Review: National Bank Lounge at YUL, Montreal-Trudeau International Airport

Here’s how access to the National Bank lounge at Montreal-Trudeau International Airport works, to take advantage of its many benefits.

Relax, watch the planes at the gates, take advantage of free Wi-Fi and eat for free before you start your next getaway!

As its name suggests, this lounge is primarily open to National Bank’s World Elite Mastercard^® cardholders. But holders of a Priority Pass card, a Mastercard or Visa card offering DragonPass, or an American Express Platinum card also have access.

Here’s how to access the National Bank Lounge in detail.

All National Bank’s World Elite Mastercard^® cardholders have free access to the lounge with one guest and two children aged 12 and under.

Through the American Express Canadian Airport Lounges program, all American Express Platinum Card^MD or American Express Platinum Corporate Card^® holders can access the National Bank lounge free of charge, accompanied by their spouse and 2 children under 21.

You can access the National Bank lounge with a Priority Pass card. In this article, we’ve explained the various Priority Pass subscription options, which, let’s face it, are expensive for the occasional traveler.

Fortunately, many credit cards offer access to Priority Pass lounges. The best known are :

• American Express Platinum Card^MD: offers unlimited access to the cardholder AND one guest.
• Business Platinum Card^MD from American Express: offers unlimited access for the cardholder AND one guest.
• Scotiabank Passport™ Visa Infinite* Card: offers 6 free annual accesses to Priority Pass lounges.
• CIBC Aventura^MD Visa Infinite* Card: offers 4 free annual accesses to Priority Pass lounges.

Finally, Mastercard holders with aDragonPass subscription can access the National Bank Lounge by simply presenting their Mastercard credit card.

• BMO Ascend World Elite Mastercard : 4 free DragonPass^®* lounge tickets per year.

The National Bank lounge is located near gate 53 and is reserved for international passengers only.

It is generally open from 4:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. daily.

The National Bank lounge is located in the international zone. This lounge is not open to passengers flying from Montreal airport to Canada or the United States.

To access this area, you must scan your boarding pass. If your flight is in a country other than Canada or the United States, you will be able to enter. If not, you will be refused.

Once inside, the atmosphere of the lounge is calm and hushed. But it can fill up very quickly during busy periods.

The advantage of this lounge is that it has a small room reserved for children with games and small seats. It’s much appreciated!

There are large windows to watch the planes, which is very convenient for aviation enthusiasts.

As for the buffet, it is varied according to the moment and includes hot and cold items. The choice of drinks is limited, but the service is efficient.

My visit to the National Bank lounge at YUL gave me the opportunity to relax and unwind before my flight, while enjoying a drink or a bite to eat. There may be a wait outside the lounge at certain times (e.g. evenings and weekends).

The lounge staff offer excellent customer service.