The Ultimate Guide to Canadian Airport Lounges Access

This guide has been updated regularly since 2015 with new credit card offers.

There are several ways to access an airport lounge with Canadian credit cards.

This will be with:

1. a credit card partner of many airport lounge networks
2. a credit card granting a Priority Pass membership
3. a credit card with a DragonPass subscription
4. a credit card from the bank managing the lounge
5. an airline-branded credit card giving lounge access

Priority Pass and DragonPass are two of the most popular airport lounge networks for access to airport lounges worldwide.

A single lounge can be accessed in several ways. For example, the National Bank lounge at Montreal-Trudeau airport is accessible :

• by holding a National Bank World Elite Mastercard
• or through the DragonPass network
• or through the Priority Pass network

Here are the 5 ways to access airport lounges, and a list of accessible lounges at major Canadian airports.

The other easy way to access a Canadian airport lounge is to hold a credit card with a Priority Pass membership.

• some will offer unlimited access
• others will offer some annual visits

To gain access to dozens of airport lounges, simply present your Priority Pass membership card at the entrance.

Here is a list of all airport lounges in Canada you can access with a Priority Pass membership:

*American Express Platinum card do not offer Priority Pass restaurant access.

Previously, Visa and Mastercard were linked to this network. But since June 30, 2022, Visa and Mastercard have decided to go with the DragonPass network from July 1, 2022. These Priority Passes have been transformed into access via the DragonPass network.

So, only American Express cards offer Priority Pass membership.

If you’d like 10 free accesses to Priority Pass airport lounges per year, you may want to apply for the Scotiabank Platinum American Express^® Card, which offers an excellent accumulation rate, including groceries.

Also, enjoy free access to Priority Pass lounges if you travel frequently. With the Platinum Card^MD from American Express or the Business Platinum Card^MD from American Express, their annual fees will quickly pay for themselves. These are the only card in Canada that offer unlimited access for the cardholder and one guest to Priority Pass airport lounge.

**LoungeKey is no longer available since July 2022. We leave this section for the archives.

Another method of accessing a Canadian airport lounge was to have a credit card that offers LoungeKey membership, such as World, World Elite or Muse level Mastercard credit cards.

However, as of June 30, 2022, Mastercard has decided to go with the DragonPass network, so the LoungeKey network is no longer available for free through credit cards in Canada.

Note that LoungeKey members no longer have access to Plaza Premium lounge as of July 1, 2021.

Specific Visa and Mastercard credit card holders have access to lounges that are part of the DragonPass network.

To access these airport lounges, you will first need to register the eligible card to obtain the membership:

• for Visa cards: Visa Airport Companion
• for Mastercard cards: Mastercard Travel Pass

Then, simply present the credit card or QR code from your DragonPass membership card at the entrance to the show.

The following is a list of all airport lounges in Canada with DragonPass credit card access:

Visa and DragonPass offer a travel benefit to holders of specific Visa credit cards. This partnership is called Visa Airport Companion.

In Canada, 8 Visa Infinite Privilege credit cards offer 6 complimentary visits to airport lounges:

• BMO eclipse Visa Infinite Privilege* Card
• TD^® Aeroplan^® Visa Infinite Privilege* Credit Card
• CIBC^® Aeroplan^® Visa Infinite Privilege* Card
• CIBC Aventura^® Visa Infinite Privilege* Card
• RBC^® Avion^® Visa Infinite Privilege* Card
• RBC^® Avion^® Visa Infinite Privilege* for Private Banking
• Desjardins Odyssey^® Visa Infinite Privilege* Card
• Vancity enviro™ Visa Infinite Privilege* card

Here are the current welcome offers for some of these cards:

Then, the following cards also offer free access to the DragonPass network lounges. Free access is renewed on every anniversary of the card membership:

• Scotiabank Passport™ Visa Infinite* Card: 6 annual accesses

Finally, two CIBC Visa “Infinite” cards offer 4 complimentary visits to airport lounges:

• CIBC Aventura^® Gold Visa* Card
• CIBC Aventura^® Visa Infinite* Card

Mastercard and DragonPass offer a travel benefit to holders of certain Mastercard credit cards. The partnership is called Mastercard Travel Pass.

The only Mastercard in Canada to offer both a DragonPass subscription AND 4 free accesses is the BMO Ascend World Elite Mastercard^®*.

Other World and World Elite Mastercard credit cards offer subscription, but access remains paid.

Here is the current welcome offer for this card:

Another less common method of accessing a Canadian airport lounge is to hold a credit card from a bank managing the airport lounge.

In Canada, two financial institutions are managing an airport lounge: National Bank of Canada and Desjardins.

To access these airport lounges, you will have to present the credit card at the lounge entrance.

Finally, you can access Air Canada’s Maple Leaf lounges with a credit card from the airline’s loyalty program.

In Canada, three financial institutions are partners with Air Canada: American Express, CIBC and TD.

To access these airport lounges, you will have to present the credit card at the lounge entrance.

There are many ways to access Canadian airport lounges.

You could start accessing them for free with the BMO Ascend World Elite Mastercard, which offers 4 free annual accesses to airport lounges.

Need more visits? The Scotiabank Passport™ Visa Infinite* Card will give you 6 free annual accesses. Plus, you’ll save money on your foreign currency transactions because this card doesn’t charge any conversion fees!

Or if you regularly travel internationally from Montréal-Trudeau, the National Bank World Elite Mastercard^® will give you unlimited access to the National Bank Lounge.

Finally, if you’re a frequent Air Canada traveler, the American Express^MD Aeroplan^MD* Reserve Card and the American Express^MD Aeroplan^MD* Business Reserve Card will open all the doors to Air Canada’s Maple Leaf lounges in North America.

And if you travel regularly, the Platinum Card^MD from American Express or Business Platinum Card^MD from American Express are perfect. They will give you unlimited access – with the person of your choice – to more than 20 airport lounges in Canada and more than 1,300 around the world!

These are the five cards we recommend, depending on your needs.