YYZ Check-in Time
Oct 1, 2013, 6:00 am
#31
Join Date: Apr 2009
Location: MIA/LAS
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Posts: 572
Took me 60 minutes from check-in to gate last week, and I shaved what would have been an extra ten minutes off by using my AMEX PLT card at security. The lion's share of the wait is at Customs. This was for a 10:30am flight on a Monday.
Oct 1, 2013, 7:22 am
#32
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Sep 1999
Location: Toronto, Ontario, Canada
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There is no TSA at YYZ, that's an American government agency. It's CATSA, the Canadian Air Transport Security Agency.
Oct 1, 2013, 12:55 pm
#33
Join Date: May 2013
Location: YYZ/YTZ/YUL
Programs: BA Gold, TK Elite
Posts: 1,558
Not sure where you're flying, either.
But in Heaven, I'd start my trip to Bangkok at YTZ, fly Porter (A Member of the Oneworld Alliance), earning 100% for all booking codes, sitting in the front cabin in their new 2-class jets, YTZ-LAX.
It's OK, I'm back to reality now.
But in Heaven, I'd start my trip to Bangkok at YTZ, fly Porter (A Member of the Oneworld Alliance), earning 100% for all booking codes, sitting in the front cabin in their new 2-class jets, YTZ-LAX.
It's OK, I'm back to reality now.
Oct 1, 2013, 2:07 pm
#34
Join Date: Aug 2002
Location: YYZ/MGA
Programs: AA 1MM Lifetime Gold, AA Platinum, WS Gold, Marriott Bonvoy Gold
Posts: 7,607
YYZ is a funny airport. The key is to avoid the first flight out in the morning. The lines can be quite long. After that, it is usually no more than a 30 minute wait.
If you must fly out early, you need to avoid checking baggage. There can be a very long line for that and service is limited.
If you must fly out early, you need to avoid checking baggage. There can be a very long line for that and service is limited.
I use GE or NEXUS, whichever machine is free but while I wait at 4:15 in the 10 person NEXUS line , at that time the non NEXUS line is maybe 1/8th full. At 4:30 when they open immigration it is more full or completely.
When I pass Customs there are already people coming through immigration and they have no line at all for luggage and no line of any consequence for security.
If you can check-in online then get there at 4 a.m. and get in the queue for regular folks and you will be fine.
Being realistic they are not going to abandon 50% of passengers for a.m. flights every day because it is impossible to clear the formalities. My MIA flights are almost always full to the brim when we leave so those people got on the plane somehow.
Those people in the front of the non NEXUS line got how? Arriving early.
Oct 2, 2013, 6:09 am
#35
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Join Date: May 2006
Location: DTW, but drive to/from YYZ/ORD
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Posts: 31,920
And arriving early simply doesn't help: once I arrived at YYZ at 6.30 for a 10am flight (mixed up different reservations). Because the queue was so long they wouldn't let people until shortly before their flight: I saw this fluctuating between 60 and 90 minutes. It then still took me a whole hour to get through the queue once I was in it.
Oct 2, 2013, 6:25 am
#36
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Join Date: Sep 1999
Location: Toronto, Ontario, Canada
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Oct 2, 2013, 6:28 am
#37
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These are not accurate. If by early morning you mean the 6-7 a.m. departures, just arrive at 4 a.m. and you queue up at the front of the immigration line and by this you will also be early at the baggage drop and then security.
I use GE or NEXUS, whichever machine is free but while I wait at 4:15 in the 10 person NEXUS line , at that time the non NEXUS line is maybe 1/8th full. At 4:30 when they open immigration it is more full or completely.
When I pass Customs there are already people coming through immigration and they have no line at all for luggage and no line of any consequence for security.
If you can check-in online then get there at 4 a.m. and get in the queue for regular folks and you will be fine.
Being realistic they are not going to abandon 50% of passengers for a.m. flights every day because it is impossible to clear the formalities. My MIA flights are almost always full to the brim when we leave so those people got on the plane somehow.
Those people in the front of the non NEXUS line got how? Arriving early.
I use GE or NEXUS, whichever machine is free but while I wait at 4:15 in the 10 person NEXUS line , at that time the non NEXUS line is maybe 1/8th full. At 4:30 when they open immigration it is more full or completely.
When I pass Customs there are already people coming through immigration and they have no line at all for luggage and no line of any consequence for security.
If you can check-in online then get there at 4 a.m. and get in the queue for regular folks and you will be fine.
Being realistic they are not going to abandon 50% of passengers for a.m. flights every day because it is impossible to clear the formalities. My MIA flights are almost always full to the brim when we leave so those people got on the plane somehow.
Those people in the front of the non NEXUS line got how? Arriving early.
Oct 2, 2013, 9:14 am
#38
Join Date: Dec 2007
Posts: 993
These are not accurate. If by early morning you mean the 6-7 a.m. departures, just arrive at 4 a.m. and you queue up at the front of the immigration line and by this you will also be early at the baggage drop and then security.
I use GE or NEXUS, whichever machine is free but while I wait at 4:15 in the 10 person NEXUS line , at that time the non NEXUS line is maybe 1/8th full. At 4:30 when they open immigration it is more full or completely.
