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Montreal-Trudeau International Airport (YUL) is the main airport in Quebec. Located in Dorval, it welcomes travelers on domestic and international flights 24 hours a day. To make your wait more pleasant before boarding, several airport lounges are accessible at YUL thanks to certain credit cards.
To fully understand the offer, it’s important to know that the Ultimate Guide to YUL Montreal-Trudeau International Airport has four distinct zones. This separation has a direct impact on airport lounge access, as travelers cannot move from one zone to another. Thus, your destination determines which lounges you can use.
Here is a quick summary of the lounges available according to the boarding zone at Montreal-Trudeau airport.
In the domestic flights section (to Canada only), three options are available to travelers: the Air Canada Maple Leaf Lounge, the Air Canada Cafe, and the Aspire AMEX Lounge. All are located near gates 1 and 3.
The Air Canada Cafe is located on the ground floor and the Maple Leaf Lounge is just on the floor above. To access these two spaces, you need a business class ticket, a high Aeroplan Elite status, or a specific Aeroplan credit card. Check for an armchair icon at the top right of your boarding pass QR code.
For more details, see our guide on accessing Air Canada Maple Leaf Lounges. To enter, simply scan your paper or mobile boarding pass at the reception desk or digital kiosks.
The American Express, CIBC Aeroplan, and TD Aeroplan cards below offer unlimited access to all Maple Leaf Lounges and Air Canada Cafes at YUL. The primary or secondary cardholder can bring one guest for free. Beyond that, the cost is $59 per person.
For a complete analysis of Air Canada cafes, read our article on the Inauguration of the Air Canada Cafe at Montreal YUL International Airport.
For members with Aeroplan Elite 50K, 75K, or Super Elite status, up to 5 children under 24 can access the lounge for free when accompanied. Otherwise, children aged 0 to 1 enter for free. From age 2, they count as a guest. Beyond the first guest, the cost rises to $59 per additional child.
Inaugurated in July 2025, this Aspire AMEX lounge is located between gates 1 and 2. It is open daily from 5:00 AM to 9:00 PM. For more details, see our Review: Aspire Amex Lounge Domestic Zone at Montreal-Trudeau (YUL).
This Aspire AMEX airport lounge, inaugurated in July 2025, is located between gates 1 and 2.
It is open daily from 5 AM to 9 PM, and to access it, you must have an airline ticket for a flight within Canada and access to an airport lounge network such as Priority Pass, Visa Airport Companion, or Mastercard Travel Pass.
At all times, American Express cardholders have priority for lounge entry. The best way to get free and unlimited access to the Aspire AMEX lounge in Montreal for you and a guest is to hold one of these cards:
If the lounge has space, you might be able to access it with credit cards and their partnership with Visa Airport Companion, such as:
Children aged 0 to 1 enter for free. From age 2, they are counted as a guest. Beyond the first guest, expect to pay US$35 or more per additional child with an American Express or Priority Pass card. With Mastercard Travel Pass or Visa Airport Companion, each child aged 2 and over uses a free visit (if available) or costs US$32.
For flights to the United States, two lounges are available: the Maple Leaf Lounge near gate 73 and the Odyssey Desjardins Lounge near gate 76.
Access to the cross-border Maple Leaf Lounge follows exactly the same rules as the domestic zone lounge. Indeed, you must have a business class ticket, a high Aeroplan Elite status, or one of the Aeroplan credit cards presented above.
For a detailed overview of this lounge, see our Review: Air Canada Cross-Border Maple Leaf Lounge, YUL.
The cross-border Odyssey Desjardins Lounge is accessible to holders of several Desjardins cards. Additionally, as it is under the DragonPass banner, several Visa, Mastercard, and American Express cards also provide access.
*The Desjardins Odyssey Visa Infinite Privilege and Desjardins Odyssey Visa Platinum cards are no longer available for new applications, but some existing cardholders may still have them.
Several other credit cards also provide access to this lounge via DragonPass:
Children aged 0 to 2 enter free of charge. Between 3 and 11 years old, the cost is $26 per child if you no longer have free access. For those 12 and older, entry increases to $42.
The international zone offers the widest choice of lounges at Montreal-Trudeau. Indeed, five options are available, each with its own access conditions.
Located near gate 52, this lounge follows the same access conditions as the Maple Leaf Lounges in the domestic and transborder zones. You must therefore have a business class ticket, a high Aeroplan Elite status, or one of the Aeroplan cards presented above.
