Are you planning to fly through the Calgary International Airport on a WestJet flight? If so, you might be wondering about the WestJet Elevation Lounge in Calgary. Is the added cost of WestJet Elevation Lounge access really worth it?
Although I fly through the Calgary International Airport quite often, I usually fly on Air Canada. So, when I recently had the opportunity to fly in business class with WestJet, I knew I had to check out their lounge in YYC.
In this review I’ll show you what you can expect to find inside the WestJet Elevation lounge in Calgary, how to get access to the lounge, and whether or not I think it’s worth it. You might be surprised by my final thoughts!
Note: Like always, I paid in full for my ticket on WestJet and the lounge access that it came with. I didn’t tell any staff that I was a blogger, so this is a 100% unbiased review.
Where is the WestJet Elevation Lounge at the Calgary Airport?
The main WestJet lounge in the Calgary International Airport is located immediately past the new centralized security screening point, near the B Gates. This is called the WestJet Elevation Lounge, and it’s the airline’s “flagship” lounge experience.
Passengers traveling to Canadian or non-US international destinations can use this WestJet lounge. However, it’s a full ten-minute walk from the international terminal, so leave yourself ample time to get to your gate if you’re heading out of Canada.
WestJet has a separate lounge for US departures. It’s called the Aspire WestJet Garden Lounge and it’s located in Terminal E, after you pass through the Calgary-based US customs. I’ve heard it’s not as nice as the Elevation lounge, so don’t consider this review to be reflective of the experience you would have there.
What is it like inside the WestJet lounge in Calgary?
The short answer? It’s busy. I spent a lot of time trying to frame the photos in this guide to not show other travelers, but if you want a sense of the actual level of business scroll to the bottom! Generally speaking, every table and chair will be occupied, unless you’re arriving right as the lounge is opening or closing.
As you enter the lounge you pass the area where the staff get the food from the kitchen to bring to the tables. A few more steps takes you to the beverage counter, where you can pour your own non-alcoholic drinks. Beyond that there are several different seating areas, including tall benches facing the airport concourse (shown at top) and a zone full of individual armchairs with tables, where you can work or eat in relative solitude (also shown above).
The minute someone stands up to leave, their seat is taken by another guest. The further back you go the less loud it is (in my opinion), and the ultimate victory would be snagging one of the two relaxation rooms with a lounge chair in its own glass-walled space (not shown as I didn’t want to take a photo through the glass of either of the two people chilling back there).
Services and Amenities at the WestJet Elevation Lounge in Calgary
WestJet advertises that their Calgary lounge offers a kid-friendly family zone, a space dedicated for business travelers with work to do, “soft leather loungers”, private meeting spaces and touch-free entry for travelers on their own.
The first photo above shows part of the family room, where there were some high chairs, some kind of peg board game, a TV showing cartoons and a few seats for grown-ups. There was a second room just past the peg board, but it was full of kids and I didn’t want to take photos of them.
The second photo shows the bookable meeting room, which was unoccupied during my visit. It seemed like a place you could get some work done, but only if everyone in the meeting is able to get into the lounge (more on that below!).
Food & Drink at the WestJet Elevation Lounge
Something that is unique about the WestJet lounge in Calgary is that they don’t have a self-service food buffet. Instead, each table has a number and a QR code that you can scan to read the menu and have meals and alcoholic drinks delivered straight to your table. Non-alcoholic drinks such as water, coffee and soda are self-service.
Breakfast at the WestJet Lounge in YYC
I arrived at the WestJet Lounge early in the morning and was there for breakfast service. The menu featured the following options:
- Small plates – Fruit bowl, blueberry loaf or toast
- Large plates – Smoothie jar, pancake with scrambled eggs, or vegetarian (crustless) quiche
- Drinks – Lots of alcoholic and non-alcoholic cocktails, beer and wine
I can’t lie – I wasn’t overly impressed with breakfast. First, the portion sizes were tiny. I ordered two dishes (the smoothie “jar” and the pancake) because I heard the woman seated next to me telling her friend that she had ordered three dishes and still felt hungry. She was right – the smoothie “jar” couldn’t have been more than a quarter cup (60 ml) of smoothie, and the pancake was just one small pancake topped with about half a scrambled egg and a tablespoon (max) of grated cheese.
I also thought the concept of the pancake dish was a bit weird, as it was definitely a sweet pancake but then it was served topped with cheese and salsa. If you’re going to take your food in a southwestern direction, maybe try a savory corn pancake instead? Otherwise, I’d rather have a pancake topped with fruits or Nutella or even just syrup.
Lunch and Dinner at the WestJet in Calgary’s Airport
I was too early for lunch and dinner service but I was able to check out the digital menu. The offerings included:
- Small plates – Jalapeno poppers, fries, cream of potato and leek soup
- Large plates – Chickpea curry with rice, a seasonal salad bowl or a turkey dinner
- Desserts – Pecan pie or raspberry sorbet
I assume the dishes are seasonal, and since I was traveling near Christmas that would explain the turkey dinner. There were multiple vegetarian options on both the small and large plate menus.
