I'm not sure if I misread, misunderstood, or what. But I thought that EP/SEs had access to all lounges at all times, with the exception of trans-border at YVR, YYZ, and YUL, LHR, and possibly YOW. Do I?

Having a 3 hour connection to the US to kill at YYZ on Saturday, I decided to do a lounge tour. Domestic was no problem, once I found an agent who knew about the "gate passes," which are actually "Passenger Escort Authorizations." Fact is, though, I didn't even need it for the domestic terminal. Security did not ask for a boarding pass, or anything else. I must say, it looked rather dingy. When I saw it in 1997 it looked all new and shiny, but not this time. Part of it seemed to be that the "high maintenance" finishes they used. The stainless steel panels had hand prints and smudges all the way up. I don't know what would account for the broken floor and wall tiles in the bathroom, however.

Transborder, of course, was where I ended up, with no difficulty. It seemed to be in better repair (and cleaner) than the domestic.

But on the inter-terminal shuttle, I asked a CP concierge who coincidentally sat near me about the "gate passes." She gave me a puzzled look, but then asked me to follow her to the office, where she could research it further. She checked back with me several times, but after about 30 minutes told me that they had no knowledge of such a facility. She explained that that was originally the plan when the int'l lounge was built, but strong objections from both Transport Canada and GTAA precluded such use. If TC objects at YYZ, I presume they object everywhere, including YVR for example. But several times over the years, the domestic Empress Club at T3 diverted members to the international club, so I don't know what the difference is.

Any thoughts?