Having access to an airport lounge is always more pleasant than waiting at the gate and Air Canada’s Maple Leaf Club aims to bridge the gap.
The Maple Leaf Club is another of those little quirks in the frequent flyer universe which you probably don’t know about. Importantly, with the highest tier of membership most of the time you do not have to be flying Air Canada to use it. Any Star Alliance carrier will do.
The goal of the membership is to bridge the gap between having elite status and flying frequently in economy (or else the costs in applying do not make sense).
This article delves deeper and explains everything you need to know about accessing Air Canada’s network of Maple Leaf lounges.
Air Canada’s Maple Leaf Club Membership Types
There are three types of memberships that you can select
- CANADA – you’ll enjoy access to 18 lounges in the select cities in Canada and Air Canada’s Priority Check-in
CA$375 - NORTH AMERICA PLUS – you’ll enjoy access to over 60 lounges in Canada, the U.S. and Europe and Air Canada’s Priority Check-in – generally speaking, this includes Unites Airlines’ North American lounges
CA$495 - WORLDWIDE – You’ll enjoy access to more than 230 lounges around the world and Air Canada’s Priority Check-in – in general, you can access most Star Alliance lounges including Lufthansa, Asiana, Air India, Thai and Singapore Airlines to name a few
CA$665
As with all membership types, you can get a reduced second account for your partner at a reduced rate (when bought together)
Other Methods of Access
Priority Pass
According to The Points Guy – Air Canada and Priority pass ended their relationship back in 2018, it would seem, if you have a Priority Pass account, you can look at moving to a Lufthansa Lounge instead.
Elite Status
If by chance you have Elite Status, ie Air Canada Aeroplan 35k and above will have some form of lounge access along with the Star Alliance Gold membership tiers lounge access benefit.
Redeeming Aeroplan Miles
Should you wish, you are also eligible to redeem Aeroplan Miles for Maple Leaf Club Membership
For the Worldwide card, it costs:
- 72,000 miles for a standard membership
- 105,000 miles for a standard membership for you and your partner
Day Passes
If you are not ready to commit to an annual membership, day passes are available for purchase if you are a Latitude, Comfort or Flex ticket holder for $25/$40/$50 CAD respectively. This must be purchased when you book your ticket or at any time up until you check in for your flight by using the My Bookings link on their site.
One-Time Guest Pass
- Aeroplan Members with an eligible Aeroplan credit card are entitled to receive one Maple Leaf Lounge One-Time Guest Pass for every $10,000 in eligible purchases with a branded credit card.
- Alternatively, All levels of Aeroplan elite status include the opportunity to earn one-time guest passes. Aeroplan 25K elites can select guest passes as their “Select Benefits,” while all other status levels include them as Core Benefits.
All earned Guest Passes will be deposited in the Aeroplan account between 14-45 days following the card account year. Each Guest Pass will expire twelve months from the date of issuance.
One Guest Pass may be used for single admittance by the primary cardholder or eligible secondary cardholder or any guest(s) accompanying any of them to access an eligible Maple Leaf Lounge, along with a same-day, confirmed ticket on a flight operated by Air Canada, Air Canada Rouge or under the Air Canada Express brand.
Eligible Maple Leaf Lounges are limited to those Maple Leaf Lounges located in Canada and in the United States only (which isn’t the best) and exclude International Maple Leaf Lounges located in the international departure zones of Canadian airports. Access also excludes Air Canada Signature Suites and lounges operated by third parties, such as the Star Alliance member airlines.
Access
For Air Canada, Maple Leaf Club Membership gets you into
- Air Canada Maple Leaf Lounges (with some exceptions if you are gaining access using a One-Time guest pass)
- Maple Leaf Lounge Express at Toronto Pearson International Airport
- Air Canada Café at Toronto Pearson International Airport
- Contract lounges are restricted to Air Canada same-day ticket holders.
A full list of lounge locations can be found on Air Canada’s Maple Leaf Club website
Limitations
There are some places where having Air Canada’s Maple Leaf Club membership doesn’t get you in.
- Notably, Air Canada also operates Signature Suites in Toronto and Vancouver, but those are reserved exclusively for paying and higher-rate signature redemption passengers on long-haul routes.
- Airline Arrivals Lounges.
Air Canada’s Maple Leaf Club Guest Policy
As with all things, the guest passes are a bit complicated. Assuming you have a North America Plus membership
You can also invite guests to join you in any North American Air Canada Maple Leaf Lounge for a nominal fee per visit:
- CA$20.00/person before 11 a.m.
- CA$30.00/person after 11 a.m.
You may also invite guests to
- Paris-Charles-de-Gaulle and Frankfurt Air Canada Maple Leaf Lounges for a nominal fee of €25.00
- London Heathrow Maple Leaf Lounge for a nominal fee of £25.00
Guests can only be invited to Air Canada Maple Leaf Lounges and are not permitted in any other lounges. You and your guests must each have a confirmed same-day departing revenue ticket on an Air Canada, Air Canada Express or Star Alliance carrier-operated flight.
Worldwide Membership
You are entitled to bring in one complimentary guest in any of these lounges. You can also invite additional guests² to join you in any North American Air Canada Maple Leaf Lounge for a nominal fee per visit.
