A VIP Hangout: Virgin Atlantic’s Clubhouse at LAX [In-Depth Review]

The author visited as an invited guest of Virgin Atlantic and the Los Angeles Tourism & Convention Board. All opinions are the author’s own, and neither group had input in any part of this review.

Virgin Atlantic was founded by Richard Branson back in 1984. Ever since, the brand has been synonymous with fun, vibrancy, and, yes, I’ll say it: sexiness.

No other airline does it like Virgin, and that applies on the ground in its Clubhouse lounges as well as in the air.

Having spent many an hour enjoying Virgin’s Clubhouses in London and New York, I couldn’t wait to check out the newest location at LAX, which opened to guests on March 28, 2025. I was a guest of Virgin at a preopening event held for several U.K. journalists the night before it opened for passengers and then returned the next day when it was open to the public — most of this review is from my second visit.

This is not just an airport lounge.

Who Can Access the Virgin Atlantic Clubhouse in Los Angeles?

The LA Clubhouse is a little more exclusive than most others at LAX as it doesn’t accept credit cards for access.

You have to fall into one of the following categories of eligible travelers to experience Virgin’s finest airport hospitality at its newest Clubhouse:

• Passengers flying Virgin Atlantic in Upper Class (plus 1 guest traveling with Virgin or Delta)
• Passengers with Virgin Atlantic Flying Club Gold status (plus 1 guest traveling internationally with Virgin or Delta)
• Passengers flying internationally with Delta One tickets
• SkyTeam Elite Plus members flying Virgin or Delta (plus 1 guest flying internationally with a SkyTeam member airline)

Note that domestic passengers must be traveling on a same-day itinerary and ticket.

Hot Tip:

There are several ways to book a Virgin Atlantic Upper Class ticket that includes access to the swanky new Clubhouse at LAX. If you live on the East Coast, one-way Upper Class redemptions start from just 29,000 Virgin Points plus taxes and fees.

Location and Opening Hours

Getting to Virgin’s Clubhouse at LAX depends on where exactly in the airport you check in.

For example, business class passengers flying Virgin’s Upper Class and Delta’s Delta One are eligible to use the exclusive Delta One check-in area. The entry is at Terminal 3, between columns 3F and 3G.

Once you’ve checked in and passed through private security, an elevator takes you up to the third floor. Just mention that you’re looking for the Clubhouse and a member of the Delta One team will then point you in the right direction.

It’s around a 5-minute walk, but I found it to be clearly signed.

Passengers who use the main Tom Bradley International Terminal to check in will have a shorter walk to the lounge, which is also easy to find via updated signage.

The hours are from 11:30 a.m. Pacific time until after the last Virgin flight of the day departs to London. During the summer schedule, this is VS24, which departs at 9:20 p.m. Pacific time.

Inside the Virgin Atlantic Clubhouse at LAX

The days when you could get your haircut at the barbers in the Clubhouse at Heathrow (LHR) or get a massage in the sky are sadly over. However, with the opening of Virgin’s new Clubhouse at Los Angeles LAX, we welcome in a new era for Virgin’s ground experience.

My first thought when I stepped foot in the lounge for the press preview was that it felt like a private members club. Not a stuffy, obnoxious kind of members club, but one where everyone is welcome. Well, if you have the right ticket or status, that is.

Why LAX and not, say, Miami (MIA), where Virgin also flies from London multiple times a day? I was intrigued to know, so during the press preview, I posed the question to Corneel Koster, chief customer and operating officer at Virgin, at the lounge’s preopening event over a glass of bubbles.

The answer is pretty simple: “LA is very important to us,” Koster told me. “It’s a huge destination for us both in terms of business and leisure passengers. When we were offered this space, we bit their hand off.”

Not only that, but Virgin actually used to have a Clubhouse at LAX, which was shuttered during the pandemic. It was high time LAX had a Clubhouse once again.

In my years of visiting and writing about lounges, my favorite spaces almost all have one thing in common: runway or apron views. So, when I found out the Clubhouse at LAX didn’t have windows looking outside, let alone any AvGeek views, I was worried this would take the shine off of my time in the space.

I’m happy (and surprised) to report that I genuinely didn’t feel like the lack of direct light or views negatively impacted my time in the Clubhouse. I was so caught up in enjoying the space that I didn’t miss my precious airport plane-spotting time.

It’s actually not a completely windowless space, thanks to a floor-to-ceiling glass wall that looks into the Tom Bradley terminal. It’s also made of privacy glass, so passengers walking by can’t see inside.

I was curious to find out if this was something Virgin had considered when choosing this space.

Koster explained that the lounge’s atmospheric lighting had been designed to change throughout the day. The brightness of the light and changing hues of colors are programmed to emulate the world outside in an attempt to help guests align their circadian rhythms.

