Assessment: Plaza Premium Lounge Winnipeg

Upon arriving in Winnipeg after a flight from Vancouver, I took a while to take a look at the one two airport lounges accessible within the airport. After a short go to to the Air Canada Maple Leaf Lounge down the corridor, I made my manner over to the Plaza Premium Lounge.

I used to be feeling a bit peckish, and since this lounge has a wider scorching meals choice than its counterpart, I made a decision to pop in for a fast chunk earlier than heading downtown.

Plaza Premium Lounge Winnipeg – Entry

The Plaza Premium Lounge, which opened in 2015, is situated airside within the departures wing, on the second degree of the primary terminal.

The lounge is located proper throughout from Gates 5 and 6, and is well identifiable by its title prominently illuminated on the entrance.

The check-in counter is instantly by way of the entryway, and the lineup might simply spill out into the hallway on a busy day, as there isn’t all an excessive amount of house right here.

The lounge is open from 4am–7pm every day, apart from Saturdays, when it’s open from 4am–5pm. Because of the lounge’s location, these travelling on transborder flights to the US received’t have entry to the lounge, however anybody on a home or worldwide flight will.

Plaza Premium lounges at the moment are affiliated with DragonPass, which permits entry to holders of an eligible Visa or Mastercard product. I loved complimentary entry from my American Categorical Platinum Card, which gives cardholders and one visitor with limitless entry to Plaza Premium Lounges, each earlier than departure and upon arrival. 

Even with no bank card or membership that provides entry, you may have the choice of buying a day cross for the lounge, which begins at $52.50 plus tax per individual for two hours.

Plaza Premium Lounge Winnipeg – Seating

The lounge’s décor boasts a basic Plaza Premium aesthetic, with a variety of brown hues and different heat tones. The open-concept lounge has a number of seating choices scattered all through, and may accommodate as much as 100 company.

It’s price noting that that is an open-air lounge, so it isn’t solely secluded from the remainder of the airport. As a substitute, its glass partitions merely act as a divider, and due to this fact it is probably not the quietest of areas, as noise spills over from the terminal.

Heading to the appropriate from the check-in desk, there are a handful of four-person eating tables. These tables characteristic hanging studying lights and easily-accessible charging shops and USB ports, if you should cost a tool or get some work performed.

A cluster of hexagonal nooks is simply previous these tables, which is a characteristic seen at many different Plaza Premium Lounges. Nestled inside are smooth brown seats and a small desk fitted with charging ports and a studying mild.

These are probably the most effective seating selections for a solo occupant, as they’re quiet, non-public, and excellent for working or enjoyable in your personal particular person house. 

Additional contained in the lounge, there are quite a few rows of brown plush armchairs, that are nice for lounging. There’s a departures display close by, the place you possibly can examine the standing of your flight.

To the left of the armchairs are snug two-person and three-person seating areas, with smaller tables.

The lounge includes a small enterprise centre with two computer systems, which is considerably hidden within the again nook of the lounge,. This space didn’t look like notably lively, as on the time of my go to, it was additionally getting used as a storage space for youngsters’s excessive chairs.

It’s additionally price noting that there aren’t any loos situated inside this lounge. Somewhat, you’ll should enterprise outdoors into the departures concourse to entry the amenities.

Plaza Premium Lounge Winnipeg – Eating

The self-serve buffet-style meals choice is situated alongside the left aspect of the Plaza Premium Lounge Winnipeg.

The lounge provides a number of scorching dishes, which, on the time of my go to, was teriyaki hen accompanied by rice and buttered greens.

Moreover, there was a modest salad station, together with some pasta salad. Lastly, there have been just a few choices for desserts.

Though I had visited the Maple Leaf Lounge earlier than this, I opted to eat lunch right here within the Plaza Premium Lounge earlier than going into city, as I used to be extra enticed by the new meals choice.

Regardless of my enthusiasm, nevertheless, I used to be finally a bit let down. I discovered the teriyaki hen to be solely passably edible, and the rice and inexperienced beans have been additionally disappointing. 

It have to be acknowledged that the eating inside Plaza Premium Lounges isn’t spectacular, no less than in North American areas. Somewhat, it’s normally satisfactory for passengers who solely need to satiate their starvation earlier than leaving the terminal, and it’s normally higher than what’s served in economic system class on many airways. 

The beverage station can also be self-serve, and options smooth drinks and a Nescafé espresso machine.

Within the centre of the lounge is an aesthetically pleasing marble-clad bar, with six bar seats.

Complimentary alcoholic drinks can be found on the bar, together with draft and canned beer, crimson and white wine, and fundamental spirits – though with a most of 4 drinks per go to.

There’s additionally a number of paid premium drink choices to select from should you wished a wider vary of spirits. 

Conclusion

The Plaza Premium Lounge at Winnipeg Airport is a modest and unassuming airport lounge, nevertheless it’s satisfactory for unwinding, catching up on work, or grabbing a fast chunk.

As I’d anticipated, the lounge is a scaled-down model of the opposite Plaza Premium Lounges at Canada’s bigger hubs. The inside is effectively laid out, though the meals and drinks are run-of-the-mill.

You probably have entry by way of your eligible American Categorical, Visa, or Mastercard, it’s good to have the ability to make the most of this lounge at no further value, however I don’t suppose it’d be well worth the value of entry in any other case.