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After a successful redemption of Air Canada’s eUpgrades between YYC and YVR, I got access to the Calgary Maple Leaf Lounge. This was my first time visiting a Calgary lounge and was pleased with the offering.

Here is my full takeaway and Calgary Maple Leaf Lounge review.

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Covid Disclaimer

Note, my experience in the Calgary Maple Leaf lounge was during the pandemic. As such, services were somewhat limited. That said, Air Canada has done an incredible job making travel comfortable in a time of uncertainty. As always, please adhere to local and international travel restrictions and follow safety protocols in place.

CleanCare+: How Air Canada is Navigating Opening its Lounges During the Pandemic.

Where is the Calgary Maple Leaf Lounge Located?

The Calgary Maple Leaf lounge is located in Concourse C (domestic) of the Calgary International Airport. It’s the only Air Canada lounge at YYC so easy to find. At the time of posting this, the lounge is open from 05:15 – 19:00. For the latest hours and Covid restrictions please check out the Maple Leaf lounge website.

How Are the Calgary Maple Leaf Lounge Service & Amenities?

I was fully expecting the Calgary Maple Leaf lounge to be a carbon copy of the domestic lounges at Vancouver (YVR) and Toronto Pearson (YYZ). Upon entering I immediately found this is not the case.

Service

For starters, the decor is very nice – western classy if that is even a thing. Second, after passing the curving art wall of an entrance you are greeted by a full bar with a bartender. This is more in line with Air Canada’s international lounge at YVR. This is certainly a nice touch and beats the offerings at YVR’s domestic terminal hands down. Across from the bar is a full-service kitchen. This, however, was limited to take away items due to the pandemic.

As I have found in all Maple Leafe Lounges, the service is tops. Staff at the Calgary Maple Leaf Lounge are attentive and friendly. I experienced this through the table service and ordering drinks from the bar.

Amenities

On top of its decor, the Air Canada lounge at YYC stands out for its cellphone free area, fast WiFi, and family-style couch seats in front of the TV areas.

Speaking of couches, the Calgary Maple Leaf Lounge has plenty of seating options for its visitors. From plush benches to work-friendly desks and tables, there is no shortage of ways to relax preflight or get some work done. Although my preference is always a view of the tarmac, the lounge was very busy on my visit and these seats were all taken. I settled for a comfy chair a row back.

What is the Calgary Maple Leaf Lounge Food & Drink Like?

As mentioned above, the Calgary Maple Leaf Lounge features both a full bar and a kitchen with a grilling station. Although the grill was shut, the area was used as the takeaway area with the standard wraps, salads, chips, and drinks. On the positive, the bar was open.

Like other Maple Leaf Lounges, there is a dedicated coffee machine area serving up mediocre espresso and drip coffee. What is not like the other lounges is the propper espresso machine behind the bar. Extra points here for sure!

I grabbed a preflight Guinness and perused the online menu for a bite or two to eat. Since the pandemic, Air Canada shifted to meal delivery to guest seats utilizing a nifty QR code at your table. Menu items always feature a prominent Canadian guest chef and have been very good so far. This visit included a delicious mushroom soup by Chef David Hawksworth (of Hawksworth Restaurant) and a Buffalo Chicken Springroll. The latter I was sceptical about but ended up ordering seconds…so there’s that.

Note: As per my post on CleanCare+ in the Maple Leaf Lounges, meal service may be the norm going forward to reduce touchpoints.

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Conclusion

Overall I was very happy with the experience and service at the Maple Leaf Lounge in Calgary. It’s almost a hybrid of the domestic and international offerings at other major airports in Canada. With it being the only Maple Leaf lounge at YYC, this makes sense.

Either way, the added bar and kitchen makes for a great visit and excellent value if using your eUpgrade credits or Maple Leaf Lounge vouchers that come with premium Aeroplan credit cards.

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