Our Guide To The Plaza Premium Lounge In Edmonton (Transborder)

There are two Plaza Premium Lounges at Edmonton International Airport (YEG), plus one other lounge operated by Air Canada.

Priority Pass and DragonPass members have easy access to this Plaza Premium space. Otherwise, you can pay for access at the front desk – or consider applying for a top-tier lounge credit card and enjoy that same easy access.

It pays to do your research on the best lounge choice before you’re ready to set down your carry-on and relax. The guide below walks you through this lounge’s perks and operating hours and gives an overall review of the Plaza Premium Lounge experience.

How to access the Transborder Plaza Premium Lounge in Edmonton

There are 2 Plaza Premium Lounges in Edmonton International Airport:

• The US Transborder Plaza Premium Lounge (the subject of this article) is located at the end of the Transborder terminal past gate 88 and is open every day from 5:00 AM – 4:30 PM.
• The non-U.S. departures Plaza Premium Lounge is near gate 52 and is open daily from 4:30 AM – 12:00 AM.

When you head to the lounge’s front desk, just show your valid, same-day boarding pass and one of the following:

Entry fee

If you don’t have a membership or lounge access, you can purchase entry at the front desk.

If you don’t want to pay full price, there are a few discount options:

• Save 20% with a Smart Traveller digital membership
• Save up to 33% with a Plaza Premium Lounge Pass Americas, which gives you two 3-hour visits at any lounge in North or South America for $80 USD
• Save up to 50% with a Priority Pass Lounge (PPL) Canada, which gives you five to ten 3-hour visits to any lounge in Canada for $157 – $300 USD

When you’re ready to book your lounge access, make a reservation up to a year in advance using online booking. If you’re booking a group of 10 or more, the lounge requires at least 1 week of advance notice. You may want to show your booking confirmation email when checking in.

Membership

You can access every Plaza Premium Lounge in Canada for free with a DragonPass membership. If you’ve used all of your free passes for the year, it will cost you $31 – $35 USD for each 2-hour visit.

If you’re a Priority Pass member, you can also get Plaza Premium Lounge access with your unlimited or limited complimentary lounge access. Extra or guest passes cost $35 USD per 2-hour visit.

Credit cards with Plaza Premium Lounge access

Before you pay for lounge access out of pocket, check to see if one of your credit cards includes access to an airport lounge. All three major payment networks offer cards with complimentary lounge access (some of them use DragonPass).

These 10 premium credit cards can get you into the Transborder Plaza Premium Lounge in Edmonton for free:

Credit card	Annual fee	Welcome bonus	Free Plaza Premium Lounge visits
American Express Platinum Card	$799	Up to 100,000 bonus points (terms)	Unlimited ($35 per additional guest)
Scotiabank American Express Platinum Card	$399	Up to 60,000 80,000 bonus points (terms)	10 ($35 USD per additional pass)
BMO Ascend World Elite Mastercard	$150	$125 GeniusCash + Up to 90,000 100,000 bonus points, first year free (terms)	4 + 4 ($35 USD per additional pass)
RBC Avion Visa Infinite Privilege	$399	Up to 70,000 bonus points (terms)	6 ($32 USD per additional pass)
TD Aeroplan Visa Infinite Privilege Credit Card	$599	Up to 85,000 bonus points (terms)	6 ($32 USD per additional pass)
Scotiabank Passport Visa Infinite Card	$150	$100 GeniusCash + 35,000 bonus points (terms)	6 ($32 USD per additional pass)
American Express Gold Rewards Card	$250	Up to 60,000 bonus points (terms)	4 (Canadian lounges only, $35 USD per additional pass)
CIBC Aventura Gold Visa Card	$139	Up to 45,000 bonus points, first year annual fee rebate (terms)	4 ($32 USD per additional pass)
CIBC Aventura Visa Infinite Card	$139	Up to 45,000 bonus points, first year annual fee waived† (terms)	4 ($32 USD per additional pass)
Desjardins Odyssey Visa Infinite Privilege	$395	None	6 ($32 USD per additional pass)

Keep in mind that the more luxurious (aka expensive) a credit card with lounge access is, the more free lounge passes it tends to offer. If you think you’ll use all the included passes every year, it might be worth it to spring for a card that comes with unlimited lounge access.

Don’t use lounges all that often? A card that includes a free DragonPass membership might be the way to go. For instance, if you have the Tangerine Money-Back World Mastercard, MBNA Rewards World Elite Mastercard, or the Rogers Red World Elite Mastercard, you can enter the lounge as needed for a US$32 – $35 entry fee.

Business credit cards offer lounge access, too. Take a look at The Business Platinum Card from American Express for unlimited access, the Scotiabank Passport Visa Infinite Business Card for 6 annual free visits, or the BMO Ascend World Elite Business Mastercard for 2 annual free visits.

