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Maple Leaf Lounge Regina YQR
On my return journey from Regina, Saskatchewan, I was flying in the economy cabin on Air Canada. Thanks to a premium Aeroplan credit card, I had access to the Maple Leaf Lounge (MLL) at Regina International Airport (YQR). This lounge is notable for being the smallest MLL in Air Canada’s entire network, and my experience there provided a clear sense of both its conveniences and shortcomings.
MLL Regina – Main Entrance
The lounge is located near Gate 5, directly across from the 306 Bistro and Bar. Instead of a staffed reception desk, the entrance uses a self-serve system where passengers simply scan their boarding pass at a gate scanner, which unlocks the door. While convenient, this setup feels less personal than other lounges that greet you with a front desk.
Restaurant across the lounge
It’s worth noting that Air Canada is the only airline at YQR that offers a lounge. With WestJet passengers left without any lounge option, this already gives Air Canada a slight advantage. However, given the size of the airport, Air Canada only operates six daily flights to Toronto and Vancouver. The limited schedule partially explains the small scale of this lounge.
Seating, Layout and Ambiance
Inside, the lounge offers just 20 seats in total – 16 soft brown couches and two high-top tables, each with two red leather chairs. When I arrived, I had the lounge entirely to myself, but by boarding time, about a dozen guests had filled the space.
Main lounge seating
The ambiance is very modest. There are no flight announcements made in the lounge, and the only view is of the airport parking lot. Perhaps the most surprising omission was the absence of a dedicated bathroom, something I’ve never encountered in any other MLL before. Guests are expected to use the public restrooms outside the lounge.
More seating
Maple Leaf Lounge Regina – Food & Drinks
Since my visit was during breakfast hours, the food spread included hard-boiled eggs, bagels with butter, cream cheese, peanut butter, and jam, along with French toast, bread, and oatmeal. The “dessert” section at breakfast offered yogurt, fruit salad, sliced watermelon, cookies, two-bite brownies, and mini bundt cakes.
Coffee and food area
For beverages, there was a Lavazza coffee machine, along with a fridge stocked with soda and juice, located right by the entrance. Spirits and draft beer taps were closed off in the morning.
Dessert options
mini donuts and bagels
Hidden spirits 🙂
In my opinion, the food and drink options were underwhelming. One guest even pointed out that some of the hard-boiled eggs still had shells on them. I also found that the water from the station had a metallic taste, which led me to refill at the public water fountain instead. Bottled or filtered water would have been a welcome addition.
Takeaway
The Maple Leaf Lounge in Regina is a mixed bag. On one hand, it’s nice that Air Canada provides any lounge at all in such a small airport—especially when WestJet passengers have no equivalent. But on the other hand, the lounge feels bare bones and misses many of the comforts one expects from the Maple Leaf Lounge brand.
The lack of a bathroom, poor food selection, and limited seating make it challenging to recommend beyond the fact that it exists. The lone staff attendant did their best to keep the area refreshed, but the overall experience fell short. I would rate this lounge 4/10, and while it may be better than having no lounge access at all, Air Canada could certainly make improvements to elevate the guest experience, even at their smallest location.
Safe travels ✈️
