Air Canada Café Opens as 1st Dedicated Premium Lounge Experience at YQB

Air Canada has opened its newest Air Canada Café at Québec City Jean Lesage International Airport (YQB), introducing the first dedicated premium lounge experience to the airport’s terminal. 

The airline says the new 97-seat Air Canada Café, operated in partnership with Plaza Premium, offers eligible customers a modern, locally inspired space to relax, work or recharge before their flight, featuring menus that celebrate Québec City’s heritage, culture, and renowned art de vivre.

The YQB location marks the seventh Air Canada Café, expanding the successful café concept as part of its multi-year global lounge modernization program. 

“Travellers love Québec City for its food, charm and character,” said Jacqueline Harkness, Managing Director, Product & Services at Air Canada. 

“With this new Air Canada Café, we’ve created a space that feels like a love letter to the city – warm, calm, and inspired by its rich and unique character. Québec City is one of Canada’s great treasures, and we’re proud to bring a little taste of its magic into the travel experience.”

Reflecting Air Canada’s “Glowing Hearted” design philosophy, the new Air Canada Café blends inspiration from Québec’s natural landscape and the charm and character of the Québec City region to create an atmosphere of calm and comfort. 

The space is anchored by two significant works from celebrated Québecois and Canadian artists: Flow, a vibrant abstraction in acrylic, oil and ink on canvas by the award-winning abstract artist Antonietta Grassi, and 1982, a colourful, geometric acrylic on linen by visual artist and novelist Douglas Coupland. 

“The opening of the brand-new Air Canada Café is fully in line with our commitment to offering an ever more welcoming and distinctive experience to travellers who choose to fly from our airport,” said Stéphane Poirier, President and CEO of Québec City Jean Lesage International Airport (YQB). 

“We are proud to partner with Air Canada and Plaza Premium Group in welcoming this popular and unique lounge concept. We are also pleased to count on these valued partners to help us develop a modern, attractive airport that meets our passengers’ expectations.”

Local Food and Beverage Offerings

Designed as a place to relax before a flight, the Air Canada Café features a full self-service station with hot and cold menu items to be enjoyed on site. The menu also caters to a range of dietary preferences and is supported by comprehensive allergen labelling. The menu features locally sourced products and items developed with Québec-based and Indigenous partners.

Here are some of the menu highlights featured: 

• Signature breakfast pancakes with maple butter, fleur de sel, and Sigewigus pumpkin seed spread sourced from the Mi’gmaq Nation of Gespeg Indigenous community. 
• Fresh, locally sourced ingredients at build-your-own power bowl bar.
• Curated selection of local cheeses and artisanal jams.
• Menu items designed for dietary preferences and restrictions, including vegan, vegetarian, and gluten-free options.
• Full-service bar offering premium specialty coffee from Lavazza, handcrafted cocktails, featuring la distilleries du Fjord, and beers from local brewery La Souche.

Amenities and Space 

• 97 seats across 3,616 square-foot (336-square-metre) premium space. 
• Productivity-style seating for working and taking calls.
• Power at every seat, including USB-C ports with wattage to charge a laptop.
• Glowing Hearted Design.

Eligibility for Air Canada Café Access 

Access to the Air Canada Café at YQB is available to eligible domestic customers, including Aeroplan Elite members (50K and above), Star Alliance Gold members, Aeroplan premium co-brand cardholders, and Business Class customers departing on Air Canada and Star Alliance flights from YQB.