Montréal Mode | ​DAY 1: (Pt. 1) Premium Plaza Lounge at Pearson + YUL

The concept of Montréal travel had originated back in the summer months, when I had reached the halfway point of probation and was experiencing major wanderlust. (Admittedly, there was also substantial regret from not booking a one-week getaway to Vancouver prior to commencing the new position.)

Originally intended as a duo vacation with the sleepy polar bear, I can solemnly swear that the trip was not only far more enjoyable in the absence of the aforementioned entity, but also executed with greater finesse and freedom. Some people are truly best omitted from our lives; regrettably, it had taken too long for me to arrive at that realization.
Following the now-permanent season finale, I pitched the travel plan idea to the Thai ahgase, who responded that she had plans of her own. Ultimately, the trip adopted the form of a family getaway - fitting for the holidays, frankly.

Somehow managing a miracle recovery and rapid luggage assembly, I readied myself for flight the following afternoon.
The Uber was called too early in advance, for the driver was less than one minute away when the app refreshed. With knowledge of Wait Time charges, we scrambled to propel our carriers out the door and onto street level without incurring unwarranted charges. A mental note was made to ready ourselves in advance of any future Uber calls.

Our ride emerged with a stuffy and somewhat filthy interior. Similar to my dreaded shared ride from the AGO, the driver flew on the 401 without a worry in the world, causing much instability to be felt in the back.

We arrived at Pearson in record time. While expecting to witness a disarray of holiday travellers, the scene was comparatively calm versus the mid-pandemic travel of last May.

​​The check-in counters were relatively empty, as was the baggage drop-off, enabling the staff to joke merrily in the absence of travellers.

Security screening procedures also proceeded with extreme ease. With neither my DSLR nor laptop in tow this time, I breezed through without a moment's hesitation.

​​After gathering our down coats and boots, which we had been asked to remove for screening, we maneuvered over to the doors of Plaza Premium Lounge.

​The brightly illuminated space was located on the same level as security screening, at the opposite end of the floor from the elevators leading up towards Air Canada's Maple Leaf Lounge.

​Boarding passes would be verified near the front counter prior to entry. Guests were either permitted access based on possession of passes or on-site purchase of timed access periods.

​At a glance, the scale of Plaza Premium paled in comparison to Maple Leaf. Spanning just one floor, the lounge comprised of a bar area, several two- and four-seater tables, outlet-equipped pods for solo fliers, and a large community room.

We had initially taken to two bar stools, only to shift towards a narrow two-seater once the previous occupants vacated the space.

On offer along the perimeter of the space were beverages and snacks. A Lavazza coffee machine and water dispenser could be observed at one end, while mini cookies and Multi Grain and Marbled Rye loaves at the other. Arranged in no particular order were depressing-looking chocolate cake and carrot cake cubes, coleslaw and beet salad, and assorted hot dishes such as Pineapple Curry Chicken and Tortilla Lemon Crusted Tilapia. Pretzels, pizza quarters, and dispensers containing cucumber-infused water and orange juice were also present on site.

"It's advertised as Halal." I was informed.

​Not particularly ravenous, two mini oatmeal raisin cookies we repulsive and reeked of baking soda. A fresh batch was not much better, for the chocolate chip cookies were soft and texture-less, an even poorer consistency than the Pillsbury individual packages purchased in bulk from Costco.

​Other visitors were observed transporting mountains of sustenance back to their table, as if s̶t̶a̶r̶v̶e̶d̶  preparing for long connecting flights. The idea of complimentary food in a breadth of overpriced airport eateries was relieving, however the quality was simply not of a level I could stomach. The Maple Leaf lounge fare was arguably scrumptious in contrast.

​Noteworthy was the availability of shower facilities on site. Unfortunately, the door was locked and I was unable to confirm the size or cleanliness of the stall. Booking was apparently required as well.

​The washroom stalls were fairly pristine, in contrast to the damp, musty odour of the brightly-lit quarters. Having opted for a minimalist design, the faucet, soap dispenser, and hand dryer were incorporated into a single U-shaped contraption. Personally, separation of the hand dryer is ideal, for gusts too powerful would levitate the suds in the sink, whereas gusts too weak would induce queuing for handwashing.

