a number of objects from the breakfast buffet earlier than it ended, and we ordered our à la carte objects from the lunch menu as a substitute.

The menu presents a choice of complimentary gentle bites and entrées. I opted to attempt the rock cod and the lentil curry, whereas my accomplice Jessy ordered the Polaris signature burger – a staple yow will discover at each Polaris Lounge.

In addition to the burger, the remainder of the menu is tailor-made to the lounge’s particular location. Furthermore, the opposite entrées are typically smaller parts, permitting you to attempt a number of objects if you want.

In my case, I fairly loved each of my dishes. The cod and clams have been tasty, with strongly flavoured sauce and an general artistic execution. 

The vegetarian lentil curry was spicier than I’d anticipate from airport lounge meals. And whereas I sometimes don’t take pleasure in vegetarian dishes very a lot, I actually appreciated the sturdy flavours right here and polished off each late chunk.

Alternatively, Jessy wasn’t too impressed together with her burger, which was stunning to me as a result of I recall having an awesome burger on the Polaris Lounge in Newark a number of years in the past.

Nonetheless, after making an attempt a chunk for myself, I agreed that the burger had missed the mark, because it was a bit dry and missing flavour inside.

We wrapped up our meal service with a superbly introduced mango sorbet that actually hit the spot. Alongside the sorbet, I opted for a cappuccino to complete issues off.

Total, the à la carte eating in Polaris Lounges are at all times a typically sturdy providing, and the Los Angeles location lived as much as these expectations. I’d say it’s the first cause that it’s value setting apart a while to go to these lounges earlier than your flight.

Polaris Lounge Los Angeles – Different Services

The lounge additionally presents a number of extra facilities for sleep and rest. There are semi-private nap rooms out there within the lounge, housed behind a glass compartment.

Because the Los Angeles lounge is pretty small, there are simply two nap rooms.

The rooms are outfitted with a Saks Fifth Avenue blanket, pillow, ear plugs, eye masks, slippers, San Pelligrino glowing water, and even a white-noise machine to assist maximize consolation. You can even dim the lights to your most popular degree.

The nap rooms are positioned in the identical neighborhood because the bathe rooms. These bathe services are a typical function throughout all Polaris Lounges, and right here in Los Angeles, there are six bathe rooms out there on a first-come-first-serve foundation.

The bathe rooms are pretty spacious and fashionable, with stone-clad partitions and marble sinks. Facilities embody Saks Fifth Avenue towels and Cowshed Spa tub merchandise; extra facilities, comparable to hair dryers and bathe caps, can be found upon request.

On this specific event, I didn’t want a bathe earlier than my flight, however it’s actually a helpful function for passengers who need one.

The restrooms on the Polaris Lounge are generously sized all-gender stalls. These particular person compartments have only a sink and bathroom in each.

Moreover, the lounge presents a wellness room for folks. Every room has a chair, sink, and child altering station.

For those who want privateness for a name or just a quiet area to work, the lounge has two sound-proof telephone cubicles which are out there to be used. 

Lastly, there’s a devoted customer support space between the principle space of the lounge and the rotunda, permitting United’s lounge employees to help with any ticketing inquiries. 

Conclusion

The United Polaris Lounge Los Angeles is an exquisite and stylish open-concept lounge that boasts all the things you want for a pleasing keep previous to your worldwide enterprise class flight.

Though the area is pretty compact, there are many non-public areas, ought to you must get some work carried out, make a name, or just loosen up in a quiet area.

Moreover, the lounge presents high-quality à la carte eating, so make sure to allot sufficient time to take a seat down within the eating room for a meal.

And in case you’re flying Star Alliance enterprise class out of the Tom Bradley Worldwide Terminal, be able to put in some steps to achieve the lounge in Terminal 7 – however you gained’t be disillusioned in case you do.