Los Angeles International Airport has never been shy about reinvention. Over the past several years, the airport that handles tens of millions of travelers every year has been tearing into its own bones, rebuilding itself piece by piece ahead of two of the most globally watched events of the decade: the 2026 FIFA World Cup and the 2028 Olympic Games.
What’s particularly interesting about the latest phase of this transformation is the logic behind it. Rather than building entirely from scratch in every case, planners and airlines have been identifying neglected, underused, or transitional spaces within existing terminals and converting them into something far more refined. The result is a wave of new exclusive lounges taking shape at one of America’s most storied airports.
A $30 Billion Vision for a World-Class Airport
The sheer scale of what’s happening at LAX is worth pausing on. To revamp the airport and improve passenger experience, the airport plans to spend $30 billion to get the airport ready for 2028 and beyond. That investment is not simply about bigger gates or faster check-in lines.
The Airfield and Terminal Modernization Project (ATMP) is a collection of infrastructure projects that will elevate passengers’ experience, improve the community’s experience, and enhance airfield safety. Lounge spaces are a core part of that passenger experience upgrade, spread across virtually every terminal in the complex.
Forgotten Spaces Finding New Purpose
Some airports are repurposing underused areas, such as employee zones or storage rooms, into vibrant lounges. For the Bob Hope USO at Los Angeles International Airport, a design team converted a dark, unused concessions prep space within the historic theme building into an active, sunlit retreat for service members.
This philosophy of reclaiming overlooked square footage is now playing out at a much larger scale across LAX’s terminals. Old airline clubs, vacant mezzanine levels, and transitional spaces left behind by route changes are getting a second life as curated, exclusive passenger environments.
Delta’s Terminal 2 Lounge: A Prime Example of Space Reclaimed
The initial facility is more of a makeshift setup, which has taken over the space of the former Virgin Atlantic Clubhouse in Terminal 2, located on the terminal’s mezzanine level. As of June 30, 2026, a second Delta One Lounge at LAX Terminal 2 has opened, complementing the one that opened in Terminal 3 in 2024.
The new Terminal 2 Delta One Lounge is a diminutive 4,000 square feet with seating for just 75 guests at a time. That’s intentionally compact for now. It is Delta getting premium passengers a dedicated space now while it works toward a larger buildout ahead of the 2028 Los Angeles Olympic and Paralympic Games.
The Delta One Experience: What Passengers Actually Get
At 4,000 square feet with seating for 75 guests, this first phase brings à la carte dining, premium drinks, private restrooms, access to shower suites, and a more polished premium experience to passengers using Terminal 2.
Delta’s luxurious One Lounge opened its doors in October 2024, and has since impressed visitors with its boutique feel and exceptional level of service. A super stylish modern decor accompanies features like à la carte dining, hot towels, massage chairs, and caviar-topped ice cream. There’s also a private TSA screening area and direct boarding access for select Delta One passengers.
A Staged Renovation Strategy Building Toward 2028
Eventually Delta will have a total of four lounge spaces at LAX, totaling 60,000 square feet. That’s a significant footprint for a single carrier at a single airport, and it reflects the competitive premium-cabin market in Southern California.
A new 11,000-square-foot Delta Sky Club is scheduled for Terminal 2 in the second half of 2027, the current Terminal 2 Delta One Lounge will then close for renovation, and the final version of the lounge is expected to open in 2028. The modernization of Terminals 2 and 3 represents a $2.3 billion investment between LAWA and Delta Air Lines to upgrade one of the airline’s busiest global hubs.
Terminal 6: A Complete Overhaul of Gate and Lounge Areas
Construction is underway on a $230-million project that will greatly improve the guest experience at Terminal 6, including a complete overhaul of the gate areas and lounges, and the replacement of passenger boarding bridges.
Terminal 6 is home to Alaska Airlines and Air Canada among others, and the renovation is meant to bring its lounge and gate infrastructure fully in line with the rest of the airport’s new standards. The fourth floor of Terminal 6 offers the Alaska Airlines Lounge and Air Canada Maple Leaf Lounge to passengers with access. Both of those spaces will benefit significantly from the broader overhaul now underway.
