DragonPass Lounge Access with Visa and Mastercard Products

DragonPass is the underlying provider of lounge access benefits for many Mastercard and Visa products in Canada, through Mastercard Travel Pass and Visa Airport Companion (both powered by DragonPass).

In this guide, we’ll take a deeper look at DragonPass and its relationship with Visa and Mastercard in Canada, by looking at which credit cards give you a membership, how to enrol, and which lounges you can access.

What Is DragonPass?

DragonPass is a Guangzhou-based travel services provider, best known for its lounge memberships. Under its network, it lists 1,300+ lounges and 1,000+ restaurants in 700 airports worldwide. (note that dining benefits may not be included with every credit card-linked membership)

For some time, DragonPass has been the lounge partner of Visa products in certain markets, such as Asia-Pacific and Europe. In Canada, DragonPass became the sole provider of lounge access on Visa and Mastercard products in 2022.

It’s worth noting that Canadian credit card issuers market DragonPass lounge memberships under the Visa Airport Companion Program and Mastercard Travel Pass, which we’ll discuss in detail below.

Separately, Priority Pass is the other major lounge program Canadians will run into, and it’s most commonly offered through premium American Express products, including The Platinum Card^® from American Express and the Scotiabank^® Platinum American Express^®* Card. Priority Pass also advertises a larger global footprint (1,800+ lounges and experiences).

Which Credit Cards Provide Free DragonPass Memberships?

As mentioned, DragonPass is the lounge access provider behind Visa Airport Companion and Mastercard Travel Pass in Canada.

Through these partnerships, select credit cards provide complimentary DragonPass memberships, with the only requirement being that you have one of those credit cards.

Visa

Visa cardholders can access DragonPass memberships through the Visa Airport Companion Program, which is available as an app on the Apple App Store and Google Play.

The Canadian-issued Visa cards that provide the cardholder with a complimentary DragonPass membership, as well as a specific number of free visits each year, are as follows:

• BMO eclipse Visa Infinite Privilege* Card, six complimentary visits
• CIBC Aeroplan^® Visa Infinite Privilege* Card, six complimentary visits
• CIBC Aventura^® Visa Infinite Privilege* Card, six complimentary visits
• CIBC Aventura^® Visa Infinite* Card, four complimentary visits
• CIBC Aventura^® Gold Visa Card, four complimentary visits
• Desjardins Odyssey Visa Infinite Privilege Card, six complimentary visits
• RBC^® Avion Visa Infinite Privilege^†, six complimentary visits
• Scotiabank Passport Visa Infinite Card, six complimentary visits
• Scotiabank Passport Visa Infinite Business Card, six complimentary visits
• TD^® Aeroplan^® Visa Infinite Privilege* Card, six complimentary visits
• Vancity enviro Visa Infinite Privilege Card, six complimentary visits (closed for new applications)
• TD First Class Travel^® Visa Infinite^* Card, four complimentary visits
• RBC^® Avion^® Visa Infinite Business (no complimentary visits)

Visits exceeding the complimentary access are charged $32 (USD) per person. The same fee applies for cards with a pay-per-visit membership.

TD First Class Travel^® Visa Infinite^* Card

Mastercard

Many Canadian-issued World Elite Mastercards come with a complimentary DragonPass membership as a perk. However, even with the free DragonPass membership, you’ll still have to pay $32 (USD) to access the applicable lounges most of the time.

The following Canadian World Elite Mastercards offer a complimentary DragonPass membership. Unless otherwise noted, no free visits are included with the membership.

• Air France KLM World Elite Mastercard
• ATB World Elite Mastercard
• BMO AIR MILES^®† World Elite^®* Business Mastercard^®*
• BMO AIR MILES^®† World Elite^®* Mastercard^®*
• BMO Ascend World Elite Mastercard, four complimentary visits
• BMO CashBack^® World Elite^®* Mastercard^®*
• BMO World Elite Business Mastercard, two complimentary visits
• Brim World Elite Mastercard
• Brim World Mastercard
• Cathay World Elite^® Mastercard^® – powered by Neo
• Desjardins Cash Back World Elite Mastercard
• Desjardins Odyssey World Elite Mastercard
• RBC^® Cash Back Preferred World Elite Mastercard
• Rogers World Elite^® Mastercard^®
• Tangerine World Mastercard
• WestJet RBC^® World Elite Mastercard

As with the Visa cards, visits exceeding the complimentary access allotments are charged $32 (USD) per person. The same fee applies for cards with a pay-per-visit membership.

How to Enroll in DragonPass

Customers eligible for complimentary enrollment with DragonPass from their Visa or Mastercard must first register prior to receiving lounge access.

Visa Airport Companion Program

To activate your DragonPass membership as an eligible Visa cardholder, simply head to the Visa Airport Companion Program website or enroll using the Visa Airport Companion app. The process is fairly quick, and you’ll be given a membership number with immediate access to applicable lounges.

First, you’ll need to enter your card information to confirm your eligibility. If you have an eligible card, you’ll then need to fill in your personal information and create a password. 

