After clearing U.S. pre-clearance, I made my way to the Air Canada Maple Leaf Lounge in Montréal to wait for my flight to Los Angeles. The lounge is much brighter than the domestic lounge with superb tarmac views but a more limited selection of food than the domestic lounge.
Air Canada Maple Leaf Lounge Montréal (Transborder) Review
Hours + Location + Access Requirements
This lounge is currently open daily from 6:30AM to 6:15PM. It is located in the transborder area near gate 73. If you are coming from U.S. immigration, take a right after entering the departure hall.
Access is reserved for Star Alliance business or first class passengers as well as Star Alliance Gold status holders traveling on a Star Alliance flight. United Club and Maple Leaf Lounge members also have accesss, as do Aeroplan 35K members (which are Star Silver, not Star Gold).
In accordance with Quebec public health regulations, entry into this Maple Leaf Lounge requires a Quebec vaccination passport or proof of full vaccination from your home country/province. However, I was not asked to show my vaccine card upon entering (unlike in the domestic lounge).
As you enter the lounge, take the elevator or stairs up to the second floor where your credentials will be checked.
Seating
The lounge is one large rectangular room with floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the tarmac below. I enjoyed great views of many Air Canada aircraft as well as some more exotic aircraft, like an Air Algerie A330 heading for Algiers.
There are a few easy chairs in the far right side of the lounge.
There’s a small dining area near the food and beverage station.
The lounge never got very crowded during my visit, though filled up more during the 5:00pm hour.
Do note that this lounge does not have sufficient plugs…you’ll have to scope them out.
Food + Drink
Whole fruit, potato chips, coffee, and tea were self-serve…everything else was behind plexiglass. Soft drinks, water, juice, sandwiches, and salads were in a refrigerator. You pointed to what you wanted and it was handed to you. Beer, wine, and spirit requests were accommodated by the same person.
The a la carte menu, called @ la table, was more limited at this lounge than the domestic lounge (not that I was hungry after a huge lunch earlier), with only three selections:
I was glad I ate earlier and missed seeing the salmon leek pie at this lounge. But the sandwich is highly recommended!
Restrooms
This lounge does not have showers, but does have restrooms (that frankly look far past their prime). Soap and hand lotion are from Molton Brown.
Charging
Once agin, I was thankful this lounge had a charging station, which saved me from having to buy a new cord to charge my phone. I have a second set of cables for my travels which always remain in my bag, which made it all the more curious what happened to my iPhone charging cable (mystery solved: I found it in the crib when I got home…).
CONCLUSION
The transborder Air Canada Maple Lounge in Montréal was a comfortable place to wait for my flight to Los Angeles. Quiet and comfortable, it provides a degree of tranquility over the gate area, which I certainly appreciated during my two hour stay.
Not impressive. Sizeable lounge but not really snazzy enough to justify it being a perk for anyone. Food appeared to be lackluster. That said, any US carrier’s lounge would be just as boring, but I expected more from AC. I do wonder where all the class in lounge design went. It should feel exclusive and comfortable and not just be a room of chairs.
It’s a perk since it’s not as crowded at the gate, there are decent food options, and lots of places to sit.
Also since only certain people are allowed to enter, that already makes it somewhat exclusive.
What else did you expect from a MLL, or is this a complaint on all North American lounges in general?
For what it’s worth, I overheard a conversation between the AC employee at the YUL lounge check-in desk and a passenger, and basically once you get through the pre-clearance formality, the transborder terminal section is considered as if you are already in the US. They probably did not check your vaccine card due to the same logic.
Also, the items in the fridge is self-service – you could have just opened the refrigerator door and get the items yourself.
FWIW, from my visit in Nov. 2019, (which I found acceptable) it looks like a bit of a time capsule.
Even if a refurbishment was in the planning, the pandemic gave AC lots of “free time” to execute, but no exactly a pot of $ to pay for it.
Always like a lounge with airside views.
This is a garbage review. This lounge is utter crap, one stall! One stall in the men’s room! The food is also useless, and there are no showers. This lounge is a disgrace
I’m entitled to my opinion and you are entitled to yours.
February 2025: Sunday afternoon: Every (Every!) seat taken in the Maple Leaf Lounge Montreal Transborder.