Air Canada to Update Maple Leaf Lounges, Expand Cafés

Last week, we learned more details about some of Air Canada’s future plans for its fleet through an article posted on Executive Traveller. In the article, Air Canada’s executives hinted at some upcoming changes to lounges and other aspects of the customer-facing experience, too.

This week, Executive Traveller has published another article, in which there are more details about Air Canada’s future plans for its Maple Leaf Lounges, Signature Suites, and Air Canada Cafés.

Air Canada to Open Four New Lounges

Air Canada has revealed upcoming plans to open new lounges and to renovate and expand some of its existing Maple Leaf Lounges.

One of the most noteworthy parts of the interview is that Air Canada has plans to open four new lounges in the next few years. 

The first lounge, about which there aren’t many details, is set to open in Summer 2023 in Toronto.

According to Mark Nasr, Air Canada’s Executive Vice President of Marketing and Digital, this lounge will follow a new model that hasn’t been used in any of the airline’s current lounges.

In the article, Executive Traveller reports that the lounge will have the following:

• Capacity for up to 133 guests
• A hot and cold buffet
• Grab-and-go options
• A bar
• Meeting rooms

Should this new model be successful, it could be rolled out to other lounges in Air Canada’s network at some point down the line.

In some ways, it sounds quite familiar to what’s offered at the Air Canada Café in Toronto; however, further details of this new lounge are expected in the near future, and we’ll be better able to compare them then.

Next up is a brand-new Air Canada Maple Leaf Lounge in Terminal 2 at San Francisco International Airport. This lounge is set to open in June 2023, and will have room for over 120 guests.

Of note, the new San Francisco lounge will also feature an outdoor space, and is designed in such a way as “to feel uniquely San Francisco”.

The next lounges that are set to open are a rollout of the Air Canada Café concept to Montreal (YUL) and Vancouver (YVR). 

The first new Air Canada Café is set to open in Montreal in 2024, and then another will come to Vancouver in 2025.

Similar to the Air Canada Café in Toronto, the Montreal concept will feature barista-pulled coffee and fresh-pressed juices, as well as a number of lighter grab-and-go meals that can either be consumed in the lounge or onboard. It’s not clear whether or not the Montreal lounge will also feature craft beer, as it does in Toronto.

The Vancouver Air Canada Café is reported to have a new evolution of the concept, and will be designed as more of a “modern café coworking space”. 

Air Canada reports that the Air Canada Café concept has been popular amongst travellers, and it’s great to see it being planned at other major Canadian hubs.

Air Canada to Revamp Existing Lounges

In the interview posted on Executive Traveller, Nasr also alluded to the upcoming expansion and renovation of some of Air Canada’s existing lounges.

First off, Air Canada is adding an average of 30% more seating to the existing domestic Maple Leaf Lounges in Vancouver, Toronto, and Montreal. 

There have already been some reports online about furniture being moved around within the lounges, and new types of furniture being installed that caters to more guests. It’s likely that the parts of the lounges that were previously separate business centres are going to be changed to allow for more capacity.

Any increase in capacity may also help to address some of the crowding issues that travellers have faced in the recent past. Last fall, Air Canada debuted a separate line for Super Elites, which allows them to skip to the front of the line for priority access; however, other passengers are often subjected to queues during peak times at some lounges.

Air Canada is also set to increase the capacity at the Signature Suite in Toronto to allow for more guests. Since access to this lounge is restricted to paid international business class tickets (and Business Class (Flexible) Aeroplan redemptions), this likely signals that there is a strong demand for the premium lounge, and Air Canada is moving to address this.

Aside from these known expansions, Air Canada will also be renovating and expanding other lounges throughout Canada and in key international markets over the next three years or so. The only international lounge mentioned in the article is in London Heathrow; however, it’s likely that other lounges will also see a refresh.

It’s worth noting that Air Canada is expecting to begin taking delivery of its Airbus A321XLR aircraft in 2025, and as part of the rollout, there will be a new design standard reflected both onboard and throughout the ground experience.

It’s likely that lounge renovations will be in keeping with the new design, which will indicate the future direction Air Canada is going with its brand.

Conclusion

Air Canada plans to open four new lounges in the coming years, as well as expand some of its Canadian lounges by an average of 30% in the near future.

The first new lounges are set to open in Toronto and San Francisco this summer, and it will be interesting to see if any new elements are incorporated into their design. From there, the Air Canada Café concept will expand to Montreal and Vancouver in 2024 and 2025, respectively.

As the new lounges open, we’ll be sure to provide reviews, which may shed light on the direction Air Canada’s brand is headed in the coming years.