Air Canada Maple Leaf Los Angeles Lounge
The new Air Canada Maple Leaf Lounge, which is housed in Terminal 6's mezzanine level, is decorated in a light, airy, and contemporary style that honours Canadian design and materials. It should be a delight, designed as it is as a Canadian living room.
With better food than the United lounge, it attracts a lot more passengers than it can accommodate. However a sheer lack of space, grumpy staff, difficulty of access, and a hemmed in atmosphere significantly distract from what should be a great lounge.
Los Angeles Air Canada Maple Leaf lounge review
The new Air Canada Maple Leaf Lounge, which is housed in Terminal 6's mezzanine level, is decorated in a light, airy, and contemporary style that honours Canadian design and materials. Decorated in an ad hoc manner, with everything from large leather recliners, to blocks of wood to sit on, is a expression of an exquisite living room space. In the press photos, it looks great.
Alas, it all starts to fall down as soon as it is used by passengers: there are far too many who are accessing the Los Angeles Air Canada Maple Leaf lounge than you would have thought would be on a normal Air Canada plane. And that's because they are not: many passengers escape from the vast new United lounge in the neighbouring terminal to enjoy the much better Canadian food.
First though you have to access the lounge, which you can do from all terminals airside thanks to the underground service tunnels. Once in terminal six, hunt for the central area just down the stairs from gates 65A and 65B. In the middle of the concourse is a small lift, with small inadequate signs: this is the only way to get to the lounge, and it well hidden next to the currency exchange desk. There is a stairway across from the lift, but signs warn you it is for staff only, but you can ignore this if you want to avoid the lift.
At the top of the lift is a service corridor, and then a tiny foyer, with a reception desk, who will warn you that it is totally forbidden to take any photos in the lounge.
And then - the lounge. Which is basically just one small room. There are warm sofas, swivelling leather armchairs, and stunning natural wood end tables from British Columbia's Brent Comber and Calgary's Birchwood. Adding a dash of lively colour to the usually somewhat subdued palette that is dominated by whites and earth tones, fresh flowers enhance the appearance. Grey, beige, and a few touches of red are the signature colours.
The design is stunning even though it is somewhat impractical. As the lounge fills up during peak hours with a majority of single travellers, the living room configuration, which is designed for groups of four, means you either sit in a group with someone else, or on the floor. It rapidly looses its appeal.
Thankfully, next to the floor to ceiling windows with stunning views, there are pairs of seats separated by small coffee tables, and here it is more roomy. The lounge has stunning views of the runway and is lit by sunlight during the day.
The dining area is next door, separated by a thin wooden wall and surrounded b the classic Canadian slats, there is a buffet and bar area. A mini wine wall nearby brings elements of the larger lounges of Air Canada in Montreal and Vancouver.
Across from the buffet is a shared table that doubles as a useful workstation and has the recognisable red Air Canada seats. On either side of the large table, there are other two-person dining tables that are smaller.
Every seat has a USB port and an outlet, including those in the dining area.
Note that the staff in the Los Angeles Air Canada Maple Leaf lounge rigorously police a no photo or video policy in the lounge, and if you are even suspected of taking a photo of the furniture, you will be escorted off the premises. Quite why seems to be beyond even them to explain.
Food
Many passengers from United, and indeed other Star Alliance airlines come to the Air Canada lounge for the vastly better catering, and it is good.There is a hot breakfast in the morning, plus a continental breakfast spread with pastries, hard boiled eggs, yoghurt, and fresh fruit salads. By 11am this moves on to a selection including cold cuts of cheese and ham plus a variety of salads, sandwiches and crudités.
Bar
The bar is all self service, with an adequate, but not over the top, selection of self-service beverages including wines, liqueurs and spirits.
These are all on the worktop, and you can help yourself.
Cans of Canadian beer are in the fridge below the worktop.
Business Facilities
Free wifi.Bathrooms
None.Access
Air Canada business class, or departing on an eligible codeshare partner flight, Maple Leaf Club members, Altitude Super Elite 100K, Elite 75K and Elite 50K Members and Star Alliance Gold cardholders departing on a same-day Lufthansa or Star Alliance flight.
However, due to its significantly smaller size than the old location in Terminal 2, the new lounge is not accessible to Priority Pass members.
Video: Air Canada Maple Leaf Lounge
Newly redecorated