Final week, we realized extra particulars about a few of Air Canada’s future plans for its fleet by means of an article posted on Executive Traveller. Within the article, Air Canada’s executives hinted at some upcoming adjustments to lounges and different points of the customer-facing expertise, too.
This week, Government Traveller has published another article, through which there are extra particulars about Air Canada’s future plans for its Maple Leaf Lounges, Signature Suites, and Air Canada Cafés.
Air Canada to Open 4 New Lounges
Air Canada has revealed upcoming plans to open new lounges and to renovate and increase a few of its current Maple Leaf Lounges.
One of the crucial noteworthy elements of the interview is that Air Canada has plans to open 4 new lounges within the subsequent few years.
The primary lounge, about which there aren’t many particulars, is ready to open in Summer time 2023 in Toronto.
In line with Mark Nasr, Air Canada’s Government Vice President of Advertising and Digital, this lounge will observe a brand new mannequin that hasn’t been utilized in any of the airline’s present lounges.
Within the article, Government Traveller experiences that the lounge can have the next:
- Capability for as much as 133 friends
- A cold and warm buffet
- Seize-and-go choices
- A bar
- Assembly rooms
Ought to this new mannequin achieve success, it could possibly be rolled out to different lounges in Air Canada’s community in some unspecified time in the future down the road.
In some methods, it sounds fairly acquainted to what’s supplied on the Air Canada Café in Toronto; nonetheless, additional particulars of this new lounge are anticipated within the close to future, and we’ll be higher capable of evaluate them then.
Subsequent up is a brand-new Air Canada Maple Leaf Lounge in Terminal 2 at San Francisco Worldwide Airport. This lounge is ready to open in June 2023, and can have room for over 120 friends.
Of word, the brand new San Francisco lounge will even characteristic an outside area, and is designed in such a method as “to really feel uniquely San Francisco”.
The following lounges which can be set to open are a rollout of the Air Canada Café idea to Montreal (YUL) and Vancouver (YVR).
The primary new Air Canada Café is ready to open in Montreal in 2024, after which one other will come to Vancouver in 2025.
Just like the Air Canada Café in Toronto, the Montreal idea will characteristic barista-pulled espresso and fresh-pressed juices, in addition to quite a lot of lighter grab-and-go meals that may both be consumed within the lounge or onboard. It’s not clear whether or not or not the Montreal lounge will even characteristic craft beer, because it does in Toronto.
The Vancouver Air Canada Café is reported to have a brand new evolution of the idea, and shall be designed as extra of a “trendy café coworking area”.
Air Canada experiences that the Air Canada Café idea has been in style amongst travellers, and it’s nice to see it being deliberate at different main Canadian hubs.
Air Canada to Revamp Current Lounges
Within the interview posted on Government Traveller, Nasr additionally alluded to the upcoming enlargement and renovation of a few of Air Canada’s current lounges.
First off, Air Canada is including a median of 30% extra seating to the present home Maple Leaf Lounges in Vancouver, Toronto, and Montreal.
There have already been some experiences on-line about furnishings being moved round throughout the lounges, and new sorts of furnishings being put in that caters to extra friends. It’s seemingly that the elements of the lounges that have been beforehand separate enterprise centres are going to be modified to permit for extra capability.
Any improve in capability can also assist to deal with among the crowding points that travellers have confronted within the current previous. Final fall, Air Canada debuted a separate line for Super Elites, which permits them to skip to the entrance of the road for precedence entry; nonetheless, different passengers are sometimes subjected to queues throughout peak instances at some lounges.
Air Canada can also be set to extend the capability on the Signature Suite in Toronto to permit for extra friends. Since entry to this lounge is restricted to paid worldwide enterprise class tickets (and Enterprise Class (Versatile) Aeroplan redemptions), this seemingly indicators that there’s a robust demand for the premium lounge, and Air Canada is shifting to deal with this.
Apart from these identified expansions, Air Canada will even be renovating and increasing different lounges all through Canada and in key worldwide markets over the following three years or so. The one worldwide lounge talked about within the article is in London Heathrow; nonetheless, it’s seemingly that different lounges will even see a refresh.
It’s price noting that Air Canada is anticipating to start taking delivery of its Airbus A321XLR aircraft in 2025, and as a part of the rollout, there shall be a brand new design normal mirrored each onboard and all through the bottom expertise.
It’s seemingly that lounge renovations shall be in line with the brand new design, which is able to point out the long run path Air Canada goes with its model.
Conclusion
Air Canada plans to open 4 new lounges within the coming years, in addition to increase a few of its Canadian lounges by a median of 30% within the close to future.
The primary new lounges are set to open in Toronto and San Francisco this summer season, and it will likely be fascinating to see if any new components are included into their design. From there, the Air Canada Café idea will increase to Montreal and Vancouver in 2024 and 2025, respectively.
As the brand new lounges open, we’ll you’ll want to present critiques, which can make clear the path Air Canada’s model is headed within the coming years.
