Yes, but not on the return. One would have to wait in T1 for the YYZ-YGK flight...

Ok... I;m big enough to admit when I've been beaten in an argument. I didn't take into consideration that GX pax could wait in T2 domestic MLL on the return.

I'll be interested to see how this unfolds over the summer. I may owe AC*SE several rounds of drinks if this goes through http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/biggrin.gif

Ah, good point.

BTW, I think LGA-YYZ-LHR is an unrealistic example given the number of LGA-LHR nonstops. Better examples might be: DEN-YYZ-LHR, STL-YYZ-LHR.

On my numerous LHR flights I've been amazed by how many times I've sat next to people travelling from US cities via YYZ. This might be an important market.

Given the relatively small populations of places such as YGK, YXU, YSB, etc., I would be surprised if routes such as YGK-LAX represent a significant market.

Just for the record--the wager between Fisch and me is that sterile transit between T1 and T2 will be in place by 15 October 2001.

At stake are a few rounds of cocktails--so we are talking serious wagering here, folks!

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But the condition for an AC*SE win of the big wager is that regional passengers would be precluded from using a lounge in T1...

I agree with many of the comments and reasons this board has for a sterile MLL.
Many of my 90-100 segments per year are YYZ-YSB.I pay top dollar and frequently use this service during winter.(Road white outs due to lake effect snows are common,as well as a lousy and dangerous highway connection.)
When bad weather happens in YYZ,the regionals are the 1st to get scrubbed.It could be a T-storm,snow, wind,and so on.
I have spent too many hours in YYZ waiting due to cancellations.I will reconsider my options as I have earned (Elite)and paid for access
to a MLL.(I have a Diners MLL since 1990).

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Just to clarify, the T1 MLL is NOT closed to regional passengers. (At least so far.) You have to access it from landside, and a security guard checks your boarding pass when you leave to ensure that domestic passengers do not get access to the international gates. The agents I talked to on Friday said that Canada Customs forced the change, not AC.

T3 used to be set up so that domestic passengers could not access the international gates when CP was still there. A security guard was always standing in the C wing checking boarding passes.

Boy, you go away for a day and the board goes wild. It's worse than e-mails. I've just been working through this thread and I must admit that I did start to get a bit confused on the logic. But I'll still throw in my 2c.

I do see the argument for separating international from domestic, at least from the Customs perspective. On my last flight through T1 I wanted to go out into the main concourse for some (forgotten) reason and security let me through. It didn't occur to me until later that I could have been staggering out with a dozen bottles of that amazingly cheap duty-free stuff they sell gateside.

Having said that, I cannot accept that it make sense (if this is the plan) to make the MLL into something that is exclusively for international pax. Like Fisch and acysb87, I do a lot of travelling through T1. Almost all of these involve transfers to/from the US or international. I suspect that this is a very common itinerary. Obviously, for US travel outbound, the T2 lounges are available, but on the way home I often go for earlier standby flights or I have to wait because of delays. It really would not be possible to use the T2 lounge because of the risk of not being close enough to the gates, and risking missing a flight.

I also want to repeat my earlier argument. My experience is that the T1 lounge is not crowded during the middle of the day when there are not many international flights. I assume that most of the people in there are those who are connecting on regional flights. My allegiance to AC (now) is based mainly on the the fact that I can use the lounges between flights, and I am concerned that E/SE pax could be denied this privilege in the busiest airport in the country. YGK/YSB/YXU people need a place to go.

oops, double post

[This message has been edited by FlyerAl (edited 04-17-2001).]

I don't think it would have been possible anyway, because you usually have to produce a valid boarding pass at the cashier when purchasing duty-free products.

Well, if you have US originating passengers waiting for international flights who have not been through Customs, then the rules are pretty much absolute. You cannot let passengers who have not cleared Customs mingle with those who have.

And even if you can't buy duty free booze--there is nothing to stop an international passenger from buying it, and handing it to you. Or handing you the duty free stuff that they bought when they left the US.

Or doing a document swap, so that they get into Canada without being examined at immigration (perfect way to smuggle in illegals).

Of course, the best of both worlds would be to build a second MLL for domestic T1 pax...

AC*SE,I must be missing something.
If you are a US citizen connecting to an International flight at T1,what stops this passenger from mingling with other international passengers at T1.(as opposed to GX lounge passengers.)
My personal experience this year had me making a duty free purchase at T1,that was only available at the gate on boarding the aircraft.
I also have noted that ,generally ,the items I am purchasing duty-free are less expensive on the AC flight than at T1.

Right now, they can intermingle, because they all have to clear Customs and Immigration at T2 before they go to T1.

However, Customs and Immigration have given their blessing to establishing sterile transit, and I believe that AC see this as a huge potential boost to their US->International traffic. So I think it will be coming down the pipe.

Just heard from the local GM for GX.Seems that anyone purchasing duty free can walk away with their purchase.The area will be sterile.Those that want to go to MLL will have to check their duty-free before going up to MLL.
GX passengers will still have access.More of a bother and cumbersome as we will need to clear security again.
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That's a pain in the a** but I can live with it. Looks like Fisch may get some free drinks