One of the four Star Alliance Lounges at London Heathrow Terminal 2, the Air Canada Lounge is great. I haven’t visited for a few years but wanted to check this out as part of a four-Star-Alliance-lounge-hop to see what has changed. This lounge was lightly-refreshed recently in 2024 with new red couch seating, more charging points and the removal of the boardroom area, but it still feels the same with maple wood and Canadian limestone featured throughout. Modern, light and unequivocally Canadian.
This is Forward of the Wing’s review of the Air Canada Lounge at London Heathrow Terminal 2.
Location of the Air Canada Lounge Heathrow
The Air Canada Lounge at London Heathrow is located at the B Gates, next to the Singapore Airlines Lounge.
The A Gates are generally for Star Alliance regional short haul narrowbody flights, and B Gates are used for widebody flights (but there are some exceptions). For example, Turkish Airlines flights to Istanbul (narrowbody and widebody) departs from B Gates, and I’ve arrived into the B Gates recently on a LOT Polish Airlines flight from Warsaw. So there are definitely exceptions to the narrowbody short haul, A Gates, widebody long haul B Gates rule.
To get to the B Gates, once you pass through Terminal 2 security, head to the right and the Lufthansa Lounge is located right before the down escalators to the A Gates.
Do note, the B Gates are roughly a 10-15 minute walk away from the A Gates, and there are travelators in only one direction (from A Gates to the B Gates) but not the other way, so allow plenty of time to get back before your boarding time if your flight is departing from the A Gates. If you are running short on time or flying from the A Gates, the Lufthansa Lounge is great.
Opening Hours
The London Heathrow Air Canada Lounge is open daily from 6am to 5:30pm, but this changes often due to seasonal flight schedules. You may be asked to moved to the Singapore Airlines Lounge opposite if there is more than 3 hours between Air Canada flights or if the last Air Canada flight of the afternoon/evening has departed.
As the Air Canada Lounge is located at the B Gates at London Heathrow, I wouldn’t try to visit the Air Canada Lounge if your flight departs from the A Gates before 7am at the very earliest as the walk back takes 10-15 minutes, and boarding usually closes 30 minutes before departure for most airlines.
If your flight departs after the Air Canada Lounge closes, I recommend checking out the Singapore Airlines Lounge opposite or United Club nearby. If your flight departs from the A Gates, try to head back early to the fantastic and newly renovated Lufthansa Lounge before departure.
Air Canada Lounge London Heathrow Seating
Decked out in Maplewood and Canadian Limestone, with high ceilings and a large, curved feature wall, the elongated main space of this lounge feels open and spacious, with an elevated platform providing some sectioning.
Along the feature wall is couch seating, with charging ports underneath, featuring standard UK powerpoints, USB-A and USB-C ports. Most of the powerpoints in this lounge also support US plugs too. There are also wide armless chairs with low tables in this elevated area, a perfect spot for relaxing away from the windows.
The main lounge area sits right along large double height windows overlooking the Terminal 2 apron, with large roller shades preventing excessive sunlight and heat into the main lounge area. Along the windows are dining tables, perfect for groups, colleagues or families.
Up the north end of the Air Canada Lounge is a secluded quiet area with individual high-sided booths, suitable for solo leisure travellers or business travellers needing some privacy. Opposite, there is also an enclosed couch and armchair area, similar to the main area but enclosed (where the old boardroom used to be). It was very quiet on my visit.
Down the south end of the Air Canada Lounge, there are also three secluded chaise lounger nooks, great for catching a quick nap. Outside this area is a communal high work table with powerpoints.
There is definitely something here for every type of traveller, whether you are travelling for business or leisure, solo or in a large group.
Plane Spotting Views
The main area of the Air Canada Lounge has double height windows with panoramic views over the Terminal 2 apron towards the A Gates. Perfect for sunset plane watching.
Depending on the intensity of the sun, they do close the blinds at certain points during the day so just be aware. If the blinds are shut and you are wanting to sunset plane spot, you might be better off heading to the Singapore Airlines Lounge which is just next door.
Air Canada Lounge Heathrow Food Options
The Air Canada Lounge London Heathrow has quite an average and small food selection of typical airport lounge fare. This is what was available on my afternoon visit:
- Pea and Mint Soup
- Tomato and Basil Penne Pasta
- Green Thai Chicken Curry
- Rice
- Salad Bar with Cheese Platter and Cold Cuts Platter
- Selection of Cakes, Cookies and Candy
- Bread
Compared to the Singapore Airlines Lounge opposite, this is a very simple selection. I think the food at the other three Star Alliance Lounges at London Heathrow Terminal 2 are just so good that this just doesn’t compare.
