LAX adding hip new lounge and caviar bar

Los Angeles is home to many stylish, exclusive nightclubs that draw some of the hippest crowds.

But the city’s airport does not have such a cool reputation. In fact, a survey of 1,500 fliers last month ranked LAX as one of the nation’s three most stressful airports.

That may be changing.

California-based Virgin America last week opened at Los Angeles International Airport a new passenger lounge, dubbed the Virgin America Loft. It is bathed in purple and red mood lighting and furnished with upholstered, wheel-shaped seats, flat-screen televisions and cozy couches built for two.

In addition to high-end snacks, the lounge offers guests a menu of aviation-themed drinks, including Lofty Lemonade, Jet Stream Spritzer, Runway Ruddy Mary and Mile-High Margarita.

Meanwhile, Petrossian, the high-end eatery with restaurants in New York and West Hollywood, announced plans to open in the near future a caviar and champagne bar at the airport. The new restaurant is part of a $4.1-billion modernization effort at LAX.

Gina Marie Lindsey, executive director of Los Angeles World Airports, the agency that runs LAX, said the upgrades are meant to “offer a sense of place, reflecting the culture, cuisine and trends of Los Angeles.”

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Follow Hugo Martin on Twitter at @hugomartin