1Newflyer

Any updated departure issues from International Terminal? I am taking AC844 to Frankfurt on Monday with Nexus, boarding pass and carry on only. I know from posts above there is no separate nexus line. Departure is at 5:50 pm and I believe Gate D76. What time should I show up at the airport to have stress free experience. Going via security, do I remove the liquids, electronics, belts, watch, shoes? Coming back on AC845 at 3:00 pm, what is the usual time to get to the curb?

YYT82

I have gotten to YYC at 4:50 pm for 844 (5:55 pm departure) and obtained my printed BP from the domestic SE check-in counter, gone through security using NEXUS there and then head to the international departures area in less than 10 minutes.

Coming back on 845 I have gone from the aircraft to the curb in about 10 minutes. It's actually not bad if you have NEXUS.

Edit: I was also in J both ways, so that helped.

arf04

While this trip has long come and gone, my observation the last time I connected through YYC to transborder (from YQR as it happens on the morning flight) was that the security line they funneled connecting passengers into was quite slow and moderately busy. I could see through the glass walls that the regular security line was non-existent. It would have been a matter of a minute or less to exit security and re-clear rather than go through the connections process.

canadiancow

My experience in various North American airports is that the connections path is almost always slower.

ridefar

+1. I am sure you have tons more experience than I do, but this is definitely true in YYZ and YUL. YVR actually does well in this respect. Most of the time.

djkyyc

You also have the choice of going through the nexus line for the C gates, but then have a long walk of about 10 minutes to the D gates and there is no additional security to go through. It’s up to you if a walk is worth the nexus entry point. I always like to walk before an international flight so typically choose this method.

1Newflyer

Thanks for your comments.

arf04

At YVR for sure it's quicker to exit security. I don't go through YYZ trans border often and don't recall what we did back in May when we last did it, but I don't recall it being particularly lengthy. I miss the days when YQR had UA and DL service. Though you cleared immigration and were then spit out into the main terminal at DEN, with precheck it was quick to reclear security. At MSP Nexus was fast and their dedicated connections security line was never long and it was easy to butt in if you had a tight connection.

Adam Smith

Not really, it sucks about as badly as it did on the first day they opened this garbage facility designed by incompetent morons.

ffsim

Why don’t you tell us how you really feel about it?

Adam Smith

Because I have better things to do with my life than spend an entire week writing an FT post about the numerous ways in which the new terminal was criminally botched?

Fizzer

I have done the transition twice now in the last 2 weeks. The flight I asked about with a 43 minute connection was changed when I called and United realized it was less than the MCT AC had listed on its website. It did mean a >6 hour layover and a 5:30 am departure. It was possibly just as well as the flight was late, largely because they missed the runway the first time and had to go around again. The Captain said there was traffic on the runway, although I had already been thinking that we were pretty high still as we approached, before the wheels came up and we went around again. The second time in a 5 day period for me on an AC Q400 flight. The week before we missed YQR on a late night flight from YYC. No reason given but I speculated to myself that the first might have been the youngish looking pilot in the cockpit and the second the older more experienced one. Pure speculation only, however.

1Newflyer

Are you sure he said runway, maybe he meant "traffic on the highway" the No. 2.

Fizzer

If there is a pun or double entendre here I'm afraid it went right over my head. My recollection, however, was definitely traffic on the runway. And it wasn't even SFO.

splicer100

Not sure it has been mentioned lately but AC J passengers have access to the Aspire lounge. I didn’t see any signage but the lounge agent confirmed. Decent lounge. Not a huge selection of food but adequate.