MONTREAL and FRANKFURT, Oct. 10, 2013 /CNW Telbec/ - Air Canada today opened its newest International Maple Leaf Lounge at Frankfurt Airport's Terminal 1, Departures Area B. Located at Star Alliance's largest airport hub and Air Canada's second largest international station, Air Canada's Frankfurt Maple Leaf Lounge is a serene, stylish oasis where eligible Air Canada and Star Alliance customers can rest, refuel or refresh before their flight in an inspiring, contemporary environment that is a celebration of Canadian design, artistry and craftsmanship.

"We are thrilled to welcome Air Canada and Star Alliance eligible customers to our new Maple Leaf Lounge in Frankfurt," said Craig Landry, Vice President, Marketing. "Our newest International Maple Leaf Lounge was created as an extension of the overall travel experience for our Executive First customers.  Showcasing contemporary Canadian design, artwork and the majestic natural beauty of Canada, customers will enjoy a calm and inspiring environment in which to work or relax before their Air Canada or connecting Star Alliance flight."

Designed by Bennett C. Lo of Toronto's award-winning firm dialogue 38, Air Canada's 726- square-metre Frankfurt Maple Leaf Lounge is a home away from home prior to flight, featuring:

• The Canada Room: a visually dramatic space showcasing Canadian artworks against the natural beauty of Canadian maple wood millwork, backlit walls lined with Canadian maple wood slats, and cross-cut slabs of Ontario Eramosa marble
• Permanent art installation, Transformations by Toronto design firm Moss & Lam anchoring the feature wall of the dining area
• Furnishings by Canadian designers Brent Comber (North Vancouver), mth woodworks (Vancouver), Moss & Lam (Toronto) and Birchwood Furniture (Calgary)
• Glass art by Jeff Goodman Studio (Toronto, Ontario), and a rotating display of artworks by Canadian artists and artisans
• A Quiet Zone featuring six reclining pods equipped with personal satellite-fed TV screens, USB ports and Sony noise-cancelling headsets
• Spa-inspired shower area featuring showers with large rain-shower heads, ambient music and Canadian Escents spa products
• Business Centre equipped with individual flat-screen Dell PCs, colour laser printing and scanning
• Complimentary wireless high speed Internet access throughout
• Bistro-style dining area offering hot and cold food, and complimentary German and Canadian wines, beer & spirits
• Hours of operation: 6 a.m. to 10 p.m.

Eligible customers include Air Canada Altitude Super Elite 100K, Elite 75K and Elite 50K members, Star Alliance Gold members, and customers travelling in Air Canada Executive First, who have confirmed, same-day travel on a departing Air Canada or Star Alliance flight.

Air Canada operates up to five daily round-trip flights year-round between Canada and Frankfurt, with non-stop flights from Calgary, Toronto, Montreal and Ottawa offering a choice of Executive First or Economy service. Additionally, Star Alliance partner Lufthansa operates flights between Vancouver and Frankfurt and between Toronto and Frankfurt which Air Canada offers on a code-share basis. At the Frankfurt worldwide hub, Star Alliance airlines offer 502 daily flights to 179 destinations, and more than 22.6 million Star Alliance airline customers travelled via Frankfurt in 2012.

Air Canada's Frankfurt International Lounge is the airline's 21^st Maple Leaf Lounge, and the fourth to open in Europe, along with Arrivals and Departures Lounges at London Heathrow and a Departures lounge at Paris Charles de Gaulle. In the United States, Air Canada operates Maple Leaf Lounges at Los Angeles International Airport and at New York LaGuardia. In Canada, Air Canada has 15 Maple Leaf Lounges at airports across the country. For more information on Air Canada Maple Leaf Lounges please visit aircanada.com/lounge.

Link to downloadable photos: 
http://www.aircanada.com/en/about/media/facts/photos_lounge.html

Bennett Lo interview found at this link:
http://gofar.aircanada.com/up-in-the-air/frankfurt-lounge-bennett/

About Air Canada

Air Canada is Canada's largest domestic and international airline serving more than 175 destinations on five continents.  Canada's flag carrier is among the 20 largest airlines in the world and in 2012 served close to 35 million customers.  Air Canada provides scheduled passenger service directly to 60 Canadian cities, 49 destinations in the United States and 67 cities in Europe, the Middle East, Asia, Australia, the Caribbean, Mexico and South America. Air Canada is a founding member of Star Alliance, the world's most comprehensive air transportation network serving 1,328 destinations in 195 countries.  Air Canada is the only international network carrier in North America to receive a Four-Star ranking according to independent U.K. research firm Skytrax that ranked Air Canada in a worldwide survey of more than 18 million airline passengers as Best Airline in North America in 2013 for the fourth consecutive year.  For more information, please visit: www.aircanada.com.  Follow @aircanada on Twitter and be a fan on facebook.com/aircanada.

SOURCE Air Canada

Image with caption: "Air Canada's newest Maple Leaf Lounge at Frankfurt Airport showcases Ontario Eramosa marble, Canadian-designed furniture and artwork. (CNW Group/Air Canada)". Image available at: http://photos.newswire.ca/images/download/20131010_C8732_PHOTO_EN_31903.jpg