TravelGal
01-29-07, 03:15 PM
From today's E-News. Written by a Canadian.
Toronto's new Terminal 1's Pier F opens tonight at midnight. It's the new international wing and a much needed extension for future travel. The GTAA sees it as a new hub for international travel as more and more travellers want to avoid changing planes or even landing in the US because of the security situation. The new Pier F has the largest duty free store, the fastest moving sidewalk, a bigger customs hall, more remote check-in terminals, more baggage carousels. Two gates will accommodate the new double-decker Airbus A380. It is almost a kilometer from the parking garage to the end of the pier and it could take as long as a 1/2 hour or more to reach a gate. The moving sidewalk is three times faster than normal walking speed. On entering you start off at a leisurely stroll and then it speeds up and goes back to a leisurely stroll at the end. Terminal 3 will continue to handle some US and International flights, including most charter flights but most international flights will be handled in Pier F. The Customs hall is one of the biggest in North America and between them staff can speak 60 languages. The pier has its own power plant and everything is run by computer. Lets hope there are no computer crashes here. There is a US zone in the pier where passengers will check-in, clear US customs and security and there is a satellite Canadian customs area to clear transiting passengers.
Toronto's new Terminal 1's Pier F opens tonight at midnight. It's the new international wing and a much needed extension for future travel. The GTAA sees it as a new hub for international travel as more and more travellers want to avoid changing planes or even landing in the US because of the security situation. The new Pier F has the largest duty free store, the fastest moving sidewalk, a bigger customs hall, more remote check-in terminals, more baggage carousels. Two gates will accommodate the new double-decker Airbus A380. It is almost a kilometer from the parking garage to the end of the pier and it could take as long as a 1/2 hour or more to reach a gate. The moving sidewalk is three times faster than normal walking speed. On entering you start off at a leisurely stroll and then it speeds up and goes back to a leisurely stroll at the end. Terminal 3 will continue to handle some US and International flights, including most charter flights but most international flights will be handled in Pier F. The Customs hall is one of the biggest in North America and between them staff can speak 60 languages. The pier has its own power plant and everything is run by computer. Lets hope there are no computer crashes here. There is a US zone in the pier where passengers will check-in, clear US customs and security and there is a satellite Canadian customs area to clear transiting passengers.