Vancouver airport lounges: Plaza Premium or Air Canada?
Vancouver airport lounges: Plaza Premium or Air Canada?

Vancouver airport lounges: Plaza Premium or Air Canada?

In Vancouver, most of the offering carries the Plaza Premium name, with several lounges accessible mainly through Priority Pass, DragonPass or a card like the American Express Platinum. Air Canada instead follows a status-based ladder, from the Signature Suite reserved for the highest fares down to the Maple Leaf Lounges in each terminal; the SkyTeam lounge and the Cathay Pacific one stand apart.
Anyone with Priority Pass, DragonPass or a card like the American Express Platinum finds more open doors in Vancouver than they'll ever need: the Plaza Premium group runs separate lounges in the international zone, in the transborder area past US preclearance, and in two spots of the domestic area. Only the international location has a shower, at a separate cost; the others mainly cover anyone looking for a place to sit and eat before the flight. The Plaza Premium First is different, still in the international zone but with no cards included: entry is paid-only, in exchange for live cooking stations, a family area and a larger capacity than the group's other lounges.
Which lounge to choose
Lounge Where Hours Priority Pass Paid entry Showers
Plaza Premium Lounge Domestic · Domestic flights 06:45-20:30 Yes 68 CAD —
Plaza Premium Lounge Domestic · Domestic flights 05:00-22:00 Yes 68 CAD —
Plaza Premium First International · International flights Sun-Fri 07:30-01:30, Sat 06:30-01:30 No 94 CAD Yes
Plaza Premium Lounge International · International flights Mon-Fri 08:30-00:00, Sat-Sun 06:30-00:00 Yes 68 CAD Yes
Plaza Premium Lounge US Transborder 04:45-21:00 Yes 68 CAD —
Air Canada Maple Leaf Lounge Domestic · Domestic flights 04:30-23:00 No — —
Air Canada Maple Leaf Lounge International · International flights 06:00-23:30 No — —
Air Canada Signature Suite International · International flights 08:45-00:00 No — —
Cathay Pacific Lounge International · International flights — No — Yes
SkyTeam Lounge International · International flights Open 24 hours Yes — Yes
Air Canada Maple Leaf Lounge US Transborder 06:30-20:00 No — —
Independent Domestic · Domestic flights Priority Pass
Plaza Premium Lounge

Level 3, Pier C, near gate C29

It shares Pier C with Air Canada's domestic Maple Leaf Lounge, just steps from gate C29.

Hours
06:45-20:30

Admission with Priority Pass, DragonPass and American Express Platinum; paid access from $68 CAD. No shower at this location.

Independent Domestic · Domestic flights Priority Pass
Plaza Premium Lounge

Level 3, between gates A and B, near gate B15

It's the earliest-opening of the two Plaza Premium lounges in the domestic terminal, already open at 5am.

Hours
05:00-22:00

Admission with Priority Pass, DragonPass and American Express Platinum; paid access from $68 CAD. No shower at this location.

Independent International · International flights
Plaza Premium First

Departures level 3, Pier D, between gates D67 and D68

North America's first Plaza Premium First lounge, with capacity for up to 115 people, live cooking stations with a seasonal menu, a family area with board games and a nursing room.

Hours
Sun-Fri 07:30-01:30, Sat 06:30-01:30

No membership or included cards: entry is paid-only, from $94 CAD for 3 hours. Open to all international passengers except those departing for the United States.

  • Showers
  • Hot food
  • Bar
  • Children's area
Independent International · International flights Priority Pass
Plaza Premium Lounge

Departures level 3, Pier D, near gate D67

It's the only one of Vancouver's four standard Plaza Premium Lounges with a shower available, at a separate cost.

Hours
Mon-Fri 08:30-00:00, Sat-Sun 06:30-00:00
Paid entry
from 68 CAD

Admission with Priority Pass, DragonPass and American Express Platinum (3 hours); paid access from $56 CAD for 2 hours to $89 CAD for 6 hours. Showers at an extra cost ($70 CAD for 3 hours, $110 CAD for 6 hours).

  • Showers
  • Hot food
Independent US Transborder Priority Pass
Plaza Premium Lounge

After US preclearance, Pier E, near gate E87

It serves only flights already cleared for the United States, so it remains out of reach for anyone departing to other destinations.

Hours
04:45-21:00

Admission with Priority Pass, DragonPass and American Express Platinum; paid access from $68 CAD. No shower at this location.

