Air France Plans First-Ever Lounge at LAX’s International Terminal

According to a recent report to the Los Angeles Board of Airport Commissioners, Air France wants to build its first-ever lounge in LAX’s International Terminal. This is pretty exciting news for SkyTeam passengers whose only current option in the International Terminal is Korean Air’s underwhelming lounge.

Report summary

You can read the full report here or a few bullet points summarizing it below.

• Air France wants to take out a 15-year lease agreement for lounge space in the Tom Bradley International Terminal at LAX
• The lease will generate at least $2.8 million in revenue annually for the airport
• The lounge will primarily serve Air France’s and its affiliates’ premium passengers but will also be accessible to other users on a pay-per-use basis
• The lounge will be approximately 11,500 square feet, with an option for Air France to add an additional 2,300 square feet within six months of lease commencement
• Air France will handle all necessary permits and construct the lounge improvements at its own cost
• If the lounge generates revenues over $10 million per year from the sale of goods, services, and access fees, Air France will pay an additional rent of 20% of the excess revenue
• The lease will bring a minimum of $42 million over the 15-year term to the airport, not including optional space, annual rate escalations, or additional rent

Timing

Given that Air France was previously granted approval of a 10-year lease in March 2020 which it eventually terminated due to the pandemic, it seems highly likely that this request will be approved. Once that happens, Air France will have a year to build the lounge from the time that the lease begins meaning that we could see this new lounge opening as soon as 2024.

Conclusion

It’s exciting to see Air France invest in their US lounge footprint, especially given the airline has done an excellent job with its lounges over the past few years. Should everything proceed smoothly, we could see a new Air France lounge open as early as next year, providing SkyTeam passengers with a high-quality alternative to Korean Air’s current offering.