TORONTO AIRPORT  Passenger Reviews and Customer opinions

PAGE 1 2

TORONTO AIRPORT review : 11 March 2009 : by P Herman

Customer Rating : 2/5

Have used Terminal 3 several times over the years. Beyond the spacious and airy Grand Hall where check in counters are located, the terminal is pathetic. The international pier (Pier C) has all the charm of a bus terminal, the food on offer is inadequate (pizzas, unappealing sandwiches) and yet incredibly expensive (I paid $13 CDN for a salad and small pastry). The sit-down-with-a-menu outlets are always very crowded at peak times. Toronto temperatures had reached 15 degrees one day but they obviously had the heaters on because it felt about 35 going through security and in the Duty Free area. The entire terminal should be relegated to low-cost airlines only. I had the pleasure of walking through the grand hall of the new Terminal 1. Impressive architecture, but I can only imagine the splendour ends after security there as well.

TORONTO AIRPORT review : 16 January 2009 : by J Garcia

Customer Rating : 4/5

The problem is that terminal 3 is rubbish. When built, it was a mistake really. It is really only used by the discounters, charters, and the unfrtunate 'One World' alliance members. Patience is required - this is a terminal-related issue. Once it is gone so will much of the problem. And the development of the airport has been a rather decent success - especially since i continued to operate while it built the new terminal, decommissioned 2 others and built new runways. The other side of that is its expense. Terminal 1 is quite good. The plan going forward is that the GTAA that runs the airport is planning on building terminal 1 right down towards terminal 3 and eliminating it. Customs can be a real pain though - last time was a solid 25 minute wait - although my trip before was about 5 minutes. The costs in the airport are also a little rapacious at times. The luggage carts are both expensive AND upon arrival inconvenient. Having the change available upon arrival is an absurd expectation. Also, $175 just to use it is rapacious. The biggest problem the (new) airport as is the lack of a fixed link to the city and other important areas of the GTA. This was truly a oversight in the design. There is nothing forward-thinking about having fuel-guzzling limos, taxis, and buses navigate te horrific traffic situation that is Toronto (particularly around the airport and through the city). It is embarrassing really. Surface rail is an issue that Toronto really MUST deal with going forward and the airport is not exclusive of this.

TORONTO AIRPORT review : 6 January 2009 : by Phillip Watson

Customer Rating : 2/5

After an 8 hour flight from LHR the first thing you notice in Terminal 3 is that you cannot get a trolley for your baggage unless you pay $2, this was a real pain for us as we of course had no Canadian money on us and my wife had to exchange some money (no doubt at a poor rate) at a currency exchange place which is conveniently set up there. The baggage arrived fairly promptly but after being told that our stroller for our baby would on the baggage carousel we waited 15 minutes for it to arrive and it didn't and we found it on the other side of baggage claim dumped with all the other larger luggage at the airlines desk (where is the security - no-one challenged us when we took our stroller). On our return, the airport staff tried to stop us taking our stroller past security and to be loaded at plane side as 'it is quite cold and slippery and the baggage holders may not want to put into the aircraft' They also said that it was too large and only strollers that could fit into the overhead compartments could be taken airside! When we said that it was unacceptable to ask us to carry our baby boy for 2 hours they suggested that we can use one of the golf carts (no doubt for when we get tired) The manager arrived and common sense prevailed and allowed us to carry through the stroller. Airside, the airport is a bit dated, dull and there is very limited choice in shops and refreshments. Poor management and a poor airport

TORONTO AIRPORT review : 28 October 2008 : by A Stefanski

Customer Rating : 4/5

Bright, clean and spacious. Domestic and incoming flights are serviced fast. Transit to US works slower. Payment for baggage card is a pain if you don't have canadian change or don't want to use your credit card.

