Bokehman

We’re doing carry on only. Thx for the info.

keha

has anyone used the "YYZ Express" service yet where you can book an appointment time to clear security for certain flights? It looks like I have it available for my flight from YYZ>YVR (AC105) which departs at 9am, and they have slots available super early, but also as late as 7:45am.

Just wondering if anyone has actually used it and whether or not it was a breeze. Hoping I'd be able to book the appointment for 7:45am and arrive at the airport at that time, rather than arriving super early and going through the normal lineup for security check.

bocastephen

How does this work if you're late because of a delay at the check-in counter, or waiting for a wheelchair, etc?

keha

FAQ on the site says they have a 15min grace period before and after reservation time. If you miss, you go to the normal lines.

https://www.torontopearson.com/en/de...es/yyz-express

bocastephen

Apparently not available for USA departures (which makes no sense), or for T3 flights in the morning (which also makes no sense) - so bottom line, yet another GTAA Act of Stupidity keeping their long tradition alive.

laner

T1 domestic was chaos this morning just after 07:00. I have never seen the nexus line so long, it was back around the corner well past the exit from AC priority check-in. Not sure if this has anything to do with the YYZ Express thing (are those people being funneled into the nexus lane)? The non-nexus priority lane was quite a bit shorter, but it was still about a 15 min wait.

keha

An update for anyone who plans on using YYZ Express. We had booked 7:45am as our time slot, but were late since we arrived around 8:15pm. When we got to the security checkpoint, all they cared about was that you had the QR code and once you show them, they directed you towards the priority line. It’s the same line that you would go to if you had priority security - at least that was the case when we were there. So in essence, it’s not an actual appointment time, but just gives you a chance to go through the priority security line.

Bokehman

A bit late responding …

For our YYZ-FLL trip on Dec. 3rd, we arrived at NEXUS T1 at 4a. There were about 10 passengers ahead of us. Opened promptly at 4:15a. Security took about 5 minutes after that. The camera kiosks at customs were a gong show, with some out of service, and no clear (to me, anyway) instructions on how to position the camera. We were pushing the up/down arrows, when you actually have to physically move the camera. We were through security and customs in about 20 minutes.

The one new thing to us (this is our first international flight since COVID) is the passport check. The gate agent (AC) came on the PA and said any passenger who printed their boarding pass at home had to come to the desk and have their passport checked. Both my GF and I checked in at a kiosk to print our boarding passes. It didn’t seem to like our NEXUS cards, so we scanned our passports to get our boarding passes. At the gate, they called my GF to check her passport. They did not call me. Same thing on the flight back from FLL, which created a huge queue. We also did a kiosk check-in, and scanned our passports. I asked a gate agent that was passing by if we needed to get ours checked. She said if we used a kiosk, then no, and that we could also use our NEXUS cards. When we boarded, I handed over my NEXUS card, which didn’t work, at which point she asked me for my passport. She said “The system sometimes doesn’t like the NEXUS cards.” Um. What?

Arriving at YYZ, our cards didn’t work at the scanner, and we were directed to another kiosk to have new photos taken. I’m assuming this is the replacement for the eye scan. The first kiosk was glitchy, and after three attemots, we had to switch to another. I’m not sure we saved a whole lot of time from the regular line.

Getting back to the gate passport check … is this new? And why do NEXUS users have to do it?

bocastephen

The gate passport check at YYZ? This stupidity has been going on for years and is courtesy of the morons who operate the airport the Canadian department of transportation. Basically they are afraid that after going through US immigration and entering the transborder sterile area, you may morph into a totally new person before showing up at the gate so they need to make sure that didn't happen

Bokehman

Funny, yet also sad.

emcampbe

No, not new at all. And not just at YYZ. Passport check at the gate (some agents will accept Nexus card, others won’t) is transportation regulations for any flight to or from Canada - from any country.

It’s pretty old - this has been a requirement as part of the changes after 9/11. Note many other jurisdictions don’t require it, but many airlines to do it anyway to protect themselves (if they carry a pax to international destination and they don’t have proper entry docs - airline will be forced to return pax home on their next flight and can get fined - they obviously want to make sure there is little risk of that happening).

bocastephen

The difference here is you’ve already passed through pre clearance and thus a logical person would agree that you’ve had your documents checked by US immigration otherwise you wouldn’t be at the gate in the first place. Only the idiots running Canada’s DOT see otherwise.

Davvidd

A bit more complicated than that. This is to see if the person that is present at the Gate is the same person and the boarding card and the Government issued ID has the same name. It has got nothing to do with Nexus or US Immigrations.

cdnusa

I can get through customs with just my green card since no passport is required for LPRs, however the gate insists on me showing my passport and not green card, nexus, or drivers license.

MillennialMiles

You dont need to show your passport to board a US flight in Canada. NEXUS card is suffice.