Toronto Pearson Airport

Not Verified | Toronto Pearson is so terrible that it ruins the end of every vacation. I'm a former travel professional and I cannot believe this airport is allowed to continue to function as it is. It is an embarrassment to Toronto and a nightmare to travelers. I've been through a great many airports, large and small, rich and poor and I hate Pearson more than any I can think of. I am a local. I have been using Pearson my whole life and I still cannot find a smooth way through this airport. For foreigners, it must be impossible. Where to start? Pulling into arrivals is often terrible because parking control is half-assed and control signage is minimal. Check-in is often a pain and machines rarely work as they should. Even though Canada has legalized cannabis, there is no place to use it. Even medicinally with a license. Stupid and inconsiderate. Once you get though security, which is generally clumsy and understaffed, so it takes a long, inconsistent time, there is no smoking area. Even as a non-smoker, I think that is just stupid. People wait for hours before spending hours on flights. Let them smoke. Typical price-gouging once you're through the gates. Frequent gate changes. Annoying. But departures is nothing compared to arrivals and baggage claim. Arriving in Toronto is just (expletive deleted). That's the nicest way to put it. They often don't have a gate, so there is more waiting and taxiing than usual. They never have enough people to guide crowds or form lines properly. It is always a mess. You'll often wait in a line that isn't a line because nobody knows where they're supposed to go. You may wait in line twice because even though you have the card, they want you to use the redundant machine and then meet an officer as well. They add stupid, redundant steps and don't control the flow, so it takes three times as long. What takes 20 minutes in busier airports like Amsterdam or Atlanta takes an hour in Toronto. Baggage claim is almost a lottery. It's that bad. You may wait 2 to 3 hours for your bags. You may have to change carousels 3 times. Half your flight might get their bags immediately, the other half might wait an hour. Nobody ever has a clue or an answer. The staff are the worst. I've been to some pretty miserable places. I actually had to tell someone to do their job and show them what needed done just so our flight could get through customs. When a passenger has to take control, the staff should be fired. This review is based on the total impression of dozens of experiences with Pearson. It has among the highest fees of any airport in the world, and it is among the worst. Where is that money going? If you have the ability, use Hamilton for domestic or Buffalo for international flights. Avoid Toronto Pearson if possible.

Not Verified | Although I have had negative experiences at this airport in the past, I must say the overall experience this time was much improved. There were more staff available to help with the new computer screening for customs in terminal 3 and the ones that were there were actually helpful and polite. We were also able to go through the screening in a smaller room with less passengers and consequently the entire procedure did not take as long. Arriving in the baggage pick up I was amazed to see that my suitcase was already there even though the general area around the carousel was a chaos of many bags from another flight. In addition the PA system in the baggage pickup is extremely loud and one wonders why it is even necessary to have these announcements. All the info is on the overhead screens! Grates on ones nerves especially when coming off a long international flight.But in general a much better experience than 6months ago. However after coming from Germany via Ireland and being at their excellent airports, overall Pearson still has a long way to go.

Not Verified | This terminal is awful. The parking and access to the terminal is horrendous especially for a disabled person. The trolleys should be in the parking lot so you don't have to walk very long distances with your luggage before you find a trolley. If I could avoid it I would make sure whenever I am travelling that it is not through terminal 1.

Not Verified | I had flown into Pearson late in the evening and only had a few hours before my connecting flight. I didn't want to get a hotel for just a couple of hours so I went looking for a quiet place. In both terminals there were many people trying to do the same thing. Why don't they provide comfortable seating instead of the old metal armed seats? I went to the Chapel to have some quiet time away from all the traffic and noise. While I was there a Security Guard came in a few time, he never said anything to me the first two times (just had his radio disturbing the quiet). The second time he came in he stayed for about 30 minutes with his radio going. The third time he came in he accused me of sleeping and and told me I couldn't stay and sleep. I told him I wasn't sleeping but he insisted I was. "I've been in here 3 times and you were sleeping". Again he never spoke to me at all to verify, just accusing and assuming. I didn't bother to argue I just turned the other cheek! When would anyone ever be kicked out of a Chapel or Church for resting and having time with God? Your ASP Security guards need some training! Pearson you need some comfortable place for passengers to rest.

