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Airport lounges: How do I get to the lounges at Montréal-Trudeau International Airport?

To the point All the information on how to access the lounges at Montreal-Trudeau International Airport

Montreal-Trudeau International Airport has 4 distinct sections:

  1. Domestic Flights (Canada)
  2. International (all international flights EXCEPT USA)
  3. Transborder (to the United States)
  4. Public (before security)

You can see these 4 zones on the diagram below.

The separation is at the border of the green and orange zones. This has an impact on access to the Montreal-Trudeau airport lounges, as travelers cannot walk from one area to another.

Flight to Access to the Lounges only
Canada – Domestic Zone
United States – Transborder zone :
International

 

 

 

Thus, access to the Montreal-Trudeau Airport lounges is divided according to your destination. For example, it is not possible to use the lounges in the International zone when you have a domestic flight in the Domestic zone. Here’s a summary:

salonaeroportmontreal

Domestic zone at Montréal-Trudeau Airport

Yul Domestic Maple Leaf Lounge

In the domestic section (flights to Canada only) of Montréal-Trudeau Airport, there’s onlyone lounge: Air Canada’s Maple Leaf Lounge, located between gates 1 & 3.

plan sheet erable yul domestic

To access this Air Canada Maple Leaf lounge with a credit card, you have several options:

  • The American Express, CIBC Aeroplan and TD Aeroplan cards below offer unlimited access to all Montreal-Trudeau Airport Maple Leaf Lounges. The airline ticket can be an Aeroplan reward or a paid ticket on Air Canada and its Star Alliance partners. In fact, the primary or secondary cardholder may bring a guest to the salon at no charge.

For all other details, please consult our article “How to access the Air Canada Maple Leaf Lounges“.

Card Condition of access Number of annual annual pass
amex aeroplan reserve American Express®* Aeroplan® Reserve Card Your credit card + Airline ticket
Air Canada
Air Canada Rouge
Air Canada Express
or partners
Unlimited access
for the primary or secondary cardholder
Amex Prestige Enterprise American Express® Aeroplan®* Business Reserve Card Your credit card + Airline ticket
Air Canada
Air Canada Rouge
Air Canada Express
or partners
Unlimited access
for the cardholder or secondary cardholder
Td Visa Infinite Priviege Aeroplan New TD® Aeroplan® Visa Infinite Privilege* Credit Card Your credit card + Airline ticket
Air Canada
Air Canada Rouge
Air Canada Express
or partners
Unlimited access
for the cardholder or secondary cardholder
Cibc Visa Infinite Priviege Aeroplan New CIBC® Aeroplan® Visa Infinite Privilege* Card Your credit card + Airline ticket
Air Canada
Air Canada Rouge
Air Canada Express
or partners
Unlimited access
for the cardholder or secondary cardholder

Please note for children: For Aeroplan Elite 50K status, up to 5 of the member’s children under age 24 may enter free of charge. For the rest, children under 2 years old have free access. For 2 years and more, they are considered as a guest, therefore paying.

Transborder Zone

In the transborder section (flights to the United States), there are :

plan sheet erable yul cross-border

Exactly like the Maple Leaf Lounge in the Domestic Zone above, this Air Canada Maple Leaf Lounge in the Transborder Zone can be accessed with the following credit cards:

  • The American Express, CIBC Aeroplan and TD Aeroplan cards below offer unlimited access to all Montreal-Trudeau Airport Maple Leaf Lounges. The airline ticket can be an Aeroplan reward or a paid ticket on Air Canada and its Star Alliance partners. In fact, the primary or secondary cardholder may bring a guest to the salon at no charge.

For all other details, please consult our article “How to access the Air Canada Maple Leaf Lounges“.

