What's with all the apologists that YYZ is "under construction" and will be great a few years from now? The point is, it sucks NOW. When they planned their construction the current system is the best they could come up with?

Using this reasoning I guess I should compliment the idiots at YHZ for upgrading the runway facilities during the busiest travel period. Sure, your flight might get cancelled this summer, buy just wait 'til we have state of the art capabilities when we're done next year. Be patient.

The last time I checked there were no cancelled or delayed flights leaving YYZ during the busiest time of the year. It might not be as efficient as you like in YYZ but at least our planes can land and take off.

Maybe it's just a tourist ploy by YHZ to keep people in the area longer.

Or out ...

Is this expected to keep up all summer long? I am planning on being in YHZ the end of July and have some people joining me for some Nadal day festivities. Will we all get there? or should we plan on a different local?

-The post-security shuttles direct to IFT or T1 for connecting passenegrs is on the ARRIVALS (lower) level. As you exit teh CONNECTIONS door, you walk straight ahead, following the flashing green light. No u-turn required. One can, however, still board the T1 Shuttle at either stop on the DEPARTURES (upper) level, clear security there, and the shuttle to the IFT if necessary.
On arriving at any public spot, do you have to be advised to check for signage both ahead & behind you? No different then crossing a street, look both left & right. As they say on the plane, "..bear in mind the nearest exit may be behind you."



-There is definitely a message on the electronic sign that one must pass under on the way to the baggage carousels. And since it actually depends on your bags being tagged accordingly, the point of best information is wherever you have your bag(s) tagged to begin with. To be sure, ask - they're YOUR BAGS! Make sure you know how what's happening to them.

What signs ARE you in fact reading??

From what I read in the paper on the weekend, I understand they will have an ILS back in service within a couple of weeks. Should be ok by Natal Day, then.

You can monitor their advisories on the website: http://www.hiaa.ca/

Well, in my recent travels I found LIN and MXP to be pretty good. Not the best I've been through but pretty good non-the-less.

YYZ is certainly not the worst, much better than LHR, IAD and JFK. Now if only AC and the Canada Immigration service could better co-ordinate arriving connecting pax (as per YUL) my major gripe will be solved.

Thanks for the info.

On the last 2 occasions I did this (Dec. '04 and Feb. '05) there was definitely no sign or message advising passengers from the US, connecting to international destinations, that they don't need to claim their bags. Believe me, I looked for one, as I hadn't connected that way before. In fact, on both occasions, there was no announcement made in flight prior to arrival about the connection procedures, either.

To top it off, after I asked inside the customs area where my bags were, and after being told that they would go on to the international flight automatically, the agent checking documents right after the exit asked me where I was going (LHR), and whether I didn't have any checked luggage as I was supposed to claim and re-check it. I clarified with her that I was going to England (not London, ON), but she insisted I forgot to claim my luggage, and that my bags would just stay at YYZ customs. I had to walk to the re-claim counter to get another AC agent to convince the first agent that I did the right thing, and that I indeed did not have to claim and re-check my bags. Of course, they then failed to direct me to the "flashing light" (no clear signage for that, either) and instead I wandered upstairs to the regular inter-terminal bus to T1.

I think it says it all about the connection procedures at YYZ when the agents checking the documents of connecting passengers at the exit of the US arrivals area themselves don't know the procedures. And they're supposed to help passengers that are lost!

With apologies for taking this back off-topic for a second, DanJ posted on this thread that the Daily is reporting the YHZ ILS will be back up in a week: http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/showt...=448962&page=5

Now back to the bun-fight over YYZ ...

-I don't know how you can be "definite" of the lack of signs rather than "definite" that you didn't notice them. Did it twice in last 30 days, it's posted, and I can recall seeing the message regularly on the signboard along the ceiling at least since T1 opened over a year ago, along the ceiling to the left of the U.S baggage carousels in T2. In fact, it's quite noticeable to those who read signs because of the way the sentence is split due to the spacing.

-That indeed sucks, but I would still take the word of whoever you talked with in the customs area & the airline agent over the GTAA (Airport Authority) agent. If your bagtags include the international connecton flight, there has been no change to this procedure for at least 5 years.

-The "flashing light" option and signage didn't exist in Feb. 2005, so they failed at nothing and you wandered correctly for that time and place. Do you remember if 6 or 8 months ago you noticed signs (correctly) directing you upstairs for the shuttle, or did you change floors just for the heck of it? There's no valid complaint here, you accidentally did the right thing! If you were to do this now, note that they have flashing lights along the ceiling to get your attention all along the walk right from the CUSTOMS connection exit to the security door itself at the end of the hall.

My particular favourite part of the YYZ experience these days is the signage on the buses that go to the International departures area from T1. I don't have the exact wording, but it's something like: 'Please be patient with us in this time of interim bussing.' Could they have picked a more idiotic way of phrasing this?

In Dec. '04 I'm certain there were no signs, scrolling messages, etc. to that effect, as I spent a good 10 minutes walking around the baggage claim area, reading each and every sign and message that was there before asking. That's as definite as I can be. I did not check as carefully in Feb. '05, as I knew the procedure this time, but can't recall seeing one, either (and I'm usually someonme to read all the signs and instructions). If there is a message now, I'm glad they're finally imroving the signage.

In Feb. '05 I did use the security screening at the far end of T2 with a direct bus from there to the Infield terminal, so it existed. At that time I was directed to this door by the agent at the US customs exit. The incident I described occurred in Dec. '04, my first transit through YYZ; based on my experience in Feb.'05 I now assumed that the "flashing light" option had existed in Dec.'04, as well. I do remember seeing signs pointing upstairs for the inter-terminal shuttle bus.

By the way, later this year I will travel FRA-YYZ-BOG on AC. How is the procedure at T1 for international - international connections? Any sign in T1 customs? Last time I was there I didn't notice one.

With your comments on this thread you ought to get a PR job with both GTAA and AC - you'll fit right in with their culture.

Maybe you should re-read my post. My point was that suffering now for future enhancements is not a way to run an airport, in YYZ, YHZ, or wherever.

And by the way, YYZ sucks.