The Transborder Plaza Premium Lounge experience

Hours: Daily from 5:00 AM – 4:30 PM ET

Location: At the end of the Transborder terminal past gate 88

Maximum stay: 6 hours

Payment forms accepted: Alipay, American Express, Mastercard, PayPal, WeChat Pay, Visa

Amenities:

• Accessible facilities and washrooms
• Baby-changing stations
• Food available with vegetarian and gluten-free options
• Complimentary coffee, tea, soda, and select alcoholic beverages
• Premium drinks*
• Flight monitors
• Computer station
• Televisions
• Wi-Fi and charging stations
• Printing and photocopying*

* Available at additional cost

Atmosphere

The Plaza Premium Lounge is a 2-level lounge with floor-to-ceiling windows. All this natural light fills the 2,500 sq. ft. lounge, which offers lounge chairs and high-top table seating. Up to 75 guests can unwind here before catching their flights.

"This lounge is great – plenty of space, and welcomes most reward programs where airline dedicated ones will not accept you. I love their food options and no shortage of items. It took them a while to check in (almost 10 minutes) but not many were really in the line. Also housekeeping can be better as most tables and lounging areas were dirty with crumbs and food around the seats. This was at 8:30am in the morning." —EJS, 4-star Google review

Comfort

When you access the lounge from the upper or lower level, you’ll see it forms a long, narrow rectangle. Seating lines the wall and faces the windows overlooking the airplane terminals, and lounge chairs are clustered directly along the window. Upstairs seating offers high-top tables and places to eat or work.

Reviews were mixed about the cleanliness of the lounge, with some reviewers appreciating the cleanliness and others pointing out wear and tear.

"Great place to hang out if you don’t want to deal with people in the airport and provided somewhat private space. The food is ok. Coffee is ok. I definitely have been to nicer lounges than this one. But it does the job." —Kingstoon, 3-star Google review

Dining

The Plaza Premium Lounge food offerings seem to be fairly standard – expect a continental-style breakfast and a few hot entrees for lunch or early dinner. In addition to hot dishes like curry, rice, and chicken, the lounge provides soup. Several reviewers, however, noted that it tastes like soup out of a can.

Overall, the lounge’s food quality is average. Travellers not expecting much were appreciative of getting something to eat, while those who had paid for lounge access were frustrated with the lack of options and the low quality.

"This lounge has progressively gotten worse in the last several months. It’s clear that there are cost-cutting measures are fully in place. The food is lower grade than a middle school cafeteria. The hot plates look incredibly questionable … especially before a flight. No cheese, crackers, chips …you expect these as basics. And to cap it off…beer served in a tumbler since they don’t even have beer glasses. Just awful." —Al, 2-star Google review

Entertainment

Televisions are available to watch throughout the lounge and bar area. You can use free Wi-Fi and easily charge your devices during your visit. The lounge also sets out newspapers and magazines for you to peruse.

Rules

The Plaza Premium Lounge in Edmonton advises guests to remember the following rules:

• DON’T bring outside food or beverages
• DON’T carry food or beverages outside
• DON’T dress inappropriately
• DON’T leave minors unattended
• DON’T smoke
• DON’T watch videos or listen to music without a pair of headphones

It’s up to the lounge’s discretion whether or not to admit pets. If you’re travelling with one, call ahead to see if you can bring them in – and remember that they’ll likely need to remain inside their carrier.

Is the Transborder Plaza Premium Lounge in Edmonton worth it?

If you have a free pass and need to unwind in a comfortable spot for an hour or two, you’ll probably be pleased with the Plaza Premium Lounge. Guests don’t typically have trouble finding seats and the lighting in the lounge is inviting.

That said, travellers hoping for a nice dining or drinks experience will be disappointed. At best, you’ll get a hot meal – but it won’t be anything to write home about. Many reviewers expected more food selections and better quality, with a few noting they would rather eat at a restaurant in the general concourse.

"Overall, my experience at the Edmonton Airport Lounge was disappointing, to say the least. With so many other airports investing in modern and comfortable lounges, it's surprising that this one has fallen so far behind. Until significant improvements are made, I would not recommend spending your time or money here." —T. Nguyen, 1-star Google review

FAQ

Can anyone access the Plaza Premium Lounge?

Plaza Premium Lounge prides itself on being inclusive – offering its lounge services to travellers using any airline. You get lounge access by paying an entry fee, holding a lounge membership, or having a credit card that gets you in (free or for a reduced fee).

What airport lounges does Edmonton airport have?

Edmonton International Airport has 2 Plaza Premium Lounges (1 for U.S. departures and 1 for non-U.S. departures) and a Maple Leaf Lounge operated by Air Canada.

How much does a lounge visit cost?

The price of a lounge visit depends on how long you’d like to stay and whether or not you have access through a credit card. If you’re purchasing a lounge visit from Plaza Premium’s website, expect to pay between $55 and $88 CAD for 1 adult.

Is Plaza Premium Lounge included in Priority Pass?

Yes, Priority Pass members get unlimited or limited complimentary lounge access. If you’ve already used your passes for the year, you can buy a 2-hour pass for $35 USD.