

I lately had the pleasure of visiting the Plaza Premium Lounge within the US-departures space of Vancouver Worldwide Airport, forward of an Air Canada flight from Vancouver to New York.
The lounge lately reopened its doorways to the general public after present process a substantial renovation and enlargement, which greater than doubled its capability. I used to be eager to see the outcomes of the updates, as this can be a lounge I’d usually go to on journeys to america.
Plaza Premium Lounge Vancouver (Transborder) – Entry
The lounge is situated airside halfway via the terminal throughout from Gate E88, overlooking the arrivals corridor under.
The lounge’s entrance needs to be simply identifiable, with its identify brightly illuminated above and alongside the aspect of the wall.


The lounge is open every day from 5am–8pm. If this looks as if a slightly early closure time, that’s as a result of the US pre-clearance zone at YVR shuts down at this hour, and any later US-bound flights should use the worldwide departures part.
Solely these travelling on transborder flights to the US have entry to the lounge. Passengers might wish to make use of Cellular Passport Management and YVR Categorical to expedite their journey via safety and immigration in the event that they don’t have a NEXUS card.
Plaza Premium Lounges are affiliated with DragonPass, which grants entry to cardholders of many Visa and Mastercard merchandise.
I loved complimentary entry on account of my American Categorical Platinum Card, which offers limitless entry to Plaza Premium Lounges earlier than departure and upon arrival for cardholders plus one visitor.
Nevertheless, for these and not using a membership or bank card that grants entry, you may nonetheless decide to buy a day move for the lounge. Pricing begins at at $55.73 (CAD) plus tax per particular person for 2 hours.
Once I arrived, there have been just a few individuals forward of me, however I solely had a quick wait earlier than presenting my Platinum Card to the admissions desk and being granted entry.
Plaza Premium Lounge Vancouver (Transborder) – Seating
As I approached the check-in desk, I instantly famous the upgraded design of the house that was in keeping with lots of the newer Plaza Premium Lounges I’ve visited.
The brand new house gives a way more luxurious surroundings than previous to the renovation, due to the addition of latest lighting fixtures, clear wooden panelling, and smooth impartial tones. The lounge is actually one massive room elegantly divided into just a few separate areas.Â
Moving into the lounge, there are clusters of seating with loads of house for every customer, consisting principally of excessive and low eating tables.



The bar space is on the forefront of the lounge, with an array of bar seating that may accommodate shut to fifteen guests.


To the best of the bar is ample seating within the type of soft benches and eating tables.

Nearer to the bar, you’ll discover high-top eating tables and a small cluster of armchairs and tables tucked into the nook.

The lounge was well-equipped with a wide range of energy shops, along with wi-fi charging stations on the tables. Moreover, quite a few flat-screen TVs have been dotted round, which have been displaying the identical World Cup recreation on the time of my go to.

On the rear of the lounge, particular person work-station seats seems out onto the arrivals corridor via glass home windows. There are seats positioned alongside counter tops, in addition to comfy leather-based armchairs.



I discovered the brand new design of the lounge to be fairly aesthetically pleasing and ethereal. I used to be particularly impressed by the up to date furnishings and décor, which is a dramatic enchancment from the traditional brown hues of older Premium Plaza Lounges.
There have been fairly just a few individuals within the lounge on the time of my go to. Everybody appeared to have the ability to discover a spot to take a seat down with none fuss, however the lounge was positively getting near capability.
Plaza Premium Lounge Vancouver (Transborder) – Eating & Bar
A self-serve buffet is situated on the entrance of the lounge, instantly to the left once you first enter.
On the time of my go to, the new gadgets consisted of scrambled eggs, hashbrowns, French toast, and sausage.
Within the chilly buffet have been salads, pasta salad, yogurt, fruit, and a big selection of desserts.


On the entrance of the bar, you’ll additionally discover some pastries and cereal.

As with many Plaza Premium Lounges, and notably amongst their North American places, the meals choice isn’t probably the most outstanding; nonetheless, because it’s fully self-serve, you may actually load up on a number of plates and fulfill your starvation earlier than a flight.
I wasn’t feeling too peckish on the time, so I opted to skip the buffet for this go to and as a substitute took a seat on the bar. I used to be proactively supplied a drink by the bar employees, and requested for a cup of espresso at this early hour.
The bar is actually a spotlight of this Plaza Premium Lounge. It creates a pure point of interest with its smooth marble counter tops and a purple glow highlighting a choice of spirits and whiskys.
As for alcoholic drinks, draft beer, wine, and the bar rail are complimentary, however you’re restricted to 4 per particular person per go to.

The lounge has a choice of premium choices as properly, together with Baileys, Caesars, Johnnie Walker whisky, and glowing wine, to call just a few. Remember that you’ll must pay for a few of these choices.
The lounge featured trendy and classy restroom amenities, with stone flooring and jet black finishes. The room was compact with a single self-importance and bathroom; nonetheless, it was spotless and well-maintained.

It’s value mentioning that the lounge options some new facilities, together with a nursing room and added bathe rooms, which can be found for a payment.

Conclusion
The lately refurbished Plaza Premium Lounge (Transborder) in Vancouver is a serious enchancment to its predecessor, offering a extra elevated lounge expertise with a refined contact.
The structure of the lounge is each spacious and alluring, whereas the design has a pleasant contact of sophistication. The lounge makes for a pleasing spot to calm down or seize a fast chunk previous to your flight to america from Vancouver.
The outdated lounge was comfy & handy, however as the primary pay-per-use lounge within the Vancouver airport, its measurement usually led to overcrowding. With the brand new replace, we must always see a lot of those points alleviated.
Lastly, the inclusion of bathe rooms is a welcome addition, because it’s at all times good to have the choice to clean up earlier than a flight.