“Why, I’d love to take you to LAX!” … said no one, ever. In fact, the prospect of schlepping to LAX from just about anywhere besides El Segundo (or maybe Malibu) has become so daunting that many travelers will go out of their way to avoid it.
But if you do have to tangle with this monster by the bay, there are ways to slay the beast in style. My first bit of advice for anyone who has to trek into LAX from two hours away or more—and that’s a lot of you—is to spend the night before your flight at the Hyatt Regency hotel. It’s the closest hotel on Century Boulevard to the airport (you can walk to Terminal 2) and also, quite frankly, the best. Depending on your schedule, think about a meal at the hotel’s great restaurant, unity la. In my view, they have the best brunch you’ll find in Los Angeles.
Laurels for the best pre-flight experience actually at the airport have to go to Virgin Atlantic and its Clubhouse lounge for upper class passengers inside Terminal 2. Part of the appeal here is the location. If you have a flight to London Heathrow—and, as it’s the gateway to not only the UK and Europe but much of the wider world, chances are you do—and you can avoid the cacophony of the Bradley International Terminal, by all means do. Stepping inside T2 was almost, dare I say it, a relaxing experience. And the sleek Clubhouse takes that feeling to the next level. It cost north of $3 million and is some 4,000 square feet, with views that stretch from the tarmac to the Hollywood Hills and downtown LA.
Inside there’s an apothecary-inspired bar where I enjoyed a juicy non-alcoholic libation called a Firestone, with beet juice, lemon and ginger. The lounge partners with LA eatery Hinoki & The Bird to offer items like mussels in coconut broth and corn tofu with corn kernels and cherry tomato, but you can also get a fine Clubhouse burger. For dessert, think miso donuts with honey caramel or blueberry shaved ice with Greek yogurt. In short, this is not your average airport lounge. A quick stop in a Lufthansa lounge in a different airport (I won’t say which) was absolutely depressing next to this.
Virgin Atlantic, for its part, seems be obsessed with showing its customers a good time and, I have to say, bless them for it. Fantastic lounge, smiling cabin crew, ridiculously excellent in-flight entertainment, clean planes … Why can’t certain American airlines be just a bit more like this? Whether you’re flying in economy (and you can now choose between Economy Delight, Economy Classic and Economy Light), an excellent premium cabin or the by-now legendary upper class, I can’t think of another airline where you can listen to the expanded edition of “Purple Rain” from start to finish or any number of movies and albums that add up to more than 300 hours of IFE options.
I flew in premium, where you have extra room to relax in leather seats with a 38-inch seat pitch. There is a choice of three main meals, plus a hot breakfast or light meal, and priority boarding is another plus. Having glanced at the capacious upper class cabin and its futuristic lie-flat seats (with each “suite”-style seat having unobstructed aisle access), I would recommend it if you can. They even have a bar on board.
But Virgin Atlantic, being decidedly British, has a new culturally plugged-in innovation that’s already generating buzz. The airline has teamed up with master pâtissier Eric Lanlard to design a bespoke series of afternoon teas. Lanlard has created a series of afternoon tea services for the London Heathrow Clubhouse and for the upper class, premium and economy cabins on all-day flights worldwide. Right now at Heathrow, Virgin Clubhouse guests can savor the likes of sultana scones with strawberry preserves, lemon and clotted cream, and Eton mess verrine (think bits of meringue and cream) with strawberry coulis during afternoon tea. And from late summer 2018, customers in all three of Virgin Atlantic’s cabins will be able to sample Lanlard’s signature afternoon tea when flying on day flights. This (very) high tea will feature handmade sandwiches, scones and macaroons.
“Virgin Atlantic is famous for its award-winning food and drink, and this year we’re taking that reputation to new heights,” said Daniel Kerzner, the airline’s VP of customer experience. “We’re excited to work with Eric Lanlard and introduce a fresh take on afternoon tea to our Heathrow Clubhouse and onboard our flights from late summer. It’s the first time that Eric has partnered with an airline, and I think our customers are going to love it.”
For more information or to book a flight, visit virginatlantic.com.