TORONTO AIRPORT review : 21 October 2008 : by P Lush

Customer Rating : 4/5

Since I'm based out of Toronto, I have the opportunity to fly from YYZ on a frequent basis. Terminal 1 is a huge improvement form the old T1/T2 buildings but I find that it is visually unappealing (or should I say a big white box). I enjoy the elements of Calgary and Vancouver airports in that they have added a flair of local culture into the arrival experience - not Toronto, what a shame, given that it is one of the most culturally diverse cities in North America. Additionally, it has the worst baggage waits I've experienced in NA, including Miami, Orlando, Chicago, etc.

TORONTO AIRPORT review : 15 August 2008 : by M Vos

Customer Rating : 3/5

Toronto Pearson has good things about it and bad things about it. Terminal 1 is very nice. Very big, and easy to get around in. Arrivals and Canadian Customs are very easy to get through. The only bad thing about Terminal 1 is that the group check-ins are on a lower level, so you have to go up and down levels. Terminal 3 is a very simple layout. It is clean, and easy to get around in. Lots of restaurants and shops.

TORONTO AIRPORT review : 25 July 2008 : by M Keenan

Customer Rating : 2/5

The biggest problem with arriving at Toronto is baggage handling. In one recent experience at Terminal 3, we arrived at YYZ at about 200 AM, already running late. We were exhausted, and just wanted to get our bags and go home. The experience of waiting two hours for our bags was not a pleasant one - and there were several other flights having the same experience at the same time. It is my understanding that baggage handling at YYZ is centralized, and thus this problem is the responsibility of the airport, rather than the airline. It isn't always this bad, but I have noticed that baggage recovery at Toronto is a lot slower than other airports in Canada and the U.S. I'm not a fan of people who drag huge bags onto aircraft rather than checking them, but if they're flying through Toronto, I can understand why. The airport is otherwise pretty good, but they really need to work on the baggage situation.

TORONTO AIRPORT review : 3 July 2008 : by D Howe

Customer Rating : 4/5

Departures and Arrivals (check in and baggage claim) are on different levels - like any airport the gates are on the same level and domestic inbound walk along the same level as domestic outbound to get to baggage claim and then go downstairs as is the case as any major North American airport. Just follow the signs to baggage claim (inbound) or to the relevant gate (outbound). I find there is an excellent selection for food and concessions, and Terminal One is already slated for future expansion.

TORONTO AIRPORT review : 21 May 2008 : by Gary Yiu

Customer Rating : 2/5

Toronto airport is no match compared to other airports. There aren't much shops and food to choose from, so be sure to go grab some food before going to the airport. Going through security was slow for both terminals and none of the staff gave smiles. T1 is especially confusing because departure and arrivals use the same level. Signs for buses and other sorts of transportation are poor. The overall layout and design of the airport is already a problem. Obviously planners did not put future expansion in mind. overall design is confusing and inefficient. Which brings me to the question, "Who on earth designed the airport?". Traveling to the airport is already confusing due to the confusing highway system in Toronto.

TORONTO AIRPORT review : 11 May 2008 : by J Wong

Customer Rating : 5/5

Toronto New Terminal 1. I'm glad to see that signage has been updated and it's now very clear where each passenger should go (international connections, domestic connections via the arriving passengers route, and USA connections via USA Customs Pre-Clearance) as opposed to the previous Customs A and Customs B signs. There were many international flights arriving at the same time but all the Canada Customs lines were open and the experience was a breeze. Luggage reclaim was pretty quick. The meeting and greeting hall was bright and plenty of elevators were available to shuttle passengers up to the parking garage.

TORONTO AIRPORT review : 8 May 2008 : by Evan Horbay

Customer Rating : 3/5

Connecting from Edmonton to Vienna and Back. Domestic area is great. Spacious, comfortable, and pleasant. Long walk to international area, and it was difficult to find the hallway there. International area boiling hot, as the sun was beating in through the glass wall. Food services great, and nice duty free. Return - Huge line for customs, but we were sent through to US customs by an agent I don't even think knew English! We ended up going through customs very quickly, ending at a zoo of a baggage claim! Line to get out was 30 minutes- to exit the baggage claim area! We then had to re-check in with Air Canada and to our surprise had to re-clear security! Security was quick, and we were soon on our way. From arriving from vienna, to clearing domestic security, over 2 hours.

