Review: Plaza Premium Lounge Toronto Airport

BA ha their own lounge in YYZ

I checked out the T1 transborder Plaza Premium lounge at YYZ last month, and boy was it disappointing. It was the tiniest space I've ever seen and jampacked with people. The food selection looked significantly better than AC's options, but I ended up going into the AC lounge because at least there was a place to sit.

Why can't Amex / Amex-affiliated lounges address this insane crowding issue?

This T3 lounge looks like a bit better seating wise.

You can enter Plaza Premium Lounges with just an AMEX Platinum. I wonder if AMEX has a lower negotiated rate paying the lounge directly than paying Priority Pass.

@joshua sturm - no, BA does not have a Terraces/Galleries lounge at YYZ. Plaza Premium has two sections in YYZ - one for priority pass and the other section down at the end of the hall past the AF/KLM lounge as a dedicated contract lounge for different airlines. BA uses that lounge for their customers in the evening then at late night this same space is used for CX. The contract lounge section is MUCH nicer ambiance-wise with windows. Food/beverages are the same.

Regarding the transborder Plaza Premium lounges I agree with everyone - they are awful. Both of them (T1 and T3) and the one in T3 is even smaller than the one in T1.

Based on your photos, I'd guess that this lounge was already renovated. T3 has been undergoing extensive renos, and compared to my last visit to a PPL at Pearson T3 (the domestic one), this looks a heck of a lot more modern.

It's also worth noting that you can't choose which PPL you visit, because of the way Canadian airports with US pre-clearance are set up - there's three in each terminal in both YVR and YYZ for the same reason - domestic, international, and transborder (US) are each separate secure areas based on your destination. As a general rule, the domestic/transborder lounges are usually a lot crummier than their international counterparts.

T3 has three plaza lounges in that area, the small one reviewed, one that seems to always be for BA, and around the corner (with windows). I've gotten into the non BA ones with priority pass/amex platinum. Was just there last week, and regrettably used the AF/KLM lounge out of curiosity.

All the PPL's in Terminal 1 are AWFUL...need full renovations including expansion for seating.

Food and beverage (including alcoholic) selection is very limited.

I visited 7 PPL's over the past 5 months at MAD, ATH, FRA, and FCO and found all of them all very poor in terms of overall offerings, seating availability, comfort and customer service.

Looks much nicer and with more extensive food offerings than their Lounge at SIN Changi Terminal 1 which I visited both in January and March this year.

The plaza premium lounge in T3 (right near the admirals club) used to do made to order eggs, then they cut that earlier this year.

That is the lounge that I've always used when traveling BA. Only difference is that they rearrange the dining area tables a bit to create a dedicated First/Emerald zone for a la carte dining, but it's definitely the same space.
Has BA moved to the nicer Plaza Premium space there - does anyone know what's going on?

Visited the PPL transborder lounge at terminal 1 Pearson Toronto
This lounge is terrible
Stay away as it will ruin your travel day
Small dirty hot over crowded dark etc etc
Nothing you want to experience
Why offer this American Express