Air Canada Maple Leaf Lounge
- Complimentary snacks
- Complimentary cold buffet
- Complimentary hot buffet
- Complimentary cooked-to-order meals
- Complimentary soft drinks
- Complimentary house wine and beer
- Complimentary liquor
- Accessible
- Air conditioning
- Barista coffee
- Flight information monitors
- Newspapers and magazines
- TV
The Air Canada Maple Leaf Lounge at Vancouver airport Pier D (International departures) welcomes Star Alliance Gold and business class passengers. The club is conveniently located opposite the security checkpoint, and a brief stroll to most departure gates.
The Maple Leaf Lounge shares an entrance with the Air Canada Signature Suite, a luxurious private retreat for the airline’s business class passengers. Tantalizing roped-off glass elevators just off the lobby mark the entrance to the Signature Suite.
Air Canada Maple Leaf Lounge YVR design
The Air Canada international Maple Leaf Lounge at Vancouver airport was remodeled in phases throughout 2017 in partnership with Vancouver-based Gustavson Wylie architecture firm.
The renovated space boasts a fine display of contemporary Canadian design, furnishings, and artwork. Upon entering the club, the visitor’s gaze is drawn to the subtle-yet-dramatic floor-to-ceiling Air Canada logo etched in maple wood slats. At the end of the hallway, the bar features finely-sculpted light fixtures against a dark marble backdrop that contrasts with the airline’s signature red seats. The adjacent room sports a superb custom-handcrafted table built with wood salvaged from a maple tree in the Cowichan Valley. The furnishings were designed by celebrated Canadian firms including Brent Comber (Vancouver), Birchwood Furniture (Calgary), Nienkamper (Toronto), and Mobilier Modern (Montreal.)
The art collection on display is a nod to Canadian culture, with pieces from Kendall Kendrick (Vancouver), Nicolas Ruel, and Danielle Roy (Montreal).
The Maple Leaf Lounge receives plenty of daylight—even on typical Vancouver overcast days—thanks to a wall of floor-to-ceiling windows. The expansive tarmac views make the club a great vantage point for aviation lovers.
The lounge is roughly divided into a seating area outfitted with traditional lounge chairs and power outlets at every seat, a work zone with a communal table, a dining room flanked by a buffet area, and a small side room designated as a quiet space furnished with comfortable cradle seats and ottomans overlooking the tarmac.
From a design standpoint, the Maple Leaf Lounge is an elegant and refined space. But guests might be underwhelmed: the club is surprisingly small for a major hub such as Vancouver airport. At peak times, the lounge fills up and finding a seat might be challenging. The “quiet room” offers little reprieve, as it’s located near the bustling buffet area. The slightly convoluted layout means that fellow passengers are likely to bump shoulders in the bar and buffet areas. And the scarce power outlets in the dining room are bound to be a coveted resource.
Air Canada Maple Leaf Lounge YVR amenities
The Air Canada Maple Leaf Lounge at Vancouver airport Pier D (International departures) boasts a complete line-up of international-grade amenities.
The Maple Leaf Lounge features an open kitchen and a chef’s station designed to serve cooked-to-order meals, though time and COVID have taken a toll on the quality of the culinary offerings. When we visited late 2022, the chef’s station was a simple taco bar cranking out tiny portions, and hot dishes weren’t self-service. On the brighter side, the (self-serve) salad bar remained generous. The dessert selection was limited to cookies. That’s a far cry from the luxurious menu at the Signature Suite one level above.
Self-serve tap beer and soft drinks (including bottled water) are available, while other alcoholic beverages may be ordered at the bar. Cocktails are definitely the sweet spot: the wine selection is limited to one red and one white variety. Air Canada also offers handcrafted espresso beverages, though guests in a rush will find fully-automatic machines.
Patrons who wish to freshen up will find several elegant shower suites outfitted with rain shower heads and stocked with high-end Molton Brown bath amenities as well as complimentary razors and toothbrushes. Be sure to inquire about a shower early, as there be a wait at peak times and Signature Suite patrons have priority.
Business amenities include a color printer/fax/copier, desktop computers, a large flat screen, and Wi-Fi (though the latter is slow by all metrics, especially at peak times.)
There is also a (windowless) VIP room near the quiet area. Since VIPs are likely to have access to the Signature Suite upstairs, we wish Air Canada repurposed the room into much-needed additional seating.
Air Canada Maple Leaf Lounge YVR bottom line
On paper, the Air Canada Maple Leaf Lounge at Vancouver airport International Terminal (Pier D) checks all the boxes. The club is gorgeous and features a wealth of amenities including a full-service bar, cooked-to-order meals, shower suites, and a business center, along with luxurious touches such as barista service.
