Can I access DOM MLL in YYZ on INTL Flight?
 

Hey FTers,

I'll be travelling INTL on AC from YYZ in a couple of weeks. It's been a while since I've been at/transited at YYZ. I know at YUL INTL and DOM gates are together and can be transited between effortlessly. I was curious if I could access the DOM MLL once I clear the checkpoint or if I'm constrained to staying in the INTL section? Which MLL lounge is better at YYZ the INTL or DOM?

Safe Travels,

James

They're segregated. I'm not sure DOM is ever better than INT at any airport.

No contest. INTL is better.

That's what I was suspecting but thought I'd check since surprisingly I've never had an opportunity to use the DOM MLL at YYZ (just TB and INTL). Surprisingly, I've managed to use the YOW DOM, YUL DOM (meh), YVR INTL and TB, and EWR MLL (super-meh).

Out of curiosity any rhyme or reason why some Canadian airports segregate DOM and INTL departures whereas others don't? Also, how do DOM passengers make a INTL connection at YYZ? Is it a one-way door type scheme?

Safe Travels,

James

YYZ, the journey from dom->intl is similar to TB. But before you go to reflect security, you are directed down the intl pier.

For why some airports are segregated? Who knows. At some point they may have been building airports to allow for secure transit. They always are built to direct inbound pax to customs and immigration without getting mixed with outbound pax.

It's really the secure US area that messes things up.

Is there a boarding pass check to get in to the E gate area from the D gates? I've only connected internationally at YYZ in T3 and I don't remember any segregation in that terminal. I can imagine someone with a long wait in T1 wanting to wander over to the international area to look at the big planes from interesting places.

There is a boarding pass check - in fact I remember there being a couple. Its quite a hike from the domestic area too.

As for which is better - lounges are better in the Intl area. The waiting areas are also nicer (in my opinion) in the Intl area. That said, its smaller, and when you have multiple flights boarding near each other at the same time, it can get super crowded.

There has "always" been a BP check to get to the mixed TB/INTl hallway upstairs (also arriving TB PAX), and then again at the end, to segregate out arriving, ->TB and -> INTL.

In the last month or so the BP check from DOM has been replaced by automated turnstiles.

I think AC should lobby the Canadian government to change their immigration and customs laws to actually allow passengers connecting INTL-INTL (eg. Asia/Europe to Central/South America, US to Europe/Asia etc.) to bypass CBSA all together and not have to "enter" Canada in order to transit just like in many parts of the world (where all that needs to be done is a security check). Currently the setup is that passengers connecting INTL-INTL only need to under to an "immigration" check before being allowed back into the INTL departures area in YYZ T1.

Just by reading the title of this thread, I dreamed for one second that AC started serving Dom Perignon on international flights.

Customs checks are perfunctory at best, especially now with eTa. For rescanning bags, there is no way that Canada is going to accept the scanning of dozens of random foreign countries as being similar to our own when putting those bags on flights originating in Canada.

I really feel save knowing that bags maybe "bad" are here already . Scanning again will negate the risk coming in?. Bunch of scam costs to travelers. But then I view the entire security process a scam. I don't feel more save, just frustrated.

To answer the OP's question, there are separate security clearance areas for Domestic vs. transborder (USA) vs. International. You can access the domestic area on an international ticket, although the security person's scanner will reject you. You just need to tell them that you want to go to the domestic MLL and will then proceed to the international gates and they should let you through (or at least they have let me through). This can be particularly beneficial to E35K who do not get access to international MLL's.

Having said the above, as others have posted, the domestic lounge isn't as good as the international one, so not sure why anyone with a choice would want to go there.

"Pull a DrunkCargo".

Unlike the USA, Canada doesn't demand unusual level of security for inbound aircraft, either baggage or people. I presume there is some minimal baseline standard, and/or coincidentally anywhere that has enough traffic to warrant commercial flights ti Canada is big enough to not qualify as what AvE would call a 3rd world poop[1] hole.

If a flight from the Republic of Equatorial Kundu happens to explode over Yarmouth because REK failed to scan the bags well, that would suck, but that would be on REK. If YYZ just moved a REK bag from aircraft to aircraft and then some other flight exploded over Whistler, then that would be on YYZ.

The question isn't actually then about aircraft exploding, its who could have prevented it.

[1] not actually "poop".