A new Virgin Atlantic Clubhouse is opening at LAX, and we got a sneak peek

Travelers flying through Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) in the coming days might notice a discreet new pop of bright red out of the corners of their eyes as they walk through Tom Bradley International Terminal. That’s because Thursday marked the official ribbon cutting for Virgin Atlantic’s latest Clubhouse lounge, and TPG was on hand …

Mar 27, 2025 - 22:18

A new Virgin Atlantic Clubhouse is opening at LAX, and we got a sneak peek

Travelers flying through Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) in the coming days might notice a discreet new pop of bright red out of the corners of their eyes as they walk through Tom Bradley International Terminal.

That’s because Thursday marked the official ribbon cutting for Virgin Atlantic’s latest Clubhouse lounge, and TPG was on hand to get a sneak peek at the new space and all the amenities it has to offer before it opens to the public Friday.

Known for their chic decor, lively cocktail bars and wellness-minded amenities, Virgin Atlantic Clubhouses are among the most beloved airline lounges in the world.

There are just a handful of them, though, including at the carrier’s home airport of Heathrow Airport (LHR) in London, John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) in New York, San Francisco International Airport (SFO) and Dulles International Airport (IAD) near Washington, D.C., as well as at O.R. Tambo International Airport (JNB) in Johannesburg.

So this opening, which was originally announced back in September, represents a significant development for Virgin’s Clubhouse footprint. It also marks the return of a Virgin Clubhouse to LAX. The airport used to house one in Terminal 2 from 2015 to 2021. Like several of the airline’s other Clubhouses, that one closed during the pandemic when the airline also moved its operations over to TBIT, and its space was eventually absorbed into the Delta Sky Club.

The new Clubhouse is the latest exciting lounge opening at LAX, which has seen the recent unveilings of new Delta One and Air France facilities.

Here’s everything we saw (and tasted) during our visit to the new LAX Virgin Atlantic Clubhouse, and what flyers can look forward to on their next visit.

Virgin Atlantic Clubhouse LAX location

The Virgin Atlantic Clubhouse at LAX is on the sixth floor of the airport’s Tom Bradley International Terminal.

Passengers flying Virgin Atlantic Upper Class or Delta One can enter the airport via the Delta One entrance at Terminal 3 and take the connector to TBIT, or check in at Virgin Atlantic’s counters at TBIT and then head to security.

Once in TBIT, take the elevators or escalators up two floors, and the Clubhouse is around the corner from the Star Alliance lounge.

Virgin Atlantic Clubhouse LAX hours

The Virgin Atlantic Clubhouse at LAX will be available to the public starting Friday and will be open daily from 11:30 a.m. until midnight.

Virgin Atlantic Clubhouse LAX layout

The new lounge is fairly petite at just 4,401 square feet and with room for about 75 guests at a time, but Lara Fleat, Virgin Atlantic’s design manager, said that an airline team was uniquely qualified to work with space constraints considering they do so all the time with aircraft interiors.

The overall ambience was inspired not just by the airline’s signature jet-setting iconography, but also by the entertainment industry. “Sir Richard Branson has a Hollywood star,” Corneel Koster, Virgin’s chief customer and operating officer, told an assembled group of media. Los Angeles is one of the airline’s busiest destinations, with up to three daily flights from London in the summer, so it was natural that the next Clubhouse would open at LAX with a distinctly Los Angeles feeling about it.

“We try to replicate the charm, style and passion of our home London Clubhouse,” Koster said. “But the fun is that every Clubhouse is different — we don’t want carbon copies, it’s not who we are.”

To wit, guests will notice artwork and photos produced by L.A. artists dotting the walls and little nods to the film industry. One of the Clubhouse’s more innovative features is also directly inspired by Los Angeles. The lighting was designed to mimic an L.A. sunset and will be timed to sunset throughout the year in order to help passengers start adjusting their circadian rhythms before flight.

Another touch Fleat pointed out is a stylized “ruby red” carpet — a reference to the award ceremonies held in L.A. — leading passengers throughout the space, which incorporates a variety of living room-style seating areas and places to dine and work. “You’ll notice a lot of plush fabrics and velvet,” Fleat pointed out while leading a tour. “Those tactile qualities create a sense of Hollywood glamour.”

In one corner, guests will find a new Clubhouse feature, the Royal Box. This semiprivate space has two banquettes and a table, and even features a special menu. It will be available to VIPs as well as to passengers celebrating special occasions, according to Koster. Fleat said it was not fully enclosed because it was actually inspired by how Branson likes to interact with the Clubhouse spaces; he enjoys a space that is set apart but still feels connected to the activity in the lounge.

