Oct 3, 2021, 9:32 am
Last edit by: Adam Smith
Background
Before COVID, flights were distributed as follows:
During the early days of COVID, the airport made the decision to consolidate operations in the eastern/southern area of the airport. The A pier was closed. WestJet flights were moved to the B pier and C pier. The segregated international area in D was eliminated.
There are many references below to piers and gate numbers. Please note that most YYC gate maps that you will find online are out of date. Many of the prominent Google results still reflect the numbering system from before the new international pier was built, and YYC’s own interactive map has not been updated to reflect any of the COVID-related changes discussed in this thread, because the airport authority is useless and incompetent. For those not familiar with the airport, this is the most useful map the original author of this wiki has found.
Current Situation - Gate Allocation
Although operations are getting back towards normal, the airport authority appears to be sticking with some of its moronic decisions taken during COVID.
The A gates are in somewhat limited use, with most domestic flights going from the B, C, and D piers. Domestic flights can now depart from anywhere between A11 and D97. There appears to be little in the way of logic as to where each airline is operating at any time.
International flights still depart exclusively from D gates.
Transborder flights continue to depart exclusively from the E gates. However, gates 84 and higher are no longer used exclusively for transborder flights. Those gates may be used for domestic, international, or US flights.
Construction is under way on the ramp between the B and C piers, limiting use of certain gates.
Gate Allocation & Layout - Impact on Passengers
YYC is an extremely poorly designed airport, especially the new international wing that was opened several years ago, and is not a great airport to fly through at the best of times. However, many design flaws are compounded by the current situation.
The current dispersal of flights around the airport frequently requires long walks. Approximate distances from the C security checkpoint to:
There are moving walkways that cover part of the distance from the base of the C pier to the bases of the B and D piers, and from the base of the B pier to the base of the A pier, but a fair amount of walking is still required as the walkways only cover a portion of the distance, and there are no moving walkways within the piers themselves.
There are several elevation changes that may be unpleasant for those with mobility issues, including an uphill ramp moving from the C pier to the D pier (just before gate 70), and a long uphill ramp (about 2 stories of vertical movement) moving from the area around gates 80-83 to 84+ (obviously these ramps are downhill in the opposing directions). Many of the ramps around YYC lack customary handrails and flat rest areas as the airport was/is exempt from building codes.
LINK Shuttle
Unlike most major airports that have some sort of train system to shuttle passengers around the airport, YYC relies on oversized golf carts, which the airport authority refers to as the LINK shuttle (some in the AC forum derogatorily refer to these as "meep meeps" since they look like something out of a cartoon).
Also note that the shuttle only runs to the start of the D pier, before gate 70. Therefore up to ~500m of walking could be required to reach one's gate.
Current Situation - Check-In
AC and WS domestic check-in are at their usual locations at C and A respectively.
Flair and Air North are at door 8 (next to AC, between B and C).
Flights to the US (all airlines) - check-in desks in usual locations at E.
International flights are at the D area, including AC and WS
Current Situation - Security
Hours for checkpoints can be found here.
Priority security:
At YYC, only the Verified Traveller lane at the C checkpoint offers expedited screening. The other VT lanes simply get one to the front of the line quicker.
Those looking to avoid body scanners may wish to use the B checkpoint, where there are none.
Connections
As a result of the issues described above, connecting through YYC can be a nightmare at the moment. Some domestic connections require moving from a gate at the end of the A pier to the east end of the D pier, e.g. A20 to D95, which involves around 1.5 km of distance. Many connections will require lengthy walks. Please plan accordingly.
Sterile transit (i.e. International to International, or ITI, connections without clearing Canadian immigration/customs) is not available, since there is no longer a segregated international departures area. It is unknown when, if ever, this will return. All connections therefore require entering Canada.
ITD OSS, a.k.a. One-Stop Security, which allows passengers to connect from an international flight to a domestic one without re-clearing security, is available. Passengers must be travelling on a single ticket and should be eligible if they are coming from the US or Europe. From Mexico or the Caribbean, it’s less clear. Note that OSS requires both an eligible origin and eligible airline combination - WS to WS and AC to AC are fine. KL to WS is eligible. But KL to AC, for instance, is not eligible.
