Aspire Lounge
★4.2(799 reviews)YOW · Main Terminal · airside
Ottawa's pay-per-visit lounge — DragonPass or a walk-in day pass, hot buffet and a bar.
The Aspire Lounge is Ottawa Macdonald-Cartier's pay-per-visit lounge, sitting airside in the Main Terminal just past gate 18. It opened in February 2020 in the footprint of the former Porter Airlines Lounge, covering roughly 3,700 square feet with seating for about 90 guests. This is the most accessible lounge at YOW: it accepts DragonPass membership and also sells a walk-in day pass, so you don't need airline status to get in. Inside you'll find a hot buffet alongside complimentary snacks, soft drinks and a bar pouring house wine, beer and liquor, plus fast Wi-Fi, TV and flight-information screens. The day pass covers a three-hour stay, making it a comfortable place to eat, relax and catch up before a flight from Ottawa. Because it's airside, you'll clear passport control and security before reaching it.
Crowding · busy at peak
A workable spot before a flight, with complimentary Wi-Fi and a calm, climate-controlled space. Fine for email and light laptop work, though it isn't a dedicated business lounge and amenities are kept simple.
The Aspire Lounge runs a hot buffet alongside complimentary snacks, with some additional food available to buy. Drinks are generous for a regional lounge — complimentary soft drinks plus a bar serving house wine, beer and liquor. It's enough to make a proper pre-flight meal of it rather than just grabbing a snack.
Dietary: Vegetarian options
Airside, after passport control and security: turn left and follow signs for gate 20. The entrance is to the left immediately after gate 18.
- 01Check in and clear passport control and security
- 02Turn left and follow signs for gate 20
- 03Continue past gate 18
- 04The Aspire Lounge entrance is on the left, immediately after gate 18
Landmarks: Gate 18 · Gate 20 · Airside departures
ℹ Airside - After passport control & security, turn left and follow signs for gate 20. The entrance is located to the left immediately after gate 18.
DragonPassIncluded: Complimentary snacks · Complimentary hot buffet · Food for sale · Complimentary soft drinks · Complimentary house wine and beer · Complimentary liquor
Facts checked by LoungeDeal on Jul 17, 2026
- —Children under 2 enter free
Airside members pay $41 — save $8.95Join Airside
Instant confirmation · No hidden fees · USD
Make the most of it.
The Aspire Lounge is the only pay-in lounge at Ottawa — DragonPass or a walk-in day pass both work.
Booking your day pass online ahead of time is usually cheaper than paying on arrival.
Hours are daytime only (weekdays 05:00-20:00, weekends 10:00-18:00) — check before a very early or late flight.
The day pass covers a three-hour stay, with children under two admitted free.
It's airside near gate 18, so clear passport control and security before heading over.
Quick answers.
You can enter on a DragonPass membership or by buying a walk-in day pass (around US$50 for a three-hour stay). It's the only pay-per-visit lounge at YOW.
The lounge is open Monday to Friday from 05:00 to 20:00 and on weekends from 10:00 to 18:00.
It's airside in the Main Terminal: after passport control and security, turn left, follow signs for gate 20, and the entrance is on the left immediately after gate 18.
Yes — there's a hot buffet plus complimentary snacks, and a bar serving complimentary house wine, beer and liquor alongside soft drinks.