Review: Plaza Premium Terminal 3 – International Departures at Toronto Pearson Airport (YYZ)

The Plaza Premium Lounge (International Departures, Terminal 3) at Toronto Pearson International Airport is one of 6 Plaza Premium lounges within the airport.

This Plaza Premium Lounge is located near Gate 32 in the International Departures area of Terminal 3.

To access the lounge, follow the airport signage that leads to a short hallway containing an elevator. Take the elevator up one floor. When exiting the elevator, turn to your right, and you’ll immediately see the lounge entrance and check-in desk.

The Plaza Premium Lounge (International Departures, Terminal 3) is open from 5:30am to 1:00am daily.

The Plaza Premium Lounge (International Depatures, Terminal 3) can be accessed by Priority Pass and DragonPass/Visa Airport Companion members, including travellers who have free lounge passes through their eligible credit cards.

For example, during my visit, I used 2 of the 4 complimentary lounge passes provided to cardholders by the CIBC Aventura^® Visa Infinite* Card for me and my guest. To access the passes, I used the Visa Airport Companion app.

The lounge can also be enjoyed by paying an entrance fee for each guest. The fee is typically $32 USD.

Additionally, when visiting this lounge, keep in mind that half of the space is reserved exclusively for Cathay Pacific business class passengers. The two spaces are separated by subtle partitions and the bar.

The Plaza Premium Lounge (International Departures, Terminal 3) offers visitors a small selection of hot and cold food and drink items, as well as some complimentary beer, wine, and spirits.

During my visit, it was breakfast time, and the food selection included eggs, sausage, beans, potatoes, sliced cheese, sliced ham, a simple salad, breads/bagels, cereals, and fruit.

For drinks, there were coffee machines providing espresso-based drinks, as well as drip coffee, tea, soft drinks, water, and juice.

Alcoholic drinks can be ordered at the bar, with a handful of options offered for free, and others available for a charge.

I visited the Plaza Premium Lounge (International Departures, Terminal 3) between 8:30am and 10:30am, using 2 of the complimentary lounge passes from my CIBC Aventura^® Visa Infinite* Card.

I had pre-booked my entry into the lounge using the Visa Airport Companion app, but the lounge was not very busy when I arrived, so I’m confident I would have been let right in even if I had not made the reservation.

Thanks to the minimal number of guests at the time of my visit, the lounge space was quite open, quiet, and relaxed, and there were many seating options available. That said, I can imagine this space feeling quite hectic when it’s busier, especially because of the low ceilings.

The food and drink selections in the lounge were quite simple and a little lacklustre, but I was still able to put together a sufficient breakfast plate and a coffee to enjoy in front of the large windows.

Overall, the lounge felt a bit dated (staff informed me that the furniture is scheduled to be upgraded soon) and underwhelming, but the location was very convenient for my departure, and I since I was able to enjoy free entry thanks to my complimentary passes, I found it easy to enjoy the positive aspects of the space and experience.

For other lounge options, check out our reviews of the Air France-KLM Lounge (located just across the hall from this Plaza Premium lounge, and for the Air Canada Café in Terminal 1 and the Plaza Premium Lounge (Domestic Departures, Terminal 1).