Calgary International Airport - New Terminal, Runway, Control Tower

[Tyler]

I heard YYC is just bleeding money on this project right now. True?

[Ryan Coke]

Originally Posted by getbak

Interesting, Security before US Customs in the new terminal. I wonder if it will move better, or make any difference at all?

I've never flown to the States from any other airport. How do most places do it?

I don't think it makes any difference. I can think of both ways I've seen it done, but honestly never even thought about it until now.

[Ryan Coke]

Originally Posted by Tyler

I heard YYC is just bleeding money on this project right now. True?

I don't know if that is true, but I'm not sure how much they care. They just upped the AIF and would just up it again if they needed to.

They are a great example of the some of the worst byproducts of monopolies. Did I mention I hate the current Airport Authority setups in Canada?

[GGG]

Originally Posted by getbak

Interesting, Security before US Customs in the new terminal. I wonder if it will move better, or make any difference at all?

I've never flown to the States from any other airport. How do most places do it?

I wonder how they will treat checked luggage as any customs I have ever gone through you had to have your luggage with you so they can search it if they want to. Trying to get non carry on luggage through security would be a nightmare.

[Bigtime]

Originally Posted by Tyler

I heard YYC is just bleeding money on this project right now. True?

I attended the YYC AGM a few weeks back, according to the report given there everything is on budget at this point.

[psicodude]

Originally Posted by GGG

I wonder how they will treat checked luggage as any customs I have ever gone through you had to have your luggage with you so they can search it if they want to. Trying to get non carry on luggage through security would be a nightmare.

Toronto has been doing this for a while now. When you walk up to the customs agent, they show you a picture of your luggage on a monitor and you have to verify that it's yours. You never actually touch it though. I assume they search through it somewhere "in the back"?

From the video, it appears that they are going to use the same customs system as Toronto, which is awesome. No more filling out those declaration cards as it's all done on computer now. There is way less talking to a customs agent as only travelers that get flagged need to talk to one. No more 30 minute long lineups to get through customs would be cool.

[Table 5]

Following what Toronto is doing makes me a little scared, ha. That's the one airport I try to avoid at all costs...it always seems way more complicated than it needs to be.

[Tyler]

Did ya'll know that you don't need to fill out a declaration card if you have a Nexus card and are travelling to the US?

Mind=blown

[Barnes]

Originally Posted by getbak

Interesting, Security before US Customs in the new terminal. I wonder if it will move better, or make any difference at all?

I've never flown to the States from any other airport. How do most places do it?

It's strange. Will We have to take checked luggage through security now as well or will you check it at the counter and then be asked to identify your bags from a picture by the customs agent like YVR or YYZ cross border connections?

Edit: NVM, I didn't read far enough...

[JD]

Originally Posted by psicodude

No more 30 minute long lineups to get through customs would be cool.

Yeah it would, but if they're going to emulate Toronto, that's not what will happen!

I just came through Pearson last week and it was a gongshow. First you stand in line for the e-terminals. Some of them work, some don't. The people flagging you through don't seem to know which are which so hopefully they don't direct you to one that doesn't work. Using the terminal itself was pretty easy, but you still had to fill in the declaration card, which you have to feed into the machine. Then you receive a printout and stand in line to show it to an agent. He lets you through (unless you're flagged) and then you stand in another line to show another agent your card and then go down into the baggage claim area. After finding your luggage, you wait in another line to get out of the customs area. It's a brutal, clumsy, time-consuming process. I was in there for over an hour.

[Resolute 14]

Originally Posted by psicodude

From the video, it appears that they are going to use the same customs system as Toronto, which is awesome. No more filling out those declaration cards as it's all done on computer now. There is way less talking to a customs agent as only travelers that get flagged need to talk to one. No more 30 minute long lineups to get through customs would be cool.

Having just gone through YYZ to the US last month, all I can do is laugh at this. If anything, they've found a way to make the computerized process less convenient, more confusing and longer. And everyone still talks to a CBP officer.

[psicodude]

Weird. I have gone through YYZ on route to the US several times and it has been a breeze every time. Maybe I'm just lucky.

[rohara66]

Huge WTF gear grinder post coming up….. airports make my blood boil.

Why do they have the self check-in things if they don’t always work. And if they’re self check-in why are there so many employees wandering helping. Why not just have everyone line up like they used to. It would push everyone through a lot quicker. Not to mention im 50/50 for doing the self check in only to be told to go up to the counter, uggh!

And what’s with having to show your boarding pass and passport at check in, before you go through customs, at customs, before security, at the start of the security line, at security, at the gate and at the plane? Seems a little excessive.

On top of all the that the whole security remove your shoes, belts, pants then watch all your belonging shoot out the other end of the xray scanner as you’re standing in the metal detector line still bothers me. Someone could swipe your bin with wallet, watch, keys, etc with little to no issue.

Sigh…. I feel better now. hah!

[Resolute 14]

That is entirely possible. I might have just caught a bad day. That said, going from one computerized terminal to waiting in a lineup watching for my name to appear on a screen, only to get into a second line to go through customs that was so slow that they had attendants calling forward anybody who was on a flight that was nearing its departure time is not the model of efficiency.

[Resolute 14]

Originally Posted by rohara66

On top of all the that the whole security remove your shoes, belts, pants then watch all your belonging shoot out the other end of the xray scanner as you’re standing in the metal detector line still bothers me. Someone could swipe your bin with wallet, watch, keys, etc with little to no issue.

Well, except for the fact that it would be rather stupid to do that with several armed guards on scene and cameras covering you from every angle...

[rohara66]

Originally Posted by Resolute 14

Well, except for the fact that it would be rather stupid to do that with several armed guards on scene and cameras covering you from every angle...

I suppose... but I still don't like my stuff being on display to others while I'm stuck behind security.

[Table 5]

Originally Posted by Resolute 14

That is entirely possible. I might have just caught a bad day. That said, going from one computerized terminal to waiting in a lineup watching for my name to appear on a screen, only to get into a second line to go through customs that was so slow that they had attendants calling forward anybody who was on a flight that was nearing its departure time is not the model of efficiency.

Every time I've flown through Toronto must've been a "bad day" then. Ive gone through the same scenario as you several times now, and each time it was a total clusterfata. I don't think adding more steps to an already painful process was the smart decision.

There are 3 basic rules I try to follow:
1. Avoid sitting in the middle seat.
2. Avoid United in any capacity.
3. Avoid YYZ.

[Acey]

That's bad luck, overall YYZ ain't bad. Statistically...

Avoid EWR
Avoid ORD
Avoid BOS
Avoid LGA

In that order.

[#-3]

Originally Posted by chemgear

Kinda like the gunshots and screams in Forest Lawn and the NE in general.

Forest Lawn is not in the NE

[Jimmy Stang]

Originally Posted by rohara66

On top of all the that the whole security remove your shoes, belts, pants then watch all your belonging shoot out the other end of the xray scanner as you’re standing in the metal detector line still bothers me. Someone could swipe your bin with wallet, watch, keys, etc with little to no issue.

I always tuck my wallet, keys, phone, etc. into my carry-on bag while I'm waiting in line, mainly because I also don't want them sitting there loose in the bin. I suppose that someone could steal your whole bag, but it would be a lot harder to do it unnoticed.

Also, in my recent experience, most airports (in Canada at least) have signs asking you not to remove your shoes unless they ask you to.