changing planes in Toronto

[newfiegirl]

we only have 1 hour and 10 minutes to change planes and go through customs in toronto...we will be very tight on time so are there any hints or suggestions that you can give us on saving time? we are traveling from st johns and going into orlando.

 

[Disney Daniel]

What time of day will you be traveling through Pearson? That will make a big difference as 7 am on a Monday morning will be much busier than later in the day. Regardless of your airline you will have to claim your bags prior to clearing customs, followed by dropping your bags back on the belt and passing through the security check point again after customs so the faster you can get to the belt and grab your bags the better off you will be.

If your flight is running late and time is getting short, feel free to check with one of the attendants looking after the customs line-up as they may be willing to put you ahead of others if they feel you will miss your flight by standing in the regular line (and be sure to tell them you are a connecting passenger so they are aware that you didn't just show up late to the airport and expect special treatment). The line in Toronto can be quite daunting, much more so than Halifax, Montreal etc. in my experience so don't be afraid to ask if you think you may be too short on time.

 

[ccudmore]

What airline are you flying? At makes a difference since terminal 3 is smaller than terminal 1. Watch the appropriate walk- through video at http://www.airportwayfinder.com/wayfinders/yyz/. It gives you a step by step set of instructions for connecting at both terminals.

From experience, the airlines will often hold a flight for a few minutes if they know you're in the terminal and on your way.

On you inbound flight try to get seats as close to the front of the plane as possible so you're off the plane faster. Also ask the flight attendant to radio ahead to get the gate number in Toronto and check where you need to go on the map in the magazine on the back of seat. This will save you time having to find your flight on the departures board. Also if youre running late tell the flight attendant. They will sometimes tell the airline and they'll hold the flight or have a cart waiting for you to help you get through the terminal faster.

Finally at customs or security, if youre running late, let a supervisor know and they'll bump you to the front of a line - especially if you have kids.