TORONTO – Travel and the holidays seem to fit like a good pair of gloves. Flying from Thunder Bay International Airport often means a trip to Toronto Pearson Airport.
With just over a week until Christmas, Toronto Pearson is working hard to make holiday travel easier for an estimated 120,000 passengers per day. The airport, which will see its busiest day of the holiday season on Friday, December 18, with over 127,000 passengers, offers a variety of services, entertainment and ideas to ensure time spent en route is safe and efficient.
With holiday décor and activities already in place, Toronto Pearson passengers will encounter holiday programs that will be sure to put them in the holiday spirit.
“At Toronto Pearson, the holidays are peak travel times,” said Scott Collier, Vice President of Customer and Terminal Services. “At this time of year more than ever, we work to ensure passengers have a great trip and can find the information and services that they need to move throughout the airport efficiently.”
Travel Tips
Plan Ahead: Travellers can start their trip off smoothly by reserving a parking spot at the Terminal 1 or 3 parking garage. Toronto Pearson is offering a special holiday rate of just $15 per day when parking for a week. Full details on the holiday parking promotion are available here.
Pack Right: To move more efficiently through security, passengers are encouraged to pack light and leave holiday gifts unwrapped in carryon luggage, as all packages will be subject to inspection at security check points. Ensuring liquids and gels in carryon luggage are in containers no larger than 100 milliliters will also save time.
Coat Check: Passengers travelling to warmer climates can stay cool and travel light by using the airport’s coat check service. Passengers can check heavy winter coats the airport before taking off and pick them up upon return for a warm ride home. Coat check service is available for just $2 per coat per day or $9 per coat per week.
Festive Spirit
Santa and Mrs. Claus: Passengers can tell Santa exactly what they want to see under the holiday tree at Talk to Santa kiosks. These interactive Santa spots offer travellers young and old the chance to speak to Santa on a direct video link to the North Pole. Passengers may also catch Mrs. Claus reading holiday stories in both terminals.
Carolers: Passengers awaiting their flights will be treated to some holiday entertainment from strolling carolers around the terminals.
Make your own Ornament: Artistic travellers in the family can create an ornament to keep or give as a gift. The family ornament station has everything passengers need to hand make and wrap a festive holiday decoration.
Gift wrapping: For last minute shoppers picking up a gift at the airport, Toronto Pearson offers free wrapping for all gifts purchased from airport stores. Passengers who bring an unwrapped gift through security can have their gifts wrapped for free with a donation to Toronto Pearson’s community investment program, the Propeller Project.
Gift wrapping, holiday entertainment and the ornament stations are all available from December 17-23.
Toronto Pearson Passenger Experience
Inside the terminal, there are numerous ways to make travel time easy and enjoyable. With over 70 stores and services, Toronto Pearson has food and shopping choices for everyone, including two brand new additions in Terminal 1: Skyhealth Express brings pharmacy and healthcare services and Wahlburgers offers down-home burgers, tasty sandwiches and fresh salads.
Passengers can relax at the gate with Toronto Pearson’s free magazine, AWAY, packed with information to help passengers find their way, the perfect restaurant for a preflight snack or ideas for their next vacation. The new winter issue of AWAY is now available at airport shops and restaurants, including free airport maps, interesting behind the scenes stories and a number of exotic beach destinations.
For more gateside entertainment, passengers can download complimentary songs and ebooks while waiting and start off the trip on a high note. Cloud 10 Entertainment, one of the suite of Cloud 10 benefits from American Express in partnership with Toronto Pearson, is another way to make time at the airport a memorable part of the journey.
This year, Toronto Pearson is proud to be the first airport in Canada to welcome more than 40 million passengers in a single year. Watch as Santa celebrates and rewards just a few of them on a pre-holiday trip through the airport.
