Gate availability in YYZ T1
Mar 29, 2019, 12:24 pm
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Jul 2008
Location: YYZ
Programs: Hilton Gold Mariott Gold Aeroplan E25K SAS Gold NEXUS
Posts: 1,308
Gate availability in YYZ T1
I'm wondering if I'm just unlucky; in my last dozen landings in YYZ from December until now, 4 of my flights have had a wait for a ramp crew hold on the tarmac. Most are sub 5 minutes, but one was about 19 minutes and the other was 55 minutes. In 60 flights last year, I had only one hold in Richmond VA I believe in addition to the YYZ holds. I was not tracking previous flights very well so I don't really recall exactly how many flights had a hold, but I do recall noticing it was a trend . . . .
Does anyone notice the no gate crew happens more often in YYZ than anywhere else or is this just me? It's annoying me and I did send a note in about the 55 minute one (thanks here's 5% off your flight - not the point); but I am curious if it's others experience as well. Once I'm on the ground I kinda just want to get off.
Just curious. Thx.
Does anyone notice the no gate crew happens more often in YYZ than anywhere else or is this just me? It's annoying me and I did send a note in about the 55 minute one (thanks here's 5% off your flight - not the point); but I am curious if it's others experience as well. Once I'm on the ground I kinda just want to get off.
Just curious. Thx.
Mar 29, 2019, 12:42 pm
#2
Join Date: Oct 2018
Location: YYZ, but wish I was in CGN
Programs: Anything and everything
Posts: 128
55 minutes is way too long!
I remember it being 32C outside landing at ORY. We were late departing from LCY because the French pilots happened to mail it in that Monday morning and arrived late, so we arrived at ORY about 1 hour late. We land but they forgot to tell the ground crew to bring the stairs and bus. We were stuck inside the aircraft for about 30 minutes while waiting for them lazy-... airport personnel to show up. Pilots were going nuts trying to get updates for us and after 10 minutes of the plane heating up to sauna levels, they had to turn the engines back on provide us with AC to cool down. It was a shitshow.
I remember it being 32C outside landing at ORY. We were late departing from LCY because the French pilots happened to mail it in that Monday morning and arrived late, so we arrived at ORY about 1 hour late. We land but they forgot to tell the ground crew to bring the stairs and bus. We were stuck inside the aircraft for about 30 minutes while waiting for them lazy-... airport personnel to show up. Pilots were going nuts trying to get updates for us and after 10 minutes of the plane heating up to sauna levels, they had to turn the engines back on provide us with AC to cool down. It was a shitshow.
Mar 29, 2019, 1:13 pm
#5
Join Date: Dec 2005
Location: YYZ most of the time
Programs: AC SE100K MM, Princess Elite
Posts: 3,921
I'm wondering if I'm just unlucky; in my last dozen landings in YYZ from December until now, 4 of my flights have had a wait for a ramp crew hold on the tarmac. Most are sub 5 minutes, but one was about 19 minutes and the other was 55 minutes. In 60 flights last year, I had only one hold in Richmond VA I believe in addition to the YYZ holds. I was not tracking previous flights very well so I don't really recall exactly how many flights had a hold, but I do recall noticing it was a trend . . . .
Does anyone notice the no gate crew happens more often in YYZ than anywhere else or is this just me? It's annoying me and I did send a note in about the 55 minute one (thanks here's 5% off your flight - not the point); but I am curious if it's others experience as well. Once I'm on the ground I kinda just want to get off.
Just curious. Thx.
Does anyone notice the no gate crew happens more often in YYZ than anywhere else or is this just me? It's annoying me and I did send a note in about the 55 minute one (thanks here's 5% off your flight - not the point); but I am curious if it's others experience as well. Once I'm on the ground I kinda just want to get off.
Just curious. Thx.
Likely AC schedules staffing based on flights being on time (or very close to it). In an ideal weather situation there are spare gates, but likely no (or not many) spare crews. While your flight might have landed on time, the ground crew may have been taken from your flight assignment to another flight that came in early (or late). Perhaps the crew that was reassigned to your flight got tied up with another flight that was delayed getting off their gate.
Mar 29, 2019, 1:33 pm
#6
Original Poster
Join Date: Jul 2008
Location: YYZ
Programs: Hilton Gold Mariott Gold Aeroplan E25K SAS Gold NEXUS
Posts: 1,308
Can you provide specific dates that this happened? What was the weather like? What had the weather like been the day before? hours before? What time did your flights arrive?
Likely AC schedules staffing based on flights being on time (or very close to it). In an ideal weather situation there are spare gates, but likely no (or not many) spare crews. While your flight might have landed on time, the ground crew may have been taken from your flight assignment to another flight that came in early (or late). Perhaps the crew that was reassigned to your flight got tied up with another flight that was delayed getting off their gate.
Likely AC schedules staffing based on flights being on time (or very close to it). In an ideal weather situation there are spare gates, but likely no (or not many) spare crews. While your flight might have landed on time, the ground crew may have been taken from your flight assignment to another flight that came in early (or late). Perhaps the crew that was reassigned to your flight got tied up with another flight that was delayed getting off their gate.
To generally answer some questions:
Weather was OK on arrival, can't speak to earlier in the day.
Flights were all evening arrivals, most of mine are.
One of the flights was delayed, yes.
I think maybe the ground crews are stretched a little too thin, but I'm trying to see if maybe it's just me, if no one else is really noticing it; it's just bad luck. Hence the question. If it's just me then oh well, but if others are noticing it I'm more interested in at least commiserating, and maybe pointing it out more specifically as an operational problem. PS United flights have also been affected, but I suspect they are the same ground crews.