TORONTO AIRPORT review : 8 May 2008 : by James Crichton

Customer Rating : 5/5

LHR to YYZ return. On arrival we were met by Canadian Border checks at the top of the jetty. Two of them to deal with a 767 almost full - went very quickly and efficiently. Headed into the immigration hall and again went through immigration, smooth and quick. At the carousels out luggage appeared within 10 minutes of us arriving there. We landed and were in a taxi within 30 minutes, flawless and superb service, a credit to Canada. On return we again cleared immigration/security within 5 minutes. A fairly good choice of shops and bars. Only minor gripe was that the majority of bars and shops closed at 10pm and our flight wasnt until 11.15pm. This is a great airport to transit through and clear. The toilets were immaculately clean and I appreciated the facilities in the toilets which were all infra red, no touching taps or dryers here!

Toronto Airport review by A Makins

17 January 2008   Customer Rating :

YYZ-LGA over Christmas on AC out of Terminal 1. Got lucky that the New York flights use the first gate areas so no long walk. Line-up at US Immigration going out was non-existent (a first) which just meant a longer questioning (interrogation?) than normal. Returning the Canadian immigration line was better than normal (why are there no lines dedicated to Canadian passport holders?). Airport rating would be higher but for the usual excessive baggage claim wait. It was terrible before they built the new terminal, it's still terrible, people complain all the time on this site and nothing seems to happen to improve it. Too bad, it let's the airport down.

Toronto Airport review by Vince Tong

12 November 2007   Customer Rating :

I think Toronto has the slowest baggage claim of any airport where 45 minutes is the typical wait time. Flying to the US from Terminal 3 was an even worse experience. At 12pm there was only 1 US customs official working, resulting in a 1.5 hour wait in line just to clear US customs. Toronto has a beautiful airport, now they have to improve the level of service and efficiency if it is to emerge as an international gateway into North America.

Toronto Airport review by R Baker

6 November 2007   Customer Rating :

Traveled through Terminal 1. Took over 40 minutes to get through Security. A totally disorganized shambles and an abuse of customers. Several aisles were closed and we were instructed to go into what turned out to be the wheelchair aisle. In that one regular passengers are ignored when a wheelchair or pushchair arrives adding to the mayhem. Just not good enough for Canada's premier airport.

Toronto Airport review by Justin Tsui

23 October 2007   Customer Rating :

I usually fly out of Terminal 3. Despite the fact that it is almost 17 years old, it is a good terminal. Designwise, it is simple. Nice to have Swiss Chalet there, because the other fast food restaurant is not so good. Weber's burgers is actually quite impressive though. It's a must try if you like Charbroiled burgers. The downside of YYZ all in all is the incredibly expensive airfare, especially going south of the border. If I want to fly to New York, for example, sometimes, it's better just to take VIA Rail! Or else drive to BUF. If I am flying on a reward ticket, I will fly out of Toronto. If I am flying a revenue flight, I am glad I have other low-cost options.

Toronto Airport review by Iain Rogers

20 September 2007   Customer Rating :

Arrived at YYZ from Hong Kong at about 18:20. The trek from the aircraft to customs/immigration was not that bad and compares to that of similar sized airports such as Changi (Singapore) or Chek Lap Kok (Hong Kong), my "home town". Signage was inadequate and confusing. However I had visited the Toronto Airport website in advance and gleaned a fair idea of the route to take. Customs/Immigration was very efficient and cleared within a matter of minutes. So far, so good, I thought; now where's the problem? The answer was at the baggage claim carousel. They were only about half the size of something in a regional airport. As the bags were spewed out of the depths of Pearson, the belt had to stop due to overload. Trolleys were attracted to the belt (think iron-filings and a magnet), this made it difficult to retrieve luggage, even when the belt did move. Total time from disembarking to standing outside the terminal was about 55 minutes. Not too bad in my book.

