YYZ - Toronto Pearson

[Rejuvenated]

Since YYZ is one of my home airports, I’ll chip in with some information.

Short Description
Pearson Airport is located 27 Kilometers northwest from downtown Toronto. The land surface that forms the airport is actually located in the City of Mississauga in Peel Region (a Toronto Suburb – largest population suburb in the GTA actually) as oppose to the City of Toronto although a tiny part on the southeastern portion is part of the City of Toronto. It is Canada’s busiest airport and also the most expensive airport in the world for planes to land.

Terminals
There are two terminals at YYZ both of whom have Canadian and U.S. pre-clearance immigration facilities and both handle domestic, transborder (U.S. bound), and international flights. Arrivals & Departures are also segregated at both terminals.

Terminal 1
Description: The New Terminal 1 opened in 2004 and is very bright, clean and airy. This terminal is mainly used by AC and the carrier’s affiliates as well as the airline’s *A partners though airlines such as JM, AZ, EK, EY, FI, 9W, MX, WG also uses the terminal.

Lounges:
AC Maple Leaf Lounge: There are three of them - 1) International 2) Domestic 3) Transborder and which one you get will depend on where you are flying to. These are among AC’s flagship lounges as the airport is the carrier’s biggest hub. Flagship means great right? Well it depends on how you define great and what your expectations are. If you have the expectation or the standard of the SIN SKL, CX Wing/Pier, BA Concorde Room at LHR, or the VS Clubhouse at LHR T3 then you’ll be disappointed. After all AC’s overall standard as an operating carrier isn’t at the same level as the likes of SQ, CX, BA, TG, etc. However if you don’t expect too much nor get too excited then you’ll find yourself at a descent lounge. All three have shower facilities and wi-fi. There really isn’t an extensive hot meal items such as at the SIN SKL, the Heaven at the Wing/Pier, etc so don’t expect to get a heavy full meal out there but rather treat them as snacks. The most noticeable hot item is the soup. Also available are salads and breads and your normal junkies such as chips, cookies, etc. Overall I find the MLL at YYZ to be better than any of UA’s RCC I’ve been to.

Terminal 3
Description:Terminal 3 handles all non-*A carriers with the exception of the non *A carriers mentioned for Terminal 1. This is the terminal located directly across from and connected to the Sheraton Gateway Hotel.

Lounges:
AA Admirals Club: Only accessible if you are departing for U.S. bound flights. Not worth spending lots of time nor would I sweat getting inside if denied entry. No shower facilities and of course you have to pay if you want food. They do have computers for internet browsing if there is a positive aspect of the lounge.
BA Lounge: Other than the nice pre-flight dining for BA F passengers, the self-service food selection is very very weak (even slightly worse to KL lounge if you ask me. See below for KL lounge description). Limited to chips, cookies, rolls, and other small bites. No shower facilities either. Mainly used by BA and CX passengers. Free wi-fi is available.
KLM Lounge: Located in the “C” gate area of the terminal, this lounge is mainly used by KL, AF, KE. Actually not as bad as my expectations thought it would be when I went in prior to my AF flight in May. Food wise limited to just snacks but overall wasn’t a bad place to wait for a flight. And if you don’t have status nor access privileges to the lounge you can actually pay $25 CDN to get inside. Whether $25 CDN is worth the price of admission is up to the passenger’s discretion on his/her standard of a “good lounge” and how he/she values being in a lounge facility.

Any Restaurants & Fast Food Worth Dining at?
There really isn’t any in particular that I would “highly” recommend. However if there is something which is highly representative of Greater Toronto but not necessarily the case outside of Canada, then why not get a bite or drink from Tim Hortons which has locations at both Terminal 1 (2 at post security of the international departures & 1 at post security for domestic departures) and Terminal 3 (one each at post security international & post security transborder).

Moving Between Terminals
There is a LINK Train connecting the Long Term Parking lot located near Viscount Road which connects over to level 3 of Terminal 3 and then on to level 5 of Terminal 1 going in both directions.

Transit & Connection
You are connecting International to International or USA to International or Vice Versa. Do you need to clear CBSA (Canada Border Service Agency)?
The answer to this question lies on which terminal you are arriving into and which terminal your onward flight is leaving from.

Terminal 3 to Terminal 3 or Terminal 3 to Terminal 1 or Vice Versa
There are no airside transfers within Terminal 3 nor airside pathways linking Terminal 3 to Terminal 1. If you fall under this category then you have no choice but to clear Canada Immigration & Customs if you are going international to international or USA to international. And if you are going from an International to a US destination you have to clear Canada Immigration & Customs and then proceed to pre-clear US Immigration & Customs.

Terminal 1 to Terminal 1
There are some cases where you are not required to clear CBSA when transiting within Terminal 1 though you will still have to pass through a passport check station though this station known as Custom B which is different from the passport control handling entry into Canada (Custom A). Here are some helpful links that outlines the procedure for transiting within Terminal 1:

• International to International
• International to USA
• USA to International

[Rejuvenated]

Immigration
Do you need a visa to visit Canada or transit through the country?
Here is the list of nationalities who need visas or are visa free.

What can you expect when you pass through Canada Immigration & Customs?
In general Canadians are friendly and welcome visitors from all over the world and as with the case of most other immigration officers employed by other nations, there are the good and bad apples ones and Canada is not an exception to this regard.

One thing that some people might not expect out of CBSA officers is they sometimes have a high level of suspicion on a traveler’s payment of duty. However this generally tends to be more heavily questioned upon Canadian Citizens (such as myself) or Canadian Residents returning home. So if you are a foreign visitor, you will be less likely targeted for heavy/extensive questioning on the issue of duty.

