If you have some time to kill, you might think the Plaza Premium YVR Transborder Lounge is the place to be. However, the problem is everyone has that same idea.

Location of the Plaza Premium YVR Transborder Lounge

There are several Plaza Premium Lounges at Vancouver YVR airport:

• Two domestic lounges (near gates B17 and C29)
• One international lounge (near gate D67), not intended for US departures
• One transborder lounge (near gate E88), only for US departures

To gain access to Terminal E, you’ll need to be flying nonstop to the United States from Vancouver. This lounge is after clearing immigration at the U.S. Preclearance facility. All other travelers not flying to the United States will need to use one of Plaza Premium’s other lounges at YVR.

Access rules

The Plaza Premium YVR Transborder Lounge is open from 4:45AM to 9PM daily, which covers most flights.

The following guests have access to the lounge:

• Priority Pass or DragonPass members
• American Express Platinum cardholders (can swipe card directly to enter)
• Guests flying in an eligible cabin or certain elite status, when considered a contract lounge (such as for WestJet)
• Anyone willing to pay a fee
  • Walk-in rate: $40.95 CA for 1 hour, $61.95 CA for 2 hours, $71.60 CA for 3 hours, $100.80 CA for 6 hours
  • Some guests get a discount off published rates (20% off for Smart Traveller or WestJet customers, 15% for Visa Infinite cardholders)

I’ll say it up front: please don’t pay to access this lounge. You’re going to find a better experience at a sit-down restaurant.

Seating at the Plaza Premium YVR Transborder Lounge

I’m just going to go out and say it: this lounge isn’t large and it’s insanely popular. Perhaps if you come here early in the morning after it opens, you’ll find plenty of seating. However, when I came here in the afternoon for my connecting flight, I had trouble finding a seat. To be honest, given the lack of seating, I’m a little surprised that they were still admitting people into the lounge.

There’s really only two areas to sit. The first is shown below, which is behind the bar area.

The other area is within the bar area. I managed to find a seat at the bar, but needed to get cozy with other travelers.

The food

There are both free options and paid options for food. Let’s start with the free food, which is here at the buffet. It’s comprised of five steam trays, and I’ll admit that the food didn’t look that interesting to me. The flavors looked a bit too intense for my stomach prior to a flight, and I’d really not want to deal with that on a plane.

Also available are a variety of cold dishes: salads, yogurt, and bundt cakes.

Across from the cold items is soup and bread. There are chips, pretzels, and cookies. I tried a cookie but it was rock hard and stale.

What about the paid options? You can choose between fish and chips, chicken tenders, chicken wings, cheeseburger and fries, and a pulled pork sandwich. These will run you between $15 and $17 CA, which feels a little pricey for a lounge. I didn’t have enough time to order food, but given the state of the food available for free, I wasn’t looking to give it a try.

Drinks at the Plaza Premium YVR Transborder Lounge

As with the food, there are both free and paid options for your drinking pleasure. There is a coffee machine and soda machine available if you need it.

For alcoholic options, you have your choice between two beers, a white wine, a red wine, and a few hard liquors.

Since I was sitting at the bar anyways, I figured why not have a beer before my flight? Sadly, aside from the stale, hard cookie, this is the only thing I consumed while in the lounge. But at least it was free!

What are the paid options? Aside from premium alcoholic options, they also have a variety of milk teas and boba. But to get it, you’re looking at a price of $9 CA for a medium or $10 CA for a large. Again, seems a little expensive for what you get in a lounge. But I guess you’re also not going to find too many options for milk tea once past security in the U.S. departures area.

Showers

I didn’t get a chance to check out the showers. Aside from not having much time to enjoy the lounge before my flight, the bigger issue is that it’s not free. If you want a 20 minute shower, it will cost you $25.76 CA. If you truly need the shower before your flight, it might be worth it. But I’d rather not pay for something other lounges usually give away for free.

Instead, what you might consider is if you are flying an eligible airline, have access to American, Delta, or United lounges (via credit card or membership), and landing at an airport with that lounge. With all three, you can use lounges on arrival. Since you’re departing Vancouver YVR, you’ve already cleared U.S. immigration, and so you’re treated as a domestic passenger on landing. Our advice is just to use that lounge on arrival for a shower for free.

Recommendation: It’s uncomfortable in here

The Plaza Premium YVR Transborder Lounge is close to what we expect of the typical North America Priority Pass experience. It’s overcrowded, quality of the food isn’t great, and the paid options seem a little out of place. Given all the Priority Pass swipes, I’m sure the lounge makes good money. And I fully don’t expect anything to change in the short term, given how many people access the lounge, satisfied with the current level of service.

This lounge isn’t one that I would want to spend extra time in just because I have access. However, immigration lines at the U.S. Preclearance facility could mean that you’d come early strictly to clear that. And once you’re past immigration and security, you might find some extra time. Perhaps you’ll spend some time in the Plaza Premium YVR Transborder Lounge as a result. But if it’s crowded, I’d honestly prefer to not be in this lounge.

The only other lounge at these gates is the Air Canada Maple Leaf Lounge, and that’s comparatively much better (though still not impressive on its own).

Suggested reading:

• Review: Air Canada Maple Leaf Lounge YVR (Transborder / US Flights)
• Is Priority Pass Still Worth The Effort?
• The Best Options for Airport Lounges for Families