Snacks in the WestJet Lounge
There weren’t any? I had expected to find some quick snacks like cookies, crackers, chips, yogurt cups or fruit for people who didn’t have time to order off the menu, but there was nothing.
Bathrooms at the WestJet Elevation Lounge in the Calgary Airport
The regular bathrooms were acceptable, but nothing special. I never had to wait to use a toilet, even when the lounge looked really full. I saw an employee cleaning the bathrooms multiple times, but there were still some little things that didn’t work (like one of the hand dryers).
Showers in the WestJet Lounge
Since the Air Canada Maple Leaf Lounge in Calgary doesn’t have showers, I was excited to test out the WestJet showers. I booked a shower time when I arrived in the lounge for later in my visit, and went back to reception five minutes before that time in order to pick up the key.
The shower room is clean and bright. The shower floor was wet when I arrived, but I hope it’s just from them cleaning after the previous guest. There was a bath towel and a hand towel hanging on a heated rack, and there were (extremely strongly-scented) toiletries from the Rocky Mountain Soap Company in the shower. I didn’t take a full shower but I tested the water pressure and it was good.
There’s also a toilet in here, so if you have a shower booked I would not bother with the normal bathrooms, as this one is much more spacious and comfortable.
Who can access the WestJet Lounge in Calgary?
This is an important question, because this review was actually based on my second attempt to visit the WestJet lounge in Calgary.
The last time I flew through Calgary on WestJet was in October 2025, on a pretty normal afternoon. I thought I could check out the lounge during my layover but since I was flying economy I had to purchase an access pass for $59. This was no big deal since I’d probably spend at least $30 on food and drink in the airport anyways.
Unfortunately, although it wasn’t peak travel season, the WestJet Elevation Lounge in Calgary was totally over capacity on the day I visited. Not only were they not letting people buy passes on the spot, they also weren’t allowing loyalty tier members (including Platinum, Gold and Silver members) or holders of Priority Pass and Dragon Pass memberships inside. Literally the only people being allowed in were WestJet passengers with a business class ticket.
So, theoretically there is a list of who can access the lounge on the WestJet site here. However, I feel it fails to capture the reality of the lounge capacity, which is so low that unless you’re flying in business class you might not be able to get in.
Another point to note about access to the WestJet lounge in Calgary is that you can only enter the lounge three hours before your flight is scheduled to depart. Assuming you return to your gate at least 30 minutes before departure, you can spend a maximum of 2.5 hours in the lounge.
I also want to note that personally I found the staff at the entrance to be extremely rude. In October, I waited in line behind about four other people for thirty minutes. The staff members avoided eye contact with people waiting in line and refused to answer questions about the estimated wait time. At one point in time they straight-up told us they had twenty more people inside than was permitted, which I thought was a bit concerning from a fire safety perspective.
In December, I arrived at the lounge to find a WestJet flight attendant (in full uniform) arguing with the WestJet lounge staff. She wanted access, they said she wasn’t eligible to enter. The argument got heated and as a customer I felt uncomfortable, but I also had to laugh. Even WestJet’s own staff can’t figure out if they’re allowed to go in or not.
WestJet Elevation Lounge Price
If you’re flying on WestJet and there’s room in the lounge, you can buy access for $59 plus tax. Kids are about half that price.
If you’re flying on a different airline, access costs $65 plus tax. Again, there’s a discount for kids.
You can only buy lounge access at the entrance, if there is room inside. If you can’t get in, rest assured that it’s probably so crowded you wouldn’t enjoy your visit much anyways.
Is the WestJet Elevation Lounge worth it?
This is a tough one for me. If you’re able to breeze right into the lounge without waiting, and can stay the full 2.5 hours until your flight, then the WestJet lounge in Calgary might be worth it. At $59 or $69 it’s not cheap, but when a salad and a cocktail at the airport’s newest restaurant (Wander Kitchen & Bar) will run you almost $50, it looks a little more appealing.
However, knowing that they’re often over capacity, have long waits and won’t let you in until the clock strikes “three hours to departure”, I wouldn’t make a point of arriving early in hopes of getting into the WestJet lounge. Unless you’re flying business class, I would estimate your chances of getting in are only 50-50.
Don’t miss my review of the Air Canada Lounge at the Calgary Airport, which is just a few minutes away.
If you’ll be in Calgary, Alberta don’t miss my self-guided walking tour of the city center and my suggestions for the best hotels in Calgary.
I’ve also reviewed Calgary’s newest European-style thermal sauna.
If you want to get out of the city and into the Rocky Mountains, check out this tour of Lake Louise, Moraine Lake and Banff (from Calgary) that has more than 1,000 five-star reviews! 🐻🏔️
Planning a trip to Calgary? Pin this post for later!
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