There is however one area that arouses the suspicion of the CBSA on travelers that many may not be aware of. That is the issue of mileage run and has been gaining attention the past couple of years. Performing odd routings or short stays (i.e. same day turnaround) and one can be at risk of being interrogated and seriously questioned. This has been reported at most Canadian airports though the frequency and level on in-depth questioning and inspection level has varied among different airports.

Having said all of these, my experience is that the officers at YYZ are generally friendlier and less fussy compared to their counterparts at YVR. Regardless if you are among the unfortunate ones selected for secondary inspection whether it is because you are performing a mileage run or something else that aroused the suspicion of the officer, my best advice would be to tell the “truth” when you are being questioned. Quite often than not if you try to hide something and can’t get your “make up story” straight and end up stuttering, you may be grilled even further as this may cause the officer cross examining you to become even more suspicious.

Transportation to/from the Airport
While Toronto itself has an efficient public transportation system within the city, getting to/from the airport really sucks if you don’t have car or car service. Neither the TTC Subway nor the GO Train have stops that run through Pearson. The best way to get to downtown by public transport is to take the TTC Airport Rocket Bus #192 all the way to Kipling Station which takes about 20 minutes without traffic and cost $2.75 (though you must have exact change) and board the TTC Subway from there and head east to downtown. Kipling Station is the west terminus station of the Bloor-Danforth Line. However I would not recommend doing this if 1) you are traveling heavily or 2) you are traveling by yourself late at night. If you fall under one of those two or both categories, I would recommend taking the Airport Express Bus which cost $18.75 CDN one way or $29.95 roundtrip and it can be even cheaper if you book online. Or as always you get a cab which will cost around $50 CDN which are available and noticeable once you are in the arrival levels of either terminal.

Anything to do on an Extended Layover?
Well it all depends exactly how long your layover is. If you’ve got a 6 hour layover or greater, you may consider renting a car (shouldn’t cost over $100 CDN for just a short time rental and would be much cheaper than taking the cab getting to and back) and head over to Woodbine Centre, a mall with a mini amusement park which you may consider if you’re traveling with any kids. After getting your car, head out to Hwy 409 and shortly afterwards take Hwy 427 north and exit Rexdale Blvd and head east (turn right). Once you exit, you will past by the woodbine race track on your right hand side. You will then continue shortly and the mall will be on the left hand side.

If you arrive YYZ early in the morning and your connecting flight doesn’t leave until mid evening, you may consider taking your rental car and go an excursion to Niagara Falls. Driving time from the airport to the falls region takes approximately 2 hours. Having said so, I would not recommend doing this during winter season.

Other Information Worth Mentioning
Baggage Carts: This is one of the areas that bother me whenever fly into Pearson. The need to pay $2 CDN for luggage carts even on arrival. So be prepared to pay if you need to use them.

Luggage Porters: Be aware that when you are waiting for your bags at the claims, there will be porters approaching you and requesting to assist with your baggage. They often will not notify you that this is a pay service so if you accept you will be required to pay them and the cost can vary from $10-$20 CDN depending how many items they are servicing for you. I’ve never used their services and while I understand everyone needs to earn money for a living, the aggressiveness these porters display can be annoying. There have been times when myself and others have refused their service and still be hassled by them. So if you do not require their service and are still met by an aggressive one who continues to be a PITA, be aggressive yourself and tell them to buzz off.

Snow: Well this is Canada and snow does fall in this part of Canada which can occur as early as late October to as late as early-mid April though the major ones generally take place between December and March. And when the heavy ones hit, they can wreak havoc on the airport’s operations. So for anyone planning to fly in/out of YYZ during mid-fall through early spring, be prepared. Allow for extra time and be patient. Even when your flight is pushing back from the gate more or less on time, your flight may still be required to go through the de-icing process which can delay the takeoff and can affect you if you have an onward connection at the airport you are flying to.

[Kiwi Mile]

Baggage Carts: This is one of the areas that bother me whenever fly into Pearson. The need to pay $2 CDN for luggage carts even on arrival. So be prepared to pay if you need to use them.

I wonder how many airports there are out there where arrival pax need to pay for luggage carts?

[slacker]

I wonder how many airports there are out there where arrival pax need to pay for luggage carts?

IIRC, SYD also..

[kapitan]

I wonder how many airports there are out there where arrival pax need to pay for luggage carts?

Athens airport for sure......

I once was on same flight at the singer Sun Yanzi..... her minders got off and was waiting at the carousel for ltheir luggage... then she came along and stared at her minders..... where's the trolley????? They told her must pay... she frown a little and told her minders... go pay for it then!!!!.... what a joke...

[hofo_mofo]

Add Newark to that as well (at least terminal B, where SQ flies into)

[Nick C]

IIRC, SYD also..

It's free for international arrivals in SYD.

[Kiwi Mile]

Add Newark to that as well (at least terminal B, where SQ flies into)

Do you know how much they charge?

[sumitsan]

Emirates A380 makes it's debut at Pearson as EK241 just yesterday June 1, 2009:

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/repor...rticle1163981/

[SQalMundo]

I wonder how many airports there are out there where arrival pax need to pay for luggage carts?

Paid US$4-6 for a luggage cart at LAX Tom Bradley Int'l Terminal Departure hall. What a rip-off!

[SQ LPP]

It is too bad that my visit in Toronto ended in a sour note. Why the can't be prompt with the Airporter schedule? Don't publish any schedule if you can't keep them.