macmet

Curious if anyone can tell me if there has (ever?) been recent talk of putting an MLL in Saskatoon? I know they have done some upgrades in the terminal lately and with the growing economy in Saskatchewan it seems to make sense.

Cheers,
Macmet

dinotoon

The recent upgrades at YXE have added a Tim Horton and Starbucks (neither of which we had before post security), greatly expanded the gate and seating capacity of the terminal and a new restaurant will be opening soon. But, there were (to my knowledge) never any plans for a MLL.

The recent upgrades are quite nice and a MLL would have been a good addition. But given the low volume of transferring passengers and the fact that I can still show up ~ 45 minutes before my flight and make it through security quickly, I understand why AC didn't spend the money to put one in.

superangrypenguin

Is there now a NEXUS/priority security lane? I was last there during the renovations and it was absolutely terrible. 25 minute wait to get through to security and then the bar was a hole in the wall. And it was hot as hell...I wish they have a YQR type lounge. Self serve entry...sure it's no YVR MLL but it's still a MLL...

nave888

I never heard anything about a MLL in YXE. I've been told that the only reason YQR ever got one was because of demands from government FFs.

I honestly don't see the need at such a small airport. I'm actually surprised AC didn't get rid of the YQR lounge! I'd rather hang out in a bright, airy gate area, not a claustrophobic, crowded lounge!

gcashin

To be fair, if you go by passenger counts (from 2013), I'd say the priorities for lounges would be:
Calgary Transborder ~3 M passengers
Victoria 1.5 M passengers
Kelowna 1.5 M passengers
Saskatoon 1.4 M passengers
Fort McMurray 1.1 M passengers before opening the new terminal

One could argue that YYJ and YLW are mainly leisure markets so not prime lounge targets, but I'd put a YYC transborder lounge as higher priority than Saskatoon given that is has more than twice as many passengers, but it looks like Saskatoon is close in size to some of the smaller markets with lounges.

superangrypenguin

Free booze not a good enough reason for ya?

dinotoon

Yes - there is now a "Nexus" line. It just lets you jump the security queue. But, there is no one checking the line to make sure you have a Nexus card. So, in reality, anyone can use it.

rehoult

I expect there will be one for tb when the terminal extension opens next year.

pitz

No, there's never been talk of it. Even the YQR MLL is mostly a giant waste of time, and its really questionable, given the amount of premium business that AC does out of YQR (minimal), why they even bother keeping it. They must have some sort of grandfathered deal with the airport authority to keep the rent low or something.

As the previous poster said, the MLL was installed on account of extensive Progressive Conservative lobbying in the 1980s. You can even go back into the legislative transcripts of the early 1980s in the Saskatchewan legislature and find government types bragging of lobbying AC to bring the (then-new) 767 to Saskatchewan.

kwflyer

+1 for a YYC TB MLL! Really annoying having to leave the DOM so early to go TB.

kwflyer

Indeed I believe it was leftover when AC was a crown corporation (similar to YQB) and the (grandfathered) rent on the place is worth keeping open. Having been there I actually enjoyed it (despite it being small). I was there in the summer and they had a delicious white wine that was different from the regular MLL's (can't remember the name).

The Lev

I'll try to be on the lookout for it next week when I pass through.

gcashin

I thought someone posted in another thread recently posted that an AC concierge said that there were no plans for a YYC transborder MLL in the new terminal at this point. I was hopeful there would be one. Haven't seen any official word from AC, but it would be disappointing if there was not a MLL in a terminal with those kind of passenger volumes.

xLuther

Reported to myself by SE conceraige staff in YYC, NO MLL (as of Dec 2014 )for transborder with new terminal , so move on not going to happen. ( unless AC changes it's mind)

On other hand if I iver go through YYC transborder again there will be a private lounge, just like current setup. Amex Platinum is your friend

FlyerJ

I doubt AC would ever do a TB lounge in Calgary ... when there's hardly any mainline cross-border any longer. Former destinations have been handed over to UA (IIRC, both SFO and ORD were once mainline AC) or downgraded to Rouge (LAX, LAS, PHX, and someday soon OGG).

The only real AC mainline dest that's left ex YYC is New York. (IAH is Express, as are SEA and PDX). Not really the profile for an ideal lounge spot, unless UA was clamouring for one.

I'm sure the Rouge P&L would rather not have to pay for lounge costs, and United seems to have a lock on Calgary's transborder business travel market without any Star lounge (and, ditto, without the cost of a lounge).

Oddly, the only airline-provided lounge access at Calgary's crossborder term is Westjet ... with their free-lounge-vouchers benefit for their Golds.