Our Guide To The Plaza Premium Lounge In Vancouver (US Departures)

The Plaza Premium lounge in Vancouver Pearson International Airport (YYZ) is one of four such lounges at this location. It's located in the US Departures Concourse and has recently been renovated.

To access the lounge, you’ll need a valid same-day boarding pass from any airline and a paid entry fee, membership, or premium credit card – preferably one from our list of Canada's best lounge access credit cards.

This guide offers details on how to access the lounge, describes the visiting experience, and more.

How to access the US Departures Plaza Premium Lounge in Vancouver

There are 4 Plaza Premium Lounges in Vancouver International Airport: two in the Domestic Concourse and one each in the International and US Transborder Concourse.

Before your flight leaves from the US Transborder Concourse, you can relax in the Plaza Premium Lounge located in Pier E near Gate E88. It’s open every day from 4:45 AM – 9:00 PM PT.

Once you reach the front desk, you’ll need to present a valid, same-day boarding pass issued by any airline and one of the following:

Entry fee

Plaza Premium Lounge fees vary depending on the location, the length of your stay, and age. To access the US Departures lounge in Pier E, you’ll need to pay:

You can save money by taking advantage of deals like:

• 20% off with a Smart Traveller digital membership
• Up to 40% off with a Plaza Premium Lounge Pass Americas, which grants 2 3-hour visits at any lounge in North or South America for $80 USD
• Up to 50% off with a PPL Pass Canada, which grants 5 – 10 3-hour visits to any lounge in Canada for $155 – $295 USD

You can reserve your seat in a lounge up to a year in advance by using the online booking, or book entry for a group of 10 or more at least 1 week in advance. Make sure to bring a printed copy of your booking confirmation email to the lounge to smooth your entry.

Note: PPL Passes are shareable, transferable, and valid for up to 12 months after purchase.

Membership

DragonPass members can access every Plaza Premium Lounge in Canada for free with unlimited or limited complimentary lounge visits. If you’re out of free passes, you’ll need to pay $31 – $35 USD for each 2-hour visit, which saves up to 44% off the admission price.

Priority Pass members can also access every Plaza Premium Lounge in Canada by using the unlimited or limited complimentary lounge access included in their membership. Once out of free passes, lounge access costs $35 USD per 2-hour visit, saving you 38% on regular admission.

Credit cards with Plaza Premium Lounge access

Whether you prefer American Express, Mastercard, or Visa, you have several options for getting access to airport lounges with your credit card.

The easiest method is to flash a card with the Amex Global Lounge Collection, the Mastercard Travel Pass, or the Visa Airport Companion Program. Depending on how many complimentary visits remain on your card, you could get in for free.

Here are the premium credit cards in Canada you can use to get into the Plaza Premium Lounge in the US Departures Concourse 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 USD 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		6 ($32 USD per additional pass)

But even if you don’t get a free visit, cards like the Tangerine Money-Back World Mastercard, MBNA Rewards World Elite Mastercard, and the Rogers Red World Elite Mastercard have their place. All 3 include a free DragonPass membership, which you can use to enter the lounge for $32 USD – $35 USD per guest.

If you need a business credit card, check out The Business Platinum Card from American Express for unlimited access to Plaza Premium lounges, 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 US Departures Plaza Premium Lounge experience in Vancouver

Hours: Monday – Sunday from 4:45 AM – 9:00 PM PT

Location: US Transborder Concourse, Pier E, Level 3, near Gate E88

Maximum stay: 6 hours

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

Amenities:

• Accessible facilities and washrooms
• Complimentary food and drink
• Complimentary house beer, liquor, and wine (9:00 AM – close)
• Fax machine, printer, and photocopier*
• Flight monitors
• Nursing room*
• Premium bar service* (9:00 AM – close)
• Showers*
• Televisions with satellite broadcasts
• Vegetarian and gluten-free dining options available upon request
• Wi-Fi and charging stations

* Available at additional cost.

Atmosphere

Image credit: Plaza Premium Lounge

The Plaza Premium Lounge in the US Departures Concourse seats 132 guests with a newly-renovated layout and décor. The palette of muted blues, greens, and light wood creates a lively and convivial atmosphere – or it could be the fact that this lounge is almost always full.

Because the US pre-clearance zone closes at 9:00 PM, the lounge does too; US travellers on later flights are welcome to use the Plaza Premium Lounge in the International Concourse.

"It's a fairly small lounge and can get very busy at times. Not that it was bad. I heard a full remodelling was done a few years ago, so at least the style is up to date. I spent 90 minutes in the lounge and was lucky to snag a seat at the counter overlooking the arrival hall one level below us and get some work done." – 4-Star Google review by Linus L.