Toronto Airport review by R Smith

2 September 2007   Customer Rating :

Pearson terminal 3 is clean and smart. Security quick to get through and staff courteous and efficient. The facilities airside are poor though with few places to buy food and drinks considering the number of passengers to process.

Toronto Airport review by Tony McLaughlin

21 August 2007   Customer Rating :

Lester B Pearson Terminal 1 is a nice airport - well designed - clean and efficient. There did seem to be a long walk from the gate to exit (and check in to gate) but the place wasn't rammed like Heathrow, and it was a pleasure to walk around, and there were ample travelators. Good to arrive at such a terminal, after the madhouse that is Heathrow.

Toronto Airport review by A Johnson

9 August 2007   Customer Rating :

I am a huge fan of Toronto's new Terminal 1. If you are flying Air Canada or another Star Alliance airline, almost all of your flights are now under one roof, which streamlines connections. The frustrating bus rides between terminals are now largely a thing of the past. If you are transiting from the United States to an international destination, you pass through a special in-transit passport check, which rarely has any lines. On your way back to the United States, you don't clear Canadian customs at all, since you are deposited directly into the U.S. pre-clearance facility. I appreciate the ability to pre-clear customs, since you can just leave the airport or go to your next flight once you land back in the States. The terminal itself is bright, spotless, and spacious. While shopping options might not rise to the level of Heathrow, I have found the number and variety of restaurants and stores (including duty-free) to be perfectly sufficient. Air Canada's Maple Leaf Lounges are luxurious places to kill time before your flight.

Toronto Airport review by Neil Phelps

25 June 2007   Customer Rating :

I recently flew out of Terminal using Air Canada to London Heathrow. Having never been there before I was disappointed (given the amount of time I had to kill) on the lack of facilities airside at T1 compared to T3 at Heathrow where I'd flown out of originally. That said, it was nice and clean, being new although I can understand why people complain about the walk. Although, on return to T3 at Heathrow, the walk to customs and baggage reclaim was just as far.

Toronto Airport review by M Bohun

22 June 2007   Customer Rating :

I travel to and from Pearson airport from La Guardia in New York regularly. The new terminals are a significant improvement on the old ones. Be aware that if you are travelling to a US airport you will undergo preclearance in Toronto, it is advisable to allow plenty of time, especially if you expect to have to undergo secondary clearance. You can expect to undergo secondary clearance if you have to have a visa validated or issued (other than the Visa Waiver Program), or have advance parole to travel during an application for a change of status. If you are expecting to undergo secondary clearance, arrive at the airport no later than three hours before your scheduled departure time. The CBP officers have always been courteous and efficient with me, however, there are always a lot of people waiting to undergo secondary clearance, and never enough officers to deal with them. Getting impatient with the officers does not speed the process. When you enter the secondary clearance area hand your folder to the officer manning the counter then sit down and wait until your name is called. Cellphone use is prohibited here, and you should not use an MP3 player as you won't hear your name being called. Bring a book or magazine and settle down for a long wait. If you are traveling on Air Canada, they send an agent through periodically to check names against flights, they will rebook you so don't worry about missing your flight. Remember, whilst you are in preclearance you are still in Canada and are free to leave at any time - unless the CBP preclearance people think you've deliberately lied to them in which case they can detain you and hand you over to the RCMP.

