Air Canada Maple Leaf Lounge - International
Vancouver International Airport
We left the house on a grey Vancouver day and took the always-convenient Aerocar to the airport. Today’s ride was a Lincoln Town Car.
The Air Canada priority check in desks for Vancouver International has now moved all together to the domestic terminal (with the sole exception of Transborder flights that require US Customs Pre-Clearance). We were checked in quickly with boarding passes issued on AC card stock all the way to Saigon.
We were issued YVR Fast Track stickers on our boarding cards. A leisurely walk today past the regular international departures check in desks, filled today with Asian flights. Although we qualified for the Fast Track line, the Nexus line was actually quicker and was absent of any airport staff actually checking to see if we were cardholders.
We headed to the Air Canada Maple Leaf Lounge International, which was Immediately after the security screening checkpoint. I’ve been through there several times over the years. Initially, I was expecting great things but I fear that over time, this place has been outclassed and out done by its competition.
There were small seating areas that have recently been modernized with slightly newer chairs. The nicest feature here were the natural daylight windows and a great view of the apron.
A light flightboard of Star Alliance flights departing from this lounge. Only the Star Alliance flights were listed today.
A small selection of small man sandwiches available at the food island, along with the usual Maple Leaf Lounge contemporary salads.
I’ll give Air Canada some credit here for offering a Pho soup station within the lounge. It’s been marketed as innovative food concepts within their lounges. This was more like a grade school attempt since the products weren’t super fresh. Thumbs up anyway for offerings something different. Thumbs down for the small cup-o-soup containers that the Pho is supposed to go into. I could barely fit two pieces of chicken and a small thimbleful of noodles in mine before it started overflowing.
They have shrunk the wine glasses here in that they are so small, I thought they had put out liqueur glasses instead of the actually wine glasses. Another example of cost control going overboard… The boarding cards now have classy markings that indicate that you are on a “Business Reward” and an AC Credit Card Holder.
All in all, this place is slightly past its prime. There even exist much nicer Maple Leaf Lounges within the system (Toronto Domestic / International). I preferred the Plaza Premium International Lounge for nicer furnishings up the way but Mrs WT73 preferred this location. Indeed, it’s a bit of a toss between the two. The Plaza Premium Lounge has the advantage of being brand new with higher quality and clean furnishings, where as the Air Canada Maple Leaf Lounge has much better food and beverage. Maple Leaf Lounge regulars will note that the product in these lounges aren’t outstanding or world class my any means – easily trounced by any Amex Centurion Lounge in
Las Vegas or
San Franciso or even the
Cathay Pacific First Class Lounge lounge next door.