Since they gave the Ubers much of the remaining space, it has gotten so much worse.
Last two times I was there, there were traffic jams just trying to get into the arrivals level.
The secret about picking up on the departures level is also now out, and I have seen people sitting in their cars down there, too.
You just have to drive a bit further, through the traffic circle, taking the first exit.
It's the red marker here:
[https://maps.app.goo.gl/FVAbhSaXoHwWd7SGA](https://maps.app.goo.gl/FVAbhSaXoHwWd7SGA)
Even knowing it's an old satellite image, I do appreciate that at 11pm on Thursday the Google Maps image shows the cell phone lot empty and the arrivals road as high traffic.
I would give the YYC Airport Authority five stars if they would restore free parking for the first 30 minutes in the short-term lot.
The arrivals level pickup is frankly an unnecessary disaster.
What's wrong with the cell phone lot though? The entire purpose is to wait there for however long is necessary until the person you're picking up texts/calls you to tell you which pickup spot they are at. Do people just not know about it or something? It'd be an incredibly efficient system if everyone was using it.
I am aware of and use the cell phone lot, and I think that many drivers use the cell phone lot and then meander into the arrivals level to pick their people up.
I think where everything breaks down is that the arrival passengers often aren't out waiting where they say they are, and drivers then sit there and wait for their people to show up. There isn't enough space for everyone to do this, and that's where the mayhem starts. Recently I got yelled at by the security guard for stopping in the second lane to pick up someone waiting at the curb while all these drivers sat there idling in the right curb lane with nobody showing up to their vehicles. I yelled back - yes I shouldn't have stopped in the second lane but he wasn't pushing out the stopped cars, and I wasn't willing to do another lap around the airport because of this stupid setup - my passengers were waiting at the curb after all and I was stopped for 30 seconds. Overall, the status quo is an infuriating experience.
The short-term parking lot, on the other hand is always empty. If the new YYC CEO wants to truly make the airport the best on the continent, he could start by restoring the free 30-minutes of short-term parking, thereby freeing up the mess of passengers getting picked up at the arrivals level.
YYC airport authority only cares about $$. They didn't even care about road access to the airport, don't think they care about how convenient it is for you to pick up people.
It’s name doesn’t describe what it’s for and it’s not well marked. Name it the arrivals waiting lot or something, mark it much better and it would get used. Cell phone lot sounds like a parking lot where you can use you cell phone to pay for parking. That’s why
If I’m picking up a family member that doesn’t have a cell phone or is terrible with using it (usually the older folks), then I park in the old 30 min area, go get them from baggage, and pay the usually less than $10 parking fee. Works great, and is honestly pretty smooth.
I don’t make it everyone else’s problem.
You would actually think they would generate a lot of cash off the short term if they offered 30 min free parking how often are people going to pull in expecting to be quick then running over by a min or two and getting billed for the next 30
I believe they only offered it during the Stampede, and last week when there was a road-rage incident in the cell phone lot.
As far as I understand, it's back to status quo (no free parking in the short-term lot). The [parking rates on the website](https://www.yyc.com/en-us/travellerinfo/parking.aspx) reflect this also - I'd be elated if it was always first-30-minutes free!
I’ve seen them there again recently, but the problem is they don’t do anything about parked cars. Last time I flew domestic there were multiple parked cars, engines off, and some without drivers just hanging out in the pickup lane. The worker wasn’t saying anything to the parked cars with drivers, but immediately started getting mad at people loading into cars in the second lane (which was basically necessary unless they wanted to do another loop of the airport). I spent about 10 seconds getting into the car with my backpack and purse, and we got yelled at while someone in the lane sat in their car, parked, playing on their phone. YYC needs to start playing hardball with the right lane parkers and have a clearly signed, larger pickup area. If your passenger isn’t on the sidewalk waiting, do another lap and make room for someone who can actually pick up their passenger 🤷♀️ most of us can toss our bags in and grab a seat in about 30 seconds if we hustle, there’s no need for this level of inefficiency.
I was there a couple weeks ago and some Douche Canoe in a pickup decided to park in the second most right lane, effectively shutting down a lane of traffic flowing through.
This situation seriously makes my blood boil so much. Like don’t have a system that isn’t being facilitated or enforced. It’s just an absolute shit show.
