PS LAX Review: A Luxurious Treat for Affluent Travelers

PS LAX — originally called The Private Suite at LAX before the name was shortened in January 2020 — is a reservation-only passenger terminal that can be accessed before or after your flight. The lounge, which opened in May 2017, offers a luxurious experience, including chef-prepared food; a spa; 12 private suites; private TSA, customs and immigration; and a BMW that drives you directly to your plane. PS has locations in Los Angeles and Atlanta, with plans to expand to Dallas-Fort Worth and Miami.

PS LAX gave me free access to a private suite in the lounge, which would have otherwise run over $5,000. I stopped by before a trip where I was flying to Amsterdam for a few nights before a safari in Tanzania.

My take: The lounge is expensive — beginning at $1,095 per person to access The Salon (a communal area separate from the private suites) and $4,850 for up to four people to access the private suite — but it’s a remarkable experience for those who can afford it. Unlike with other lounges, there’s no easy way to get access through a premium credit card, although the lounge does offer complimentary annual membership to people with the AmEx Centurion Black Card, an invitation-only card for the wealthy (terms apply).

PS LAX is in its own private terminal, located at 6875 W. Imperial Highway, Los Angeles, CA 90045. There are a few options for getting to PS LAX:

You can book transit to LAX directly through PS LAX, with pricing dependent on the type of car you book and where you live. For a car from Hollywood Hills West in Los Angeles, I was quoted the following rates:

• $173.07 for a sedan for up to three passengers. 

• $255.36 for a Mercedes-Benz S-Class for up to three passengers or an SUV for up to six passengers. 

You can also arrange an Uber, Lyft or other rideshare to take you to PS LAX. I decided to take a Lyft Black, which came out to $83.49. One thing to keep in mind is that if you use a rideshare, the driver may not know exactly where the PS LAX terminal is, so you may want to order your rideshare car five or 10 minutes earlier than you might otherwise as a buffer.

You can drive to PS LAX, but note that you may need to pay for parking depending on your membership status and how many days you stay and whether you’re accessing the suite or The Salon (more on that below). Here’s the pricing for valet parking at PS LAX:

• All Access membership. 30 nights complimentary for the suite, two nights complimentary for The Salon.

• The Salon membership. Two nights complimentary for The Salon.

• No membership. $90 per night.

One perk to parking your car at PS LAX is that it will be cleaned for you. That service comes at an additional cost if you do not have an annual membership.

PS LAX offers guests several amenities, including:

• Spa services, including a table massage or a chair massage.

• Private, line-free Transportation Security Administration screening and customs before departure (including a beverage area after you go through screening where you can fill up your water bottle or pick up complimentary drinks to take on the flight with you).

• Customs and immigration services upon arrival.

• 12 private suites, including a double suite and a suite that has a private outdoor area.

• An outdoor garden area that includes top-shelf food and drinks, as well as games, water features and shaded areas.

• BMW car service that takes you directly to the aircraft door.

• Instant luggage delivery on arrival.

• Each suite has its own bathroom (including amenities like toothbrushes, razors and other toiletries that you can take with you), a pantry with food, a minibar, a two-person daybed and views of aircraft taking off and landing.

There are so many amenities at PS LAX that you’d be hard-pressed to use them all before your flight.

Dining at PS LAX feels like you’re at a restaurant, with a menu and chef-prepared food. While the exact food offerings may differ depending on when you fly, below is a sample of the food offered on the menu during my visit. (Note that breakfast is available from 5 a.m. to 11 a.m., with all other food served from 11 a.m. to 11:30 p.m.)

• Margherita and seasonal flatbread.

• Maitake mushroom sandwich.

• Southeast Asian fried chicken sandwich.

• Blackened seasoned Scottish salmon.

• Pasta primavera alla chitarra. 

Note that the menu does not have pricing on it, but you will need to pay for food if you order off the menu.

PS LAX includes a bar called The Salon, and you have the option to purchase access only to The Salon (meaning you won’t have a private suite).

The bar is chic with plenty of top-shelf liquor, wine, beer and cocktail options. There are also non-alcoholic beverages, including non-alcoholic wine, zero-proof cocktails, soft drinks and Icelandic still or sparkling water.

A major perk of PS LAX is that it includes a spa, which can really help to reduce pre- and post-travel stress. All Access and The Salon members in a private suite receive a complimentary spa service, and other visitors can purchase spa services at the following rates:

• $150 for a table or chair massage.

• $100 for a haircut or barber service.

Something that made the PS LAX special was the personalized touches from the staff. I visited PS LAX on my way to Amsterdam and Tanzania for a safari, a trip that I planned for my birthday.

I was surprised when I walked into my private suite to find that the staff had included stroopwafel and other Dutch treats, flags from the Netherlands and Tanzania, a Lonely Planet guide to Tanzania, a PS LAX hat and a birthday present and card that included Kiehl’s products and a travel amenity kit.

Access to PS LAX and pricing depend on whether you’re a member and whether you want to access a private suite or have your visit include only The Salon. Below is an overview of PS LAX memberships and benefits:

You’ll need to make a reservation to visit PS LAX, and access is on a space-available basis, with All Access members receiving priority access for the private suite and The Salon and The Salon members receiving priority access for The Salon.

If you have no membership, you’ll be put on a waitlist and receive notice generally 48 hours before your flight.