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 Please note that most YYC gate maps that you will find online are out of date.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
Aug 29, 2022, 8:39 pm
#91
Join Date: Jun 2016
Posts: 2,257
Only a couple places do. YVR and YYZ TB may be the only ones.
If you were flying non-stop to the US, you would have had to take off your shoes. If you were flying domestically, you would have only had to take them off if they were very large boots or set off the metal detector the first time through, that kind of thing.
If you were flying non-stop to the US, you would have had to take off your shoes. If you were flying domestically, you would have only had to take them off if they were very large boots or set off the metal detector the first time through, that kind of thing.
yes. I was flying to US back then.
i see. it is so inconsistent across airports
Aug 30, 2022, 2:09 am
#92
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: 16,774
At YYC, you should expect:
- Laptop and any large tablets come out
- Liquids come out
- Jackets, sweaters, etc come off
- Shoes stay on, unless you're going through security in the TB area, in which case they come off
And that's essentially the same as you'll get everywhere else in the country, whether in a NEXUS lane or not.
Aug 30, 2022, 5:16 pm
#93
Join Date: Jun 2016
Posts: 2,257
No, NEXUS is pretty consistently just a quicker ticket to the front of the line. There are those one or two exceptions at the two largest airports in the country, but it's a far more consistent experience than PreCheck often has been in the US, with some places just getting you to the front of the line but no special screening, others getting you PreCheck Light, others full PreCheck as long as you have the right little paper or card that they handed you when they checked your ID...
At YYC, you should expect:
And that's essentially the same as you'll get everywhere else in the country, whether in a NEXUS lane or not.
At YYC, you should expect:
- Laptop and any large tablets come out
- Liquids come out
- Jackets, sweaters, etc come off
- Shoes stay on, unless you're going through security in the TB area, in which case they come off
And that's essentially the same as you'll get everywhere else in the country, whether in a NEXUS lane or not.
out of them, 5% of the time I was given a card. that only happens in airports where there are no dedicated precheck lane. so that they can tell the regular passengers vs precheck passengers. example: some regional airports.
at airports where precheck has no impact, it is more like an airstrip. so no building, no metal detector. hop from car onto tarmac and climb up plane stairs of commercial airliner. example: rural alaska
if there is any deviation, it is more likely the person doesnt qualify for precheck to begin with. example: a rando being pulled aside for real world trial testing of screening a non-precheck person using precheck rules
Aug 31, 2022, 9:02 pm
#94
Join Date: Oct 2017
Location: BNA
Programs: DL GM, HH Diamond
Posts: 1,027
YVR to YYC
layover in YYC IS 97 minutes
YYC to ATL
Is 97 minutes to clear customs and make the connection enough time?
I assume customs is my only obstacle, or do I have to clear security again for some reason? Never been to YYC.
layover in YYC IS 97 minutes
YYC to ATL
Is 97 minutes to clear customs and make the connection enough time?
I assume customs is my only obstacle, or do I have to clear security again for some reason? Never been to YYC.
Sep 1, 2022, 2:41 pm
#95
Join Date: Jun 2008
Location: YYC, Canada
Programs: AC 35k
Posts: 1,898
It's enough time but you will have to clear security again because domestic security requirements are not the same as required by the US. You will clear US Immigration in YYC.
Sep 7, 2022, 12:50 pm
#96
Join Date: May 2012
Location: YYZ-YYC
Programs: AC50K, OZ*G
Posts: 280
Hopping on a Eurowings Discover flight from YYC to Frankfurt soon, and I noticed that they provide access to the Aspire Lounge. Given the current setup at YYC which is better? Aspire Lounge or the MLL?
Sep 7, 2022, 1:32 pm
#97
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: 16,774
It's likely moot though, since 4Y is not in *A and you're therefore not entitled to access the MLL.
If you have time to kill and Priority Pass, the WestJet lounge is the best lounge at YYC. If not, just go to the Aspire lounge. Also be forewarned that depending on WS's schedule that day, the lounge could be full and PP might not get you in; a friend and I took the 4Y flight a few weeks back and, due to WS having several TATL departures going out around the same time, PP holders were being turned away.
Sep 22, 2022, 2:47 pm
#98
Join Date: Oct 2007
Location: Calgary, Alberta, Canada
Programs: Aeroplan 75K, Bonvoy Titanium
Posts: 1,374
I flew from YYZ to YYC last night, arriving at gate D76. If I have no luggage, is there a way to exit into the new terminal, like an international or US arrival would? Following the exit signs took me all the way back to the C gates exit by the MLL.
Sep 22, 2022, 4:17 pm
#99
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: 16,774
Should be about where I've marked in yellow on his map:
Oct 7, 2022, 6:05 pm
#100
Join Date: Oct 2022
Location: YYC / Calgary
Programs: Star Alliance Gold (through United MileagePlus), DragonPass (through HSBC Jade)
Posts: 6
Has anybody attempted to use the Aspire Lounge (international side) upon arrival from a domestic flight at YYC? I've search a bit here and on the DragonPass/Aspire Lounge websites and came up empty handed. I have Star Alliance Gold, but it's through United (not Air Canada) so it looks like the MLL upon arrival for me is out. Was hoping to find a place to work for 2-3 hours on Tuesday morning upon arrival back in YYC from YYJ.
Oct 8, 2022, 8:29 pm
#101
Join Date: Oct 2015
Posts: 3
YVR to London via YYC - how does security work?
Hello! I'm flying WS from YVR to London Gatwick, changing at YYC. We took the same itinerary here and went through customs/passport check at YYC for the domestic flight to YVR - is it the same returning even though our final destination on the booked flight is international? We didn't have to go through baggage screening/collection when changing to the Vancouver flight if that helps.
We only have a short time to change at Calgary - about 1hr 45 - and I also need to pick up some alcohol for a friend that I was hoping to get at Duty Free, so I'm trying to work out the times and practicalities. Sorry if this is a daft question but I've only ever transited international to international before - and hand luggage was screened when transferring at SVO with anything over 100ml getting confiscated, duty free or not....!)
We only have a short time to change at Calgary - about 1hr 45 - and I also need to pick up some alcohol for a friend that I was hoping to get at Duty Free, so I'm trying to work out the times and practicalities. Sorry if this is a daft question but I've only ever transited international to international before - and hand luggage was screened when transferring at SVO with anything over 100ml getting confiscated, duty free or not....!)
Oct 10, 2022, 5:10 am
#103
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: 16,774
Also, to be clear, no need to go through security again.
There's a duty free store in the D area right after security, but as long as your inbound is reasonably on time, it's worth a walk down to the C pier where there's a liquor store with far better selection and, I presume, better pricing (the pricing there is usually a couple bucks more per item than a typical price at a liquor store out in the city).
There's a duty free store in the D area right after security, but as long as your inbound is reasonably on time, it's worth a walk down to the C pier where there's a liquor store with far better selection and, I presume, better pricing (the pricing there is usually a couple bucks more per item than a typical price at a liquor store out in the city).
Oct 13, 2022, 1:19 am
#104
Join Date: May 2020
Posts: 6
For a route like AMS-YYC-SEA (International to US) and LHR-YYC-YVR (International to domestic), would I have to grab my checked bags and re-check them for the 2nd leg? I recall Vancouver's airport made me do this so wondering if Calgary is the same.
Oct 13, 2022, 5:16 pm
#105
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: 16,774
Provided you've purchased them on one ticket, your bags should be transferred through without you needing to pick them up.