Connecting to the US always requires re-clearing security at the E gates, regardless of where you're coming from. US security is located before the CBP area.
When Will Things Get Better?
Probably never, given the incompetence of the airport authority.
Despite the A gates in use, there doesn't actually appear to be any immediate desire to eliminate the use of the D gates for domestic flights. On November 1, 2021, the useless airport authority actually published a video highlighting the use of the D gates for domestic flights, and modifications to the international terminal to create a specific exit pathway for domestic passengers back to the A, B, C gates, among other changes.
Lounges
The following lounges exist at YYC. You should consult your airline for further details on access, but a rough summary follows:
Customers connecting from a domestic flight to a transborder one are physically able to access one of the domestic/international lounges, but beware that getting to your flight requires re-clearing security and going through US customs. TB passengers originating at YYC may be able to access the domestic/international area before their flight, but are at the whim of CATSA. Before COVID, this was generally not a problem, but since COVID, CATSA may have adopted a different policy. YMMV.
Before COVID, flights were distributed as follows:
- A: WestJet domestic flights
- B: shared between WestJet, Air Canada, and others, domestic flights
- C: Air Canada domestic flights
- D: international flights (excluding US)
- E: transborder (“TB”, i.e. to the US) flights
During the early days of COVID, the airport made the decision to consolidate operations in the eastern/southern area of the airport. The A pier was closed. WestJet flights were moved to the B pier and C pier. The segregated international area in D was eliminated.
There are many references below to piers and gate numbers. Please note that most YYC gate maps that you will find online are out of date. Many of the prominent Google results still reflect the numbering system from before the new international pier was built, and YYC’s own interactive map has not been updated to reflect any of the COVID-related changes discussed in this thread, because the airport authority is useless and incompetent. For those not familiar with the airport, this is the most useful map the original author of this wiki has found.
Current Situation - Gate Allocation
Although operations are getting back towards normal, the airport authority appears to be sticking with some of its moronic decisions taken during COVID.
The A gates are in somewhat limited use, with most domestic flights going from the B, C, and D piers. Domestic flights can now depart from anywhere between A11 and D97. There appears to be little in the way of logic as to where each airline is operating at any time.
International flights still depart exclusively from D gates.
Transborder flights continue to depart exclusively from the E gates. However, gates 84 and higher are no longer used exclusively for transborder flights. Those gates may be used for domestic, international, or US flights.
Construction is under way on the ramp between the B and C piers, limiting use of certain gates.
Gate Allocation & Layout - Impact on Passengers
YYC is an extremely poorly designed airport, especially the new international wing that was opened several years ago, and is not a great airport to fly through at the best of times. However, many design flaws are compounded by the current situation.
The current dispersal of flights around the airport frequently requires long walks. Approximate distances from the C security checkpoint to:
- D70 (base of D pier) 300m
- D76 (south end of D pier) 500m
- D80 500m
- D97 (east end of D pier) 800m
- WS lounge (base of B pier) 150m
- B39 (end of B pier) 350m
- A20 (end of A pier) 600m
There are moving walkways that cover part of the distance from the base of the C pier to the bases of the B and D piers, and from the base of the B pier to the base of the A pier, but a fair amount of walking is still required as the walkways only cover a portion of the distance, and there are no moving walkways within the piers themselves.
There are several elevation changes that may be unpleasant for those with mobility issues, including an uphill ramp moving from the C pier to the D pier (just before gate 70), and a long uphill ramp (about 2 stories of vertical movement) moving from the area around gates 80-83 to 84+ (obviously these ramps are downhill in the opposing directions). Many of the ramps around YYC lack customary handrails and flat rest areas as the airport was/is exempt from building codes.
LINK Shuttle
Unlike most major airports that have some sort of train system to shuttle passengers around the airport, YYC relies on oversized golf carts, which the airport authority refers to as the LINK shuttle (some in the AC forum derogatorily refer to these as "meep meeps" since they look like something out of a cartoon).
Also note that the shuttle only runs to the start of the D pier, before gate 70. Therefore up to ~500m of walking could be required to reach one's gate.
Current Situation - Check-In
AC and WS domestic check-in are at their usual locations at C and A respectively.
