On a recent trip to Banff (SEE: Fairmont Banff Springs one bedroom suite review), my wife and I flew in and out of Calgary, Alberta. It is a closest major airport to the national park. I did a little research before we left and found that YYC has a couple priority pass lounges, including one in Terminal E. This gave us a chance to visit the Aspire Lounge Calgary when we were heading home.
Visiting the Aspire Lounge Calgary was the first time I was able to put my Priority Pass membership to use. I have membership through both my American Express Business Platinum card and as an authorized user on my mom’s Chase Sapphire Reserve card. Although American Express has changed their Priority Pass lounge guesting policy, I played it safe and brought the membership card associated with the Sapphire Reserve.
Arriving at the Aspire Lounge Calgary
My wife and I checked out of the Delta in-terminal hotel with plenty of time for our 1:38 p.m. flight. Both security and customs were a breeze, so we made it to the Aspire lounge in Terminal E with just about an hour until boarding.
The agent who checked us in was very friendly and chatty. He had issues swiping my Priority Pass card, so much so that I wondered if something had gone wrong and it wasn’t activated. But on the 5th attempt, it finally worked.
General impressions
The lounge was barely occupied when we arrived. There were maybe 8 other people in the whole space. The lounge wasn’t huge, but it had a good amount of seating. There was seating along the perimeter, a bar-style table, and an are with couches near the televisions.
All the food and drinks were located in an open area just past the entry.
We found a couple seats overlooking the terminal below, and then I grabbed some food for lunch.
Food and drink
The food and beverage selection at Aspire Lounge Calgary was decent. There were cold cuts and a couple salad options, which changed during the time we were there.
To the left of the cold cuts and salads was a pot of soup, and also some some pastries and hot options.
There was a self-serve bar, if that’s your thing.
And also a small cooler with a limited selection of soft drinks. I was happy they included ginger ale.
The coffee and tea selection included an espresso machine.
I filled my plate, grabbed a ginger ale, and sat down to enjoy.
Nothing was amazing, but it was a “free” lunch, and a great place to wait for our flight.
Conclusion
We were in the Aspire Lounge Calgary for just under an hour. The food was good, and it was a nice quiet place to escape the terminal. Although, from what I observed outside in Terminal E, YYC wouldn’t be that bad of a place to have to hang out for a while. The international terminal is very new. It opened just last year.
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Dan Miller travels with his wife and 6 (SIX!) children. He loves to help families travel for free / cheap, especially larger families. If you are looking for help, drop him an email at 
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