The SkyTeam lounge at YVR represents everything I love about Priority Pass

The SkyTeam lounge at YVR represents everything I love about Priority Pass

01. Air Canada Express (Jazz) CRJ-900 economy class San Diego to Vancouver
02. SkyTeam lounge, YVR
03. Philippine Airlines 777-300ER business class Vancouver to New York (JFK)
04. Delta Air Lines 757-200 premium business class (Delta One) New York (JFK) to San Diego

If you’ve been getting totally sick of me touting the benefits of Priority Pass for the past few months, just know that it’s for a very good reason. Having access to thousands of airline lounges in airports all over the world (even when I’m not flying business class) has completely transformed the way I travel, and I’d even argue that my annual membership has paid for itself multiple times over.

How I access airport lounges
Get lounge access with Priority Pass – save up to 10%
  • Access to over 1300 airport lounges around the world, regardless of airline flown or class of ticket.
  • Complimentary snacks, drinks, and meals.
  • Digital entry for instant access through the dedicated Priority Pass app.
Check it out!
Note: I may earn a commission if you make a purchase, at no additional cost to you.

Food has always been one of my biggest expenses while traveling, and having the ability to pop into the nearest Priority Pass lounge or restaurant for a bite to eat (at no cost) has saved me hundreds of dollars so far this year. I’m all about saving as much money as possible now that I’m self employed, so I tip my hat to the fine people of this SkyTeam lounge here at YVR for filling my belly with delicious food before hopping on the Philippine Airlines 777-300 to JFK. And let’s not kid ourselves here – it just feels good sitting in an airport lounge while waiting for a flight. Don’t pretend it isn’t true!

SkyTeam lounge YVR entrance
This is definitely one of the swoopiest airport lounge entrances I’ve ever seen – a clear sign that there’s lots of good stuff inside!
Neon SkyTeam lounge sign
All of those neon Bud Light signs I’ve seen over the years have obliterated any associations I had with neon signs and the word “class”. Neon signs look cheesy to me, but I’ll admit that the swoopiness of the exterior of this SkyTeam lounge makes up for the cringe.

It should be noted that all Philippine Airlines business class passengers have complimentary access to the Plaza Premium lounge here at YVR (located on departures level 3 right after security), so even if you aren’t a member of Priority Pass, you’ll still the the opportunity to feel important in a lounge before your flight. It just so happens that I’ve heard really good things about this particular SkyTeam lounge (located on level 4 between gates 52 and 53) and I really wanted to check it out for myself.

SkyTeam lounge YVR design
Stepping off the elevator to the 4th floor, and…wow! Nice to see that this lounge isn’t just a series of connected boxes (such as the Delta Sky Club at JFK).
SkyTeam lounge YVR seating
Walking into the lounge now, highly appreciative of the fact these chairs were empty. How awkward would it have been for everyone to stop what they were doing to watch me walk in (like an outlaw walking into a bar in a western movie)?
SkyTeam lounge YVR bar
Speaking of the bar, there was no friendly bartender to greet the patrons. You’d never see such a thing in an old western movie!
SkyTeam lounge YVR interior
Enough talk about old western movies. That walkway to the left is where the food is, and I’m about to mosey on over that way…
SkyTeam lounge yvr architecture
I tired to admire the architecture on the way to the food, but I just couldn’t. If I’ve got food on my mind, I’m pretty sure that I could walk right through a pile of hundred dollar bills without noticing (or caring).
SkyTeam lounge YVR food
“Oh God, another travel blogger taking a picture of my food” (says the lounge attendant while lurking in the shadows).
SkyTeam lounge yvr food options
The food selection in this lounge is pretty good actually. The center section contains light snacks such as sandwiches and fruit, while the window on the back wall (on the right) is where you can order plates of real food. The guy in the background looks as if he can’t decide which way to go, and I don’t blame him. Everything looked good!
SkyTeam lounge yvr hot food
Hot items were available in the center section as well, – eggs and potatoes were the contents of these pots.
SkyTeam lounge yvr drinks
I do believe I see an orange Fanta down there in the refrigerator, which automatically gives me reason to rate this lounge very highly.
SkyTeam lounge yvr alcohol
Those needing a stiff drink might not be happy with the offerings in this lounge. The selection of alcohol here can’t hold a candle to the stockpile in the JAL Sakura lounge at NRT!
SkyTeam lounge yvr free food
What can I say about this other than that I’m an eclectic eater? Some apples and hot sauce would have been nice, but this was fine.
SANspotter selfie YVR lounge
Reaching for the congee. I have no idea why I like mushy rice so much, but I do.
SkyTeam lounge yvr seats and chairs
Looking to the right while enjoying the congee – there’s a wide variety of seating options in this place, that’s for dang sure.
View from SkyTeam lounge yvr
But it was the view to the left that I was particularly fond of. There are three Air Canada Boeing’s in view, and all three are headed to Asia within the next two hours. I wanna go too!
SkyTeam lounge yvr layout
All in all I consider this to be one of the most beautiful airport lounges I’ve ever been in – but for the life of I can’t figure out why they blocked off that area to the left. That’s a prime airplane viewing spot IMHO and it’s a shame to see it go to waste.
SkyTeam lounge YVR computer and printer
Oh, and there’s a small business center too with A scanner and A printer. It’s not the best setup I’ve ever seen, but I guess it’ll do in a pinch (unless there’s a guy hogging the PC printing the first draft of his book or something).
SkyTeam lounge yvr review
And this is the view on the way out. I’m still really thankful there’s nobody in those chairs judging me as I walk past. Oh, the things they would say…

So what’s the verdict?

Summing it all up, I’ve got to say that the best part of this lounge is the food. Everything you saw in the pics above was just the simple “snack” stuff, but there is also a full kitchen here with a really impressive menu – including dim sum (which looked incredible). My goal was to start with a plate or two of the snacks, then make my way over to the kitchen window to order a plate of real food. Unfortunately (as it usually happens) I completely gorged myself on snacks until there was no room left for a real meal. Hey, I can’t help it when there’s so much delicious looking food lying around.

Finally, for those of you out there who are looking for the best bang for the buck when it comes to travel perks such as lounge access (I mean who isn’t, right?), you should know that you’ll get a complimentary membership with the American Express Platinum card. I’m not the type of travel blogger to shill credit cards, but the Amex Platinum / Priority Pass combo is one of the easiest an most effective ways to up your travel game at little to no cost.

How I pay for all my travel expenses
The American Express Platinum Card
  • 100,000 welcome points (woo-hoo!)
  • Earn 5x points on flights and prepaid hotels
  • $200 hotel credit + $200 airline fee credit + $155 Walmart credit + $240 digital entertainment credit (and much more)
  • Transfer points to a wide variety of global airline and hotel partners
Sign me up!
Note: I may earn a commission if you make a purchase, at no additional cost to you.

Anyway, whether you decide to go the Priority Pass route or not, the SkyTeam lounge here at YVR is definitely one worth checking out in your travels through the Pacific Northwest. Don’t overdo it on the snacks though, because the dim sum looked hard to beat!

Comments (6)

  1. john s

    November 7, 2018
    • john s

      November 7, 2018
      • SANspotter

        November 7, 2018
    • SANspotter

      November 7, 2018
  2. john spencer

    November 11, 2018
    • SANspotter

      November 11, 2018

Give a Comment

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.