Discussions

Home
Discussions
Travel
Busy airports

Busy airports

Terry7
Joined: Apr 2014
Posts: 28

Terry7
Joined: Apr 2014
Posts: 28

Busy airports
May 20 at 2:32 PM

Has anyone recently travelled by air either via Winnipeg, Calgary or any other larger airports? If you did, how busy were the airports? Reading reports that check in line ups are enormous, and if you have a connection flight it is almost certain you are going to miss it. Also reading stories of people sitting on tarmacs inside the plane for 2-4 hours before they're allowed to leave the plane due to shortage of airport staff. Was planning summer travel but re-evaluating plans now. Would appreciate feed backs. Thanks.

https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/travel-health-measures-delays-1.6456655

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/flying-canada-rules-long-lines-1.6438750

Edited by Terry7, 2022-05-20 14:47:52
Adam

Joined: Mar 2005
Posts: 15652

Adam
Joined: Mar 2005
Posts: 15652

Airports
May 20 at 3:56 PM

Also curious, especially Winnipeg and initial check-in lately!
OG
Joined: May 2017
Posts: 4

OG
Joined: May 2017
Posts: 4

Winnipeg
May 20 at 6:32 PM

Flew out of Winnipeg Thursday May 19 at 3.45 pm. Zero line ups at security or check ins.
Westjet flight was 30 min late boarding due to mechanical issues and another 30 late after boarding.
15 min weight for luggage at Halifax which is 20 and sunny today:-)
Adam

Joined: Mar 2005
Posts: 15652

Adam
Joined: Mar 2005
Posts: 15652

Halifax
May 20 at 8:47 PM

OG said "Flew out of Winnipeg Thursday May 19 at 3.45 pm. Zero line ups at security or check ins.
Westjet flight was 30 min late boarding due to mechanical issues and another 30 late after boarding.
15 min weight for luggage at Halifax which is 20 and sunny today:-) "
Awesome, enjoy! Sorry you had to miss the ultra unique flurries in late May experience
If you happen to think about it, would be curious to hear how boarding et all works in the other direction.
Trevor

Joined: Mar 2008
Posts: 2104

Trevor
Joined: Mar 2008
Posts: 2104

...
May 20 at 10:20 PM

I flew to Phoenix in December and Toronto last month, in Winnipeg it was business as normal. If you're flying domestic show up an hour before and you'll be fine in Winnipeg. In Toronto it was a longer lineup, but it's the busiest airport in Canada. I wouldn't say it was too much due to Covid.
ChrisBird14
Joined: Sep 2008
Posts: 33

ChrisBird14
Joined: Sep 2008
Posts: 33

Brandon to Calgary to Edmonton
May 20 at 11:48 PM

I just flew Brandon to Calgary to Edmonton on Wednesday. It was pretty standard within each airport, nothing unusual.
There was an American acquaintance who experienced a 7 hour layover in Calgary waiting for his hour flight to Edmonton but I’m not sure of the exact reasoning.
I believe the article you read was referring to international airports with international flights. I was worried about the airports until I reread a similar article and it spoke of international flights.
Terry7
Joined: Apr 2014
Posts: 28

Terry7
Joined: Apr 2014
Posts: 28

Thanks
May 21 at 10:33 AM

Thank you all for your feedbacks. It appears the situation is much better than I thought.
GhOsTID
Joined: This month
Posts: 466

GhOsTID
Joined: This month
Posts: 466

.
May 21 at 2:04 PM

Terry7 said "Thank you all for your feedbacks. It appears the situation is much better than I thought. "
I think it depends on the terminal mostly and weather(delays compounding etc) but when things are bad it can be comically bad(Not for the people experiencing it at the time I suppose)

If you end up flying I hope your trips all go smoothly with little complications or if you have to have some sort of complication some excellent compensation would be great lol
CL
Joined: Nov 2007
Posts: 2615

CL
Joined: Nov 2007
Posts: 2615

May 21 at 6:36 PM

I flew from Brandon to Europe via Calgary a month ago and flying out of Brandon will always be a real easy experience even on the busiest day of the year but Calgary itself was a tad busy but I've seen worse. On the way back, the airport I was coming back from in Europe was the most jam packed I've ever seen where the recommended 3hr checkin time was a real understatement. Just checking into the FIRST security gate took over an hour twenty even with business class. Calgary to Brandon security check was a long line as well, easily half hour wait.

