Air Canada Maple Leaf Lounge

Air Canada Maple Leaf Lounge – Vancouver, BC (YVR)

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.

Seating area at Air Canada Maple Leaf Lounge YVR international

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).

Seating area at Air Canada Maple Leaf Lounge YVR international

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 vintage 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 shared 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

Live kitchen at the international Maple Leaf Lounge Vancouver

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.

Air Canada Maple Leaf Lounge YVR shower room

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

Air Canada Maple Leaf Lounge Vancouver International Terminal dining area

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.