Card Condition of access Number of annual annual pass
amex aeroplan reserve American Express®* Aeroplan® Reserve Card Your credit card + Airline ticket
Air Canada
Air Canada Rouge
Air Canada Express
or partners
Unlimited access
for the primary or secondary cardholder
Amex Prestige Enterprise American Express® Aeroplan®* Business Reserve Card Your credit card + Airline ticket
Air Canada
Air Canada Rouge
Air Canada Express
or partners
Unlimited access
for the cardholder or secondary cardholder
Td Visa Infinite Priviege Aeroplan New TD® Aeroplan® Visa Infinite Privilege* Credit Card Your credit card + Airline ticket
Air Canada
Air Canada Rouge
Air Canada Express
or partners
Unlimited access
for the cardholder or secondary cardholder
Cibc Visa Infinite Priviege Aeroplan New CIBC® Aeroplan® Visa Infinite Privilege* Card Your credit card + Airline ticket
Air Canada
Air Canada Rouge
Air Canada Express
or partners
Unlimited access
for the cardholder or secondary cardholder

Please note for children: For Aeroplan Elite 50K status, up to 5 of the member’s children under age 24 may enter free of charge. For the rest, children under 2 years old have free access. For 2 years and more, they are considered as a guest, therefore paying.

In March 2024, a brand-new lounge opened its doors at Montréal-Trudeau International Airport: the Salon Odyssée Desjardins Plaza Premium Lounge!

For the time being, it is available ONLY to holders of certain Desjardins credit cards. Children under 3 years old are admitted free of charge. Beyond this age, they count as access/entry.

Card Condition of access Number of annual annual pass
b10 512 odyssee infinite f The Odyssey Visa Infinite Privilege card Flights
international
12 accesses
per year
b10 512 odyssee world f 1 The Desjardins Odyssey World Elite Mastercard card Flights
international
8 accesses
per year
b10 512 odyssee or f 1b10 desjardins prestige platinum e 1b10 desjardins platinum f 1

The Odyssey Gold Visa card

The Prestige Platinum Card

The Platinum Visa card

Flights
international
50% discount
on the entrance fee ($40)

*Platinum Prestige and Platinum Visa Desjardins cards are no longer available to new subscribers, but some former cardholders may still hold them.

Since it is under the Plaza Premium banner, we expect Plaza Premium members and holders of other credit cards to be able to access it within a few weeks. For example, holders of these credit cards may be able to access them free of charge:

Access to lounges in the International Zone at Montréal-Trudeau Airport

There are 4 airport lounges in the International Zone at Montréal-Trudeau Airport:

Access to the Air France-KLM Lounge at Montreal-Trudeau Airport

Visit this article on the Air France-KLM lounge to find out how to get there. Please note: In this Air FranceKLM lounge, priority entry is given to holders of Air France Business class tickets. Therefore, you may be denied entry if you only want to enter with DragonPass, Priority Pass or Plaza Premium access, even if the lounge is not full.

With a credit card, this ultra-modern airport lounge is accessible with :

Cardholders can enter free of charge, with one guest and up to 2 children under 2 free of charge (from 2+, they have a reduced rate). These cards offer access to the Plaza Premium lounges, of which the Air France-KLM lounge is a member.

new american express platinum card Platinum Card
from American Express
Flights
international
Unlimited access
for the cardholder
& a guest
& 2 children under 2 years old
Business Platinum Card<sup srcset=® from American Express" width="149" height="94"> Platinum Business Card
from American Express
Flights
international
Unlimited access
for the cardholder
& a guest
& 2 children under 2 years old
american express gold rewards card American Express® Gold Rewards Card Flights
international
4 free annual accesses
with the Plaza Premium network in Canada only
CIBC Aventura Visa Infinite front en Aventura CIBC Visa Infinite Flights
international
4 free annual accesses
with the DragonPass network
CIBC Aventura Visa gold front en CIBC Aventura Gold Visa Card Flights
international
4 free annual accesses
with the DragonPass network
Scotiabank Passport™ Visa Infinite* Card Visa Infinite Passport
Scotiabank
Flights
international
6 free annual accesses
with the DragonPass network
BMO Ascend™ World Elite<sup>®</sup>* Mastercard<sup>®</sup>* BMO Ascend® World Elite®*Mastercard®* card Flights
international
4 free annual accesses
with the DragonPass network
visa infinite privilege grdblue1 1400x607 Visa Infinite Privilege card
(CIBC, BMO, Desjardins, RBC, TD…)
Flights
international
6 free annual accesses
with the DragonPass network
scotiabank platinum american express card American Express Platinum Card
Scotiabank
Flights
international
10 free annual accesses
with the DragonPass network

