Toronto Pearson Airport

Not Verified | The boarding process for our Air Canada flight to London Heathrow is currently ridiculous. I am not sure who thought it was a good idea to board a flight to Frankfurt and London at adjacent gates with departures times 10 mins apart. It was crowded and hot with no place to sit. My husband is ill and it isn't a good experience at all. Comfort before a flight matters a lot. These are two long international flights as well and it is an absolute cattle car in this tiny corner of E gate.

Not Verified |   Like many of the other comments about poor organization, there are specific problems that can fix the mess of confusion. First signage in Terminal 3 as to where hotel shuttle buses are located for specific hotels. Adding list of hotels with phone numbers. I arrived late 10:30 pm and asked 8 different airport employees and everyone said something different. I was not the only one as tens of people where calling their hotels to ask and others still asking airport staff. After 40 minutes. I took a cab. Save your staff and your customers both time and frustration. The other problem is the lack of signage for KLM and AIR FRANCE check in counter in advance of flight. No one knew where to line up. More significantly, the absolute rudeness of airport workers hovering around (not airline staff). Who when asked, just shrugged at you or said not my job. It is not clear then what these peoples job was and if not to answer questions, then why be there. I traveled business and was directed to economy luggage drop off. I finally went to priority when it opened (2 hours later) and they were great and said the others provided incorrect information and I should have had a priority sticker. So signage and better customer service would be much appreciated and would have provided a smooth and less chaotic experience. This sentiment was conveyed by absolutely every waiting passenger from both Air France and KLM.

Not Verified | Worst airport I have ever experienced particularly when it comes to dealing with people with disabilities. I have been travelling through this airport for more than 20 years and it has gradually got worse and worse. Queues are getting longer, baggage takes longer to reach the reclaim, staff really don’t seem to care. Over the last few years I have had the misfortune to have to use their assistance service. The first time I got left in customs and nobody came back to collect me for 30 minutes. The last 2 times I had my own scooter. In any other airport I would get this at the plane door and be able to take myself through the airport and on my way. Not here, they will only take your mobility device to baggage reclaim. Where it’s just left in pieces for you to put back together. So you have to suffer the indignity of being shuffled around the airport, often left alone in various places until someone collects you. No matter your disability they think it’s ok for you to get in and out of wheelchairs, golf carts, into chairs, back into wheelchairs. The pain and discomfort of being dragged around like this is horrible and they just don’t care. Try explaining that you need your scooter because the awful airport wheelchairs don’t work for your disability and you get threatened with having security called on you because you are being difficult.

Not Verified | Both terminals are badly designed and difficult to get around. Getting to baggage claim on a WestJet arrival means going up and down a flight of stairs or escalator about 4 times. The most ridiculous way to baggage claim I have ever seen. No one to help at baggage carousels. It is worth the drive to Buffalo Niagara International Airport if you are going to a US destination from Toronto. That airport is clean, easy to get around and very nice people working at airline counters, TSA, etc

✅ Trip Verified | Toronto Pearson is by far the worst airport I have ever had the misfortune of dealing with and I will never use that airport again. I had assist in place for mobility issues for myself, as well as my mum and aunt who were with me. We received no help, despite informing the airport that we had this in place. The staff were beyond ignorant and rude, most of them either do not understand what you are trying to say or are just not interested. Why are they even working there if they do not want to do their job? The most help we received was from a volunteer, who has more people skills than the staff. We were stressed, in an airport we had never been to before, and I would have felt more welcome at my worst enemy house than we did here. The only thing the staff seemed competent at doing was pointing and telling you to "go that way", not helpful. I have never been more disgusted than I was at Toronto Pearson. The experience at Toronto Pearson ruined the start of our holiday, which was to visit my brother for his 40th. I had my crutch with me and did not want a wheelchair as I clearly stated when I booked that wheelchair assistance would not be necessary, but we would like the assistance to get us through the airport (which is my right) and told that if I did not want the wheelchair then I could walk myself through. A terrible attitude towards people with a disability, the staff do not care.

Not Verified | This is the most chaotic airport. On arrival, had to wait a good hour for my case despite travelling first class and was supposed to get my bag first. Had to then get a connecting flight from another terminal. Extremely poorly signed and the few staff available, so rude and unhelpful. Self check in was a nightmare and no staff to help. The surroundings are well worn and need cleaning and updating. I hope I never have to fly to Toronto again.

✅ Trip Verified | Checking in was good and we went quickly through security. After that it went downhill quickly. A huge amount of people and not enough seating available. When a flight is ready to board a long line of queing people forms making it almost impossible to pass. We were at the E gates and it was madness! Unstructured and no staff around to ask questions. A separate boarding area per gate would solve a lot of these problems.

Not Verified | This airport has no where to plug or charge your phone! It is like we are living in a third world country! When I have tried to charge it on a couch portal, it wasn’t working. Most do not work. People were standing next to the plugs that were used for upkeep of floors etc. There are no stand up charging stations as well. Better have your phone charged otherwise you are out of luck if your flight is cancelled or delayed. Otherwise it is a clean airport. Enough seating most of the time. Could use more variety of eating options.

✅ Trip Verified | Terrible experience. Customer service doesn't exist. Checking bags is a nightmare. Unprofessional staff. Flew in with carry on. Flew out - was required to check the bags. Used the same air carrier flying round trip. Very frustrating and stressful experience.

Not Verified | YYZ T1 generally has the slowest baggage reclaim of any airport I’ve ever used, although for my Feb 2024 flight bags did come out very quickly. For once. Washrooms normally have a low level of filth. Sometimes the crowding at the international departures area in T1 for gates E70 through E80 is horrible. I’ve experienced similar overcrowding at the T3 departure gates used by Cathay and Air France. The Plaza Premium lounges are overcrowded and awful. AC ML lounges are pretty substandard compared to, say, ANZ Sydney or KLM Schiphol. Going through US or Cdn immigration at T1 is a breeze if you have Nexus and normally painfully time consuming if you don’t. Though it really doesn’t matter if you’re returning to Canada because you’ll typically wait 45 minutes to an hour for your bag anyway. They should put a day spa or short stay hotel in T1 baggage claim so people will have something to do while they wait. The carpets all seem dirty and worn (why carpets in high traffic areas anyway?). The only good thing about T1 is AC’s separate business class check in area A, which is uncharacteristically well done for both that airline and that airport. Really terrible breakfast food in the T1 US departures area. There’s a rating for airport staff - what’s that? My wife had a LAG employee approach her to ask if she needed directions or assistance. She was just waiting for me to come out of the toilets, not in distress or anything. Not in a million years would that happen at YYZ.