Air Canada Introduces Three-Hour Time Limit at Lounges

Through an email sent to Aeroplan members, Air Canada has announced that it will introduce a three-hour time limit for some lounge visits. As of June 13, 2023, passengers will be able to access Air Canada’s lounges within three hours of their scheduled departure time.

This move is meant to address some of the crowding issues that have affected the airline’s lounges in the recent past.

Air Canada Introduces Three-Hour Time Limit at Lounges

Effective June 13, 2023, passengers that would usually be able to access an Air Canada Maple Leaf Lounge, whether through an eligible fare, premium Aeroplan co-branded credit card, or Aeroplan Elite Status, will be subject to a three-hour maximum in advance of their original departure time. The change also applies to Air Canada Cafés and the Air Canada Signature Suites.

However, if your flight is delayed, you’re still eligible for lounge access three hours prior to your original departure time. This means that you won’t be stuck waiting out the delay in the terminal in the event of a delay.

For example, if you arrive seven hours early for your flight, you won’t be allowed access to the lounge for another four hours; however, if your flight is delayed seven hours, you would be granted access, as long as you’re within the three-hour window of your original departure time. 

In addition, if you’re connecting between flights, you’re still eligible for access for the entire duration of your layover, regardless of how long it is. For example, if you fly from Toronto to Vancouver and then onward to Sydney after a 10-hour layover, you’d be eligible for lounge access for the duration of your time in Vancouver.

Keep in mind that this measure doesn’t impact the on-arrival access of Aeroplan 50K members and higher; they’re still welcome to use the lounge upon landing at their leisure.

While this change may seem like a negative upon first glance, it’s really aimed at passengers who arrive unusually early for a flight later in the day, and use the lounge as a day-working space. It’s likely that the vast majority of travellers won’t be affected by the change, while delayed and connecting passengers enjoy the same access privileges that they’ve always had.

Will This Help With Overcrowding?

With post-pandemic travel demand not letting up anytime soon, lounge…