When I pass Customs there are already people coming through immigration and they have no line at all for luggage and no line of any consequence for security.
If you can check-in online then get there at 4 a.m. and get in the queue for regular folks and you will be fine.
I use GE or NEXUS, whichever machine is free but while I wait at 4:15 in the 10 person NEXUS line , at that time the non NEXUS line is maybe 1/8th full. At 4:30 when they open immigration it is more full or completely.
When I pass Customs there are already people coming through immigration and they have no line at all for luggage and no line of any consequence for security.
If you can check-in online then get there at 4 a.m. and get in the queue for regular folks and you will be fine.
Oct 2, 2013, 2:50 pm
#39
Join Date: Apr 2001
Posts: 1,473
Actually, I try for Door 1
YYZ is a funny airport. The key is to avoid the first flight out in the morning. The lines can be quite long. After that, it is usually no more than a 30 minute wait.
<snip>
If one can avoid, try not to go thru the line for door 1, the nearest line. This line looks shortest but it is a trap. There is more of wait when one enters the door. Also, the pilots/attendants as well as handicaps go thru that door. You will continually have people cut in front of you.
<snip>
If one can avoid, try not to go thru the line for door 1, the nearest line. This line looks shortest but it is a trap. There is more of wait when one enters the door. Also, the pilots/attendants as well as handicaps go thru that door. You will continually have people cut in front of you.
At T3, I've once had a 40 min long line to clear US formalities in the afternoon for an evening flight. Good thing I arrived a bit earlier that day.
Otherwise, those lines have generally been much shorter.
I actually aim for Door 1 into security screening as the middle door has a nude-o-scope. I try to avoid them (I opt for the grope instead). If you go through Door 1, no nude-o-scope.
What I dislike at T3 are the multiple passport checks to board: 1) to enter the entry portal to the US, 2) to show the passport again at the old entrance to the US immigrations hall, 3) at US immigrations desk, 4) to scan the passport prior to the security lines, 5) at the security line (at the machines), 6) at gate.
If I ran things, there would be passport checks at steps 3 and 6 only.
Oct 4, 2013, 12:18 am
#40
Join Date: Dec 2007
Posts: 993
At T3, I've once had a 40 min long line to clear US formalities in the afternoon for an evening flight. Good thing I arrived a bit earlier that day.
Otherwise, those lines have generally been much shorter.
I actually aim for Door 1 into security screening as the middle door has a nude-o-scope. I try to avoid them (I opt for the grope instead). If you go through Door 1, no nude-o-scope.
What I dislike at T3 are the multiple passport checks to board: 1) to enter the entry portal to the US, 2) to show the passport again at the old entrance to the US immigrations hall, 3) at US immigrations desk, 4) to scan the passport prior to the security lines, 5) at the security line (at the machines), 6) at gate.
If I ran things, there would be passport checks at steps 3 and 6 only.
Otherwise, those lines have generally been much shorter.
I actually aim for Door 1 into security screening as the middle door has a nude-o-scope. I try to avoid them (I opt for the grope instead). If you go through Door 1, no nude-o-scope.
What I dislike at T3 are the multiple passport checks to board: 1) to enter the entry portal to the US, 2) to show the passport again at the old entrance to the US immigrations hall, 3) at US immigrations desk, 4) to scan the passport prior to the security lines, 5) at the security line (at the machines), 6) at gate.
If I ran things, there would be passport checks at steps 3 and 6 only.
Not sure why you have to show the passport so many times. If I remember correctly, couple of the check points only ask to see the BP.
I find the mid-afternoon flights to have the least wait. I think maybe 10% of the time will the wait be longer than half hour.
Oct 6, 2013, 3:39 pm
#42
Original Poster
Join Date: Jul 1999
Location: Sacramento, CA
Programs: AA Exec Plat, Hyatt,Marriott,BA,AS
Posts: 4,428
I have a TSA approved laptop bag so I don't have to take the laptop out of the bag in the U.S. Does Canadian security at YYZ allow the same or must I remove it and send it through x-ray separately?
Oct 6, 2013, 4:18 pm
#43
Join Date: Jul 2001
Location: Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Programs: AC, AA, SPG, Hilton
Posts: 1,788
You will have to remove everything in YYZ. There is no separate such approved laptop bag for Canadian security.
Oct 7, 2013, 3:47 pm
#44
Join Date: May 2013
Location: YYZ/YTZ/YUL
Programs: BA Gold, TK Elite
Posts: 1,558
Oct 7, 2013, 10:58 pm
#45
Join Date: Apr 2001
Posts: 1,473
Correction
The nude-o-scope is not always in use. Also, I think door 2 uses the same scanner as door 1.
Not sure why you have to show the passport so many times. If I remember correctly, couple of the check points only ask to see the BP.
I find the mid-afternoon flights to have the least wait. I think maybe 10% of the time will the wait be longer than half hour.
Not sure why you have to show the passport so many times. If I remember correctly, couple of the check points only ask to see the BP.
I find the mid-afternoon flights to have the least wait. I think maybe 10% of the time will the wait be longer than half hour.
You're right. At step 4 (before security) and step 5 (at security belt), it is a showing of the boarding pass, not the passport.
I should have written it is annoying to show the passport/boarding pass multiple times.