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| - Overrated! I've listened to many rave about this airport and its main tenant Porter Airlines over the past few years, and was hoping it would be awesome on my first trip there, but was disappointed.
Even if you time everything perfectly, including catching the ferry, and catching the free shuttle from the Royal York (across from Union Station), I do not believe this is faster than going to Pearson unless you live near the airport downtown, or maybe near a GO Station in the suburbs. For someone who lives in North Toronto like myself, I see no time saving, whether driving, taking a cab, or the TTC.
The planes are slower (turboprops) than jets, so consider that your flying time may be longer than a jet out of Pearson. There is no U.S. pre-clearance, so if you're flying to the U.S., you will have to clear customs when you land, so the fact you do it later seems like a time saver before the flight, but really is not. There were massive lines to get on the ferry and massive traffic jams of cabs at the entrance (all of the cabs were empty, hoping for fares - presumably there is not a law there limiting the cabs like at Pearson).
There is a lounge with free cookies, juice, and computers to use. Pearson has free wifi, so the latter shouldn't be a big deal for anyone with a smart phone, lap top or iPad. There is also a "free" alcoholic drink on Porter flights, and "free" mysterious boxed meal, but you're all smart enough to know that you're paying for this "free stuff" as part of your fares, and could just "buy" the same stuff on competitors' flight or in Pearson's restaurants and concessions, anyway, right? Good.
For those who have access to any lounge at Pearson, none of this matches the items available in the Amex lounges or Air Canada Clubs. If you have been to such a lounge, I doubt you would be impressed by anything this airport has to offer.
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