Flair and Air North are at door 8 (next to AC, between B and C).
Flights to the US (all airlines) - check-in desks in usual locations at E.
International flights are at the D area, including AC and WS
Current Situation - Security
Hours for checkpoints can be found here.
Priority security:
- A checkpoint: ???
- B checkpoint: 1 line for Verified Traveller + families
- C, D, and E checkpoints: 1 line for Verified Traveller, 1 line for families + airline priority (business class, status, etc)
At YYC, only the Verified Traveller lane at the C checkpoint offers expedited screening. The other VT lanes simply get one to the front of the line quicker.
Those looking to avoid body scanners may wish to use the B checkpoint, where there are none.
Connections
As a result of the issues described above, connecting through YYC can be a nightmare at the moment. Some domestic connections require moving from a gate at the end of the A pier to the east end of the D pier, e.g. A20 to D95, which involves around 1.5 km of distance. Many connections will require lengthy walks. Please plan accordingly.
Sterile transit (i.e. International to International, or ITI, connections without clearing Canadian immigration/customs) is not available, since there is no longer a segregated international departures area. It is unknown when, if ever, this will return. All connections therefore require entering Canada.
ITD OSS, a.k.a. One-Stop Security, which allows passengers to connect from an international flight to a domestic one without re-clearing security, is available. Passengers must be travelling on a single ticket and should be eligible if they are coming from the US or Europe. From Mexico or the Caribbean, it’s less clear. Note that OSS requires both an eligible origin and eligible airline combination - WS to WS and AC to AC are fine. KL to WS is eligible. But KL to AC, for instance, is not eligible.
Connecting to the US always requires re-clearing security at the E gates, regardless of where you're coming from. US security is located before the CBP area.
When Will Things Get Better?
Probably never, given the incompetence of the airport authority.
Despite the A gates in use, there doesn't actually appear to be any immediate desire to eliminate the use of the D gates for domestic flights. On November 1, 2021, the useless airport authority actually published a video highlighting the use of the D gates for domestic flights, and modifications to the international terminal to create a specific exit pathway for domestic passengers back to the A, B, C gates, among other changes.
Lounges
The following lounges exist at YYC. You should consult your airline for further details on access, but a rough summary follows:
- Accessible to customers on domestic or international flights:
- Air Canada Maple Leaf Lounge: base of C pier
- WestJet Elevation lounge: base of B pier
- Aspire (formerly international) lounge: D gates, entrance near D80
- Accessible to customers on transborder flights ONLY:
- Aspire TB lounge: E gates, do a 180 to the left after coming out of duty-free
Customers connecting from a domestic flight to a transborder one are physically able to access one of the domestic/international lounges, but beware that getting to your flight requires re-clearing security and going through US customs. TB passengers originating at YYC may be able to access the domestic/international area before their flight, but are at the whim of CATSA. Before COVID, this was generally not a problem, but since COVID, CATSA may have adopted a different policy. YMMV.
Flying through YYC (security, connections, customs, etc) Sep 2021 onwards
Jun 16, 2022, 8:30 am
#64
Join Date: Jan 2014
Location: YYC
Programs: A3, AC
Posts: 140
Does anyone know what the INTL-DOM connection process is like in YYC? Basically looking to drop the last leg of my ticket since it originated from YVR. Do I need to ask to have my bags short-checked to YYC? Or do you have to collect bags for CBSA regardless?
Jun 16, 2022, 5:32 pm
#65
Join Date: Jul 2003
Location: Atlanta
Posts: 5,174
Airlines will typically not short-check bags and sometimes (especially with AC) your bags go right through to your final destination. If you are going to skip a leg do not check any luggage.
Jun 20, 2022, 4:24 pm
#66
Join Date: Nov 2021
Posts: 126
It depends on the airline:
- If you are coming in on KLM and continuing on Westjet, your baggage will continue automatically. But if you're continuing on AC you need to collect your bags and re-check.
- Likewise, If you are coming in on United and continuing on AC, your baggage will continue automatically.
It depends on the airlines and agreement. YYC is certainly capable of having your bags continue without having to collect and recheck, but depending on the airlines involved in your itinerary, might not actually. It's oddly subjective.