In reality, the lounge left us wanting somewhat. The club fills up and Wi-Fi slows down to a crawl at peak times. The culinary offerings were unremarkable when we visited. The “quiet room” isn’t isolated from the main area. Newspapers and magazines never returned post COVID. And for a newly-designed lounge, we’d like to see more power outlets, especially in the dining area. The Maple Leaf Lounge is a fantastic furniture showroom, but it’s not well-equipped to handle crowds.
While Air Canada’s official PR pitch describes the Maple Leaf Lounge as a two-story club, the entire top-floor space is actually allocated to the Signature Suite, which is the exclusive territory of Air Canada’s own business class customers. Everybody else, including business class passengers flying with Air Canada’s Star Alliance partners, shares tight quarters on the lower floor.
- The bespoke furniture.
- The tarmac views.
- The shower suites.
- The barista service.
- The crowds at peak times.
- The slow Wi-Fi.
Air Canada Maple Leaf Lounge at Vancouver, BC (YVR) welcomes:
- Air Canada Business class passengers (+1 guest)
- Air Canada Maple Leaf Club members departing on a same-day Star Alliance flight (no guests)
- Air Canada Altitude Super Elite 100K, Elite 75K and Elite 50K members departing on any Air Canada flight or a Star Alliance flight (+spouse or domestic partner, dependent children, and one guest).
- Business Class passengers departing on a same-day international Star Alliance flight (no guests)
- First Class passengers departing on a same-day international Star Alliance flight (+1 guest)
- Star Alliance Gold Members departing on a same-day Star Alliance flight (+1 guest)
- One-time pass holders, whether acquired through a Latitude or Flex fare travel option or through mileage redemption.
- American Express AeroPlanPlus Reserve, AeroplanPlus Platinum, and Corporate Platinum card holders.
- United Club members departing on a same-day Star Alliance flight (+1 guest)
Access to Maple Leaf Lounges, Air Canada Cafés, and Signature Suites is limited to three hours prior to scheduled departure time. This policy does not apply during flight connections or flight delays.
Additional guests may accompany qualifying passengers for $20 CAD per person before 11 a.m. and for $30 CAD per person after 11 a.m.
Cards accepted
Air Canada Maple Leaf Club Worldwide
When flying a Star Alliance member airline.
Chase Sapphire Reserve
When flying a Star Alliance member airline.
United Club
When flying a Star Alliance member airline.
You may have access to Air Canada Maple Leaf Lounge as a premium customer of one of the following airlines, or as an elite member of their frequent flyer program. Check the Access rules tab for more details, or use our lounge access wizard to find out if you have access.
Star Alliance
Access for eligible customers traveling on any Star Alliance member airline.
ANA (NH) | Aegean (A3) | Air Canada (AC) | |||
Air China (CA) | Air India (AI) | Air New Zealand (NZ) | |||
Asiana (OZ) | Austrian (OS) | Avianca (AV) | |||
Brussels Airlines (SN) | Copa Airlines (CM) | Croatia Airlines (OU) | |||
EGYPTAIR (MS) | EVA Air (BR) | Ethiopian Airlines (ET) | |||
LOT Polish Airlines (LO) | Lufthansa (LH) | SWISS (LX) | |||
Shenzhen Airlines (ZH) | Singapore Airlines (SQ) | South African Airways (SA) | |||
TAP Air Portugal (TP) | Thai Airways (TG) | Turkish Airlines (TK) | |||
United (UA) |
Other airlines
Edelweiss (WK) |
3.5 / 5, based on 80 reviews
Overall ratings
Great lounge to relax at. Hot food. Good dunks
Pretty good – food was excellent and staff were friendly. Was easy enough to find seating, and great tarmac views. Super quick to get to from security as it is literally right after the exit. Noise levels weren’t too bad and there were some dedicated quieter spaces which was a nice touch.
There is no such thing as “once only” access if you’re not eligible 🙂
The worst business class lounge we have ever visited. We have been to Air Canada’s Vancouver business class lounge twice in two years and each time it has been a deeply disappointing experience. On the first occasion they wanted to, and did, eject us from the lounge because the connecting plane was delayed by bad weather, would arrive well after midnight and, presumably, they didn’t want to incur more staff costs. On the last occasion the food and beverage offerings were deplorable and more suited to a third world country.
The food was a disgrace. Two or three food warmers of unrecognisable soups, cheap cracker biscuits and bread with no butter.
Nothing special but nothing really to complain about other than a few splits in the rather uncomfortable faux leather seats and a few chips out of the walls. Looking a bit old and tired (not unlike the interiors of the Air Canada 777-300ER planes that flew us on both occasions.)