✅ Trip Verified | Très moyen, et surtout très complexe si vous utilisez une voiture, autant pour arriver que partir, on se retrouve vite à plusieurs à tourner autour sans savoir où aller, le bon côté, vous retrouvez des gens de l’aéroport sur les parkings ou stations services de dehors. Personnel assez désagréable. - Very average, and especially very complex if you use a car, as much to arrive as to leave, we find ourselves quickly to many to turn around without knowing where to go, the good side, you find people from the airport on the car parks or stations outside services. Staff quite rude.

✅ Trip Verified | Worst airport in the world. Terrible layout. We travel a lot and Toronto Pearson is by far the worst airport for moving connecting passengers, signage, communication, baggage, amenities, security. Ridiculous they make connecting passengers pick up their bags, leave the secure area. Recheck in, go back through security. Avoid connecting through this airport if at all possible.

Not Verified | Flew out of Terminal 3 - the distance from security to the Gate B1a was crazy long, the signage was confusing and there was no warning of how long it would take - as soon as I got through security I tried to find a sign indicating which way for me to go to find Gate B1a which I couldn't - ended up asking someone - and then had to ask again (this time a washroom custodian) because the hallway came to an end - she directed me to take an escalator down and follow the hallway - there was signage at the escalator but it was very small - nothing big on the overhead signs for my gate could be found! And when I was making the long underground trek, there still was no signage so I never knew if I was going to the right place. There was also no airport staff to help me with directions. It is a bit stressful in airports to begin with (security and not wanting to miss your flight) - poor signage only makes it a worse experience. I can't imagine what this experience would be like for a person with accessibility issues or a family with small children.

Not Verified | I am a disabled senior and knowing the long walks encountered in airports I arranged to have assistance. On alighting at Toronto there was no signage as to where assistance would be found,. I hobbled for some time and when I found the assistance I was taken by wheelchair to a holding area. Eventually I was taken by someone else to another holding area. Eventually I was taken by yet another person to another holding area. Eventually the cart arrived and although I tried to get on I simply couldn't. I was told someone would come for me. Did they heck. Some time late I asked another staff member did she know how long my wait would be, She very kindly offered to take me to yet another holding area. There I was told it would be at least an hour before I could be taken to customs. There were 14 other people ahead of me. She said if we could use the wheelchair as a support and walk to customs ourselves she advised us to do just that. I had not used the bathroom since leaving Dublin so was in great need. Myself and another lady chose to walk which for me caused considerable pain. Between alighting the aircraft and customs there are no bathrooms. I got through special assistance customs relatively quickly then needed to walk through to get my case. More pain. By the time I got to my family I was on the verge of passing out from the pain. This was my first experience of asking for assistance and I could in no way recommend it. I will be flying back to Dublin in a weeks time and am absolutely dreading the airport experience. Toronto airport really need to review their assistance program not by professionals but by asking a couple of dozen disabled seniors to experience it and to write a report on their experience. The airport managers must then take seriously the recommendations. Able bodied people cannot possibly know the challenges experienced by people with disabilities. Come on Toronto Airport stop treating people with disabilities as 3rd class customers. Our money is as good as anyone else and we are entitled to a first class service.

Not Verified | When will someone in Toronto learn from any of thousands of other airports around the world how to move people and luggage. We just waited 90 minutes for luggage that came in batches of 15. How is that possible? All the while the carousel behind us had luggage falling off the racks and being stacked on the floor. Get things together Pearson. You are an embarrassment. I advise all of my visiting friends to use Hamilton, the island, or to fly in to Buffalo or Detroit. Absolutely ridiculous.

Not Verified | Not a great airport. Terminal 1: International departures are horrible because so much space in the area is devoted to retail and dining, leaving completely inadequate room for passengers to sit and wait, or queue for their flights. No facilities for kids like play areas, which would bug me if I had small children. No facilities for in transit passengers to clean up and have a shower, aside from the odd Air Canada lounge for business class passengers. The world's slowest baggage reclaim. Toronto has minimal public transit so chances are you’ll take a cab. Expect to wait a ludicrous amount of time for a cab or limo, in a completely unheated outdoor area that’s a freezer six months a year. Terminal 3 is particularly awful, with totally inadequate space at check-in. Sad retail and dining options once you’re through security and US immigration clearance. Though for some reason baggage reclaim seems somewhat less slow than T1 so go figure. Star Alliance seems to be turning YYZ into a hub for US passengers travelling to international destinations. Admittedly Pearson isn’t nearly as horrible as most US airports, which isn’t exactly saying much. But the whole experience is so disappointing compared to well-designed airports like Munich or Hong Kong.