New Lounges Coming to Tom Bradley International Terminal
Chase is opening a Sapphire Lounge near Gate 148 in TBIT, expected around September 2026. The space is approximately 9,000 square feet. Chase Sapphire Reserve cardholders will receive access with two guests.
The Virgin Atlantic Clubhouse also reopened in March 2025 in a new TBIT location. Tom Bradley International Terminal, LAX’s primary international gateway, is quietly becoming one of the densest concentrations of premium lounge space of any terminal in the United States. It hosts several lounges, including the LAX Air France lounge and LAX Centurion Lounge.
Terminal 5’s Closure Opens Space for a Reimagined Future
Terminal 5 closed in late 2025 for a major modernization project that will create a unified departure hall with Terminal 4 and a new south concourse. Airlines previously in Terminal 5 have been relocated. The reopening is expected around 2028.
The closure of Terminal 5 has cascading effects for the rest of the airport’s layout and lounge strategy. Space freed by relocating airlines creates opportunities for new premium zones and better-connected passenger flow, precisely the kind of transitional moment that planners have been using to introduce exclusive amenities throughout the broader modernization cycle.
Inter-Terminal Access: The Backbone of the Lounge Strategy
You can’t fully appreciate what’s happening with LAX’s lounges without understanding the access infrastructure behind them. Los Angeles International Airport has invested heavily in its inter-terminal access in recent years as part of a broader modernization program. Visitors can now walk from Terminal 1 all the way to Terminal 8 without leaving the secure area, covering around two miles and passing a wide variety of eateries, shops, lounges, and amenities along the way.
The Automated People Mover is in testing and expected to open late 2026. Once operational, it will allow passengers to reach terminals, parking, and the Metro rail system without re-entering security. That means the lounges scattered across LAX’s nine terminals become far more reachable for connecting passengers than they’ve ever been before.
The Olympic Moment Driving It All
Los Angeles International Airport faced a specific urgency: either build fast enough for the 2026 FIFA World Cup and 2028 Olympic Games or miss critical deadlines. The lounge expansion is a direct response to both events, which will bring an extraordinary volume of international visitors through LAX.
LAX handled 73.7 million passengers in 2025, making it the fifth-busiest airport in the United States and one of the busiest origin-and-destination airports in the world. It serves as a major hub or focus city for Delta, United, American, Alaska, and Southwest, with over 70 carriers flying to more than 182 nonstop destinations across 42 countries. Hosting the Olympics means that number will surge considerably, and the pressure to present a world-class passenger experience is very real.
The Bigger Picture: What This Means for Travelers
What’s unfolding at LAX is not just a construction project. It’s a fundamental rethinking of how idle or forgotten airport real estate can serve passengers who increasingly expect a hotel-quality interlude between check-in and boarding. Los Angeles International Airport’s modernization continues to reshape one of the busiest aviation hubs in the United States, with its multi-billion-dollar program targeting aging infrastructure, operational inefficiencies, and growing passenger demand.
Delta’s LAX premium strategy is becoming clearer: two Delta One Lounges, a private check-in and security experience, more international routes, and a much more serious effort to monetize the wealth and flight discretion that characterize Southern California. Other carriers are following suit in their own ways, and the lounge landscape at LAX looks set to be genuinely transformed by the time the Olympic torch arrives in Los Angeles.
Final Thoughts
There’s something quietly telling about the fact that some of LAX’s most compelling new lounge spaces are emerging from forgotten corners rather than entirely new construction. Old airline clubs, unused prep kitchens, vacant mezzanines – all of it is being reexamined with fresh intent.
For travelers, this evolution is worth watching. The airport you fly through in 2028 will be meaningfully different from the one most people know today. Whether you’re a frequent business traveler or an occasional international flyer, the upgraded ground experience at LAX is moving in a direction that, for once, genuinely rewards patience.
AI Disclaimer: This article was created with the assistance of AI tools and reviewed by a human editor.