Comfort

Image credit: Plaza Premium Lounge

The lounge’s seating is organized around its pride and joy – an enormous square marble bar. Head past reception and it’ll be the first thing you see, besides a:

• TV room: Look to your immediate left, behind the gold screen, to find a handle of dove grey, leather tub chairs with side tables arranged around a TV on the wall.
• Conversation area: To the left of the bar is a series of tall tables with 3 – 4 seats arranged around them. Behind the frosted glass screens against the wall, you’ll find a few pairs of padded chairs and small gold side tables.
• Bar seating area: The central bar in front of you has about a dozen high-top chairs surrounding 3 of its sides.
• Dining area: Turn right after reception and walk past the bar, food serving area, and the hallway to the washrooms. On the right side of the lounge, you’ll find 10 seats on a long bench, 2 long banquet tables with 8 chairs each, and two green half-booths, each with seating for 6.
• Work area: If you continue past the dining area, you’ll find a counter lining the far wall sporting overhead worklights, electrical outlets, and seating for about 10.
• Window seating area: The far wall of the lounge isn’t really a wall, but a series of floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the arrivals hall. You probably won’t find an outlet, but you can find a seat in a brown leather lounge chair with a side table and people watch.

As you’d expect, the new space and furniture are in spotless condition. Traffic flow around the central bar is good and folks with mobility issues should have room to navigate as long as the lounge isn’t too packed.

"My partner and I had a great experience at this lounge… All employees do a great job and are super diligent with their tasks, from the cleaning personnel to the front desk personnel. Keep up the great work and thank you for your service!" – 5-Star Google review by Roberto L.

Dining

Image credit: Plaza Premium Lounge

Hungry guests will be pleased to find the buffet to the immediate right of the reception desk. The hot foods counter offers 4 large warming trays, 2 soup tureens, and snacks and pastries aplenty. Salad, fruit, cold drinks, and dessert wait in the fridge at the end of the counter, while the alcoholic and non-alcoholic drink stations border the dining area.

Plaza Premium Lounges aren’t known for their culinary offerings, but good customer service makes up for a lot, at least at this location. The staff keep trays full of Asian and Italian cuisine filled and dishes cleared, although the large number of diners occasionally leaves the bar unstaffed.

"Came on a Friday afternoon on a long weekend. Was quite busy, most tables were taken. Food was very average, but if you’re hungry it’s good. Potato salad and potato chips were my fav. Table bussers were super on it, kept trying to take our plates before we were done." – 3-Star Google review by Amy W.

Entertainment

The US Departures Plaza Premium Lounge places greater emphasis on guests entertaining themselves than giving them things to do. There are 9 televisions in the lounge (mostly around the bar) showing news, sports, and flight info, but no magazines or children’s play areas.

You could always make use of the complimentary selection of e-newspapers, but why not strike up a conversation instead?

Rules and restrictions

There’s a short list of DON’Ts to remember while visiting the US Departures Plaza Premium Lounge in Vancouver:

• 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

The admission of pets and service animals is subject to the lounge’s discretion; make sure to call ahead if you’re travelling with a furry friend.

Is the US Departures Plaza Premium Lounge in Vancouver worth it?

The US Departures Plaza Premium Lounge is new, clean, refreshing, and worth a visit, especially if you have a free pass through your lounge membership or credit card. The space and the staff are high quality.

If we have one complaint, it’s that the lounge isn’t open late enough.

"We had a bit of time to enjoy a beverage and meal before our flight in this lounge. We found ample seating. The staff were friendly and hard-working. We had a nice interaction with Dinara. It’s a great start to our travel day!" – 4-Star Google review by Joanne W.

FAQ

Can anyone access the Plaza Premium Lounge?

The Plaza Premium Lounges in Vancouver airport are open to anyone who can present a same-day boarding pass and an entry fee, lounge membership, or premium credit card.

Can you use the Plaza Premium Lounge on arrival?

Plaza Premium Lounges are only available to travellers departing on a flight in 6 hours or less.

Which airlines are using Plaza Premium Lounge?

You can enter every Plaza Premium Lounge in Canada with a same-day boarding pass from any airline, plus an entry fee, lounge membership, or premium credit card.

Is Plaza Premium Lounge free for Amex?

Access to Plaza Premium Lounges is free and unlimited for American Express Platinum and Business Platinum credit cardholders. Scotiabank Amex cardholders can visit for free up to 10 times per year.

Can you shower at Vancouver airport?

There are 7 places to shower at Vancouver airport: the Pier B Plaza Premium and Maple Leaf lounges in the Domestic Concourse; the Cathay Pacific, SkyTeam, and Maple Leaf lounges in the International Concourse; and the Plaza Premium and Maple Leaf lounges in the US Transborder Concourse.