Toronto Airport review by Martin Keenan

6 June 2007   Customer Rating :

It's the nearest major airport to me and I use it a lot, generally without trouble. One significant difference for me is that as a local, I never have to transfer between flights there, and that may mean that I don’t encounter some of the more frustrating experiences that Toronto has to offer. People should keep in mind that Toronto was under almost non-stop construction between 1998 and early 2007. During this time the airport closed and demolished two old terminals, opened a huge new terminal in three stages, added a monorail to connect new Terminal 1 and Terminal 3, built 2 new runways, and vastly increased the number of taxiways. During the same period of time, Air Canada consolidated a lot of its operations at Toronto, swallowed its major rival, underwent and emerged from bankruptcy, and entered the post-9/11 world of flying. While all this was going on, Toronto remained the busiest airport in Canada, and through Star Alliance, become a major international hub. This sounds like it would be a recipe for chaos at the best of times, and at times it has been. During this time, Air Canada/Star Alliance was operating out of at least two and sometimes three different terminals, including the forty year old original Terminal 1 and the temporary outfield terminal. This made for a lot of changes between terminals, and added to delays and passenger frustration. The changes have finished for now, leaving Toronto with a brand new Terminal 1 that handles Air Canada/Star Alliance traffic, and Terminal 3 to handle the rest of the traffic. The completion of Terminal 1 now means that Air Canada flights to/from the United States are now in the same terminal as the domestic and international flights, which should make transfers faster and more straightforward. One thing that the end of construction won’t change is cost – Pearson has some of the highest landing fees in the world, and it shows in the price of a ticket to or from Toronto. Many Ontarians flying to the United States and Americans flying to Toronto use Buffalo airport instead, as the combination of lower landing fees, reduced TSA fees on domestic U.S. flights and stiffer competition within the U.S. often makes for much cheaper fares. However, the costs don’t seem to be driving much traffic away, so I would not expect much to change on that score. I’ve been lucky with hundreds of flights to or from Toronto, and never had a bad experience there. Travelling through Toronto airport does involve a lot of walking, as many people have commented – at least new Terminal 1 features lots of people movers to help this out a bit. Golf carts (or whatever they’re called) are available for the mobility impaired. My only complaints about Toronto are the fact that the new terminal doesn’t feature a viewing area for the airplane nut (in contrast to old Terminal 1, which was one of the best airplane spotting locations in the world), and that traffic on Toronto’s highway system frequently makes the airport difficult to reach, despite it being well connected to the Toronto freeway network.

Toronto Airport review by C King

20 March 2007   Customer Rating : n/a

American Eagle out of Toronto to LGA (and previously from Toronto to Milwaukee out of the same terminal). Term 2 catering is very poor (a TGI Fridays and a bad snack bar serving rolls and not much else. Quickly becomes very cramped - the facilities are not adequate for the numbers flying.

Toronto Airport review by Phil Sagar
9 January 2007

I fly through terminal 3 mostly when travelling to Toronto from the UK. Over the past few years there has been very little change in regards to building extensions, however on my recent visit, work is now being carried out on arrivals areas and it looked promising. The major headache is the amount of distance that passengers need to walk to get from the aircraft to customs and I hope this will be looked at while the alterations continue. The customs officers are always very efficient together with security personnel. Baggage collection can be ok and it really depends on who has landed in front or behind you regarding waiting time on the carousel. Trolley carts still have to be paid for. When I returned to the terminal 3 to depart back to the UK, it was quiet as most passengers had already left to go home days earlier.

Toronto Airport review by Sachin Bhagotra
9 January 2007

As a Toronto resident, I hate flying back to Toronto just for the fact that the walk from the aircraft to the customs is just never-ending. Secondly, the amount charged for the use of a cart at the airport is just outrageous, and there is no guarantee that you will get the promised money back. There are no change machines where people can get change for the carts. It is just shameful when you see people visiting from other countries scrambling to get change for the carts. Other world-class airports don't charge passengers for carts, only at Toronto the price of using a cart goes up every year. I agree with Matthew Holmes about the eating options at the Departures, and the service time at the Tim Horton's at Terminal 3 being the slowest amongst all Tim Horton's branches. You might miss your flight if you wait to fulfill your craving of a Tim Horton's double double coffee before a vacation being away from Canada. Overall, Toronto is long way from being functionally world-class. Structurally, they are getting there.