Air Canada has announced that the new Air Canada Cafe at Toronto Pearson International Airport will be opening tomorrow, Friday, September 6, 2019. This is yet another new lounge concept the airline is introducing, following the introduction of the incredible Air Canada Signature Suite last year.
Continue reading: Air Canada Cafe Toronto: New Lounge Concept
Share your questions, experiences, and thoughts below.
Used the Delights to Go in Munich before as it was right next to my departing gate. Was even still able to use it after using the Senators lounge. Nice to have a fresh sandwich and snack on board the flight instead of those nasty sandwiches they give out.
Agreed with Scott - I also used the Delights to Go in Munich and it was excellent. Highly recommend the wrap. Excited to check out this new AC space.
Great idea and hopefully it's something other airlines copy. It's no fun to gulp down a coffee when you only have a few minutes to spare in the lounge on short connections.
Be innovative on the road. Bring your own CLEAN reusable coffee cup with lid and fill before you leave the lounge, and a stage 4 water bottle.
I'm not a coffee drinker (take one natural caffeine pill per day) but I've seen others do this.
Honestly it looks really uncomfortable. Almost like it has been designed intensionally to keep people from sitting and relaxing for any amount of time.
I personally think it’s a brilliant idea and it looks stunning. Lol I’m just imagining the vegan hipster millennials in there tho wearing themselves with excitement...
I've heard some say that the big advantage is that they won't have to wait forever for the Domestic MLL elevators, or risk being stuck there if the elevators break down.
Agree with Jordan !
Bring your own bottle/cup. Otherwise this is just another garbage producer place with the drinks ‘to-go’.
AC should even credit some extra miles for passengers using their own cups, haha.
Sorry, Ben, but I think Air Canada’s Cafe is a copycat of Lufthansa’s Senator Cafe in MUC. It’s been there for a decade.
Is there a charge for food and beverage in this cafe? I'm not that clear on what the differences are with a Maple Leaf Lounge
@DRG
There is no charge for food and beverages.
The main obvious differences with the MLL appear to be:
-no alcoholic beverages;
-no hot food;
-no lounge seating (comfy chairs);
-no dead tree newspapers or magazines (Press Reader only);
-not obvious whether there are washrooms, but certainly no showers;
-and unlike MMLs, you're encouraged to take food and beverages to go.
As @Scott notes, it seems that access is more restrictive than MLLs. It's J pax and *Gold only. No mention of guests, people with lounge passes, paid entry or Maple Leaf Club members, all of whom can get into traditional lounges, though there may be an omission or two.
This appears to be designed for a quick visit rather than relaxing on a long layover. And it's placed conveniently at gate level, just past security, right across from the gate usually used for YYZ-YUL flights, which is one of the busiest routes out there, connecting Canada's two largest cities and two Air Canada hubs.
Barista service is still a bit of a novelty in MLLs. The only other ones I am aware of are all connected to bar service, which I have only seen at YYC domestic, YVR international, YUL international, LHR and the YYZ Signature Suite. There are a couple of lounges I haven't visited or haven't been to recently, so there may be others out there.
Overall, I think this will be a convenient option for a good number of people who just want a quick stop for a snack or coffee before a short flight, and who aren't inclined to arrive very early at the airport. It may take some of the pressure off the MLL and reduce the queues, which can get rather long, though it will also attract people who wouldn't bother going up to the MLL for 10 minutes, but who would pop in for a grab and go snack.
I'll be there at the end of the month, connecting from a YUL-YYZ flight, so I'll check it out.
There are some details on Air Canada's website here:
https://www.aircanada.com/ca/en/aco/home/fly/premium-services/accafe.html
Now, it's way past time for a major revamp of the domestic MLL at YYZ.
I'd be interested in Kate's take.
I'm not a coffee drinker, so I'm loving the idea of the fresh squeezed juice selection! This looks like a nice evolution of lounge concepts. And very impressed that this innovation is coming from Air Canada of all airlines.
This is the kind of amenity that I think would get more premium customers to use Air Canada--especially for premium domestic connections.
Are you allowed to bring a guest with you to the cafe ... Just went in and it looks amazing