Boarding was scheduled for 4:15 PM. After about one hour in the lounge, we ventured down the escalators towards our gate, conveniently located just steps from Starbucks and Mill St.

​The largest benefit of investing in Premium Economy is the ability to board first. Beyond this privilege comes wider seats, functional charging ports, and claiming rights on overhead bin capacity.

For this flight, I was welcomed with a grimy seat covered in repulsive white stains and dried gum. Neither water bottles nor snacks were bestowed upon us, though warm hand towels were distributed within the first half hour of takeoff.

Suffering from a delayed departure, the flight became turbulent in its attempt to recover travel time. Although we ultimately arrived in under one hour, the air pressure was absolutely horrific and instability fearful. By the time I had hurriedly downed my pretzels and orange juice-club soda concoction, we had already commenced descent.

​Taxi and aircraft positioning consumed about thirty minutes of the disembarking process. When the seatbelt sign finally flickered off, I dashed out towards the terminal. First to enter my peripheral was "La Source" - not "The Source", as we know back home. The encounter would mark my first encounter with the nation's second language since Grade 11 Core French.

​Briefly scanning the terminal, it dawned upon us that the building was far more compact than that of other major cities. Security screening was entirely visible from the gate - an indication of its limited floor area.

​Baggage claim was found on the lower level, leading us through a handful of right-angled corridors and an escalator.

At the foot of the escalator were a number of low-floor belts, yet only one appeared to be in operation. A sizable group had huddled about one belt in particular.

It was only later that we learned of one belt being utilized for five flights' worth of luggage. A bystander from another domestic flight warned us of her tedious sixty-minute wait, all a consequence of "workers calling in sick". I had expressed confusion at this information, for a correlation could not be drawn between ailing baggage staff and failure to maximize existing infrastructure.

​Washrooms were situated beyond the baggage claim area, prompting me to seek permission from the security guard on duty before proceeding beyond the queue barriers. Suffice to say, these portable fixtures replaced alarm-equipped physical doors altogether.

The observation led me to immediately question YUL's organization, for neither Calgary International Airport nor Halifax Stanfield Airport had revealed themselves this undeveloped.

Thankfully, our wait did not extend into the hour-long mark. A grimy, squeaky luggage cart was retrieved, free of charge just like other Canadian airports visited thus far.

The next order of business was obtaining a transit card. Prior research had confirmed the availability of stm (Société de transport de Montréal) card at YUL. When corresponding signage could not be located, we posed the burning inquiry to a nearby member of airport staff, who, with French-laced English, pointed us in the direction of "Door 25" down the corridor. Surely enough, the blue-turquoise logo was spotted near the car rental counters.

​​A member of staff assisted us, along with other visitors in both English and French, to determine the option that would best suit our needs. There were a total of 4 kiosks, between which he glided between offering his services.
He was incredibly helpful and guided us through the two card types: rechargeable and non-rechargeable. While he did not explain the Zone-based fare system, my prior knowledge with Compass in Metro Vancouver was sufficient in confirming our need for Zone A (Downtown Montréal) only.

He first requested details on our duration of stay, and whether we were local to the area or merely visiting. Based on our responses, he proposed the non-rechargeable L'Occasionnelle paper card at the Unlimited Weekend, 1 Zone option, as it would eliminate an unnecessary $6 deposit.
However, I was keen to obtain the rechargeable OPUS card for my own collection. As such, I relayed my intentions of obtaining the sturdier card as a souvenir, to which he replied that I could re-use the card should I visit again within the next four years.

Thus, payment was due and cards obtained from the kiosk. Unfortunately, none of these machines offered tap as a method of payment. In addition, the staff hadn't exactly explained the method by which the transit cards were to be used. I, intuitively, associated the presence of a chip with tapping. Though, it was yet to be determined whether the paper card would be fed through a reader (like New York's paper-thin MetroCard) or tapped in the same way.

Cards acquired, we trekked back past a festively decorated Subway, only to realize that the dedicated Uber pickup was located at the far end of the terminal, at Door 28.

​Scurrying once more, we arrived at the waiting area and attempted to locate the vehicle make and plate number showing on my screen. Perhaps another annoying revelation was the exclusive installation of license plates on the rear of the vehicle.

Read Part 2 HERE !