Rent a Car — Attraction in Los Angeles

Honestly, shocking. I was shaking by the time I found a seat in the quiet area. Ms Ashley, the customer service lady was clearly having a bad day. I had to use every customer service skill I knew to calm HER down from trying to get into a confrontation with me!!! This is why it was shocking. She wanted to fight with me!! I've never experienced anything like it, ever, from anyone. I am British, I work in family therapy, I am incredibly polite and non confrontational. But Ms Ashley was having none of it. I understand her dismay, customer service in the Admirals Club at LAX, terminal 4, was not the Pacoima bouncer job she clearly thought she had signed up for. Confrontational, rude, no one else at the desks, just me, and her 2 colleagues. When I asked super politely for an explanation of benefits, well, that was it! Ms Ashley was not going to stand for that level of subordination from a customer. I told her I wanted to see how I could change my membership for the future. She told me, every time I asked, it would not change things today. I didn't need a change today. I wanted to know what happened last time and how I could repeat it next time. NOPE, "it's not going to change and you go here". I apologized and said I didn't mean to be rude or confrontational, I just wanted to understand and fix things for next time. "I can assure you, your ticket allows this and it will not change anything for today." (This about Flagship or regular lounge, utterly inconsequential.) I was in no hurry and wanted to see what I could look into for the future. "Have a nice visit" As she ushered me to the door without looking up anything or helping me in any way! The woman was unbelievable. As a frequent flyer and AA member and credit card elite member and flying first class...she did not see her job as a job to help me. Her job was to gaslight, antagonize, block, and make anyone around her feel on pins and needles. It was awful. Ms Ashley, the rudest, most confrontational, unsettling customer service rep ever hired. I suggest a security job at the docks perhaps. She was a disgrace to the company. Everything else about the lounge was absolutely...

We had a long layover in LAX and as the Centurion Lounge closed at 4.30pm!!, we had to leave that lounge and find another as we still had. 4 hour wait until I flight departed. Once again, we paid to get into an American Airlines lounge - the Admirals Club. We had experienced one in the domestic terminal in San Francisco airport and found it very good and this one measured up pretty much the same.

This lounge has an impressive view over a large part of the tarmac, so you can enjoy the comings and goings of planes. Interesting to watch the interaction between baggage handlers, pilots, flight attendants, ground crew and so on.

The space is large with several areas to spend time. There is a bedish kind of area, but not as good as the Centurion Lounge (see other review). The chairs just aren't quite horizontal enough to gain a real sleep. There is a tv area with comfortable chairs to relax.

The main part of the lounge is large, with the food and the bar on one side and the view over the tarmac on the other and seating in between. Food available was soup, light salad items, biscuits and much more. Very nice but simple. Fresh fruit was appreciated. You have to pay for you alcohol here. There is a good collection of wines, beers and spirits to choose from.

Staff were continually keeping the lounge clean from the bathrooms to the food area. Most impressive.

Wifi was good. Plenty of charging points for you to top up your phones and laptops. Tables to work off if you're working. Toilets clean, free tampons and pads in the women's toilets.

Staff take pride in their work and always helpful.

Bonus to have a flights board that shows which planes are arriving and departing.

Well...

Terminal 4 Admirals Club is open for business! They have a full bar with meals for sale and free snacks and beverages.

When I visited (Sunday, May 10, 2021 at 2 PM PDT), the place was only 10% full. Lots of room to spread out, tons of social distancing, constant cleaning. A good refuge from the pandemic.

Note that the Admirals Clubs in Terminal 5 and in the Regional Terminal are closed due to low demand. Therefore, you should go to the Terminal 4 Admirals Club instead.

The walk is short through the tunnel between terminals 4, 5, 6, and 7. Just make SURE that you don't exit the secure area or you will be REALLY SORRY. To find the tunnel entrance, you must go to gates 44 or 55 (I think) and go down to the lowest level. There are stairs, elevators, and escalators (but sometimes not working).

Note also that the usual shuttle bus from gate 44 to the Regional Terminal (gates 52A-52I) is not running. You must go to gate 52 in Terminal 5 to catch the shuttle bus. Capacity on the bus is limited to 14 people so you should leave some extra time to get to that terminal. But not too much time as the only thing open there is the bathrooms, gates, drinking fountain, and a vending machine.

Photo shows the regional terminal. Sorry I didn't snap any photos in Terminals 4 & 5. Just the usual there but sparsely populated, at least when...