worldclubber

I have not been to Calgary in years and found conflicting information on the current MLL there. Would appreciate some help.

AC says that the MLL can be used by transborder and international passengers, whereas the *A lounge finder says the lounge is in Concourse A and can be used by domestic passengers. I will be travelling YYC to YVR and then on to MUC (all in J and *Gold member). Will I be able to access the lounge in YYC?

Thank you very much!

yyznomad

Yes, absolutely.

Adam Smith

All passengers who have the right to access the lounge can access it if they want. It's just rather inconvenient for international passengers - which, in this case, refers to those flying non-stop to an international destination from YYC - as well as transborder. Since your first flight is to YVR, you're actually domestic for these purposes.

In any case, if you're flying TB or international, you can access the lounge, but it's a hassle, because you have to clear domestic security at the C gates (they were changed from A gates to C gates a couple years ago), go to the lounge, then head over to the international terminal. For international flights, it just adds time, but if you're flying TB, you have to go through US security screening and then US CBP.

The better option, if one is indeed flying TB/international, is to use the Aspire lounges in those particular areas; there's one in each.

Fiordland

Both statements are correct. YYC has segregates gate areas with separate security for Domestic departures, US and International flights. I think the YYC MLL is one of the nicest domestic lounges in the network.

Your YYC to YVR flight will depart from the domestic concourses. The MLL lounge is in the domestic area at the start of C concourse. It is just after security and walking across the golf cart freeway. Not to worry the gold cart freeeway has pedestrian cross lights.

YEG_SE4Life

OP, you are travelling domestic out of YYC. You absolutely can use the MLL.

worldclubber

Thank you very much for your help.

I was just confused, because AC says "If you’re travelling to a U.S. or international destination and are eligible for lounge access, you’re welcome to use our Air Canada Maple Leaf Lounge, located in concourse C." (https://www.aircanada.com/ca/en/aco/...y-airport.html). No word about access when travelling domestic, which I will be.

YEG_SE4Life

It is a domestic lounge. If you are travelling TB or Int, you can use the lounge, but the you have to head to the int terminal to fly out.

worldclubber

Thank you!

I did not know that the lounge is primarily a domestic lounge and the information from AC seemed unclear to me (https://www.aircanada.com/ca/en/aco/...y-airport.html). The information for YVR is much more straightforward, as the different lounges there are actually labelled domestic, transborder and international.

worldclubber

Since you guys are really helpful, please allow me one more question: Our flight leaves at 14:50. Would there be enough food for a lunch substitute around 1400 or is that a bad time food-wise?

yyznomad

IMHO, bad time foodwise. You'd want to be there for lunch hours where the hot food is still served, IIRC, up until 1:30pm local time... then dinner spread starts around 4:30pm in time for the start to cater to international departures... the mid-afternoon time period is a bit of "food purgatory", as I like to call it... basically snack/nibble type food.

worldclubber

That's what I feared and good to know, thank you. I will have the whole family in tow, so want to make sure they are happy.

Could you tell me what the "hot food" during lunch hours is? Or basically whether it is worth going through security about an hour early to eat at the lounge? (not a lot of information on the "new" lounge yet in the web)

yyznomad

Although I was there twice yesterday, including during dinner spread hours, I did not eat or pay attention to what was served... as for lunchtime hours, I haven't had lunch there in over a year.
The last time I had lunch there it was fresh oven baked pizza and a few other items like hot soup.
Here is some supplemental reading for you... the wiki post for the AC Lounge Food thread shows pizza for the YYC MLL lunch hours... but someone with more recent experience can chime in.

AC lounge food

MLL lounge in Calgary for International Departures

New YYC International Terminal - Opens Oct 31/16

worldclubber

24left

@worldclubber

I was just in there yesterday and it was great to see again. I was last there in 2015 when it was still under construction.

Agree with other posts that it is really nice compared to the seriously meh MLLs at YYZ (all 3 of them).

When I got there, sometime after 1pm, there were still pizza/flatbreads and other items. After lunch, it was a display of tortillas, salsa, some veggies, soups, baguette slices.

One annoying thing: very few power outlets. Since this lounge is relatively new, I am not sure why the side tables don't have them, and there are not enough on the walls or the charging tables - at least based on a walk-around I did.

Since I was waiting for other YYC FT Do attendees to arrive, I took some photos.













Yup, the 777 Big Bird that I arrived on. I hear this species isn't seen very often in these parts.

Bohemian1

Yeah, was there today and I liked it - admittedly it's been eons since I was through YYC - but there's lots of light, the seating isn't too close together and it doesn't look as rundown as an AC 767 (or LH 747 for that matter). I'm thinking of you YVR TB, YYZ DOM and YUL DOM MLLs.

Two annoyances I noted:
- Lack of power outlets as @24left mentions upthread
- Lack of champagne at the bar, so sadly no mimosas today (a Sunday without bubbles? The horror!)

One observation is that this, like several of the 'newer' MLLs, does not have a self serve bar, but rather a bar and bartender.

I actually like that feel, but also wonder is this is an not so covert attempt to both control alcohol costs and moderate the bad behaviour some have observed at places like the YYZ DOM MLL and other lounges.