Originally Posted by
golfingboy
Stupid question - but wanted to be sure as the AC website states "departing boarding pass".
Actually,
https://www.aircanada.com/ca/en/aco/...f-lounges.html says this (under Business section, emphasis mine):
Enjoy Air Canada Maple Leaf Lounge access when you travel in Business Class and are departing on any Air Canada, Air Canada Rouge, Air Canada Express flight or with any Star Alliance carrier.
As worded on the MLL site, if you fail to depart on your flight you have stolen lounge access and might be subject to a pickle regurgitation refund request or other random arbitrary spankage. Be careful here!
Later, in the "Admittance Terms and Conditions" where they attempt to be more legal-like, they word the policy as follows:
2. Eligible lounge customers must present their pass/membership card and a confirmed same-day ticket or boarding pass on a departing Air Canada, Air Canada Express, Air Canada Rouge, Air Canada Codeshare or any Star Alliance member airline flight.
What they likely mean is that this is your airport of departure, rather than arrival. Presentation of pass/membership and confirmed ticket/BP suffices for entry. Whether you actually depart or not on the flight is not relevant, and actually could not be determined at time of lounge entry by any human. This seems to be the more reasonable interpretation, and of the two incongruent sections on the same page, the latter seems to be the one intended to be the "Admittance Terms and Conditions," as it is titled.
Side note 1
WRT to a single-cabin BP, technically, entry should be denied... However I'm sure an variance will be arbitrarily made by the lounge agent, in the name of good customer service for someone willing to fly in J.
Side note 2
Technically, this also means if you are in J but not confirmed, you are not allowed entry. Agent will likely vary this arbitrarily.
Side note 3
Technically, this means if you are on a flight departing past 00:00 local time, such as AC472 YYZ-YOW departing 00:30, you should not be admitted on the prior day as it is not "same-day." Again, agent will likely vary this arbitrarily, and AC has confirmed in writing that 00:30 is considered prior day travel for purposes of benefits. But the T&C does not account for this.