Montreal YUL Airport Shared Tips For Travelling During A Busy AF 2022 Holiday Season
"Montréal airport authority expects to welcome passenger traffic comparable to that of 2019."
Montréal–Trudeau International Airport.
Travelling during the holiday season is stressful enough. Throw in the fact that Montreal's airport was recently ranked as one of the most nerve-wracking in North America and, without some preparation, you've got yourself a recipe for disaster.
Luckily, the Montreal airport has shared some useful tips on how to best navigate this busy time of year — so you can at least keep some of your sanity intact.
These tips are especially relevant as holiday travel amps up: Montreal-Trudeau warns of longer than usual wait times due to high expected passenger traffic combined with the ongoing labour shortage.
Aéroports de Montréal recommends that you show up at the airport three hours before your flight, regardless of the destination. This way you can check in, pass through security and make it to your gate in time without forgetting your youngest child at home. Yeah, we're looking at you, Mrs. McCallister.
If you'll be travelling with young ones this holiday season, the Montreal airport has some organized activities for families post security, including an appearance by Santa Claus and his Pet Squad, where they'll be making their rounds to entertain passengers, hand out some goodies and take photos. MTL Blog has reached out to the Aéroports de Montréal for deets on the times and dates of Santa's visit and will update you when we hear back.
Additionally, to speed things up, the Montreal airport has implemented two new free services: Mobile Passport Control (for flights to the U.S.) and YUL Express.
Mobile Passport Control is an application that lets you submit your passport details and customs declaration in advance. As for YUL Express, the newest pilot project starting on December 12 will provide travellers with an online booking platform that provides a schedule for security checkpoints.
Upon your return to Canada, you can hurry things up by filling out your customs and immigration declaration through the ArriveCAN app rather than completing it by machine at airport arrivals.
For those being picked up, YUL's CellParc holding lot is seconds away from arrivals and is totally free to use for up to two hours — this way, if your jet setter hasn't arrived just yet, you can chill while they slug through customs and baggage pick-up.
Safe travels, Montreal!
This article's cover image was used for illustrative purposes only.