Air Canada Lounge Heathrow Bar Selection
The Air Canada Lounge London Heathrow has a fairly decent beer, wine and spirits selection for an airport lounge, with a staffed bar. Here is what was available on my visit:
Beer and Cider
- Guinness
- Cobra
- Carling
- Coors Light
Wine
- Prosecco (no champagne available)
- Changing selection of Red and White Wines
Spirits
- Smirnoff Vodka
- Aperol
- Espolon Tequila Blanco
- Cointreau
- Campari
- Baileys Irish Cream
- Jameson Irish Whiskey
- Regal Rouge White Vermouth
- Regal Rouge Red Vermouth
- Bacardi White Rum,
- Tanqueray Gin
- Captain Morgan Spiced Rum
- Camus Borderies VSOP Cognac
- Kweichow Moutai
- Appleton Estate Signature Blend Rum
As you can see, there is a fairly broad spirits selection, with enough to make a variety of cocktails including Aperol or Campari Spritzes, Margaritas, Negronis, Martinis and more. They also have Clamato Juice for a classic twist on a Bloody Mary (known as a Caesar in Canada).
In all, the bar selection is fine, but nothing special. The Lufthansa Lounge, United Club and Singapore Airlines Lounge (opposite) all have better bar selections in my opinion, but this is perfectly decent and a step up from a typical airport lounge.
Bathrooms and Showers
The Air Canada Lounge at London Heathrow features bathrooms within the lounge, as well as three shower suites. The B Gates at Heathrow Terminal 2 are used predominantly for widebody, long-haul flights, so it’s great to have the option to take a shower before your flight, whether you are departing from Heathrow or just transiting. It’s also nice to not have to leave the lounge to go the terminal bathrooms.
The bathrooms are modern, and decked out in marble and maple wood, like the rest of the lounge. Bathroom and Shower Toiletries are from Molton Brown.
As there are only three shower suites, I can imagine these can get pretty busy at peak times. On my visit, sadly they were all closed. If they are closed or full, I would recommend heading to the Singapore Airlines Lounge next door or the United Club Lounge (also located at the B Gates) for a shower instead, as they have more capacity.
How to Access the Air Canada Lounge at Heathrow
The access policy for the Air Canada Lounge is fairly broad with some notable additions to the standard Star Alliance Lounge access policy:
- Air Canada Business Class and First Class passengers (no guests)
- Star Alliance Business Class and First Class passengers (no guests)
- Star Alliance Gold passengers (+1 guest)
- Air Canada Super Elite, Aeroplan 50K and Aeroplan 75K members (+1 guest, partner and up to 5 dependent children)
- Virgin Australia Velocity Frequent Flyer Gold, Platinum and Beyond VIP status holders when flying Air Canada
- Chase Sapphire Reserve cardholders (incl. authorised users) (+1 guest)
- Air Canada Maple Leaf Club members
Do note, for guests of Star Alliance Gold status holders, they can’t be travelling on a different flight.
Air Canada also allows you to buy day passes if you are flying premium economy or economy on a Latitude, Comfort or Flex fare. Prices vary depending on fare, but must be bought in advance (no day passes on the door). Day passes can also be purchased for additional guests on the door when accompanied by a passenger who has access for £59 per additional guest.
Conclusion
The Air Canada Lounge is a lovely open-plan and distinctly Canadian space that was quiet during my visit (and every previous time I’ve visited). Whilst personally I don’t think the food and bar selection is up to par with the other Star Alliance Lounges at Heathrow, if you don’t intend on drinking before your flight or eaten at another Star Alliance Lounge first, the Air Canada Lounge can be a great option for some peace and relaxation.
I really like the secluded booths at the north end of the lounge, and also the nap pods at the south end of this lounge.
Do note that the Air Canada Lounge sometimes has strange closure periods throughout the day, so you may be asked to move to the Singapore Airlines Lounge across the hall if your visit doesn’t coincide around the Heathrow Air Canada flights that day (the lounge is usually open 3 hours before). I don’t necessarily think that this is that bad, as the Singapore Airlines Lounge is my favourite Star Alliance Lounge at London Heathrow Terminal 2, but something just to keep in mind.
If you are flying Star Alliance Business or First Class, or hold Star Alliance Gold, be sure to check out the Singapore Airlines Lounge, Lufthansa Lounge and United Club too as part of a four-lounge-hop if you have enough time before your flight.
If you are planning to stopover in London, check out my 2-Night First Timer Stopover Itinerary.