There are multiple types of credit cards providing access to different lounges across the world. Within Canada, you can gain access to the following lounges:
- Air Canada Maple Leaf Lounge
- Delta Sky Club
- WestJet Elevation Lounge
- Priority Pass Lounges
- DragonPass Lounges
- Plaza Premium Lounges
- Centurion Lounges
- Escape Lounges
- Airspace Lounges
- Executive Lounges by Swissport
- National Bank Lounge at Montreal Airport
- Desjardins Odyseey Lounge
Some of these programs might overlap. For example, many Plaza Premium Lounges are also part of the Priority Pass and DragonPass program. You will need to complete your own due diligence to confirm which lounge network works best for your travel patterns.
However, if you want an overall summary, then these are the best credit card for lounge access in Canada.
Air Canada Maple Leaf Lounge Access
There are four credit cards in Canada that provide complimentary access to Air Canada Maple Leaf lounges:
- American Express Aeroplan Reserve
- American Express Aeroplan Business Reserve
- TD Aeroplan Visa Infinite Privilege
- CIBC Aeroplan Visa Infinite Privilege
The annual fees for all the credit cards are $599. All credit cards come with the following restrictions:
- Access is permitted to Maple Leaf Lounges within Canada and USA only with a departing flight on Air Canada or a Star Alliance partner airline.
- Access is permitted for the cardmember and one additional guest.
- Access is to the AC Cafe, which is a developing lounge brand in Canada.
- Access is not available to the Air Canada Signature Suite.
Ranking Criteria
Since all the credit cards have the same annual fee with similar benefits, the sign-up bonus and other benefits are used to further distinguish the best card.
Unlimited Lounge Access
The card comes with 3 Aeroplan Points per dollar spent on Air Canada purchases, more than the CIBC and TD equivalent. If you are looking to access the Air Canada Maple Leaf Lounge, presumably you spend a considerable amount of time and money in Air Canada, so that additional point can add up fast.
The card comes with 3 Aeroplan Points per dollar spent on Air Canada purchases, more than the CIBC and TD equivalent. If you are looking to access the Air Canada Maple Leaf Lounge, presumably you spend a considerable amount of time and money in Air Canada, so that additional point can add up fast.
The TD card is ranked higher than CIBC because of the higher sign-up bonus.
4. CIBC Aeroplan Visa Infinite Privilege
Despite the lower sign up bonus, the CIBC card has a lower supplementary card annual fee.
Conclusion
The differences between all the banks are very limited. With American Express, you get more points for spend on Air Canada. With CIBC and TD you get six additional lounge passes for non Maple Leaf Lounges, under their Visa Airport Companion program. Finally, CIBC has the lowest supplementary card annual fees.