LaGuardia Airport has long been known for being, well, awful, though the airport's new Terminal B Eastern Concourse has just opened. This looks like a beautiful new terminal that you'd think was at another airport. As part of that, Air Canada has today opened the Maple Leaf Lounge LaGuardia, which is the first lounge to…
Continue reading: Air Canada’s New York LaGuardia Lounge Now Open
Share your questions, experiences, and thoughts below.
Will United travelers be able to use this lounge when United moves over in 2019 or are the gates going to be somehow separated?
The future UA gates are in the same building as the AC lounge, and indeed there will be a UA lounge directly facing the AC lounge -- you can see the UA lounge under construction now. So I assume UA *Gold members traveling domestically would in theory be allowed to use the AC lounge per *A rules. That might lead to some crowding here over time, if people figure that out.
The old Air Canada lounge was still open as of November 30th. I believe it never closed, it just stopped being a Priority Lounge pass.
I was there on Sunday and was looking forward to it, but unfortunately the MLL didn't open until Monday. But the new area is great, like a real airport now. The footprint of the restaurant near the AC gates looks almost as big as the entire AC gate area in the old building
@Marc, the new terminal area only went into use on Dec 1, so not surprising that the old lounge was still open on Nov 30
@ CP@YOW, Yes I know! But Ben initially wrote that the lounge was closed since September. He corrected it now! 🙂
What are the criteria to be admitted? Doesn’t Air Canada forbid award ticket holders from using their lounges?
No Air Canada does not forbid award ticket holders from accessing their lounge other than their Signature Lounge in Toronto (International T1)
I spent some time in the old ML lounge at La Guardia during a summer weather delay. It was way too crowded because of Priority Pass and also due to it's small size. I look forward to visiting the new lounge but I'm even more pleased to see that AC has left that truly awful gate area in the old wing. The new one has to be better.
@iv @Christian - I have an Aeroplan standard award ticket in business class to Europe next summer and I noticed the AC app told me I will have access to the Signature Suite at YYZ. I checked my booking and sure enough, the booking class was "Z" which is eligible. Maybe they're changing the rules? Although I was originally booked on Austrian but then AC switched me to their flight when the airlines swapped routes, so maybe that has something to do with it. Either way I'm not complaining, as I visited the Signature Suite earlier this year on a paid ticket and it is awesome.
Looks much nicer and more spacious than the old one, thats for sure. That place was sort of a dungeon, despite it being up top.
Looks like its much bigger which is great too, I believe AC only flies A320 and E175s so it'll never be crowded (fingers crossed).
United is also opening a United Club in the spring, when they make the transition over, and I'm fairly certain there's an Admiral's Club as well. I think I've read about a general use/PP lounge opening at one point as well, but that may not be until the head house opens in 2020
Excited to see what the new Centurion Lounge looks like eventually as well. The new LGA is shaping up to have some nice lounge options for sure. You'll need it too, because despite the shiny new terminal, the runway/taxiway layout will stay the same, which means you'll just have a nicer place to wait out your chronic LGA delays in.
@iv - Any idea why AC would prohibit award ticket access there, but not in any other location? Also, do they provide other options in Toronto?
ENDRE:
really? 10 years ago? and why would you be on this blog site as someone who is referencing a major NYC airport from 10 years?
Bit of history, the old MLL was a CO Presidents Club and before that EAs old Ionosphere Lounge.
I walked out of the old on the P pass .Trash old Food take care of the food or don't have it.
@Charlie McMillan - you have access on a Market Fare Flight Reward as it's booked into a revenue fare class (J, C, D, Z, or P). Essentially Aeroplan booked you a revenue Air Canada Signature Class fare at a dynamic mileage rate.
Fixed Mileage Flight Rewards booked in I class (including Star Alliance partner redemptions on AC) are not eligible, along with upgrades booked into R class.
@1K - thanks for the explanation. I suppose AC didn't realize I had booked on an Aeroplan classic flight reward when they switched me from the Austrian Airlines flight to theirs. I certainly won't complain! And I will arrive extra early to visit both lounges.
The new terminal at LG is fantastic... also has hilariously overpriced "chocolate pizza" and "chocolate drumsticks", but overall the new space, shops, and restaurants are 1 million times better than the old terminal.
The terminal area got busy around 9am, but if you are there early when the gate area is empty, there's not much need for the lounge