Check for a chair icon in the top right corner of your boarding pass QR code.
The National Bank Lounge at Montreal-Trudeau Airport can be accessed in multiple ways with:
Simply present your National Bank World Elite Mastercard at the entrance or the QR code from your membership (DragonPass, Priority Pass) to directly access the National Bank Lounge at Montreal-Trudeau Airport.
Please note that if the lounge is very busy, priority entry will be given to National Bank World Elite Mastercard holders.
Here are the eligible cards:
Beyond the free entries, you can still enter by paying US$32 per person. Don’t forget to register on the Visa Airport Companion or Mastercard Travel Pass website before your departure to activate your access.
Babies enter free up to and including 1 year old. From 2 years old, you must use a DragonPass or Priority Pass entry from your card. Otherwise, entry for a child aged 2 to 12 costs $40.24 plus taxes, and $63.24 plus taxes for those 13 and older. National Bank clients, however, receive a 25% discount on these rates.
The Montreal Aspire International Lounge at Montreal-Trudeau is open to all travelers with a boarding pass for an international flight (outside Canada and the United States) from any airline, as well as Air Canada Business Class travelers.
It is open to everyone by paying $60 per adult and $40 per child.
But if you have access to an airport lounge network like Priority Pass, Visa Airport Companion, and Mastercard Travel Pass, it can be free!
The best way to get free access to the Aspire Lounge at YUL for you and a guest is to hold one of these cards:
These cards give you unlimited access to Priority Pass network airport lounges (including Aspire airport lounges in the domestic and international zones in Montreal) and the American Express Global Lounge Collection, including Plaza Premium lounges.
It is also possible to access this Aspire lounge with other Visa and Mastercard credit cards through the Visa Airport Companion program as well as Mastercard Travel Pass, with the DragonPass network.
Located near gate 63, the international Odyssey Desjardins Lounge follows the same access conditions as its cross-border version. Children aged 0 to 2 enter for free, those 3 to 11 pay $26, and those 12 and older pay $42.
Available to passengers travelling in business class with Air France-KLM on international flights, you can also enter with certain credit cards available in Canada. According to travelers, the Air France-KLM lounge at YUL is one of the best lounges at the airport.
With a credit card, this very modern airport lounge is accessible with:
Here are the eligible credit cards for entry to the Air France KLM Lounge:
When you exceed the number of free annual entries, you can still enter the lounge but at a cost of US$32 per person.
What’s more, the DragonPass network will give you access to lounge with a World or World Elite Mastercard. Please check your eligibility on the Mastercard Travel Pass website before you leave; you may have the free membership, but you might still need to pay US$32 for your entry. The only Mastercard in Canada to offer both a DragonPass subscription AND 4 free accesses is the BMO Ascend World Elite Mastercard.
Children aged 0 and 1 enter for free. A child with an Air France-KLM business class ticket also enters for free. From age 2, a child will count as a guest with an American Express Platinum card, or as an entry in the DragonPass and Priority Pass networks.
Before settling into a lounge, think about your connectivity. Good news: YUL offers free and unlimited Wi-Fi throughout the terminal. Select the “YUL Wi-Fi” network on your device and accept the terms of use. The connection is generally stable for browsing, reading emails, or watching a video.
In airport lounges, Wi-Fi is also included, often with better speed and a more reliable connection than in public areas, which is convenient if you need to work or make a video call before your flight.
If you’re travelling abroad, also consider the eSIM option to stay connected as soon as you land. We recommend Holafly, which offers unlimited data plans in over 250 destinations. You can buy and install your eSIM before departure, then activate it in seconds upon landing, without having to look for a local SIM card or pay roaming fees.
Discover Holafly eSIMs here and enjoy instant connection abroad.
Remember this: one entry is equivalent to one person entering the lounge. For a family of four, you therefore need four entries. Additionally, a minor child must always be accompanied by an adult to enter, as alcohol is served there.
To ensure you can access a lounge, regardless of your destination, the American Express® Aeroplan®* Reserve Card and the TD® Aeroplan® Visa Infinite Privilege* Credit Card will be your best allies. Indeed, these are the only cards that open the doors to Maple Leaf Lounges in all three airport zones, provided you are traveling with Air Canada or a Star Alliance partner.
To compare all available options, visit our best credit cards page in Canada.
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