Last edited by NewbieRunner; Jun 22, 2022 at 3:50 am Reason: Merge consecutive posts by same member. Please use multi-quote.
Jul 5, 2022, 10:33 pm
#68
Join Date: Mar 2013
Programs: AC, DL, AS
Posts: 39
Canada-USA connection process
I can’t seem to find the info online…westjet domestic, long overnight layover, flight to the US the next day. Will I have to retrieve my checked bags in Calgary where I’m connecting or is it all checked through? Which if the latter, therefore implies I should be prepared with overnight stuff right?
Jul 6, 2022, 1:28 pm
#69
Join Date: May 2006
Posts: 980
I can’t seem to find the info online…westjet domestic, long overnight layover, flight to the US the next day. Will I have to retrieve my checked bags in Calgary where I’m connecting or is it all checked through? Which if the latter, therefore implies I should be prepared with overnight stuff right?
Jul 22, 2022, 3:15 pm
#71
Join Date: Jul 2021
Programs: AP AS BA
Posts: 363
Aspire lounge in Int'l terminal
Now that travelers can freely roam between A/B/C and D, has anyone tried to access the Aspire lounge in D (international) while travelling domestically? Do the lounge dragons in Aspire demand to see an international boarding pass?
Jul 25, 2022, 9:41 am
#72
Join Date: Jul 2022
Posts: 2
Flying YXE-YYC-MCO. My understanding is that we WILL have to re-clear security at YYC and of course US Customs. Our connection time is 1 hour 45, but flights are looking unreliable so there is every chance that could shrink. What's the minimum time that would be needed?
Jul 27, 2022, 1:41 pm
#73
Moderator, Air Canada; FlyerTalk Evangelist
Original Poster
Join Date: Feb 2015
Location: YYC
Programs: AC SE MM, FB Plat, WS Plat, BA Silver, DL GM, Marriott Plat, Hilton Gold, Accor Silver
Posts: 16,741
Domestic/international is irrelevant.
Our connection time is 1 hour 45, but flights are looking unreliable so there is every chance that could shrink. What's the minimum time that would be needed?
If it's day of travel you're worried about, it depends on a bunch of factors. If there's no line at security and immigration, you're sitting at the front of the plane from YXE, you have no checked bags, WS is looking out for you, and you get a convenient gate, it's physically doable in 15 minutes even without running.
If you're checking bags, you run the risk of getting stuck in bag jail. If there's a line at CATSA and/or CBP and you don't have NEXUS/GE, that's potentially trouble. If your YXE flight parks at A15, that's problematic. And so on.
But as a starting point, 1:45 is quite a bit of time. The airlines are also often holding planes for connecting pax these days. So I wouldn't worry too much about it.
If you tend to worry and want to reduce your stress, to the extent you can, sit close to the front, don't check bags, make sure you're prepared to run across the airport if need be (right footwear, carry-ons, etc).
Jul 28, 2022, 2:27 pm
#74
Join Date: Feb 2009
Location: YYC
Posts: 495
CATSA waiting times info
On CATSA's waiting times page for YYC, https://www.catsa-acsta.gc.ca/en/air...tional-airport, they list the A checkpoint as "DTB - Concourse A".
Anyone know the meaning of "DTB" here? I'm wondering if there's something special about the A checkpoint that I should avoid, or if it's just meaningless CATSA gibberish.
Anyone know the meaning of "DTB" here? I'm wondering if there's something special about the A checkpoint that I should avoid, or if it's just meaningless CATSA gibberish.
Jul 31, 2022, 9:33 pm
#75
Join Date: Jul 2001
Location: SW Michigan, ex SF Bay Area
Posts: 831
On CATSA's waiting times page for YYC, https://www.catsa-acsta.gc.ca/en/air...tional-airport, they list the A checkpoint as "DTB - Concourse A".
Anyone know the meaning of "DTB" here? I'm wondering if there's something special about the A checkpoint that I should avoid, or if it's just meaningless CATSA gibberish.
Anyone know the meaning of "DTB" here? I'm wondering if there's something special about the A checkpoint that I should avoid, or if it's just meaningless CATSA gibberish.
Source: a search for "DTB" on yyc.com