For example, at first glance, you might mistake the brightness above the bar for a skylight.

Such clever, customer-centric innovations can help minimize the feeling of being in a space without direct natural light.

Another factor that made this space attractive to Virgin was its specific location within the airport.

“What’s important for us is to be close to our gates,” Koster said. “You’ll be at the gate within 5 minutes.”

Design of the LAX Clubhouse

The Clubhouse at LAX has been designed so that you don’t feel like you’re in an airport.

Though the space is just 4,400 square feet, the team still managed to fit 75 seats comfortably. The seats are located in various zones around the Clubhouse and come in all shapes and sizes. There’s no one-size-fits-all when it comes to Virgin Atlantic.

Considering the largest of Virgin’s Upper Class cabins has 44 seats, overcrowding shouldn’t be an issue at all — even with the possibility of passengers flying other airlines using the Clubhouse.

Because of the spaced-out timings of Virgin’s 3 times daily departures (summer season only) back to Heathrow from LA, it’s unlikely there’ll be an overlap of Virgin passengers using the Clubhouse.

Virgin has introduced unique features that you won’t find in its other Clubhouses, such as a cinema-style space.

It was designed for guests to enjoy in-lounge entertainment together as a collective, whether it’s a film, sporting event, or TV show. Headsets are available at reception.

I was curious to know whether the opening of the LAX Clubhouse with its unique design is the start of a new era for Virgin’s Clubhouses.

“There are certainly things here that are signatures of all our Clubhouses,” Koster replied. “Think of our expansive bar area as an example.”

The bar in Virgin’s LAX Clubhouse features a lowered counter that allows wheelchair users to enjoy a drink in the comfort of their chairs.

“What you can expect from Virgin Atlantic in the future is that every Clubhouse will have similar touches that are really who we are, and then everything else will be fresh, different, and cool with elements of their geographic locations,” Koster said.

You’ll notice several nods to the glitz and glam of Hollywood through the lounge, like this striking golden art installation.

Make sure to look out for these little golden discs inspired by the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Each one features a quintessentially Virgin quote or design.

Virgin memorabilia from yesteryear was handpicked by Richard Branson himself to feature in 3 work pods. The aptly named Manor Studios, Olympic Studios, and Sunset Sound provide guests with space to focus in soundproofed miniature office spaces.

Speaking of memorabilia, there’s a merch wall where departing flyers can pick up a Virgin-branded souvenir.

I also had a chance to speak during the press preview with Lara Fleat, Virgin’s design manager and one of the creative geniuses behind the Clubhouse at LAX and Virgin’s Airbus A330-900neo cabins.

The way Fleat captures the Virgin brand in the details of everything she designs is quite extraordinary. I’d need to verify the intention here, but to me, this chair looks like it could have been designed to look like a high-heeled shoe — an item of clothing synonymous with Virgin’s uniform over the decades.

The most striking and unmistakable design feature of the Virgin brand is, without a doubt, the color red. Fleat explained that it was a high priority to incorporate as much red into the lounge’s design as possible without overdoing it.

The olive color of the chairs at the restaurant-style tables in the bar area does a great job at breaking up the sea of red.

Red is still, without doubt, the dominating color of the Clubhouse. However, the use of various shades and mixing up the materials and fabrics works remarkably well.

An impeccable example of this is in the Royal Box, where you find red polka dot fabric by British designer Paul Smith.

Royal Box

The Royal Box is a semiprivate area that passengers can reserve for free ahead of their flights.

It was designed without a door so that guests can still feel like they’re part of the lounge when using the space.

The walls inside the Royal Box are lined with acoustic felt. The felt absorbs sound waves and helps to keep the conversations happening inside as private as possible.

Guests can adjust the lighting to suit their mood and order items from a “secret” menu. I noticed that the Drama Queen cocktail was quite popular, though I didn’t try it myself.

Sharing the space with a romantic partner? Then why not try the Royal Box’s forbidden fruit of chocolate-covered strawberries?

Speaking of food, let’s check out what’s available on the menu in the rest of the lounge.

Food and Beverages

The quality of food I’ve enjoyed while both flying Virgin and visiting its lounges over the years has been impressive. You can expect a decent meal even when flying in economy.

Having wined and dined in both Virgin’s Heathrow and JFK Clubhouses, I did not doubt that we’d be in for a treat here at LAX, too.

True to form, passengers can order a preflight snack or meal from wherever they’re sitting in the lounge via a QR code ordering system.

In the days of unbundling business class and focusing on first class, the vast majority of business class lounges — especially in the U.S. — offer a simple self-service buffet. If you haven’t been to an Admirals Club lately, well, let’s just say I’ve had better meals from a school canteen.

At-seat service is becoming a more exclusive element of the lounge experience reserved for first class lounges.

