Today we’re taking a closer look at Air Canada’s Maple Leaf Lounge at New York’s LaGuardia Airport (Maple Leaf Lounge). The Maple Leaf Lounge is partnered with Priority Pass in most locations, which means that Priority Pass Select cards from various credit cards (such as Citi Prestige and AMEX Platinum) are accepted.
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Who Can Enter Maple Leaf Lounge LGA
- Priority Pass members
- Air Canada Maple Leaf Lounge members
- Star Alliance business class and first class ticket holders
- Star Alliance Gold members
- Air Canada Altitude Super Elite 100K, Elite 75K, Elite 50K, and Elite 35K elite levels
Getting into the lounge
Because LaGuardia Airport has an unusual security layout with disconnected screening areas, many lounges are located outside security, including this Maple Leaf Lounge and the nearby AMEX Centurion Lounge. So you should make sure to leave the lounge well before boarding time, as security lines at LGA can be long and you don’t want to get so comfortable in the lounge that you miss your flight. To get to this lounge, go to Concourse A at the Central Terminal and then take the elevator to the 3rd floor.
After taking the elevator, you can see the Maple Leaf Lounge.
The atmosphere inside feels a bit odd at first—the lounge is very dark. I quickly headed to the front desk by the entrance, pulled out my Priority Pass Select card and boarding pass. She deftly swiped the PPS card on her computer and seemed to be about to return the card to me, but after a few seconds I realized she had used the wrong machine. She then brought out a Priority Pass-supplied credit card POS terminal and swiped my PPS card to confirm lounge access. The machine prints a receipt for signature, and after signing, I was allowed in.
Lounge area
Inside, it is indeed very, very dim. The contrast is also poor.
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Seating and eating area
Overall, the lounge is not very large, and the photos above cover all the angles inside. But it also doesn’t seem very crowded.
Food and drinks
Of course, the main reason to visit a lounge is for food and drink. Here’s what’s available at the Maple Leaf Lounge.
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Menu
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Soup[/caption>
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Bread[/caption>
Overall, nothing was especially delicious, but considering the generally weak food quality at U.S. airline lounges, this was still quite good. There’s also a bar with premium beverages.
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Bar
Bottom line
Other secondary amenities at the Maple Leaf Lounge LGA are not very extensive. Overall, this is a solid lounge by U.S. airline standards, but the side-by-side comparison with the nearby Centurion Lounge is intense. If you have time and have an AMEX Platinum/Centurion card, you should stay in the Centurion Lounge.