I toured Delta Air Lines' swanky new $2.3 billion terminal at LAX. Get ready for a better pre-flight experience it's easily one of the best in the US.
- Delta Air Lines has built a brand new $2.3 billion terminal at Los Angeles International Airport.
- Among the upgrades: a Delta One check-in lobby and a Sky Club overlooking the Hollywood Hills.
After six years and millions of hours of labor, Delta Air Lines has officially completed the last phase of its $2.3 billion overhaul effort at Los Angeles International Airport.
The changes started in May 2017 when the carrier moved its huge operation from Terminals 5 and 6 to Terminals 2 and 3 — a massive process that only took about 10 days. One year later, the "Delta Sky Way at LAX" project led by Delta and the Los Angeles World Airports formally began.
The following five years saw the creation of a centralized check-in lobby, security checkpoint, and baggage claim area by combining Terminals 2 and 3. The airside gates, seating areas, and concessions were also modernized, with Delta even building a swanky new Sky Club and an exclusive Delta One check-in lounge with its own private TSA lane.
But, the most significant effort made — and probably the one most welcomed by travelers — is the new walkway that directly connects Terminal 3 to the Tom Bradley International Terminal (Terminal B).
The connector negates the need for domestic travelers to bus to their international flights, which had been a major pain point among Delta customers.
The complete transformation was unveiled on August 30 and Delta passengers can now access every part of the revamped Terminal 3, minus one gate still under construction.
To get a sense of the final look, Insider spent a day touring nearly every corner of the 1.2-million-square-foot space — take a look.
Delta passengers will start their journey at the consolidated check-in area in Terminal 3, which is a significant improvement compared to the airline's bland old Terminal 2 lobby.
Delta's switch to Terminals 2 and 3 — which moved the airline in with its partners WestJet, Aeromexico, and Virgin Atlantic — was just the pre-cursor to its larger project.
The Terminal 2 check-in area used while Terminal 3 was being reconstructed was dark and crowded, and the masses of people had to maneuver to even get to the easily bottle-necked security lane.
However, Scott Santoro, Delta's vice president of Los Angeles, told Insider that the renovations will address previous issues relating to long bus rides between terminals, the lack of bathrooms, and overcrowding.
Unlike the basic counters still lining the old lobby, the new check-in area features dozens of kiosks, colorful Delta-branded signage, and floor-to-ceiling windows.
The Terminal 3 lobby is a stark night-and-day difference compared to Terminal 2. The high windows let in a lot of natural light — so much so that I didn't even notice the ceiling lights were actually on; it seemed like the sun was the only thing illuminating the room.
The pretty blue, purple, and red hues, as well as the rustic wooden ceiling, also contributed to the relaxing ambiance.
Plus, instead of one hallway funneling all passengers to a set of security queues, travelers can access it from either side via an escalator — effectively alleviating the crowds all maneuvering through check-in and security.
The most impressive innovation, though, is the giant 250-foot-long display stretching the entire length of the lobby.
The digital wall is a source of information for Delta passengers, showing things like Sky Club capacity, TSA wait times, and flight status. It also indicates where self-service bag drop is, or where travelers can queue for Sky Priority assistance.
The display complements the one at New York's LaGuardia Airport where Delta completed another overall project in June 2022, though LGA's is shorter at just 238 feet.
For those that don't need check-in service and only need to drop bags, this can be done in that main lobby via an agent or at a dedicated self-service queue. But, I suggest going one floor up to save time.
If you're looking at the wall display, turn left and walk down the corridor and go one floor up as if you're headed to security.
At the top of the escalator, a dedicated self-service bag drop area (pictured) is available — and I found it had few crowds during my visit, as if barely anyone really knew about this secret area.
Kiosks were available to check-in and get a boarding pass, as well as an agent for assistance. Once your bags are tagged and on the conveyor belt, TSA is just a few yards a way.
"This is a hidden gem of LAX, currently," Delta spokesperson Eric Zeugschmidt told Insider during the tour, but noted it will likely get busier as more people find out about it.
While most Delta passengers will use the main check-in lobby, there is a "secret" Delta One check-in building hidden below the main lobby.
Santoro told Insider during the tour that the priority check-in area in Terminal 2 was basically a little room surrounded by partition walls within the lobby itself. It just wasn't very convenient, nor as private as Delta would like.
So, instead of simply creating an entire new section within the rebuilt Terminal 3 check-in area, the airline decided to separate it altogether.
