Review: Vancouver Airport Lounges

I recently flew Air India's direct flight from Vancouver to Delhi and had a chance to try the lounges in the international terminal of the Vancouver airport.

Vancouver airport's international terminal had the following lounges that were open and that were near the Air India gate: SkyTeam lounge, Plaza Premium Lounge, and Air Canada Maple Leaf Lounge. There was also the Cathay Pacific First Class Lounge but it was closed.

A walk-through Vancouver Airport crossing many lounges


Of these I had been to the SkyTeam lounge before, so I tried the other two lounges on this visit. I summarize my experience from this and my last visit to these lounges below.

1. SkyTeam lounge

    This is a nice lounge with hot food options that is accessible via Priority Pass. There are a number premium credit cards in US that come with some form of Priority Pass access, allowing you and some guests to visit these lounges.

Last visited: Sep 2019

Access: Priority Pass

Packaged food: Yes

Hot food: Yes

Shower: No

            

Enjoy hot food at SkyTeam Lounge Vancouver

 

2. Plaza Premium Lounge

    Plaza Premium Lounge is a global collection of lounges which can be a hit or miss sometimes. They have good presence in Asian countries including India but have been cutting down on amenities and access recently. The lounge in Vancouver is well situated with good views of the tarmac but I found the food options to be limited here. There was fresh espresso available and some hot food options but overall not much variety to satiate a hungry passenger. The lounge also boasts a shower area but I did not avail it on this visit.

        Last visited: May 2022

        Access: Amex Global Lounge Collection

        Packaged food: Yes

        Hot food: Limited

        Shower: Yes

        

Plaza Premium Lounge Vancouver

Selection of food at Plaza Premium Lounge


3. Air Canada Maple Leaf Lounge

    This is the main Air Canada and Star Alliance lounge in the airport. I was initially not too keen to visit this lounge as it did not have better ratings on Google than the Plaza Premium Lounge but when I decided to visit it on a hunch I found it to be better than the Plaza Premium Lounge. It was more spacious, had better atmosphere and more food selection. I was able to order food from my table by scanning a QR code.

If you are travelling on a Star Alliance business class flight or have Star Alliance Gold status via a Star Alliance partner, I would definitely recommend a visit to this lounge. The lounge also has a dedicated Signature Suite section for those travelling on Air Canada Signature Suite Business class.


A look inside Air Canada Maple Leaf Lounge Vancouver

        Last visited: May 2022

        Access: Star Alliance Status or Business/First class ticket

        Packaged food: Yes

        Hot food: Limited

        Shower: Yes

            

Order hot meals right from your table

Hot Canadian Chole Naan


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