Roundup
Air Canada's Toronto Signature Suite is closed until December, and affected flyers get a return pass
The restaurant-style lounge at Pearson gate E77 shut on September 30 to expand into the former Plaza Premium space next door. Business class flyers get a priority queue at the Maple Leaf Lounge and a voucher good until 2028.
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Air Canada Signature Suite
YYZ · Terminal 1 · Toronto
4.5/5 overallClosed September 30, 2026. Partial reopening expected December, full expansion done early 2027.
Temporarily closed for an expansion; Air Canada expects to reopen it in December 2026 and is offering affected Signature Class passengers compensation during the closure.
Temporarily closed. Check before you go.
4.6/5 overallWhere Signature Class passengers go in the meantime, with a dedicated priority queue. 300 seats, six showers.
Rated 4.6/5 across 14 measures. 6 showers. Business class passengers: no guests.
Get in with: Maple Leaf Lounge, Star Alliance Gold Lounge Access
Air Canada Maple Leaf Lounge (Domestic)
YYZ · Terminal 1 · Toronto
4.5/5 overallNot useful for international departures, but the better Maple Leaf Lounge if you are connecting from a domestic flight.
Rated 4.5/5 across 14 measures. 4 showers. Business class passengers: no guests.
Get in with: Maple Leaf Lounge, Star Alliance Gold Lounge Access
News and analysis · Sources checked October 6, 2026.
Air Canada closed its Signature Suite at Toronto Pearson on September 30, 2026. The lounge, which serves a chef's menu to passengers on paid long-haul business class fares, is expanding into the former Plaza Premium space beside it at gate E77 in Terminal 1. Air Canada expects a partial reopening in December and the full, larger lounge by early 2027, according to InsideFlyer and Milesopedia.
What you get in the meantime#
Eligible passengers are sent to the International Maple Leaf Lounge with a dedicated priority queue at the door, and Air Canada has set up a temporary grab-and-go stand near gate E85. The Maple Leaf Lounge is a good room, with 300 seats and six showers, but it is a buffet lounge, not a restaurant, and the gap between the two is the whole reason the Signature Suite exists.
Air Canada's compensation is the part worth noting. Anyone holding a Signature Suite-eligible ticket during the closure gets an invitation to the expanded lounge, valid until December 31, 2028, usable on any Air Canada international flight in any cabin, and transferable to a companion. One Mile at a Time could not recall another airline doing this for a renovation, and neither can we.
The Vancouver Signature Suite is unaffected. Priority Pass holders at Pearson should note the photographed Plaza Premium option is in Terminal 3, which does not help if you are flying Air Canada from Terminal 1.
Our take#
An 80-seat restaurant lounge at an airport the size of Pearson was always going to fill up, so expanding it is the right call, and doing it in the quietest quarter of the year is sensible. The return pass turns a three-month inconvenience into something people will remember Air Canada for in a good way. It costs the airline very little and buys a lot of goodwill. More airlines should copy it.
Putting this into practice#
For a closure list, I'd use the airport directory to identify currently open alternatives. I would start with the terminal and the time available after security. That turns a directory into a realistic shortlist. A lounge can be excellent and still be a poor choice for this departure if reaching it uses most of the waiting time. The location notes above should do as much work as the overall score.
The access check comes next. I'd identify the exact card, membership, status or ticket being used and read the conditions for that route into the lounge. A lounge appearing on a card's map is a starting point for that check. It is not a reason to assume every fare, guest or departure will qualify in the same way.
I would decide what I want from the stop before comparing amenities. For a meal, the food available during the actual visit matters. For work, I'd look for a suitable seat and power. For a short connection, simply finding a comfortable place near the gate may be the better result. There is little value in an amenity I cannot use.
Related reading#
Cite this article
Lounge Frog Editorial. “Air Canada's Toronto Signature Suite is closed until December, and affected flyers get a return pass.” Lounge Frog. Published 2026-10-06. Updated 2026-10-14. https://www.loungefrog.com/news/air-canada-signature-suite-toronto-closed-expansion
Wikipedia citation
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Quick answers
Which lounge networks get you into these lounges?
Maple Leaf Lounge opens 2 of the 4; Star Alliance Gold Lounge Access opens 2 of the 4; Cathay Pacific Lounge opens 1 of the 4. Each lounge's page lists every program and card that admits you.
Which YYZ terminal has the most of these lounges?
Terminal 1, with 3. Terminal 3 has 1.
Written and checked to our editorial standards. Scores follow our methodology. Join the discussion below.
