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Overnight in YYZ - options airside?

Overnight in YYZ - options airside?

Old Mar 24, 2019, 7:30 am
  #1  
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Overnight in YYZ - options airside?

Hi all,
I'm on an itinerary in June that involves getting into YYZ at 1am, with a 6:30am onward departure - long enough to need a place to settle for an extended period of time, too short to make leaving the airport worth it. Ugh. Anyone have any recommendations as to places to settle in for the layover?

I see references to Rest Zones when googling, but those sound like they are all landside, which doesn't seem desirable to me - needing to get up and get back in through security would cut into resting time.
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Old Mar 24, 2019, 7:57 am
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Originally Posted by szehui
Hi all,
I'm on an itinerary in June that involves getting into YYZ at 1am, with a 6:30am onward departure - long enough to need a place to settle for an extended period of time, too short to make leaving the airport worth it. Ugh. Anyone have any recommendations as to places to settle in for the layover?

I see references to Rest Zones when googling, but those sound like they are all landside, which doesn't seem desirable to me - needing to get up and get back in through security would cut into resting time.
What route are you taking with which carriers? In many cases you will have to collect and drop your bag again and clear immigration into Canada if not into the US as well if thats your final stop. You may even need to change terminal which means you are definitely heading landside.

So the 5.5h layover may be much less. There isnt much airside aside from lounges most if not all are closed for a large chunk of that time as YYZ has limited scheduled flights between 1 and 5 - which lounge depends on which area you clear into (domestic/transborder or international).
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Old Mar 24, 2019, 9:48 am
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Originally Posted by jc94


What route are you taking with which carriers? In many cases you will have to collect and drop your bag again and clear immigration into Canada if not into the US as well if thats your final stop. You may even need to change terminal which means you are definitely heading landside.

So the 5.5h layover may be much less. There isnt much airside aside from lounges most if not all are closed for a large chunk of that time as YYZ has limited scheduled flights between 1 and 5 - which lounge depends on which area you clear into (domestic/transborder or international).
It'll be AC all the way through. And actually I got my itinerary wrong, it's actually domestic to transborder - coming in from YVR on AC124, and then to BWI early the next morning.
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Old Mar 25, 2019, 6:09 am
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You can try staying airside (domestic) for a few hours after you arrive. US Preclearance Immigration/Security will not open until 5am IIRC.
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Old Mar 25, 2019, 12:34 pm
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Originally Posted by Seat13F_AC_CRJ
You can try staying airside (domestic) for a few hours after you arrive. US Preclearance Immigration/Security will not open until 5am IIRC.
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I believe thats correct, but then the question becomes what is there to do for 4h airside. As far as I know, there isnt much to do.

If the OP heads landside there are more options, and either way you have to clear US immigration. Doing it from a domestic flight might reduce security (never done Dom to TB at YYZ) but its unlikely OP is going to be short of time.

Its definitely not open 24/7. But given the daily 6am YYZ ORD flight I gotta hope it opens before 5am, especially when YYZ says to get there 3h before 10am flights. Earliest Ive done it was around 6 (for an 8am).
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Old Mar 25, 2019, 2:17 pm
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I believe it is supposed to open at 4:30am, coming from the check in desk area. No idea about domestic to US airside at that time of the day. OP, I would find an empty gate and sleep as you get off the plane (assuming you do not have bags to collect) then go through US pre clearance once it opens. It's a while since I was in T1 domestic, but I see people camped out in T3 when I arrive for early morning flights down to Mexico. A lightweight air mattress may make the proposition a little more comfortable.
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Old Mar 25, 2019, 5:35 pm
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OP here, thanks for all of your insights! I had not previously thought about not being able to get into the TB area until 4:30, so thanks very much for pointing that out. I'll shop for some lightweight air mattresses for the family, and in the meantime hope that our schedule gets changed thanks to the 7M8 debacle.
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Old Mar 25, 2019, 5:47 pm
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After spending a "night" at Luton airport ages ago I swore to myself never again. Its airport hotel even if just 4hrs.
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Old Mar 25, 2019, 9:55 pm
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Originally Posted by Maestro Ramen
After spending a "night" at Luton airport ages ago I swore to myself never again. Its airport hotel even if just 4hrs.
Arrival at 1am however means you probably wont make it into either of the two closest hotels until 1:30am even if on time after you clear immigration and customs. And thats being optimistic. Then youd probably want to check out at 4am. So Im reality its more like 2 hours.

Obviously you could cut it tighter especially depending upon passport and say Nexus and priority security etc... But I think youd be cutting it fine.

And if theres a whole family? Im assuming that means kids and thats likely going to be a nightmare.
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Old Mar 26, 2019, 11:17 am
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Originally Posted by jc94


Arrival at 1am however means you probably wont make it into either of the two closest hotels until 1:30am even if on time after you clear immigration and customs. And thats being optimistic. Then youd probably want to check out at 4am. So Im reality its more like 2 hours.

Obviously you could cut it tighter especially depending upon passport and say Nexus and priority security etc... But I think youd be cutting it fine.

And if theres a whole family? Im assuming that means kids and thats likely going to be a nightmare.
You assume correctly, there are going to be two kids involved here. Really does sound like the best thing to do is to find a comfortable place to settle for a while either domestic airside or landside before TB security. We'll probably all still be on HKG time so who knows how we'll be feeling when we get there but leaving the airport property for a hotel certainly doesn't sound like a great idea.
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Old Mar 26, 2019, 2:15 pm
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Originally Posted by Maestro Ramen
After spending a "night" at Luton airport ages ago I swore to myself never again. Its airport hotel even if just 4hrs.
That's because it's Luton. One of the moderators here on FT is called LTN Phobia for a reason.

There are plenty of airports where spending the "night" (depending on your body clock time) ranges from reasonably pleasant to bearable, though I don't know about YYZ.
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Old Mar 26, 2019, 2:33 pm
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Originally Posted by :D!
That's because it's Luton. One of the moderators here on FT is called LTN Phobia for a reason.

There are plenty of airports where spending the "night" (depending on your body clock time) ranges from reasonably pleasant to bearable, though I don't know about YYZ.
At least Luton doesnt blast you with announcements... Though its been a while I admit.

To be honest I rarely sit around YYZ outside the lounges, which arent great but beat the gates. When theyre open.

It should be reasonably quiet at these hours though, and I believe some of the food places are 24/7. And there should be tons of spare seating as well. Find a deserted gate but to be honest if you take it easy getting through immigration youll only have about 2h in my opinion before you can head to US pre clearance.
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