Taipei

I got an email from CI, saying all LAX Tom Bradley Lounges will close unitll 2007 for reconstruction, so what will CX use or do? CI is giving free meals or gift cert for reaturants there or at duty free.

alect

Just got a very similar email from QF with a closure date of Oct 10 (this has been delayed many times).

My understanding is that an interim J lounge is being/has been built near the former TWA hangar, accessible by airside bus. F pax will be provided with an interim lounge within the terminal building (I think this is for all airlines' F pax). There is no mention of status-based access to J lounge (F lounge I assume will not allow status-based entry due to capacity issues) - which may mean status pax will be able to access the off-terminal interim J lounge.

The QF email states May 2007 when the new F and J TBIT lounges will open (subject to the usual LAX delays) - apparently there will be OW F and J lounges, *A lounges (I guess F and J) and then all others in another joint lounge. Each presumably will be far larger than either the individual lounges now or their combined capacity.

number_6

The new OW and Star lounges will be an entire floor each ... no more rabbit warren of corridors layout at TBIT. Much larger, better use of space, and "state of the art" lounge facilities (such new-fangled inventions as showers in the lounges). I'm pretty sure there is not a temp F lounge in TBIT and all F and J pax are being taken by airside bus to the "hangar" lounge (I guess it is more like the temporary schoolroom lounge). None of the airlines will have their own facilities in this temporary lounge (so don't expect the usual food/wine/liquor selection, it will be grim).

TR35R

It appears to have been built in the 4th floor(behind the food court), and only F-passengers and VIPs have access there. So, (prior to heading to the gate) make sure you get the "fastrack" card at the checking-in that enables you to go through the security within 5 minutes barring any accident.

Also, as alect mentioned above, due to the limited seating capacity, OW elite member will be transferred to the "interim" J lounge.

I'll update when I get further...

studio76

Was at LAX earlier in the week. The reply on the lounge situation from CX staff was a heavy sigh and "some day, some day". I did, however, see QF signs on the 5th floor regarding construction of a new lounge available "early" 2007.

Traveloguy

This thread should answer the question of when it will re-open:

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=606857

For those who cannot be bothered clicking on the link, it's May 2007.

number_6

I've heard that this isn't for F pax -- they also go to the temp lounge by bus. But these plans have changed so frequently that who knows what the final situation will be on Oct. 10, it will change at least twice by then. In any case I won't be flying via TBIT for the next year (which is the best solution to this problem); last flight on CX via LAX is next week so I can ask again about what happens with the lounges.

TR35R

The capacity is going to be up to 130-140, but that would not be sufficient to accommodate all F-passengers(in case of flight delays,etc). Also, considering the cost issues, I think the admission policies may vary from airline to airline.

number_6

Talking to CX and QF at LAX the other day, policy is still not quite certain but it looks like F pax will go to the 2nd floor temp F lounge, all others go by bus to the temp "hangar" J lounge. The F lounge capacity is quoted at 140, which is 10x744 F cabins, QF+BA alone have concurrent flights scheduled for 5 744s out of TBIT each evening, leaving the other 11 airlines to share the other half of the temp F lounge; it will be interesting to see how capacity is handled. A couple of months ago the temp F lounge plan had been scrapped, so it is good to be brought back, and it does add 20% to the total temp lounge capacity.

TR35R

Interesting indeed. Probably, we're going to see some miserable F-passengers wandering around the food court, or sitting on the corridor floor outside the lounge area. (In that case, an impromptu gathering spot will likely be posted around the lounge by using barricade tapes).

sxc

Don't forget the top tiers flying in Y / J who are entitled to enter the F lounge....

Wilbur

It just seems like one more good reason to avoid LAX for Intl travel in the near term, and even then, those lounges will need to be pretty amazing to get me back to TBIT.

username

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=607425 has some info from LAWA's website.

number_6

I finally looked up the lounge capacity at HKG as a point of comparison: total of 12,500 in all lounges (all airlines plus the paid lounges such as priority pass). TBIT will have 140 in the temp F lounge and about 600 in the temp J lounge, so under 800. Of course the non-TBIT lounges add quite a bit (I'd guess 500 each for AA and UA, and maybe 500 combined for the T2 lounges (NZ, AC, etc.). So LAX is at circa 20% of the lounge capacity of HKG. No wonder most people think the HKG lounges are so much better (of course there is a slight matter of quality as well as quantity; which really scews things for CX ... the service level in the Wing F section is absurdly high).

44C

Anyone had a chance to visit the temporary lounges?