Back out in the main area, there is an entertainment venue with a large flat-screen television that guests can watch from rows of low-slung chairs using Bluetooth headsets. There is also a cute souvenir display with things like T-shirts, bags and even the airline’s famous salt and pepper shakers available to purchase online.

Anchoring the entire Clubhouse, however, is an expansive staffed bar where attendants will mix up a variety of cocktails and healthy nonalcoholic drinks. “The bar is really a stage for our beautiful team to do their work,” Fleat said.

Guests can perch on one of the pink stools and get some last-minute work done thanks to wireless charging surfaces and plentiful USB-A and USB-C ports as well as power plugs. An entire section of the bar was also designed to be lower than the main counter in order to be wheelchair accessible. “Rather than just a single lowered place or two at a bar that feels like an afterthought and where you can feel all alone,” Fleat said, “we designed this accessibility feature into the conversation.”

Beyond the bar and a cafe-style seating area, there are three privacy booths for working, two with regular desks and one with a higher counter that can be a standing desk, all adorned with famous albums.

Past those is a hallway with men’s and women’s restrooms and showers, and the lounge’s wellness area.

Virgin Atlantic Clubhouse LAX food and beverages

Virgin Atlantic’s Clubhouses are known for their dynamic and healthy food menus. There is a small self-serve buffet with items like fruit, crudites and salads.

Guests can also order meals throughout the day to be delivered to their tables using QR codes.

Among the items on the menu we spotted were Belgian waffles with yogurt, berries and almonds; and oatmeal with honey, agave and cinnamon for breakfast.

Later in the day, flyers will find a venison burger, fish-and-chips, chicken tikka masala, fish tacos, and an ultralight but flavorful California fig salad with goat cheese, candied walnuts and sun-dried tomatoes in a balsamic glaze, among other dishes.

The beverages, available at the bar or to order via QR code, include beers and ciders like a Santa Monica Brew Works Inclined IPA, and wines such as Nicolas Feuillatte Champagne, Pine Ridge chenin blanc-viognier and Daou cabernet sauvignon.

As for the cocktails, guests can, of course, order the airline’s signature Redhead with prosecco, berry liqueurs and gin, classics like a bloody mary and margarita, and a specialty cocktail called the Drama Queen that is basically the Redhead with a bubble filled with berry-scented smoke that is, indeed, quite dramatic to concoct.

Virgin Atlantic Clubhouse LAX amenities

In addition to the various seating areas, the Virgin Atlantic LAX Clubhouse is home to the airline’s first Zen Den, a meditation and workout space inspired by Los Angeles’ wellness culture, Fleat said.

Available on a first-come, first-served basis for now, the Zen Den features a vanity counter for freshening up, yoga mats and weights in case you want to get in a little workout or meditation session, and a Magic Mirror gym machine with 10- to 15-minute preloaded routines. If you know the right button to press, you’ll even get a prerecorded greeting from Branson welcoming you to take advantage of the space.

There are also four specific lighting settings to choose from depending on the ambience you want to create.

Each of the two restrooms features a wheelchair-accessible shower suite that will also be available on a first-come, first-served basis and is provisioned with fancy Flamingo Estate Garden Essentials skincare and haircare products.

Virgin Atlantic Clubhouse LAX access

If you want to experience Virgin Atlantic’s new Clubhouse at LAX for yourself, you’ll have to be one of the following:

A passenger flying in Upper Class on Virgin Atlantic plus one guest traveling with Virgin Atlantic or Delta Air Lines.
A Virgin Atlantic Flying Club Gold elite member plus one guest traveling internationally with Virgin Atlantic or Delta Air Lines.
A Delta One passenger on a Delta Air Lines international flight.
A SkyTeam Elite Plus member traveling on Virgin Atlantic or Delta plus one guest traveling on an international flight operated by a SkyTeam carrier.
A customer connecting domestically who is traveling the same day on the same itinerary and ticket  as one of those eligible above.

Unfortunately, simply carrying the right credit card will not afford you access to the stylish new lounge.

However, for the time being, Koster let us know that the Clubhouse will welcome active-duty firefighters as a sign of gratitude for their hard work during the devastating fires Los Angeles experienced in the last several months.

Bottom line

The return of the Virgin Atlantic Clubhouse to LAX marks an exciting development for the airport and flyers traveling with the airline and its partners. Virgin Atlantic’s Clubhouses are known for their swanky vibes and top-notch food-and-beverage service, and this one looks to be no exception.

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