Located on the lower arrivals level at Terminal 3, the exclusive space is like walking into an upscale hotel, far from the chaos of a major international airport.
The Delta One check-in lobby was better than I expected. Instead of hearing the hustle and bustle of roller bags and flight announcements, I was met with a quiet and relaxing atmosphere.
Ceiling lights and the colorful wall art added to the elegance of the space, and the entire building further highlights Delta's amped up mission to become an overall higher-class airline comparable to those like Qatar Airways and Singapore Airlines that are regularly ranked as the world's best.
This vision can be seen with the billions of dollars worth of upgrades made to its aircraft and airports across its network, with Delta continuing to fancy-up its Sky Club lounges in places like New York-JFK and Chicago O'Hare, add more biometric options, and introduce improved Delta One and First Class cabins.
Playing music at the entrance was a harpist, while a counter filled with snacks and drinks lined the back wall.
An attendant was available to serve customers a variety of items, including mixed drinks, wine, beer, soda, water, and juice. Food options included snacks like nuts, protein bars, sweets, and soup.
A Delta spokesperson told Insider that the harpist is not there everyday, but there is some sort of live music regularly playing.
Every aspect of check-in can be done in the Delta One lobby, including luggage drop and security — the latter being a completely private experience.
The check-in counter was adjacent to the lounge area, where an agent would tag and collect luggage before sending the guests through a dedicated TSA security queue in the back of the Delta One lobby — it's about as close to flying private as one can get on an airline, though I still had to take off my shoes.
Santoro told Insider that this special design started before the pandemic and was based on customer feedback, and its a way for Delta to give its highest-paying customers the most exclusive airport experience possible.
"Before, you didn't have that ability to stay behind the curtain the entire check-in because everyone still got dumped back out into the TSA line with everybody else," he said. "So, our customers — Delta One particularly — asked for more privacy when flying, and this offers that privacy."
After clearing security, the VIP customers will take an elevator directly up to the brand new Sky Club lounge located inside the terminal, which officially opened in April 2022.
I was personally stoked at how seamless and efficient the entire Delta One process was, with the lobby resembling the one operated jointly by American Airlines and British Airways at New York-JFK.
Granted, the Oneworld airlines do not have the exclusive check-in area directly linked to their new lounges.
Plus, come 2024, a special 10,000-square-foot Delta One Club separate from the Sky Club will open for these high-dollar travelers — further elevating the premium experience.
Having visited several of the Sky Club lounges across Delta's network, the new one at LAX is easily my favorite thanks to its myriad food options, various bars, and ample seating.
Regardless of which entrance you use to enter the Sky Club, you will be immediately surrounded by pops of color, interesting art, and plenty of places to sit — including armchairs, couches, and sound-proof booths for private phone calls or Zoom meetings.
Charging ports are always in arms reach, and a giant television was playing the US Open during my visit, which appeared to be popular among guests as every chair was taken.
On one end of the 30,000-square-foot lounge, a buffet serves heavy meals like meat, salad, and soup. Meanwhile, a nacho bar, gelato machine, and candy stand live on the other side.
Also available were showers, which were huge and included towels, shampoo, conditioner, and body wash.
According to Santoro, the showers are popular among guests, especially before or after a long-haul flight. While there is sometimes a wait to access one, Delta has a kiosk where customers can sign up for a virtual queue for the showers.
The list is displayed on a screen in the dedicated customer service area within the lounge so travelers can see how many people are ahead of them — pretty nifty, in my opinion.
But, what sets this Sky Club apart from others — including its sister one also at LAX — is the outdoor deck that overlooks the tarmac and the Hollywood Hills.
As an aviation geek, this is the cream of the crop in terms of airline lounges. I personally love hearing aircraft engines, and seeing the busyness of the operation. Plus, the breeze and sunshine were a nice break after being trapped inside for hours.
Not only could I enjoy the planes landing and taking off, I could even see the Hollywood sign — which is apparently only visible on the clearest days.
And, I could do all of this from the deck's bar. Here, guests can choose from free mixed drinks, or buy more premium booze with either cash or points.
This club was very busy during my visit, but I suspect it may start seeing fewer numbers as Delta further plans to restrict Sky Club access.
Delta recently overhauled its SkyMiles program and changed the rules of its Sky Club access — a move that angered some of its customers to the point that some are threatening to ditch their loyalty for a competitor.