In addition, the DragonPass network will provide access to the show with a World or World Elite Mastercard. Please check your eligibility on the Mastercard Travel Pass website before you go, but you may be required to pay for your admission. The only Mastercard in Canada to offer both a DragonPass subscription AND 4 free accesses is the BMO Ascend World Elite Mastercard®*.

If you don’t have free access but have a subscription to the DragonPass network, you can still enter and pay US$32 for each person. When you exceed the number of free annual accesses, you can still enter an airport lounge, but at a cost of US$32 per person.

Access the Air Canada Maple Leaf Lounge at Montreal-Trudeau Airport

For the Air Canada Maple Leaf Lounge in the International section, the conditions of access with a credit card are identical to those stated above.

Access to the Odyssey Desjardins Lounge at Montréal-Trudeau Airport

The Odyssée Desjardins lounge is located at the end of the International Zone, at Gate 63.

salon odyssee desjardins 1

It is available ONLY to holders of certain Desjardins credit cards. Children under 3 years old are admitted free of charge. Beyond this age, they count as access/entry.

Card Condition of access Number of annual annual pass
b10 512 odyssee infinite f The Odyssey Visa Infinite Privilege card Flights
international
12 accesses
per year
b10 512 odyssee world f 1 The Desjardins Odyssey World Elite Mastercard card Flights
international
8 accesses
per year
b10 512 odyssee or f 1b10 desjardins prestige platinum e 1b10 desjardins platinum f 1

The Odyssey Gold Visa card

The Prestige Platinum Card

The Platinum Visa card

Flights
international
50% discount
on the entrance fee ($40)

*Visa Desjardins Platinum Prestige and Platinum cards are no longer available for new applications, but some former cardholders may still hold them.

You can find some pictures of the Odyssée Desjardins show in this report.

Access to the National Bank Lounge at Montreal-Trudeau Airport

bnc yul lounge

The National Bank Lounge at Montreal-Trudeau Airport can be accessed in many ways with :

Simply present one of these cards, or the QR code of your subscription, to gain direct access to the National Bank Lounge at Montréal-Trudeau Airport:

Card Condition of access Number of annual annual pass
1844 map hr worldelite en World Elite Mastercard
of the National Bank
Flights
international
Unlimited access
for the cardholder
& one guest & 2 children 12 years old and under
new american express platinum card The Platinum Card
from American Express
Flights
international
Unlimited access
for the cardholder
& a guest
& 2 children under 2 years old
Business Platinum Card<sup srcset=® from American Express" width="149" height="94"> The Business Platinum Card
from American Express
Flights
international
Unlimited access
for the cardholder
& a guest
& 2 children under 2 years old
CIBC Aventura Visa Infinite front en Aventura CIBC Visa Infinite Flights
international
4 free annual accesses
with the DragonPass network
CIBC Aventura Visa gold front en CIBC Aventura Gold Visa Card Flights
international
4 free annual accesses
with the DragonPass network
Scotiabank Passport™ Visa Infinite* Card Visa Infinite Passport
Scotiabank
Flights
international
6 free annual accesses
with the DragonPass network
BMO Ascend™ World Elite<sup>®</sup>* Mastercard<sup>®</sup>* BMO Ascend® World Elite®*Mastercard®* card Flights
international
4 free annual accesses
with the DragonPass network
visa infinite privilege grdblue1 1400x607 Visa Infinite Privilege card
(CIBC, BMO, Desjardins, RBC, TD…)
Flights
international
6 free annual accesses
with the DragonPass network
scotiabank platinum american express card American Express Platinum Card
Scotiabank
Flights
international
10 free annual accesses
with the DragonPass network

When you exceed the number of free annual accesses, you can still enter an airport lounge, but at a cost of US$32 per person.

