Throughout my downgraded journey to Oman, I had the prospect to spend a couple of hours within the Air Canada Maple Leaf Lounge Montreal. This was throughout a layover, as I used to be arriving in Air Canada’s A220 enterprise class from Miami, and connecting to SWISS’ A330 enterprise class to Zurich. Particularly, I spent my time within the worldwide Maple Leaf Lounge (to not be confused with the home lounge or the transborder lounge, since Canadian airports are type of difficult in that regard).
Anyway, I used to be impressed by the Maple Leaf Lounge Montreal. The lounge has a lot of pure mild, and a terrific choice of meals and drinks. Nonetheless, it will probably get crowded throughout peak hours, and it’s additionally not fairly to the extent of the Air Canada Signature Suite amenities that you simply’ll discover in Toronto and Vancouver (which is honest sufficient!). Let’s get into the evaluate…
Air Canada Maple Leaf Lounge Montreal location
The Air Canada Maple Leaf Lounge Montreal is positioned within the worldwide terminal, close to gate 52. As I discussed above, Montreal airport has a number of distinct areas, devoted to home flights, transborder flights (to america), and worldwide flights (all worldwide locations besides america).
I used to be visiting the worldwide Maple Leaf Lounge, which is mostly thought-about to be the nicest on the airport. I even have to say how seamless the transit expertise was, arriving from america and connecting to Europe. There’s a devoted channel for worldwide to worldwide connections, and that took all of some minutes.
As soon as within the worldwide terminal, simply flip proper, and then you definitely’ll see the doorway to the Maple Leaf Lounge on the left.
Air Canada Maple Leaf Lounge Montreal hours
The Air Canada Maple Leaf Lounge Montreal is open effectively forward of all worldwide departures from the airport. The lounge opens at both 5AM, 5:30AM, or 6AM, relying on the day of the week, and closes each night time at 9PM.
As you may count on, the Maple Leaf Lounge will probably be busiest within the late afternoons and evenings, previous to all of the flights to Europe, since that’s a majority of the premium worldwide service from the airport.
Air Canada Maple Leaf Lounge Montreal entry necessities
Air Canada Maple Leaf Lounges are fairly typical Star Alliances lounges on the subject of entry necessities:
- Star Alliance Gold members flying similar day on a Star Alliance airline have entry to the Maple Leaf Lounge, and might convey one visitor
- Air Canada enterprise class passengers flying similar day have entry to the Maple Leaf Lounge, and might’t convey any company
- Passengers touring on a Star Alliance accomplice airline, like Lufthansa or SWISS, even have entry to the lounge; enterprise class passengers can’t convey any company, whereas top quality passengers can convey one visitor
- These with an Air Canada Maple Leaf Membership membership, in addition to United Membership members, have entry to the Maple Leaf Lounge
There are another area of interest methods to get into Maple Leaf Lounges, so you may discover Air Canada’s full lounge entry web page right here.
Air Canada Maple Leaf Lounge Montreal seating & structure
The Air Canada Maple Leaf Lounge Montreal is roughly 11,000 sq. toes, with seating for 259 passengers. So whereas it’s loads huge in the course of the day, it’s in all probability not fairly large enough within the evenings, previous to the transatlantic financial institution of flights (then once more, it looks like all lounges are overcrowded throughout peak hours these days).
The Maple Leaf Lounge has an attention-grabbing design, in that it has a ton of pure mild due to the floor-to-ceiling home windows, but in any other case has very darkish and comfortable finishes, with wood flooring, and many darkish furnishings (which you may virtually count on in a windowless facility). The lounge was renovated in 2016, and I’d say that feels about proper. The design doesn’t really feel leading edge, however it additionally doesn’t really feel outdated.
As you enter the lounge, you’ll first discover a few seating areas with couches and chairs, which most individuals simply appear to stroll previous, to get into the principle a part of the lounge.
Then the principle a part of the lounge consists primarily of 1 massive, rectangular room, with two walkways happening the complete size of the lounge.
Alongside the home windows, you will have chairs organized in rows going through each other. If you wish to benefit from the views from the lounge, that is the place to take a seat.
Then alongside the middle of the lounge, you’ll first discover the bar space, the place you may seize a cocktail, barista espresso, or glass of wine.
Then you definately’ll discover the eating space, with a bunch of cafe-style tables, and even some cubicles, as that is close to the buffet.
Deeper into the lounge, you’ll discover extra seating choices, together with a lot of chairs and couches.
