JeffersonCampervan

Really? Have a look at the Schiphol thread.

yyztozag

I mean, my dad said he was in AMS last week, and it was packed (as it was before Covid), but not to the point where people were kept on planes upon arrival.

Covidian98

You have to stay on your planes for a few more hours, so the PHAC can collect some statistics about Covid among the incoming travellers. The Canadian approach to statistical sampling is to basically get the largest sample possible, regardless of the costs and hardships that causes. Makes sense, no ?

YYZ1313

Canada still acts like COVID waves always come from abroad. Easier to blame foreigners despite the virus being very much everywhere in the country. And people lap it up.

Covidian98

But they don’t even pretend that this random arrival testing is supposed to find all the infected people coming in, so most Covid positive people do get in undetected, since 95% of travellers are not selected for testing.

It’s just that for the purpose of getting a statistical sampling, they choose a HUGE sample size of 25k tests every week, even though just 1000 tests would be valid statistically and produce the same results EXACTLY (as can be observed in the land border where they test a much smaller sample).

Joeyjo

You’d definitely need a bigger sample for the airport vs a land border since you’re sampling travellers from all over the world vs travellers from a much more restricted area.

JeffersonCampervan

I disagree with picking one problem area, ignoring the others; overall Pearson is no worse than the others. This is a world wide problem, with each airport having a slightly different bottleneck.
I've been flying into Schiphol regularly for 30 years. Even during the security work slowdown a few years ago it was nothing like this.
Your dad's anecdotal experience doesn't mean much - you can find the same 'breezed right through' anecdotal reports for YYZ in the past week.
I fly to Schiphol in 2 weeks... fingers crossed!

https://www.euronews.com/travel/2022...t-are-your-rig

vernonc

Response from GTAA within 24 hrs, so at least they are prompt. Now to write to CBSA and Air Canada. Maybe CBSA can get my Nexus renewal processed too since its been more than a year 'in process'.
Thank you for contacting Toronto Pearson.​
We were sorry to read of your recent arrival. Many issues can contribute to passenger wait times, such as weather and aircraft arriving outside of their assigned time slot. Currently, the processing time per passengers by Canada Border Service Agency (CBSA) officers is still significantly longer than prior to the pandemic given the ongoing Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) requirements.

Because the border processing time is longer, and we have safety-related capacity limits in the customs halls, we work to manage passenger volumes in the terminal. There are times when we may hold passengers onboard their plane or in waiting areas to accomplish this while keeping passengers moving as quickly as we can, and this can change from day to day. We're currently working with all agencies at Pearson to provide a better experience to all passengers. If you would like to follow up with these government agencies directly with your feedback, you may contact CBSA through their website at https://cbsa-asfc.gc.ca/contact/menu-eng.html, and PHAC may be reached at [email protected]


The Greater Toronto Airports Authority (GTAA) does not manage the passenger boarding or deplaning process, nor do we provide staff in these areas. We recommend that you contact your airline directly regarding your experience and your suggestion of Nexus passengers deplaning earlier. Contact details may be found at https://www.torontopearson.com/en/airlines

We hope this information will be of assistance in addressing your concerns, and that your next travel through Toronto Pearson will be a more pleasant experience.

onebagtraveller

How is it working for picking up/meeting arriving family?

Are they not allowing people to enter the airport and wait at the baggage claim exit?

TheCanuckian

No, you may not enter the building without a boarding pass.

onebagtraveller

Thanks for your reply!

It's mom+baby so I'll let them know to pack what they can carry!

spartacus81

I've seen security people at the T1 parking lot/train entrance, but they've never actually checked my boarding pass. I think if it looks like you're travelling, they let you through (they might get suspicious if you have no luggage). Coming by taxi, I don't remember anyone checking at the entrance.

cooleddie

Yeah there are many ways to "sneak through" including going to a different floor and entering via a different, less used entrance.

Dumb policy. They should get rid of it and reopen it.

TheCanuckian

As others are saying, the rule is that you may not enter, but the reality is that if you look like a traveller and move with confidence you shouldn’t have trouble. If you really want in, you could book a refundable flight for a few hours later, get the boarding pass, then cancel it once you’re past the little security desk just inside the doors.

The outdoor pickup area is often quite a gong show these days, especially at Terminal 1, so if you want to meet and help people, it might be best to park in the garage rather than pulling alongside the curb.

yyztozag

When you get to the parkade next to T1, just take the elevator down to the lowest level (public transit and rental cars, I believe), cross the street into the terminal, and go up a level. You’ll be right in arrivals. Once you’ve picked up your family, just return to your car the normal way, as if you travelled with them. 4/4 success rate so far.

Not sure how it would work for T3.

Technically you’re not allowed in, but no one cares. Are elderly family members supposed to just find their way to your car? Should you have to provide proof that they’re elderly to pick them up? Miss me with this BS, fight stupid problems with creative-ish solutions.