Recommended Airport Drop-Off Times for Departures

At Global Alliance, we believe strongly in making the extra effort to ensure that our clients’ needs are met and that inconveniences are minimized, if not eliminated completely. For this reason, although we are glad to book a reservation at whatever time our clients ask for, we do have a set of recommended airport arrival times that we suggest for departure transfers at both of Toronto’s airports.

Actual pick-up times vary widely, based on distance and travel time to the airport as well as on expected traffic volume. Our reservationists and dispatchers are trained to take these factors into account when suggesting appropriate pick-up times, and not only for airport departure transfers. However, we do utilize particular guidelines to calculate the amount of time before a flight departure time that our vehicle should be expected to drop the passenger off at the terminal. This suggested time leaves the passenger plenty of time to check in and clear customs and security with a minimal amount of stress.

At both Pearson International Airport and Billy Bishop Toronto City Centre Airport, distinctions are made between domestic and international flights when considering the time a passenger needs to arrive at the terminal for their departing flight. For domestic flights (inside Canada), we suggest being at Pearson one hour before scheduled departure time. For departures to the United States, an hour and a half before the flight is the recommended time to arrive at Pearson. For international departures (outside of Canada or the U.S.), we suggest being dropped off approximately two hours before scheduled flight departure time. These times can be halved or more if passengers are travelling without checked luggage or have a Nexus pass for out-of-country travel, so be sure to mention this when reserving and the pickup time can be adjusted accordingly.

In the case of the Billy Bishop Toronto City Centre Airport, less lead time is required when deciding when to arrive at the airport site. Thirty minutes prior to departure time is usually sufficient for flights leaving the Island Airport for Canadian destinations, while one hour before flight time allows for security clearance for flights to American destinations. It’s important, however, to keep the ferry schedule in mind in the case of YTZ. Missing the ferry departure can cost fifteen minutes while waiting for it to return for another load of vehicles and pedestrians, so it is a prudent practice to add that quarter-hour buffer to pickup times.

By following these guidelines while also allowing for flexibility in determining appropriate pickup times, your Global Alliance reservations and dispatch agents endeavour to reduce the worry and the anxiety of our clients’ airport departures.

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