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Virgin Atlantic has long been known for its distinctive, if relatively few in number, Clubhouse lounges. The flagship being of course its London Heathrow Clubhouse, with other Clubhouses in San Francisco, New York, Boston and Washington.
One notable absentee has been Los Angeles, in spite of it being one of Virgin Atlantic’s most important routes after New York.
Today, 28 April 2015, Virgin Atlantic has opened a new Clubhouse at Terminal 2. The lounge has been designed by Slade Architecture who also worked on the airline’s Newark and JFK clubhouses.
The 4,000 sq ft triangular shaped Los Angeles clubhouse offers views of the airport’s apron and Hollywood Hills. The colour palette is relatively toned down compared to other Virgin lounges, with extensive use of white. It is clearly inspired by the Californian outdoor lifestyle and climate.
The lounge is lined by a sculpted Corian and copper Flow Wall that features a copper lined bar. Lounge furniture includes Swan chairs by Arne Jacobsen, Walter Knoll Turtle chairs, classic Eames chairs, and a custom fabricated surfboard inspired counter by the windows that is sculpted from layers of bamboo.
At the apex of the lounge is a pre-flight dining area offering dishes from Hinoki & The Bird. The walls are lined with bamboo and the space features a video insulation by artist Diana Reichenbach.
Virgin Atlantic flies to Los Angeles twice daily, with an additional codeshare flight operated by Delta. It is a route with strong competition. Air New Zealand flies to Auckland via Los Angeles daily. American Airlines and British Airways also fly the route twice daily, with American Airlines offering its latest Boeing 777-300 aircraft and British Airways flying its A380 twice daily.
There’s more detail, including up to date lounge information at Virgin Atlantic.