The National Bank lounge at Montreal-Trudeau Airport is a member of the Priority Pass program. Some credit cards in Canada offer free Priority Pass membership and annual access.

Here are the credit cards that offer Priority Pass membership and free access:

Card Condition of access Number of annual annual pass
new american express platinum card The Platinum Card
from American Express
Flights
international
Unlimited access
for Priority Pass cardholder & guest
Business Platinum Card<sup srcset=® from American Express" width="149" height="94"> The Business Platinum Card
from American Express
Flights
international
Unlimited access
for Priority Pass cardholder & guest

So, you may very well have a card that gives you DIRECT access to the National Bank lounge (e.g., the Carte de PlatineMD from American Express for the cardholder, 1 guest and 2 children under 2) but ALSO a Priority Pass membership (in the case of the Carte de PlatineMD from American Express, the Priority Pass account holder and 1 guest have access).

This is a great way to get a “double” card if you are a large family or a group of friends!

Dragonpass Logo

In addition, the DragonPass network will provide access to the show with a World or World Elite Mastercard. Please check your eligibility on the Mastercard Travel Pass website before you go, but you may be required to pay for your admission. The only Mastercard in Canada that offers both a DragonPass subscription AND 4 free accesses is the BMO Ascend World Elite Mastercard®*.

To access this National Bank lounge at Montreal-Trudeau Airport, you’ll need to present your Mastercard credit card. The cost of access to the lounge will be deducted from your BMO Ascend World Elite Mastercard®* account and refunded a few days later. Children under two years old are admitted free of charge. At 2 years and over, they count as one access/entry.

The best VIP and private airport lounge at Montréal-Trudeau airport

Remember: one access = one person entering the lounge. So for a family of four, this will count as four accesses.

One of the questions we get asked the most on our Facebook group is what’s the best airport lounge in Montreal YUL? Many people love the Air France KLM Lounge and the National Bank Lounge.

To be sure of access to a lounge, whatever your destination, the American ExpressMD AeroplanMD* Prestige Card and the American ExpressMD AeroplanMD* Business Prestige Card will be your best allies. They offer access to the Maple Leaf Lounges, located in all 3 sections of the airport (provided you are traveling with Air Canada or one of its Star Alliance partners).

How do I get to the Odyssey Desjardins lounge? Where is the Odyssée Desjardins lounge at Montréal-Trudeau Airport?

To access the Odyssey Desjardins lounge near gate 63, you must have your boarding pass for the day and a Desjardins credit card in good standing:

    • Odyssée Visa Infinite Privilege (12 free accesses per year)
    • Odyssée World Elite MasterCard (8 free accesses per year)
    • Odyssey Visa Gold (50% discount)
    • Platinum Prestige and Platinum (50% discount)

For full details, schedules and photos, please see our special article on the Desjardins Odyssey Lounge.

How can I access a VIP lounge at Montréal-Trudeau Airport?

You need a specific credit card or a subscription to an airport network. See all the ways to access it for free above.

Does my Visa, CIBC or Mastercard World Elite credit card give me access to an airport lounge at YUL?

Only a handful of Canada’s 200 credit cards offer access to this service. Please see the article above for all the easy ways to get there, as it all depends on your boarding area.

 

Does my Business Class ticket give me access to an airport lounge at Montréal-Trudeau?

There’s an excellent chance of that! Look at your ticket to find out, or contact the airline to find out which lounge you’ll be lucky enough to visit.

Come to discuss that topic in our Facebook Group!
Jean-Maximilien
Jean-Maximilien is an expert in Canada and France about Loyalty programs, Credit cards and Travel. He is the Founding President of Milesopedia.

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