rev:text
| - Calgary Airport (YYC) definitely is no LAX or O'Hare when it comes to size or international destinations, but it does the job.
International arrivals involve a long indoor walk to the customs area. There are some workers offering golf cart service if the walk is too long.
Customs should be fast and efficent for most people. After going thru the baggage claim area, it's not too far to the exit door area where the arrivals pickup area is. My gripe is that this area covered above, so if you are there any significant amount of time, you're breathing in a lot of car exhaust. Not a cool place to hang out.
Departures to the US involve a US Customs Pre-Clearance. After picking up your boarding pass from your airline counter and getting a tracking sticker for checked bags, the passenger enters a mini shopping area. There's a few interesting shops, but It's hard to really shop here, as the customers' checked baggage is still with them at this point. Afterwards, one goes thru US Customs. Once thru, there's a place to drop off checked bags. Then one must then go thru Canadian TSA inspection before reaching the cleared terminal waiting area. Here, there's Tim Hortons, Jugo Juice and many gift shops to greet the traveler. Bathrooms are clean and well-maintained.
Since it's US pre-clearance, you never really "leave" Canada, there's no exit Canada Customs I went thru or an Exit Canada stamp on my passport. It's also odd that I "enter" the US via pre-clearance, then I have to go thru Canadian TSA immediately after, but it works out in the end.
|