Mar 29, 2019, 1:47 pm
#7
Join Date: Dec 2005
Location: YYZ most of the time
Programs: AC SE100K MM, Princess Elite
Posts: 3,921
I'll look for those specifics when I have a few minutes in the next couple days.
To generally answer some questions:
Weather was OK on arrival, can't speak to earlier in the day.
Flights were all evening arrivals, most of mine are.
One of the flights was delayed, yes.
I think maybe the ground crews are stretched a little too thin, but I'm trying to see if maybe it's just me, if no one else is really noticing it; it's just bad luck. Hence the question. If it's just me then oh well, but if others are noticing it I'm more interested in at least commiserating, and maybe pointing it out more specifically as an operational problem. PS United flights have also been affected, but I suspect they are the same ground crews.
To generally answer some questions:
Weather was OK on arrival, can't speak to earlier in the day.
Flights were all evening arrivals, most of mine are.
One of the flights was delayed, yes.
I think maybe the ground crews are stretched a little too thin, but I'm trying to see if maybe it's just me, if no one else is really noticing it; it's just bad luck. Hence the question. If it's just me then oh well, but if others are noticing it I'm more interested in at least commiserating, and maybe pointing it out more specifically as an operational problem. PS United flights have also been affected, but I suspect they are the same ground crews.
Mar 29, 2019, 8:22 pm
#10
Join Date: May 2012
Location: BKK/SIN/YYZ/YUL
Programs: DL, AC, Bonvoy, Accor, Hilton
Posts: 2,917
None of my international YYZ arrivals from Asia on AC have had a timely presence of Gate crew or Gate availability. Added to this is the poor delivery time of baggage and the AC experience adds about 30-45 minutes more time compared to my arrivals with EVA.
Mar 29, 2019, 9:07 pm
#11
Join Date: Apr 2015
Location: YVR
Programs: UA Premier Platinum
Posts: 3,759
Can you provide specific dates that this happened? What was the weather like? What had the weather like been the day before? hours before? What time did your flights arrive?
Likely AC schedules staffing based on flights being on time (or very close to it). In an ideal weather situation there are spare gates, but likely no (or not many) spare crews. While your flight might have landed on time, the ground crew may have been taken from your flight assignment to another flight that came in early (or late). Perhaps the crew that was reassigned to your flight got tied up with another flight that was delayed getting off their gate.
Likely AC schedules staffing based on flights being on time (or very close to it). In an ideal weather situation there are spare gates, but likely no (or not many) spare crews. While your flight might have landed on time, the ground crew may have been taken from your flight assignment to another flight that came in early (or late). Perhaps the crew that was reassigned to your flight got tied up with another flight that was delayed getting off their gate.
Mar 29, 2019, 10:11 pm
#12
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Mar 2005
Location: YYZ
Programs: AC*SE 2MM
Posts: 16,627
There seem to be two issues at YYZ - shortage of gate crews and shortage of gates. The gate crew shortage usually results in short delays of 2-5 minutes. the gate shortage was the likely cause for your longer delays.
I do wonder whether the savings AC may make on salaries for gate crews (I'm assuming not very highly paid) are eaten up many times over by the extra fuel consumed while the aircraft is idling waiting to turn into the gate and the combined salaries of the crew on those delayed aircraft who continue to be paid until the aircraft actually gets to the gate.
I do wonder whether the savings AC may make on salaries for gate crews (I'm assuming not very highly paid) are eaten up many times over by the extra fuel consumed while the aircraft is idling waiting to turn into the gate and the combined salaries of the crew on those delayed aircraft who continue to be paid until the aircraft actually gets to the gate.
Mar 30, 2019, 12:35 am
#13
Join Date: Apr 2016
Posts: 296
I say that about CBSA. At land borders too. Like it’s the first time that half of S. Ontario went shopping in NY on a Saturday or Sunday.
Mar 30, 2019, 3:17 am
#14
Join Date: Apr 2016
Location: YHZ/YQM
Programs: Aeroplan
Posts: 1,618
If the problem is lack of gate crews, then that is up to AC to fix. If the problem is lack of gates, then that should get slightly better soon with 6 new transborder jetbridge gates on the back side of the transborder pier opening soon. These should help more than just the transborder flights, since they can allow some swing gates to go domestic (there are 7 on the neck of the E pier and along the main building) or international (there are 4 close to the hammerhead on the F pier.) Of course AC has to make sure that there is enough staff for the extra gates.
Mar 30, 2019, 5:54 am
#15
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Feb 2004
Location: YVR
Programs: AC SE 2MM; UA MP Premier Silver; Marriott Bonvoy LT Titanium Elite; Radisson; Avis PC
Posts: 35,255
Maybe things have changed (for the worse?) now, but back when I was doing daily flights into/out of YYZ in 2017 and weekly TATL/TPAC flights from 2011-2016 it was a mix of everything... sometimes there was zero wait and sometimes it was up to an hour wait. But the more significant delays must have been negligible as I'm pretty sure I'd post about it too.
I mean, there were also times after we landed at YYZ where we were delayed on the tarmac due to weather and other IRROPS... I remember the afternoon of the flash flooding (July 2013) several aircraft, including ours from LHR, waited for roughly two hours before we could get a gate (or get to a gate)? Anyway... fun times.
I mean, there were also times after we landed at YYZ where we were delayed on the tarmac due to weather and other IRROPS... I remember the afternoon of the flash flooding (July 2013) several aircraft, including ours from LHR, waited for roughly two hours before we could get a gate (or get to a gate)? Anyway... fun times.