There’s only one lounge and regular travellers have been waiting for it forever. It opened six weeks ago but I haven’t had a chance to try it out because I’ve been avoiding Billy Bishop Airport in favour of Pearson’s lounges. Now that it’s open, I figure the airport is worth returning to for my weekly Ottawa-Toronto commute.
The lone lounge is jointly operated by Aspire and Air Canada. It is the fifth Aspire Lounge in the country and the second Air Canada Café, the first award-winning one being in Pearson’s domestic terminal. Access is granted to eligible Air Canada travellers, Priority Pass, DragonPass and American Express Global Lounge Collection.
When I went in, the Air Canada staff offered to show me around and told me that this was way better than Pearson’s Air Canada Café. While the main waiting area is usually crowded with business travellers at 5pm on weekdays, the spacious 133-seat lounge only had around 20 customers when I arrived early for my 7pm flight. I enjoyed two hours of reasonably good food, an open bar, and quiet surroundings to catch up on work after a full day of external meetings in downtown Toronto.
There are a variety of newspapers to read on the high-back lounge chairs, booth seating for hungry people, and desks for busy bees. I even tried out one of the two soundproof meeting rooms with a television that is available on a first-come-first-serve basis. The wine glasses have the Air Canada and Aspire logos laser-etched onto the surface and the brand-new faux leather upholstering on the seating surfaces were firm and supportive. I’ll return in a few years to see how it aged.
With low passenger volumes, the space is well-staffed and drinks will be delivered to your table. The basic wines and whiskies are included for free, but fancier stuff will incur an extra fee. For those who just want to unwind away from their company laptop, the high-top bar table has wireless charging areas for endless TikTok entertainment, just don’t miss your flight.
