Tl;dr – A review of the Plaza Premium Lounge at Vancouver International Airport (US Departures). Meh.
Before departing Vancouver International Airport (YVR) bound for Dallas (DFW), I spent a little bit of time in the Plaza Premium Lounge that services the US Departures wing. Overall, the lounge is fine. The food and beverage offerings, while plentiful, are just OK. While there’s ample seating, the lounge can get crowded when there are several imminent flight departures. It’s serviceable if you’re looking for a space to hang out that’s not the terminal, but it’s also nothing to write home about.
Plaza Premium Lounge (US Departures)
The Plaza Premium Lounge is located across from Gate E88 and services transborder departures to the United States.
There are several ways by which you can access the lounge, the most common being with a Priority Pass Membership. If you’re without any membership or credit card benefit that provides complimentary access, you can also purchase a day pass.
The lounge is a single, larger space, with the main bar serving as its divider. Speaking of the bar, if you’re on an early flight and looking for an alcoholic beverage, you’re out of luck if you’re there before 9 am due to local liquor laws. During the hours that drinks are served, you’ll find complimentary standard-tier spirits, beer, and wine.
On the left side of the bar, you’ll find circular-high-top cafeteria-style seating, as well as some booths.
To the right of the bar, you’ll find longer traditional tables and some more booths.
Behind the bar is window seating, which offers views of the arrivals terminal below.
Just beyond the check-in desk, you’ll find the lounge’s main food buffets.
I visited before a morning departure, and hot foods included scrambled eggs, potatoes, and chicken sausage. It all was pretty basic, with some items looking a bit unappetizing, to be honest. Several containers were empty (and stayed so) for the entire duration of my visit, so I’m not sure there’s the greatest attention to detail at this lounge.
This wasn’t an issue for me, as I wasn’t too hungry and was primarily concerned about documenting the experience. I share this more as something to keep in mind if you’re visiting the lounge hungry, especially given how busy the lounge can get.
There’s also a cooler display with cold foods like yogurts, spreads, salads, juices, and pastries. Again, I didn’t partake, so I can’t attest to the quality, but the food just seemed of very low quality. It’s not uncommon for much fast-service lounge food to be mass-produced, but this just screamed it. Everything just had the feel of ‘what isn’t touched goes back in the cooler for tomorrow.’
If you need to freshen up, this lounge features a shower, which on the positive side of things, is a solid amenity.
There’s not a lot going on at the Plaza Premium Lounge at Vancouver International Airport (US Departures). On the whole:
