Hi back! With this being your first post, welcome to FT.

Hope this is the best place to ask. I flew into YYZ the other day, and cleared security in minutes (almost midnight), but I am flying out (YYZ to DFW on AA) on a 7 a.m. flight Monday. I have GE, Pre-Check and status, if that also matters. I am so miserably terrible with early flights (it's an award booking) that I am debating a SDC for a flight that gets me to my final destination at almost midnight instead of noon, which would mean adding a hotel night because it would be too late to drive home. All that said, what time, at the latest, do I need a Lyft/Uber to drop me at YYZ? I am staying downtown, so the drive is not terribly far, but reading online, I am getting everything from 3 hours to 20 minutes, so it's rather disparate. I'm lost. A couple years ago, same weekend, in YUL, GE made it incredibly fast for me, but alas! it's not 2019 anymore, is it? UGH! Appreciate any insight--and sleep.

YYZ is much bigger and has many more US bound flights than YUL. AA is T3 so you can ignore all the panic you read about T1 as AC/UA simply has many more US bound flights than WS/AA/DL. And T3 to USA is much smaller than T1. GE and Precheck are useless at YYZ security but Nexus would get you to the front of the security line which you need to clear before US inspection. GE will definitely save you some time at US inspection. You can probably arrive at YYZ a tiny bit later if you have no checked bags as checking bags is the killer where you must do this at least 60 minutes before your flight. Monday mornings can be very busy. My random guess would be at the airport 5:30 with checked luggage, 5:45 without. Flight delays at 7am are rare as the aircraft has already arrived the night before.

I appreciate the reply and insight. I ended up changing to a 2 p.m. flight because I found a FC option for only a few thousand extra miles. With the sleep and the chance to avoid the crazy dark morning in the snow, it was worth it. I will be sure to arrive at least two hours early, if not more. This is helpful!

Thinking about booking DUB-YYZ-EWR in J on AC (using LifeMiles) on a Saturday in October. The connection time is only 95 minutes though. Wife and I have GE but daughter may not have it as I can’t get her an appointment anywhere (even though she’s preapproved) 1) can they do the interview at the preclearance facility and 2) if not, is there enough time to make the flight to EWR (even though AC claims 85 minutes is enough time). Thanks.

https://support.torontopearson.com/s...der-protectionDid the earlier opening hours make the early morning rush less miserable?
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Any recent experiences with the pre-clearance process for WS premium cabin customers in wheelchairs?

Air Canada has, for many years, a horrible reputation in T1 for dumping wheelchair customers into a holding pen and leaving them there sometimes for hours, then rushing them through to the gate at the last minute - always with the claim of "we're short staffed" - like they can't forecast an increase in wheelchair customers during winter season :rolleyes:

I am bringing my mother to California next month and we can choose from United at T1, with wheelchair service most likely controlled by incompetent Air Canada, or give Westjet premium a try at T3 with what I assume are their own wheelchair staff to help expedite customers through security and pre-clearance.

YYZ to US on AC q re: preclearance rush hour
 

Hi all,

Been more than a decade since I've flown to the US from Pearson. The AC site talks about arriving 2-3 hours ahead. I have access to priority check-in but no nexus. When do you think I can arrive on a weekday (Thurs or Fri) morning and safely make an 8am flight?

Thanks!

It depends, is the best answer. I had a 900am flight a few weeks ago and arrived at 745am and was at the gate just after 800am. This was with GE but the normal line looked fine with maybe 15 people for ca five agents.

I flew to MCO for a 6:30 am departure a few weeks ago. No bags, no Nexus, but I was in J. Made the grave mistake of coming way too late - I entered T1 at 5:33, cleared security at 5:45 (priority security, and there was a huge line for non-priority), got to the CBP desk at 6:29, cleared CBP one minute and two questions later. Surprisingly, that was by far the easiest part of the YYZ experience. At the gate at 6:35-ish. A last-minute delay was the only thing stopping me from missing my flight, and I suspect that not having priority security would have added another half hour to my experience.

I'd arrive 2h before if you have priority security and/or Nexus, 3h if you only have priority check-in. I'd normally think it's ridiculous to show up that early, but that's just the reality of pre-clearance these days.

Thanks all.

I totally forgot that security is before customs. When did that change?

CIBC aeroplan black card gets you in the priority security line, right?

Spent 15 years based in London; coming back means learning a new routine. For years I just took Porter from the island when heading down.

AFAIK, it has always been that way at all preclearance airports.

It's funny 'cause the way it is now makes sense but I remember as a kid in the old YYZ T2 going through security after US customs and even in the (new) YYZ T1 in 2009.

For YYZ this changed in 2016 to comply with new US CBP regulations. Prior to this, it was Check in>Pre Clearance>Drop Checked Baggage>Security

Correct, although I don't remember the exact date at YYZ T3 - my usual. You used to have to tote your luggage through US formalities and it was occasionally inspected. Now it's drop bags, security, then US. CBP will occasionally show you a photo of your luggage on a screen and ask you to identify it, but this is rare IME.