Getting picked up at Toronto Pearson: a step-by-step guide

Toronto Pearson (YYZ) is Canada's busiest airport, with 2 passenger terminals: Terminal 1 and Terminal 3. Getting from the gate to your car is simple once you know the order of things. This guide covers each step, from what to send us before you fly to what to do if your plans change on the day.

Before you fly: what to send us

A good pickup starts with a complete request. Send it as soon as your flight is booked. You can book up to 12 months ahead. For a pickup in the next 2 hours, calling is faster: 416-555-0142.

Include these details:

• Flight number. The airline code and number, like AC 857. It's the most useful line on the request, and the timing section below explains why.
• Landing date and time. Your scheduled landing, in Toronto time.
• Passengers and bags. Count the suitcases and carry-ons that go in the trunk. List golf bags, sample cases or other large items in your notes.
• Drop-off address. A hotel, office or home. Add any extra stops in your notes.
• Passenger details. Booking for a colleague or guest? Choose "I'm booking for someone else" and add their name and mobile. Both go on the trip sheet for the chauffeur on the day.

The bag count matters because we match the vehicle to the luggage, not only to the number of people. A group of 3 with 2 large cases each needs more room than a sedan's trunk offers.

Check the mobile number carefully. It should belong to a phone the traveller will switch on after landing, with roaming turned on if their plan is from outside Canada. International numbers are fine.

After you send the request, a dispatcher reads it and calls you with a quote. Nothing is booked or charged until you accept it on the call, and there is no online payment. Your confirmation email and trip sheet follow, with a reference that looks like NC-7K4Q2M. Keep it handy. It's the quickest way for us to find your booking if anything changes.

After landing at Terminal 1

Terminal 1 is Air Canada's base at Pearson, shared with its Star Alliance partners. It's the larger of the 2 terminals, and some gates are a long walk from the arrivals hall.

What happens after you leave the plane depends on where you flew from.

• From another Canadian city. There's no customs. Follow the signs to baggage claim, collect any checked bags and walk out to the arrivals level.
• From the United States or overseas. Follow the signs for arrivals and customs. You go through primary inspection first, then collect your bags from the carousel, then pass a final checkpoint into the public arrivals hall.

Keep your phone on once you're off the plane. The mobile on the trip sheet is the number your chauffeur has on the day, and it's how dispatch reaches you if we need to.

Travelling with colleagues? Agree to regroup in the arrivals hall, after customs. People clear primary inspection at different speeds, and the car can't leave until everyone is there.

After landing at Terminal 3

Terminal 3 serves WestJet and many international airlines. The steps after landing follow the same order as Terminal 1. Passengers on domestic flights go straight to baggage claim. Passengers from the United States or overseas pass primary inspection first, then collect their bags.

Check 2 details before you land.

The terminal on your ticket. Airlines change terminals from time to time. Check your boarding pass or airline app rather than relying on your last trip. On a codeshare flight, the operating airline decides the terminal, and it may not be the airline you booked with.

Switching terminals. If you didn't give us a flight number, or your airline moves you to the other terminal, message us before you walk anywhere. We'll confirm a new meeting point with you. If you do need to cross, the Terminal Link train runs between Terminal 1 and Terminal 3 and is free to ride.

The same rule applies at both terminals. Once you're through, head to the meeting point we agreed on the call and stay there.

Customs and baggage: how timing works

The arrival time on your ticket is when the plane is due at the gate. It isn't when you'll reach the car. Between those 2 moments come the walk from the gate, customs if you're arriving from outside Canada and baggage claim if you checked a bag.

As a planning guide, allow about:

• 15 to 20 minutes from gate to arrivals hall for a domestic flight with carry-on bags only
• 25 to 40 minutes for a domestic flight with checked bags
• 45 to 75 minutes for an international flight with checked bags, and longer when several large international flights land close together

Why the flight number matters. Give us your flight number and we plan the pickup around the time your flight actually lands, not the time printed on your ticket. If it lands early or late, you don't need to call us. Without a flight number, we can only work from the landing time on your request, and a delay means a call or message from you.

Tell us how you're travelling. Checked bags, a flight from outside Canada and a passenger who needs help with mobility all add time before you reach arrivals. Mention them when we call and we'll plan the pickup around them.

Save time at customs. Pearson accepts Advance CBSA Declaration. You can send your customs declaration through the ArriveCAN app or website up to 72 hours before you land. NEXUS members have their own lanes at customs.

Finding your chauffeur

Your meeting point is confirmed on the call. It depends on your terminal and on whether you come through domestic or international arrivals. We set it for your flight rather than using the same spot for every trip.

A few habits make the meeting quick:

• Keep the details close. Save the meeting point and your reference in your phone before you fly. You don't want to search your inbox while holding a bag.
• Stay at the meeting point. Don't walk out to the curb or join the taxi line to look for the car. The agreed spot is where your chauffeur expects to find you.
• Check before you get in. Your chauffeur has your name and your drop-off address. Confirm both before your bags go in the trunk.
• Can't see your chauffeur? Call dispatch at 416-555-0142 or send a WhatsApp message with your reference. We'll help you find each other.

Booking for someone else? Pass these details on before they fly: the meeting point, the reference and the dispatch number. Ask them to save 416-555-0142 in their contacts so they can reach us quickly on the day.

If something changes

Most changes take a single message. Call or WhatsApp with your reference and tell us what's different.

• Your flight is early or late. Nothing to do. If you gave us the flight number, we plan around the actual landing.
• You're on a different flight. A missed connection, a rebooking or a diversion means a new flight number. Send it to us as soon as you have it.
• You're held up after landing. Reporting a missing bag, or taking longer at customs? Message us so we know you're still inside.
• The trip itself changes. A new drop-off address, an extra passenger or more bags. Tell us and we'll confirm the change with you, including the vehicle if the group grows.
• You need to cancel. Call or WhatsApp with your reference. The details are in Terms and cancellation.

If the pickup is in the next 2 hours, calling is faster: 416-555-0142.

Flying into Pearson soon? Send the trip with your flight number, and a dispatcher will call you with your quote.