When you’re in search of a bit extra privateness, at the back of the lounge you’ll discover half a dozen loungers the place you may loosen up and gaze out on the apron.
There are additionally six semi-private chairs, additionally going through each other.
As an aviation geek, I can’t emphasize sufficient how superior the views from the lounge are, particularly when a aircraft is parked at gate 52 (and particularly when it’s in Air Canada’s pretty new livery!).
One different unrelated quirk — there have been two Air Algerie A330s on the bottom in Montreal throughout my go to. I assumed the airline solely had one flight a day. Am I mistaken, was there a upkeep difficulty, or…?
One factor to concentrate on in regards to the lounge is that the outlet state of affairs isn’t perfect. There are shops within the lounge, although this isn’t a kind of lounges the place each single seat has an outlet. Relatively, you’ll need to look arduous for shops, particularly when the lounge is busy (and I discovered a number of the shops weren’t even working).
Lastly, I’ve one type of awkward interplay to share. I take lots of footage of lounges, although I feel I achieve this rigorously and with out invading the privateness of others (as you may hopefully inform primarily based on the above footage). 😉
In the course of the early a part of my keep within the lounge, I observed what gave the impression to be lounge managers sitting at tables with laptops and notepads, creating schedules for employees. One of many guys stored giving me bizarre seems as I took footage.
Ultimately he requested me, relatively skeptically, “are you a passenger?” Once I stated I used to be, he didn’t say something additional. I discovered {that a} bit unusual. Like, who else would I be… a flight attendant who simply snuck into the lounge and began photographing it?
It’s additionally simply not a really welcoming vibe. If in case you have points with me taking footage then inform me (although I wasn’t violating any Air Canada insurance policies). And in case you’re curious why I’m taking footage, how about beginning the dialog in a pleasant means, like “are you having fun with your keep within the lounge?” or “first time visiting the lounge?”
Talking of them, even past my very own interplay, I didn’t discover their presence within the lounge to be terribly skilled. They have been creating the schedules for workers for the approaching weeks. It’s a bit odd to do this in public in entrance of shoppers, particularly whenever you’re discussing how individual X could be very unreliable and might’t be counted on to point out up on-time, and so on.
Air Canada Maple Leaf Lounge Montreal meals & drinks
The Air Canada Maple Leaf Lounge Montreal food and drinks choice exceeded my expectations, and was superb. The food and drinks unfold was positioned close to the middle of the lounge, and consisted of a self-serve buffet and a reside cooking station.
I used to be impressed each by the amount and high quality of selections. In a single space, the buffet had chips, carrot cake, hummus, guacamole, and veggies.
Then the lounge had a superb chilly choice of tasty and wholesome choices, starting from a Greek salad, to a beet salad, to a carrot salad.
There have been two soups, together with Italian wedding ceremony soup and cream of mushroom soup, which have been supplied with rolls.
There have been three sizzling dishes on the buffet, together with sriracha cod, potatoes, and roasted beets. I’ve gotta say, all three choices have been surprisingly scrumptious.
Then there was the reside cooking station.
There have been samples of three dishes on show you would order, together with poutine, arancini, and a smoked meat sandwich.
The reside cooking station additionally had three different choices, together with Moroccan hen, pasta with tomato sauce, and rice.
Past the meals, the buffet had a soda machine, water, espresso, tea, and beer on faucet.
Then the bar had a number of wine choices to select from, together with three white choices, three crimson choices, and one rose.
What I used to be most enthusiastic about is that the bar had barista espresso, in order that was an actual deal with.
Air Canada Maple Leaf Lounge Montreal loos & showers
The Air Canada Maple Leaf Lounge Montreal loos are deep into the lounge and to the suitable. The boys’s room isn’t notably massive, however is effectively appointed. It has three sinks, two urinals, and some stalls, with toiletries from Molton Brown.
The lounge additionally has two bathe suites, that are nice. They every have a walk-in bathe with two bathe heads, plus a rest room and a sink.
Backside line
The Air Canada Maple Leaf Lounge Montreal is a fairly nice lounge. It has a lot of pure mild, a extremely nice choice of meals and drinks, and a number of other varieties of seating choices. Whereas it’s to not the extent of Air Canada’s Signature Suites at different airports, it’s a stable Star Alliance Gold and Star Alliance enterprise class lounge that I’d be completely satisfied to spend time in once more sooner or later.
What’s your tackle the Air Canada Maple Leaf Lounge Montreal?
