Air Canada Signature Suite in Toronto Pearson Airport

Lounges have long served as a refuge from airport mania—a place to gather oneself and refuel before jetting off once more. Air Canada has now gone above and beyond with their newly opened Signature Suite in Toronto Pearson International Airport, a luxe lounge available exclusively to the airline’s full-fare paying international business class clientele.

“You look at the nature of our flight schedule in Toronto, we have a lot of red-eye flights available—many of them are five-to-six-hour-long flights,” says Andrew Yiu, Air Canada’s vice-president of product. After touching down from these long-haul flights, many passengers dive straight into meetings without a chance to truly refresh. Enter the Air Canada Signature Suite.

The Signature Suite is a destination within Air Canada’s global hub.

Indeed, the 6,400-square-foot space is like a getaway all on its own. Screens listing departure times are the only hint of the airport hustle beyond the lounge’s serene atmosphere of subtle Canadiana. Montreal’s Heekyung Duquette designed the limestone-lined space featuring the whimsical Cloudscape Chandelier by Moss & Lam, a stretching forested mural by Wakefield, Quebec–based Gavin Lynch, and sleek furnishings made of an estimated 96 per cent Canadian material—save for accents of Italian marble—with many a nook for visitors to sink into plush seats with USB and electrical outlets nearby.

Signature cocktails inspired by Canadian cities (try the Muskoka Maple) and seasonally rotating fare from Vancouver’s chef David Hawksworth make for tempting fuel. No matter how much or little your time in the suite, there awaits a dining option. “The intention is the host knows exactly what flight you’re on, and based on how much time you have, they recommend [the best option],” says Yiu. Prefer a slick self-serve? The buffet lays out everything from kale salads to chocolate desserts. Only need a quick bite? The bar serves up the tempura onion ring topped Hawksworth Hamburger in 15 minutes. Time to spare? The full-service restaurant will serve you a three-course meal—think B.C. albacore tuna tataki and grilled lamb chops—or opt to order à la carte.

The Signature Suite is a destination within Air Canada’s global hub, where the streamlined U.S. pre-clearance process means travellers connecting internationally need not pick up their bags between flights. One might even dedicate the time to revel in the suite’s offerings so that, once they land, they can hit the ground running.

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