Got a flight coming up? If you'll be flying from Toronto Pearson Airport over the holidays, you'll want to be prepared for a busy travel season.
This season has been predicted to be one of the busiest ever for air travel, with Pearson Airport having said that it's expecting a 10 percent increase in passenger traffic.
I recently flew from YYZ to New York, and in hindsight, there are things I wish I had done to better prepare for my trip.
If you're flying from the Toronto airport over the next few weeks, learn from my mistakes — here are eight tips to keep in mind for a smooth, stress-free travel experience.
Know which terminal you’re leaving from
Pearson is the largest and busiest airport in Canada, so to save you time and hassle, make sure you know where you're going before you head out.
Pearson has two terminals that your airline could be departing from — Terminal 1 and Terminal 3 (confusingly, there's no Terminal 2).
The problem is, since Pearson is such a large airport, if you find yourself at the wrong terminal, it could take you a while to get where you need to be.
In fact, you'd either have to drive to the correct terminal or take the Terminal Link (the train between terminals) to get there, which could be a problem if you're already short on time.
To make sure you don't run into this issue, double-check the terminal your flight is departing from. You can find this info in your flight itinerary, as well as by inputting your flight details on the Toronto Pearson website.
Download the app for your airline to save time at the airport
For my trip, I downloaded the American Airlines app, which was super helpful to have for departing from Pearson and coming back home.
You can find the details of your flight in the app, and use it to view your flight's status, check-in, and even track bags.
It was really helpful to quickly be able to check that my flight was on time, which gate it was departing from, and what the boarding time was.
In the air, I was able to use the app to access onboard Wi-Fi and free entertainment.
Check in early
Checking in early for a flight has lots of benefits that travellers may not be aware of, and can be especially helpful during a busy travel period.
For one thing, if you're late to the airport, you risk not being able to check in for your flight upon arrival as some airlines have restrictions on how long before departure you can check in for your flight.
For example, American Airlines doesn't let you check into a flight if you arrive within 90 minutes of takeoff for an international flight.
Instead of having to worry about not making the check-in cut-off, you can check in online or with your airline's app, which in this case opened check-in 24 hours before departure.
Checking in early can also get you first pick of seat selection, as well as affect your boarding group number. And while when you can board the plane may not sound like an issue, being the last to board means the chances increase that cabin crew will make you gate-check your carry-on bag as the bins get filled by those who boarded ahead of you (which was the case for my flight).
Be prepared to check your bags
You may be thinking that you'll just bring a carry-on bag to avoid having to check baggage and go through baggage claim. Think again.
With the holidays known for being a busy travel period, you'll want to be prepared to have to check your carry-on bag due to limited space in overhead cabins, which was my situation at Pearson when flying with American Airlines.
Unfortunately, an airline losing your luggage is a real possibility. Thankfully, American Airlines delivered my luggage to my destination flawlessly. But just in case, you may want to keep valuables like jewelry in your personal item, or be prepared to move them, should you need to check your bag.
To ensure you get access to the overhead cabins on smaller aircraft, it may be worth purchasing priority boarding or making sure you check in as early as possible.
Pack an AirTag
On the same note, you can get some peace of mind by packing an AirTag in your luggage. Using an AirTag allows you to track your luggage and easily locate it, should it go missing.
Thankfully, American Airlines was great in providing updated info on checked baggage in their app. But if you're someone who worries about an airline losing your luggage, an AirTag may be good to have.
Personally, I'll never travel without one again.
Wear comfortable, low maintenance clothing
There are different schools of thought on how to dress for the airport — some may dress super casual, and others might wear something a little nicer.
Whatever you wear though, you'll want to make sure it's not going to make your experience going through security any harder. For example, depending on where you're going, you may be asked to take off your shoes at security. So wearing lace-up boots or sandals wouldn't be ideal. Instead, wear something you can easily slip on and off and always remember a pair of socks.
You'll likely also be required to remove coats, scarves and bulky clothing items before you can go through security screening. To simplify this process, consider packing those items or limiting the number that you wear (maybe don't go for a vest, coat and a scarf) and wearing something more close-fitting.
Comfortable clothing is also the best choice for a long flight — who wants to spend eight hours sitting on plane in skinny jeans?
Book a lounge
I didn't end up booking time in a lounge during my visit to Pearson Airport, and I regret it. I had enough time to kill before my flight that it would have been nice to take advantage of some of the amenities the airport offers.
Learn from my mistake and check out the many lounges at Pearson Airport that you can use before your flight. Depending on the airline you're travelling with, you may be able to get lounge access just with your ticket.
For example, American Airlines' Admirals Club offers complimentary snacks, drinks, shower suites and more, and can be accessed by travellers flying in first and business class on some flights. You can also purchase a one-day pass to access the lounge.
You can also book one of the Plaza Premium lounges, which are available for all passengers to use, regardless of airline or ticket class, for $66.
Use Mobile Passport Control
If you're travelling to the U.S., definitely consider downloading the Mobile Passport Control app to streamline your experience at the airport.
I didn't use MPC for my trip, and while it worked out OK for me, in the future I would definitely use the app to save some time.
The app allows you to digitally submit your information if you're travelling to the U.S., and is free to download.
If you're departing to the United States from Pearson, download the app and create a profile with your passport information, name, gender, date of birth and country of citizenship.
Once you're at the airport, you'll want to select the airport and terminal from a list and take a self-photo and answer a series of Customs and Border Patrol inspection questions in the app.
After doing this, you'll receive an electronic receipt with an encrypted QR code. You can then bring your passport and mobile device with your digital QR-coded receipt to a Customs and Border Patrol officer before your departure. You'll have access to a separate line, which can help to speed up the process of going through customs.
The app is also useful if you’re travelling with your family, as it allows for a single household to submit one transaction, and eliminates the need for filling out a declaration form.
Bon voyage!
Before you get going, check out our Responsible Travel Guide so you can be informed, be safe, be smart, and most of all, be respectful on your adventure.
8 Lessons I Learned About Holiday Travel After Flying Through Pearson Airport In December
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