As far as lounge access, Delta-branded cardholders will no longer have unlimited access to the lounges and will instead get either six or 10 visits per year, depending on their credit card.
The move comes after Delta restricted employee access to the Sky Club as it faced frustrating long lines to enter lounges across the system. However, a spokesperson told Insider during the tour that queue times are not an issue at LAX.
Considering access to Sky Clubs will become more limited come 2025, more passengers will be spending time in and around the LAX gates — and, fortunately, they're pretty nice.
The main pro of Delta's new Terminal 3 is the giant windows and high ceilings that make the space feel extremely open, as well as the "cool roof" that reduces the island heat effect inside.
"It's open, it's quiet, and we try to keep the announcements to a minimum," Santoro told Insider. "And there is so much room to work and spread out, we didn't have that in the old terminal."
Every seat had power ports — including USB-C — and there was plenty of space for people to queue for boarding. Though, I did notice a lack of cupholders.
While I wish there were cupholders so I didn't have to put my drink on the ground, I think customers will like the nine new gates, which opened to the public in October 2022.
Delta also has over a dozen other gates in the facility that were previously part of Terminal 2 but are now accessible from the new Terminal 3 complex.
Various food, drink, and retail vendors line the terminal, including a Hudson Nonstop, a gaming center, and sit-down restaurants. An open-concept customer service center is also available.
There are plenty of places to grab a bite to eat inside the terminal, as well as some quicker-service options like the Hudson Nonstop, which used Amazon's "Just-Walk-Out" technology that allows people to leave without stopping at a check-out counter.
Honestly, the terminal reminded me of my home airport, LaGuardia, after its $4 billion overhaul, including the walkways, lighting, and overall design. I like that Delta kept continuity across the network, while each airport still has their respective New York and LA touches.
The best part about the new gates is that they are just a short walk to the six new baggage claim carousels that live on the lower floor of the headhouse.
The updated baggage claim area now features six baggage belts compared to the previous two, which is extremely important as the airline continues to rapidly grow its West Coast operation.
Santoro made a point to mention the bathrooms nearby, noting the airline has added several additional restrooms throughout Terminal 3 to accommodate the growing number of passengers.
"They're wide, clean, and we're seeing no lines now at the bathrooms," he said.
During the tour, Santoro pointed to the walkway to baggage claim and said the now-giant tunnel had been closed off for years.
He explained the process of exiting the terminal before the renovations:
"In the old days, passengers would have to walk up the stairs and all around to T2 to exit," he said. "Now, if you don't have a checked bag, you can walk straight up that tunnel and out to where bag drop and check-in is."
Those picking up checked luggage will head downstairs instead, but it is still a very short walk.
Also in the bag claim area, customers will find a counter dedicated to baggage handling, which makes it easier to report and find lost luggage.
While it's not exactly the place anyone wants to end up, I did like the bold colors and flowers, as well as the open concept that is intended to make potentially angry guests feel more welcome.
"There are no doors, which was intentional," Santoro told Insider. "A door symbolizes openness, whereas a closed environment is where things can get volatile. So, we opened things up to make it enjoyable, and the agents have waters and snacks to hand out when needed."
For those not exiting and instead catching an international flight, Delta successfully connected Terminal B to the new Terminal 3 facility to eliminate the need for buses.
Customers heading to the airport's Tom Bradley International Terminal (Terminal B) previously had to walk or be bussed between terminals, which could take a lot of time and be a major inconvenience during tighter connections.
However, the new Sky Way has reduced that to just minutes thanks to moving airside walkways that snake between the connected Terminal 2/3 and Terminal B.
According to Delta, walk times between the terminals, including clearing security, will take between five and 20 minutes — the longest walk starting from the curb to the furthest TBIT gate.
The complete transformation comes as Delta continues to expand out of its giant LAX hub, with the competition heating up from others that also call the airport one of their homes, including American, Southwest, United, and Alaska.
Delta has recently announced new routes to places like Tahiti, which launched in December last year, and its upcoming service to Auckland, New Zealand, starting in October. And, customers won't have to take the long way to their international flight.
"Before, you had two options: You could take the bus or you could walk out our front down and come back in via Tom Bradley," Santoro explained. "You walked into a sea of people all lined up for security, and while there was TSA PreCheck and Clear, it was still a lot to face."
"So, we've taken a not-so-great experience away from the customer, and now they just walk above it."
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