You Trip Report

	DATE	FLIGHT NUMBER	SEAT	AIRCRAFT
10 Sep 22	WN 2005	12F	737-700
CLASS	VIEWS	LANGUAGE	AUTHOR
Economy	45808	English	jetsetpanda

Prologue:

After arrival in LAX I had a few hours to spend so I decided to discover 2 new lounges - the recently re-opened AMEX Centurion at the Intl side and the DL Sky Club.

The AMEX lounge was opened previously but only stayed that way for a few months until closed again for a remodelation issue. I think I read something about jet fumes sipping through the lounge

Reception desk was very busy a few minutes ago.

The lounge was packed. I did not stay here for long.

Showers were closed.

Buffet area

The only corner with empty seats was the "reserved" area whatever that means. I briefly sat down for a drink with cookies and then left.

From Tom Bradley Intl there is a shuttle bus that takes you to T2 where DL is located.

It's nice to get so close to the planes on the tarmac.

The DL Skyclub outdoor patio viewed from the tarmac.

Entrance to the new DL Skyclub. This lounge was recently opened in LAX and is considered one of the best in the system. There are amenities like showers and an outdoor deck.

Agents were welcoming and attentive.

The "periodic" table display when entering the lounge.

The main hall.

Bar.

Outdoor deck with bar.

Great views from the deck.

Candy corner.

Buffet.

Salsa station.

Made to order tacos de carnita (shredded pork).

Unfortunately DL (T2) and WN (T1) are not connected past security so i had to get out and re-enter security again.

As it happened on my outbound I was scheduled to take a later flight. I inquired about standing by for an earlier flight and was confirmed without a problem.

The friendly agent provided me the boarding pass for the earlier flight right away with a smile. WN never assigns seats and everybody grabs whichever one they want when they board (except EMER EXIT) which still requires you to meet its requirements.

Inside T1.

WN dominates here.

A sense of "home" inside.

Gate.

WN assigns a priority number for pax to line up at the gate before boarding. Seats are never assigned and this is the only airline that probably does this type of boarding.

My plane was delayed and here it is arriving at the gate.

When we got ready to board I saw the pilot helping push a wheelchair pax. Teamwork I guess.

FA greeted pax as they boarded.

I saw this window EMERG EXIT and grabbed it right away. The FA who was stationed nearby commented to me that she was surprised that nobody took this seat yet.

Pocket contents.

Plenty of legroom to stretch.

Taxiing out.

A fire in the distance?

Bye LAX.

Service started with FA's asking for drink choices and delivering them from a tray unlike competitors that use a cart. More personal service?

On WN a pack of snacks is always complimentary.

Arriving in SFO. I had a very chatty seatmate that distracted me from taking pics upon landing. :P

========== Los Angeles Intl Arpt (LAX) - ==========

Security/Immigration efficiency: 9/10

Access and parking: 9/10

Services and activities: 9/10

General cleanliness: 10/10

========== Amex Centurion ==========

Staff Service: 8/10

Entertainment: /10

Business Center: /10

Food: 8/10

Lounge Design: 8/10

Spa and Bathroom: 8/10

Wifi: 0/10

========== Delta Sky Club ==========

Staff Service: 10/10

Entertainment: 9/10

Business Center: /10

Food: 9/10

Lounge Design: 10/10

Spa and Bathroom: 9/10

Wifi: 10/10

========== Southwest - Airline ==========

Cabine comfort: 10/10

Crew: 9/10

Entertainment: /10

On-time performance: 4/10

Appetizer: 0/10

Starter: 0/10

Main Meal: 0/10

Main Meal-2: 0/10

Cheese: 0/10

Desserts: 0/10

Alcohols: 0/10

Mid-flight snack: 9/10

Breakfast or light meal before arrival: 0/10

========== San Francisco Intl Arpt (SFO) - ==========

Security/Immigration efficiency: 9/10

Access and parking: 9/10

Services and activities: 10/10

General cleanliness: 10/10

Summary:

Despite the delay of my flight WN was a decent choice service wise. Agents and crew were friendly and did their job with a smile.

The AMEX lounge can be awfully overcrowded during peak times and during those times it seems preferable to wait at the gate.

The DL Skyclub on the other hand is an oasis with great amenities and a decent buffet. The lounge is tastefully designed with lots of comfortable corners.

15 Comments

Thomas — Oct 08,2022

That's the ongoing issue with Amex lounges in US, way too overcrowded. it defeats the purpose.
WN can be surprising :)

Thanks my friend
Reply

jetsetpanda — Oct 13,2022

To think that it started as a promising perk and now this. Other credit card companies like Capital One are following this model and opening lounges too. Time will tell how this will turn out.
Bibopaul — Oct 08,2022

It's good to see 2 good lounges despite being full. An uneventful flight, thanks a lot for sharing Adan.
Reply

jetsetpanda — Oct 13,2022

Lounge hopping is always fun especially when they are new. ;)
Emile — Oct 09,2022

Lovely lounges tour.
They really dominate the market.

Cheers and thanks Panda
Reply

jetsetpanda — Oct 13,2022

Lounges are playgrounds for the avgeek. :P
AAFlyer — Oct 09,2022

What a great report, I'm impressed by WN's domination. They crush the competition, by far.
Amex is overcrowded and something has to be done, it's now a zoo (sort of). You get my point.
Have a nice sunday Adan!
Reply

jetsetpanda — Oct 13,2022

The situation with AMEX has gotten so bad that they are in need of expansion like the SFO one. What's the point of not being able to relax and be subjected to high levels of noise? It defeats the purpose.
Vendredi13 — Oct 09,2022

Woof JetSetPanda !

Well done this bus shuttle for your connection !
Centurion Lounge is nice. I like how it is décorated;)
Delta Sky Club is shining. The catering looks correct.
This Southwest's boarding process still baffles me^^

Thank you, JetSetPanda for this beautiful trip report. See you soon;)
Reply

jetsetpanda — Oct 13,2022

Oauf!

Lots of new experiences waiting for you when you come to LAX I guess. ;)
Casper — Oct 09,2022

Gracias Amigo, when I see the annual fees for amex plat, it's kinda sad to see the lounge in such state, well it was great at first but so far it's no longer the case and you can hardly feel it's a premium card.
Reply

jetsetpanda — Oct 13,2022

You are on point. I personally cannot relax at most AMEX lounges anymore and just go there to grab something to eat and leave.
Capoune — Oct 13,2022

woooowwww!
A nice lounge report with this DL lounge which is really of a very high level!! The AMEX lounge is just a joke...
surprised by WN who does the job very well for this short flight.

Thank you for sharing with us Adan!!
Reply

jetsetpanda — Oct 13,2022

DL has pretty good lounges overall. I guess because they don't have a premium equivalent like AA Flagship or UA Polaris they have to offer their premium pax something more or less comparable. For regular club members who pay a fee this is a winning proposition because they are getting a compromise between a regular club and a premium intl one.

WN does the job as long as it is a short domestic flight and you don't want to build miles for intl trips.