Air Canada has unveiled its latest lounge concept, the Aspire | Air Canada Café at Billy Bishop Toronto City Centre Airport (YTZ). The airline’s newest lounge opened on June 1, 2023, in a collaboration between Air Canada and Aspire, Swissport’s premium lounge brand.
This unique concept offers eligible passengers the choice of hot and cold buffet items, grab-and-go meals, fresh bread and pastries, and a bar with both complimentary and paid premium drinks.
I’ll be attending the opening event later on today, and I’ll update this article with pictures and more information as it becomes available.
The New Aspire | Air Canada Café at Billy Bishop Toronto City Centre Airport
Earlier this week, Air Canada executives hinted at the upcoming launch of a new lounge in Toronto in Summer 2023. What wasn’t specified at the time was in what airport the lounge would open, which we now know is Billy Bishop Toronto City Centre Airport (YTZ).
This is the newest lounge for Air Canada, and the only airline lounge at Billy Bishop Airport.
The Aspire | Air Canada Café collaboration is Air Canada’s 27th lounge, and the fifth currently operating Canadian Aspire lounge. Air Canada maintains lounges in most major Canadian airports, and Aspire has lounges in Calgary (YYC), Montreal (YUL), and Ottawa (YOW).
It’s worth noting that in late 2022, Swissport had announced that it would open an Aspire lounge at Billy Bishop Airport. The lounge didn’t ever open, and it appears that it collaborated with Air Canada prior to finalizing everything.
The lounge is billed as a “café-style executive lounge”, and is unique in that it’s a hybrid between the Air Canada Café that debuted at Toronto Pearson International Airport (YYZ) and Aspire lounges.
In total, the lounge has a 367 square metres of space. The Aspire | Air Canada Café offers seating for 133 guests in the domestic departures terminal at Billy Bishop Airport.
In the lounge, you’ll find quiet workspaces and a private meeting room, as well as food and drinks to enjoy in the lounge or on the go. There are separate workspaces for taking calls, which are separated from other working spaces where guests might appreciate less noise.
Wireless chargers are available at just about every seat in the lounge, which is in keeping with the direction many new lounges and airlines are taking in their product development.
Complimentary high-speed Wi-Fi is available for all guests, and there are televisions broadcasting news and sports throughout the lounge.
How to Access the Aspire | Air Canada Café at Billy Bishop Toronto City Centre Airport
One of the more interesting aspects to the Aspire | Air Canada Café is the access policy.
The Aspire | Air Canada Café is available to Air Canada customers with Aeroplan 50K, 75K, or Super Elite status. Passengers with Star Alliance Gold status, or anyone with an Aeroplan premium co-branded credit card, will also enjoy complimentary access to the the Aspire | Air Canada Café.
Indeed, the above inclusions mirror those of the original Air Canada Café at Toronto Pearson International Airport (YYZ).
However, passengers who are connecting onwards to an Air Canada business class flight will also enjoy access to the Aspire | Air Canada Café. This is a unique lounge access policy, and perhaps amongst the first of its kind.
At the moment, every Air Canada flight out of Billy Bishop Toronto City Centre Airport is on an all-economy plane. Until September 2023, the only Air Canada flights departing from Billy Bishop Airport (YTZ) are to Montreal, as the service to Ottawa has been put on hold until then.
In the immediate future, you’ll have to book a flight from Billy Bishop to Montreal in economy, and then onwards in Air Canada business class to enjoy lounge access this way. However, if Air Canada launches new routes from Billy Bishop in the future, you’ll be able to take advantage of lounge access if your onward connecting flight is with Air Canada in business class.
Conclusion
The Aspire | Air Canada Café at Billy Bishop Toronto City Centre Airport (YTZ) is now ready to welcome eligible passengers. This is Air Canada’s newest lounge concept, which was launched in conjunction with Aspire, Swissport’s premium lounge brand.
This lounge is a hybrid model between the Air Canada Café concept and Aspire’s approach to lounges. If the launch of this type of lounge is successful, it could be rolled out in other airports in the coming years.
I’ll be attending the opening event later today, and will add photos and information as soon as it becomes available.
