Check in time at YYZ for USA bound flight

drevil0208 wrote: ↑ I’m flying to NYC on United leaving on a Friday morning at 7am. Pearson website recommends checking in 3 hours before departure for US bound flights. However, it also says that the customs pre-clearance doesn’t even open until 4:30am.

I was planning on arriving around 4:45. Should this be adequate? How busy is the customs pre-clearance at that time of the morning?

Do you have Nexus and do you have checked bags ? 4.45 should still be ok because there are very few flights at that time.

No nexus and no checked bags.

I haven't looked at the schedules lately, but pre-pandemic the early morning hours had some of the longest wait times at US customs.

I should have said too, it’s Terminal 1

I think the time you plan on arriving is sufficient.

T1 US customs is really hit and miss in terms of wait time. I was there in January and there were ~10 people in front of me in the nexus line (and let pilots/flight attendants cut), while the regular line had 150+ people. My fiancee passed through in February and there were not more than 10 people in the regular line.

Not sure about NYC, but my brother just flew to Orlando last saturday. 6:55 am flight, got there at 4 am. Lines up were huge due to march break (this is Pearson), said the flight had to be delayed 2 hours due to the volume of people.

I flew to AZ in January. Got to Terminal 1 before 5am for my 8am flight. The airport was empty - I was the only one going thru security, etc. Everything was a breeze.

drevil0208 wrote: ↑ I’m flying to NYC on United leaving on a Friday morning at 7am. Pearson website recommends checking in 3 hours before departure for US bound flights. However, it also says that the customs pre-clearance doesn’t even open until 4:30am.

I was planning on arriving around 4:45. Should this be adequate? How busy is the customs pre-clearance at that time of the morning?

https://www.torontopearson.com/en/departures

Check here on Thursday to see how many US-bound flights are heading out of T1 on Friday morning.

Seeing AC advertising about the delays and suggesting three hours so it must be bad at times. I suspect after the Easter rush it will slow a little, but sounds like more time is better and I’m a get there at the last minute person. You can only go so early though since they won’t yet be open. I find it hard to believe if you’re standing in that line two hours before the flight you would have any issues. Arriving at the airport parking garage two hours before may be cutting it close.

13inches wrote: ↑ https://www.torontopearson.com/en/departures

Check here on Thursday to see how many US-bound flights are heading out of T1 on Friday morning.

So from T1 tomorrow there are 2 flights to Florida at 6:30 and then mine is the next at 7:00. So hopefully it won’t be too busy!

drevil0208 wrote: ↑ I’m flying to NYC on United leaving on a Friday morning at 7am. Pearson website recommends checking in 3 hours before departure for US bound flights. However, it also says that the customs pre-clearance doesn’t even open until 4:30am.

I was planning on arriving around 4:45. Should this be adequate? How busy is the customs pre-clearance at that time of the morning?

That will be more than sufficient.

All things considered, you really only need to be ahead of the (new) 90-minute cutoff for bag checks at YYZ. But you have no bags, so this is a non-issue so long as you check in online ahead of the flight. 2h15m to clear security and customs should be more than enough.

drevil0208 wrote: ↑ So from T1 tomorrow there are 2 flights to Florida at 6:30 and then mine is the next at 7:00. So hopefully it won’t be too busy!

Friends of mine went through this morning. They were on a 6:30 flight to the US.

Got there before 4:30 (when US customs opens) and were out by 5:00.