As for the food itself, I thoroughly enjoyed this portion of fish and chips, tartar sauce, and mushy peas! The only thing missing was Sarson’s malt vinegar, which I’m told will be available soon. If you’ve never tried it, you’ll just have to trust me on the malt vinegar.

The menu isn’t huge, but its mix of British favorites, Asian flavors, and Californian-inspired dishes is more than enough to set you up ahead of a long flight.

Those with a sweet tooth shouldn’t leave the Clubhouse without trying these miso donuts. Wow.

If I had to put a dish in last place, it would be this mushroom bao. I’m a huge fan of bao buns, but this just didn’t quite hit the spot for me.

Virgin also gives passengers the option of grabbing a lighter snack from the self-serve deli.

Simply grab a plate (notice the plates are full-size and not those tiny saucers you find in most lounges) and help yourself to a selection of healthy snacks.

We’ll accept the truffled Parmesan popcorn as a welcome exception to the healthy rule.

The deli options are likely to change with the seasons.

Instead of ordering from your seat, you can head to the bar to order your drink. There’s a wide range of liquors, wines, and soft drinks available. From a classic British gin and tonic to something stronger like a cheeky shot of Patron, the Clubhouse has a tipple for everyone.

I even spotted a bottle of Pimm’s, a classic British gin-based liqueur enjoyed mainly in the summer months.

If cocktails are more your vibe, then the Clubhouse has you covered. There’s even Kahlúa — the key ingredient for the best possible espresso martini. The Champagne on offer is Nicholas Feuillatte. You can also choose from a selection of beers, wines, and soft drinks.

Amenities

Looking after the mind, body, and soul is of tantamount importance to Virgin as fun and indulgence. Life’s all about balance after all, right?

This is evident in its lounges through its choice to partner with health and wellness brands such as Flamingo Estate and Tripp.

Flamingo Estate is a California-based lifestyle and wellness brand whose products are available to use in the restrooms and showers of the Clubhouse.

The male and female restrooms each feature a single, extra-large shower room that’s accessible for passengers with extra mobility needs.

Clubhouse guests are also free to grab a can of TRIP. The CBD-inflused drinks come in several flavors and are known for inducing a feeling of calm and relaxation — perfect before a long flight.

Connecting to the internet in the Clubhouse using the password “spirit” was quick and easy. The Wi-Fi speeds were excellent for an airport lounge.

I don’t think I’ve ever visited a lounge with as many charging points. There are wireless charging spots everywhere, including all along the bar. You’ll also find USB-A, USB-C, and regular U.S. power outlets within easy reach of most of the lounge’s seats.

Get Into the Zone in the Zen Den

The Zen Den is an excellent addition to the lounge and is a private space available on a first-come, first-served basis.

Guests can choose from 16 short classes dedicated to exercising the mind, body, or spirit.

You’ll even get a hello from Richard Branson himself.

Passengers can also use the mats and light weights to practice their own yoga stretches, meditate, or do a quick workout.

Passengers can make the most of this dedicated vanity station to freshen up after a workout.

Service

Virgin’s amazing Clubhouse team at LAX provides the same style of customer service that you can expect in the air: full of personality while being impeccably professional.

To ensure passengers have the same experience in the newest location at LAX, Clubhouse royalty in the form of June from Heathrow and Luqueesha from JFK were flown in to train new employees.

I witnessed Virgin’s next-level hospitality firsthand during the Clubhouse’s media event the evening before the lounge opened. It was a closed, invite-only event for U.K. journalists and media to get a first look at the space. However, when an unsuspecting Virgin Atlantic passenger noticed the lounge doors were open and approached the front desk, Virgin didn’t turn him away. Instead, he was invited in as the first-ever passenger to enjoy the lounge.

I’m a huge fan of being able to order from a QR code and having at-seat service. This is a far more premium dining experience than you’ll find in many airport lounges, including others at LAX.

When a member of the waitstaff brought food to my table, I commented on how quickly it had arrived. She explained that they aim to deliver food within 12 minutes of a guest placing their order — now that’s fast.

Whether it’s in the sky or on the ground, Virgin Atlantic staffers have a special pizzazz that’s unique to the airline.

Final Thoughts

Virgin’s Clubhouse is an excellent addition to Tom Bradley International Terminal at LAX. The space offers an exclusive and unique experience like no other at LAX and, quite possibly, the entire U.S.

In terms of what’s next for Virgin’s Clubhouses, when I brought up Miami as a destination with similar importance as LA, Koster hinted that one day, should the opportunity arise, they’ll likely seize it.

“We are looking at a couple of opportunities, and I would hope we could add some more to the portfolio in the coming 3 years,” he said.

If you’re flying out of LAX anytime soon and are eligible to use Virgin’s Clubhouse, I highly recommend building in enough time to experience the space. I can guarantee you won’t want to leave.