The Ultimate Guide to Canadian Airport Lounges Access

This guide has been regularly updated since 2015 based on new credit card offers. With the return of travel, not all lounge may be open at this time.

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 granting a LoungeKey membership
4. a credit card with a DragonPass subscription
5. a credit card from the bank managing the lounge
6. an airline-branded credit card giving lounge access

For your information, Priority Pass, LoungeKey and DragonPass are three airport lounge networks and will be the most common methods of accessing airport lounges worldwide.

Here are the 6 methods of accessing 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. There are many credit cards like this in Canada:

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

To access dozens of airport lounges, you will have to present the Priority Pass Card at the lounge 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.

Here are the best credit cards with a Priority Pass membership and annual visits to airport lounges.

This is valid only until June 30, 2022, as Visa and Mastercard have decided to go with the DragonPass network from July 1st 2022. If you have any free Priority Pass lounge visits remaining on your Visa or card , you must use them by June 30, 2022. After that, since Priority Pass lounge access will no longer be offered, it will be lost.

If you travel a few times a year, the Scotiabank Passport™ Visa Infinite* Card is perfect. It offers 6 airport lounge passesper year and is one of the only credit card in Canada with no foreign currency conversion fees.

If you would like ten visits to airport lounges per year, you could apply for to Scotiabank Platinum American Express^® Card, also offering a high point earning rate, especially at the grocery store.

Finally, if you travel more frequently, the investment in the Platinum Card^® from American Express or the Business Platinum Card^® from American Express will quickly pay off. These are the only card in Canada that offer unlimited access for the cardholder and one guest to Priority Pass airport lounge.

Another easy way to access a Canadian airport lounge is to have a credit card that offersLoungeKey membership. These will only be World, World Elite or Muse level Mastercard credit card.

However, Mastercard has decided to go with the DragonPass network and issuers have until June 30, 2022 to make the transition. The LoungeKey network will no longer be available.

In the meantime, to access dozens of airport lounge, you will simply have to present your credit card at the entrance of the lounge.

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

The following is a list of all airport loungein Canada that have access through a Mastercard credit card linked to LoungeKey:

Certain Visa credit card holders will be able to access lounge that are part of the DragonPass network. This partnership is called Visa Airport Companion.

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

The following is a list of all airport lounge in Canada that have credit card access to DragonPass:

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:

Also, the Scotiabank Passport™ Visa Infinite* Card is the only “Infinite” card to offer 6 complimentary visits to airport lounges.

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

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

The only card in Canada that offers both a DragonPass membership 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 are the current welcome offers for some of these cards:

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 annual accesses airport lounge.

Need more visits? The Scotiabank Passport™ Visa Infinite* Card will provide you with 6 annual accesses(including Priority Pass restaurants until June 30, 2022). 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 Montreal-Trudeau, the National Bank’s World Elite Mastercard^® will give you unlimited access to the National Bank Lounge.

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

And if you travel regularly, the Platinum card from American Express or Platinum Corporate 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!