Once you’ve successfully registered, you can view your digital DragonPass card on your account dashboard, as well as a tracker indicating how many complimentary lounge visits you have remaining.

Note that you may add more than one membership with a single account. This means that you can switch between memberships from different credit cards and access your free passes from each one.

Mastercard Travel Pass

Similarly, if you need to activate your DragonPass membership as an eligible World Elite Mastercard cardholder, head to the Mastercard Travel Pass website or use the Mastercard Travel Pass app.

On the website, select “Register” and enter in your card information to confirm your eligibility.

Then, enter in your personal information, create a password, and you’re all set! You’ll be given a membership number instantly. 

Like the Visa Airport Companion Program, you can also add more than one membership into Mastercard Travel Pass and switch them to access your free passes on each one.

How to Access DragonPass Lounges

In order to access airport lounges after you’ve enrolled, simply open your Visa Airport Companion or Mastercard Travel Pass app and present your QR code to the lounge’s front desk staff. You won’t be sent a physical card, and you can’t use your credit card to enter, so you must set up your app and QR code beforehand.

If you need to pay for your visit, the credit card attached to the DragonPass membership you’re using will automatically be charged. However, the lounge staff will likely inform you of the fee, or you can ask proactively to be sure.

You’ll also need to show an eligible same-day boarding pass. In many cases, you may present a boarding pass for a flight you’ve arrived on at your arrival airport, but there’s always a chance that you’ll be turned away.

One thing to note is that individual lounges reserve the right to turn away DragonPass members if the lounge is overcrowded. That’s one of the drawbacks to lounge memberships like this – if the program gets too popular, certain lounges might not have enough room to accommodate everybody.

You should also keep in mind that lounges will always prioritize business class or First Class passengers over DragonPass or other lounge memberships. There’s always a chance that you’ll be turned away if you’re trying to enter a few hours before a flight the lounge is contracted to service.

To make the most of your experience, it’s a good idea to plan ahead by checking which lounges are available at your departure airport and confirming if any pre-booking is needed to guarantee access.

Which Lounges Are Accessible via DragonPass in Canada?

In Canada, DragonPass has access to all Plaza Premium Lounges, as well as most independently operated lounges, outlined as follows:

• Toronto Pearson (YYZ): KLM Crowne Lounge (International), Plaza Premium Lounge (Terminal 1, Domestic), Plaza Premium Lounge (Terminal 3, Domestic), Plaza Premium Lounge (Terminal 3, International), Plaza Premium Lounge (Terminal 1, Transborder), Plaza Premium Lounge (Terminal 3, Transborder)
• Toronto Billy Bishop (YTZ): Aspire Lounge/Air Canada Café
• Vancouver (YVR): SkyTeam VIP Lounge (International), Plaza Premium Lounge (Domestic, Pier C), Plaza Premium Lounge (Domestic), Plaza Premium Lounge (International), Plaza Premium Lounge (Transborder)
• Montreal (YUL): National Bank Lounge (International), Air France Lounge and KLM Lounge (International), Aspire Lounge (International), Aspire Lounge (Domestic), Desjardins Odyssey Lounge (Transborder)
• Calgary (YYC): WestJet Elevation Lounge (Domestic/International), Aspire Lounge (International), Aspire Lounge (Transborder)
• Edmonton (YEG): Plaza Premium Lounge (Domestic & International), Plaza Premium Lounge (Transborder)
• Ottawa (YOW): Aspire Salon Lounge (Domestic/International)
• Winnipeg (YWG): Plaza Premium Lounge

Which DragonPass Lounges Are Available Globally?

As mentioned, DragonPass lists a network of 1,300+ lounges in 700 airports worldwide. A list of accredited lounges, as well as location, details on the services provided, and hours of operation for each one, can be found on the Visa Airport Companion or Mastercard Travel Pass app.

Note that restaurants that provide credit in lieu of lounge access are generally not included with DragonPass memberships from credit cards.

Also conspicuously missing from the list are The Club Lounges in the US and Chase Sapphire Lounges, since those are operated by the Collinson Group, the owner of DragonPass rivals Priority Pass and Lounge Key.

Priority Pass generally has a larger global footprint than DragonPass, but the exact lounge list varies by airport and by program.

For example, Priority Pass includes the Blue Sky Premier Lounge in Bali (DPS), which may not show up under some DragonPass-based memberships, depending on the card and program

Conclusion

Airport lounge access is a great perk for travellers, and having it included as part of a credit card’s suite of benefits enhances the overall travel experience.

In Canada, DragonPass is the sole lounge access provider for Visa and Mastercard products. Some come with just a membership, and you have to pay per visit, while others come with a handful of lounge visits each year.

If you have an eligible card, be sure to register for the Visa Airport Companion Program or Mastercard Travel Pass, and then enjoy free food and drinks on your next visit to the airport. It’s also essential to plan ahead—take a look at which lounges are available at your airport, and check if any require a pre-booking to ensure a smooth entry.