It's only going to get worse this summer so plan accordingly. Also, it took three weeks for the airline to deliver my luggage so I recommend travel insurance in case luggage doesn't end up showing up with you
OG
Joined: May 2017
Posts: 4

OG
Joined: May 2017
Posts: 4

Snow
May 21 at 7:21 PM

Adam said "Awesome, enjoy! Sorry you had to miss the ultra unique flurries in late May experience
If you happen to think about it, would be curious to hear how boarding et all works in the other direction. "
i had my fair share of snow in Manitoba that is why the Winnipeg to Halifax was my flight home. Flying from Halifax to Winnipeg 2 weeks earlier was 90 min late ( luckily i got the notification the night before and was able to adjust my arrival to the airport accordingly. Maybe 10 min wait at security and no wait for nexus at all. I only had 25 min to connect in Toronto but somehow my luggage made it in time to Winnipeg. Winnipeg was a good 45 min weight before you could collect your suitcase.

I havent see a flight on time yet this year.
brandonguy
Joined: Mar 2010
Posts: 34

brandonguy
Joined: Mar 2010
Posts: 34

-
Jun 6 at 1:37 PM

We flew to Calgary Thursday evening from Wpg - absolutely no issues with checking in or security. Our flight was 45 minutes late leaving Wpg, which we found out AFTER we flew to Calgary that it was late because of mechanical issues, lol. We flew back yesterday early and again, Calgary airport wasn't busy at all and we got straight through and flight left and arrived on time. Was quite pleased with the whole experience given the delays reported in the news lately at airports.
Adam

Joined: Mar 2005
Posts: 15652

Adam
Joined: Mar 2005
Posts: 15652

Airport
Jun 9 at 11:13 AM

Flew overseas last week from Winnipeg through Montreal. No issues or unexpected holdups at either airport.

Same story on the return trip yesterday from overseas through Toronto to Winnipeg. Airplane landed in Toronto and was at the gate in 5-10 mins. Those of us with connections were sent off first. Some pretty tense folks preparing for the worst after all the stories of bad connections and customs but turned out to be basically no lineup or wait at all. Very possible we were just lucky (flight got in late afternoon) but smooth sailing all around. Did have it in back pocket of knowing there was another plane leaving for Winnipeg a couple hours later if there did happen to be a delay.

Both Montreal and Toronto airports with plenty of signage and announcements about masks being required. Disappointing to see a fair amount who were going mask-chin without a ton of visible enforcement! Plenty of coughing around in airports and planes, which reenforced why with traveling it did feel right to be wearing and see so many masks on planes and airports.
Adam

Joined: Mar 2005
Posts: 15652

Adam
Joined: Mar 2005
Posts: 15652

Airports
Jun 15 at 7:59 AM

For those that didnt catch the news yesterday re changes to travel rules:
https://www.ctvnews.ca/health/coronavirus/canada-s-covid-19-travel-restrictions-what-s-changing-and-what-stays-in-place-1.5946486

Followup post to my last one... ended up with Covid with very high probability that it was acquired on the trip and unknowingly traveled home with pre-symptomatic. Symptoms I have had and have now are manageable no doubt thanks in large part to vax+vax+booster, but the isolation is disruptive enough in and of itself in order to make sure it doesnt go any further past me than it needs to. Its a first-hand reminder to be thankful for mask mandates at airports and planes and that the updated rules still have them in place... I would've traveled through three airports on two flights while probably asymptomatic with Covid. It isnt over, is easy to catch and whether it's impact on the medical system or even impact on day-to-day life at home the simple harmless act of having everyone masked in such a higher transmission environment minimizes what this virus can do.