  • Hot food
Airline Domestic · Domestic flights
Air Canada Maple Leaf Lounge

Near gate 29

Recognisable by its entrance with a mountain-inspired facade, it offers QR-code table service alongside the buffet and one of the best runway views among Vancouver's lounges.

Hours
04:30-23:00

Admission for Air Canada business/first class passengers on the Star Alliance network, Star Alliance Gold members, Maple Leaf Club members and Aeroplan 35K+ members; also accessible up to 3 hours before departure with a pass purchased at booking.

  • Hot food
  • Bar
Airline International · International flights
Air Canada Maple Leaf Lounge

Near gate 52

Opening hours change every day of the week, depending on the intercontinental flights departing from gate 52.

Hours
06:00-23:30

Admission for Air Canada business/first class passengers on the Star Alliance network, Star Alliance Gold members, Maple Leaf Club members and Aeroplan 35K+ members, up to 3 hours before departure.

Airline International · International flights
Air Canada Signature Suite

Above the international Maple Leaf Lounge, near gate 52

Located above the international Maple Leaf Lounge, it shares a closing time with it that changes depending on the day of the week; admission remains reserved for the highest intercontinental business fares and for Emirates First passengers with one guest.

Hours
08:45-00:00

Reserved for those flying Air Canada business on an intercontinental route (Europe, Asia, South America) with a revenue fare or a flexible Aeroplan reward in business or first class, and for Emirates First passengers (with one guest); admission within 3 hours of departure.

Airline International · International flights
Cathay Pacific Lounge

Pier D, above gate 67

It opens only to coincide with Cathay Pacific's few weekly flights and offers the same noodle bar that has made Cathay lounges famous around the world.

Admission for Cathay Pacific and oneworld First and Business passengers, Marco Polo Club members (Diamond, Gold, Silver) and oneworld Emerald or Sapphire members. Since Qantas moved to Cathay Pacific's management in Vancouver, it also serves eligible Qantas passengers.

  • Showers
  • Hot food
Alliance International · International flights Priority Pass
SkyTeam Lounge

West wing of Concourse D, near gate 53, opposite the Cathay Pacific Lounge

Renovated across 528 square metres and reopened in June 2025, it has floor-to-ceiling windows with views of both the runway and the mountains and a self-service bar with wines and craft beers from the Pacific Northwest; it stays open 24 hours a day.

Hours
Open 24 hours

Admission for SkyTeam Elite Plus members and first/business class passengers of the eight SkyTeam airlines operating in Vancouver; it also accepts Priority Pass, with a maximum stay of 3 hours.

  • Showers
  • Hot food
  • Bar
Airline US Transborder
Air Canada Maple Leaf Lounge

Near gates 84-85

It serves only those departing for the United States and stays less crowded than Air Canada's other lounges even at peak hours; floor-to-ceiling windows look out onto the runway.

Hours
06:30-20:00

Admission for Air Canada business/first class passengers on the Star Alliance network, Star Alliance Gold members, Maple Leaf Club members and Aeroplan 35K+ members.

  • Bar
Air Canada organises its lounges by fare tier: the Signature Suite, above the international Maple Leaf Lounge, remains reserved for those flying business on intercontinental routes with the highest fare, or for Emirates First passengers with one guest; the international Maple Leaf Lounge instead has hours that change every day of the week depending on departing flights; the ones in the domestic terminal and the transborder area are simpler to reach for anyone with just Star Alliance Gold status or Maple Leaf Club membership. The SkyTeam lounge, recently renovated, is the only one that stays open 24 hours a day and is a good choice for anyone with a dawn flight or arriving late at night. The Cathay Pacific lounge, finally, opens only to coincide with the airline's few weekly flights, so it's worth checking the flight schedule rather than the lounge's hours. Anyone needing to choose quickly, in short, should look first at what they're carrying and only then at the terminal: Plaza Premium covers almost every zone, Air Canada rewards status, and SkyTeam remains the only certainty at any hour.
In Vancouver, the right lounge depends on what you have on hand more than on which airline you're flying: with Priority Pass, DragonPass or a card like the Amex Platinum, the Plaza Premium lounges cover almost every zone of the airport, with the exception of the shower, only available at the international location. Anyone flying Air Canada business on intercontinental routes finds more in the Signature Suite than in the standard Maple Leaf Lounges. For a night or dawn flight, the SkyTeam lounge remains the only one always open, while anyone flying Cathay Pacific simply has to work around the schedule, not too frequent, of its flights.
Vancouver lounges Plaza Premium Air Canada Signature Suite SkyTeam Lounge Cathay Pacific Lounge

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