Lounge Review: Aspire Transborder Lounge Calgary

The Aspire Transborder Lounge at Calgary International Airport is one of the lounge options available to passengers flying from Calgary to the United States.

Third-party airport lounges can be unpredictable. Some offer little more than a quiet chair and a bowl of pretzels, while others provide a genuinely pleasant place to eat, work and relax before a flight. Fortunately, the Aspire Transborder Lounge in Calgary belongs much closer to the second category.

During our visit, the lounge impressed us with its unusual garden-style seating area, good selection of hot and cold food and a rather entertaining pancake machine. Here is our full Aspire Transborder Lounge Calgary review.

Access and Location

The Aspire Transborder Lounge is located in Concourse E at Calgary International Airport. It is inside the transborder departures area, meaning it is intended for passengers flying from Calgary to destinations in the United States.

You will therefore need to complete the relevant security and US preclearance procedures before reaching the lounge. Passengers departing on domestic or other international flights cannot access this location.

Entry is available to eligible passengers travelling with Air Canada and WestJet, depending on their ticket, status or lounge entitlement. The lounge also accepts several well-known lounge membership programmes and passes.

Priority Pass members can also access the Aspire Transborder Lounge, subject to the usual capacity restrictions. This can be a useful option for travellers who do not receive lounge access through their airline ticket or frequent-flyer status.

Walk-in access may also be available for a fee. However, admission is not guaranteed when the lounge is busy. As always with contract lounges, having a membership card does not necessarily mean the lounge can magically create an empty chair during peak departure times.

Seating Options

The lounge offers a good variety of seating, with different areas depending on whether you want to eat, work or simply wait for boarding in more comfort than you would find at the gate.

There are high-top chairs and bar-style counters that work well for passengers using a laptop or having a quick drink. Traditional dining tables are available for those planning to make proper use of the buffet, while couches and armchairs provide a more relaxed place to sit before departure.

Overall, the Aspire Lounge covers the standard airport-lounge seating checklist rather well. You can work, eat or sink into an armchair while repeatedly checking whether your flight has started boarding.

The Indoor Garden Area

The most distinctive part of the lounge is its dedicated garden-style area. With plenty of greenery, natural-looking decorative elements and seating arranged between the plants, it feels noticeably different from the rest of the lounge.

Of course, you are still inside an airport terminal rather than relaxing in a Canadian botanical garden. Nevertheless, the design creates a calmer and more interesting atmosphere than the rows of identical chairs found in many lounges.

This area gives the lounge some genuine character and is likely to be the first place many visitors look for when choosing a seat.

Food & Drinks at the Aspire Transborder Lounge Calgary

Food

The food offering was one of the strongest parts of our visit. Compared with many independent and third-party airport lounges, the Aspire Transborder Lounge Calgary sits towards the upper end of the scale.

The buffet included a selection of fresh bread and pastries, along with cold cuts, cheese and various accompaniments. There were also approximately half a dozen hot dishes available, making it possible to have a proper meal rather than simply assembling a plate of crackers and cheese.

The exact dishes can naturally change depending on the time of day and when you visit, but the overall variety was better than we would normally expect from a contract lounge.

The Pancake Machine

One of the more memorable features is the self-service pancake machine. Press a button, wait patiently, and the machine prepares fresh pancakes for you.

Is a pancake machine essential for a good airport lounge? Probably not. Does it make waiting for a flight slightly more entertaining? Absolutely.

Fresh pancakes are not something you find in every airport lounge, and the machine adds a small but enjoyable extra to an already solid food selection.

Drinks

The drinks selection was also comprehensive, with soft drinks, coffee, tea and alcoholic beverages available.

Combined with the buffet, the selection should be sufficient for anything from a quick coffee before an early flight to a more relaxed pre-departure meal and drink.

As with the food, the exact brands and individual options may vary, but there was enough choice to satisfy most travellers.

Wi-Fi, Showers and Other Facilities

Free Wi-Fi is available throughout the lounge, making it possible to work, browse the internet or download some entertainment before your flight. Magazines and other standard lounge amenities are also provided.

Showers are available, which may be useful for passengers connecting from a longer journey or travelling after a busy day. However, the showers are not included free of charge and require an additional payment.

That is slightly disappointing, particularly for travellers who already paid for lounge access. Still, having the option is better than discovering that the only available shower is waiting for you at your final destination.

Aspire Transborder Lounge Calgary: Bottom Line

The Aspire Transborder Lounge Calgary is a good contract lounge and offers more than simply a quieter place to wait for a flight.

The food and drinks are above average for this type of lounge, with several hot dishes, a broad cold selection and the unusual pancake machine. There is also a useful variety of seating for dining, working and relaxing.

The clear highlight is the indoor garden area. It gives the lounge a distinctive atmosphere and makes it feel less generic than many other airport lounges.

The additional charge for showers is a minor negative, and the lounge may become crowded during busy US departure periods. Nevertheless, eligible passengers and lounge pass holders should find it a comfortable and worthwhile place to spend some time before flying from Calgary to the United States.

By Sacha

I'm Sacha, founder of Premium-Flights.com. Over ten years ago Chris and I started finding Business and First Class deals for ourselves, then for family and friends, and in 2018 we decided to share them with everyone, completely free. Every deal on this site is personally verified by us. This isn't a corporate operation, it's a passion project built by two friends who genuinely love aviation and smart travel.