Last week, I had no plans to fly, but I took an Uber to Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) anyway. The occasion? An opportunity to set foot in Korean Air’s new flagship lounge in Tom Bradley International Terminal.
As part of a two-day unveiling, Korean Air officials — including David Pacey, executive vice president and chief of in-flight service and lounges at Korean Air, and Kenneth Chang, executive vice president and chief marketing officer for the brand — invited select media partners to dinner in the upgraded venue. The project is the result of 22 months of labor and an investment of more than $40 million. In the end, the Korean Air team has succeeded in extending the first-class flight experience into the airport itself.
The lounge officially opens to guests today. Here’s what they can expect.
Luxury in a Lounge
The bi-level lounge offers 18,000 square feet of space, with the First Class Lounge on the 6th floor and the Miler Club & Prestige Class Lounges on the 5th floor. Combined, the venue is now Korean Air’s largest directly operated lounge outside of Korea.
Warm lighting and the pleasantly earthy scent of wood-paneled walls greeted me once inside — a welcome departure from the white fluorescent light of many airports, and the mingling smells of fast food and hot coffee.
Semi-private pods for working (or relaxing) are inviting, as are stone-topped tables paired with modern upholstered chairs. LTW Designworks, a Singapore-based hospitality design firm, helmed the renovation, and the team leaned into “modern Korean luxury” with its vision. Art in the space, for example, nods to Korean traditions, from brushstroke ink paintings to buncheong ceramics, a traditional form of Korean pottery.
The Miler Club is one area within the larger flagship lounge.
Credit: 2026 Korean AirThe vibe inside is far from anything I’ve experienced in an airport, and much more akin to a pristine and sophisticated lobby one might expect in a five-star hotel. But what really tips things on the luxury scale is the culinary program.
The Miler Club and Prestige Class Lounges, which can host about 200 guests, offers an open-kitchen concept for made-to-order dishes. At a different media event, dishes in this lounge included pork mandu (dumplings), abalone porridge and Korean steamed eggs. A DIY bibimbap (or rice bowl) station was set up, as well.
On the first-class level, there is room for just 25 travelers, and my dining experience here was truly impressive. At the Feb. 26 media dinner, a long table was set — complete with personalized, monogrammed napkins at each place setting — on the lounge’s indoor terrace, which overlooks the departure floor below. Once seated, a seven-course dinner, delivered via ballet service, ensued, with each dish nearly outdoing the previous one.
A from-scratch citrus sorbet was among dishes served at a media preview of Korean Air's First Class Lounge.
Credit: 2026 Chelsee Lowe
There was a bite of steak tartare topped with truffle shavings; a mini bouquet of vegetables and edible flowers (procured from the Santa Monica farmers’ market); a pheasant dumpling; and a cut of Cornish game hen topped with leafy spigarello. As an interlude of sorts, an incredible citrus sorbet in a sparkling coupe glass came next. Our final savory dish followed (a serving of Wagyu striploin adorned with greens and yukjang sauce), and then yet more dessert arrived. A pillowy matcha souffle was the star of this final act; it was paired with a trio of teeny, sweet treats (a grapefruit bonbon, a financier and a strawberry tart).
Nearly all of these items will be available a la carte for First Class Lounge guests — and what a way to kick off a trip.