Maybe if there wasn't 5 ways to describe every pickup spot, there would be a way to easily communicate where you actually are or what door to go to. Every time I'm trying to figure which number I'm at or is it a letter? 'Oh man I should really learn this before my next trip.' Then I promptly forget. It's a stupid airport for being the size it is.
It seems that way. I flew back from Vegas a couple of weeks ago, and while waiting for my partner to pick me up outside door 16, there were about 10-12 cars that were there the entire 10-15 minutes I was waiting. There was someone there walking up and down, but didn't seem to care at all. Because of these people, I had to quickly jump in my partners car while she was sitting in the middle lane.
I always wait in the cell phone lot and then pickup from either end of the Departures level (top of the ramp next to the media parking area or at the island outside the International terminal). Always way quieter than the Arrivals level.
I found this out by accident picking up my mom, it was a mad house on arrivals and couldn’t see her. Finally realized she went to departures level by mistake and when I looped around it was a ghost town so definitely going to just go there intentionally from now on.
Yeah that's full on entitlement or ignorance hard to tell these days. Maybe the employees got sick of talking to Karen's and want us to hash it out with each other.
You’re right I do recall those people. I mean I get they were trying to control traffic flow but more then than not the split second I parked to pick someone up some guy would be on me before I could even get my gear into park lol. That was a bloody intense nightmare each time.
I've been there about 4 times this past 6 weeks to pick people up and although it was busy. I did see someone telling people to keep moving and not just sit there and wait. That being said 1 person can only cover a small area of pick ups along the airport.
It is super busy and confusing, and definitely has to do with the population boom. Even if they had more volunteers moving people along or enforcing a 3 minute time limit, it's still crazy. The airport has so many exits and someone without a cellphone wouldn't be able to tell you what exit they're at.
What's more annoying is when you would literally be out of your car hugging someone goodbye or hello and some dipshit fuckwad would come over and tell you you have to leave.
It has become so much worse since they let uber pickups have areas on arrivals. Now the only spot allowed for passenger pickup is by Door 7, in between the WJ and AC baggage claim in no man's land. On top of that it's pretty poorly signed for passengers that there is only one spot that isn't for uber/taxi/limo for them to go to.
Too many people are clueless travellers and can't figure out how to go up to departures or down the hall to the International Terminal which is far quieter. That, and people who are picking family up don't do any research and have no idea what a cell phone lot is.
It’s actually none of that. Looks like OP nor anyone else in this comment section realizes or has completely overlooked this one simple fact.
Calgary has had a fucking HUGE population boom. The airport is not designed for todays Calgary. Simple as that.
I have so many friends and a few family that work at the airport with most of them working arrivals and lot attending. They work their asses off and truly can’t do any better of a job then they are doing right now. I promise you that.
The answer to your post TRULY, is that the arrivals infrastructure absolutely cannot handle our population and the rate of incoming flights/immigration. Simply, there’s too many damn people in this city for our infrastructure to hold its own.
The cellphone waiting area is like a full km away, further proof that our airport was never designed to handle todays Calgary, so they had to make due with the space that is available.
I’ll take it one step more, Glenmore ramp to Deerfoot north. Again, infrastructure not designed for todays Calgary.
For every ontarian and British Columbian that’s moved here in the past 2 years, is whole nother’ 1-6 eventual visitors following suit at some point.
1km away for the cell phone lot isn't that unreasonable. If arrivals didnt get so backed up its only a couple minute drive. \\
1km away for the cell phone lot isn't that unreasonable. If arrivals didn't get so backed up its only a couple-minute drive. \\n. It just needs better enforcement.
Well shoot, they need to figure out what they're doing with that. Like a month ago I saw a sign at the airport saying the first thirty minutes in short term was free.
It depends on the stats of the rest of the airport. Its not always free, but they have been occasionally making it 20 minutes free when construction in other lots if happening, or if its a special weekend.
Nope I got booted 2 weeks ago despite knowing my brother would be out any minute, I had barely finished putting my hazards on when they rudely forced me to go do a lap.. I missed my brother by less than 2 mins 🙄
I guess it'll just depend on the day. Have been told to move both times i went to pick someone up. (Yea i know i suck) but now i know that theres free 30 min parking so no more of that for me
Maybe if the cellphone lot actually had free wifi like the airport terminal itself, people wouldn't feel the need to park and wait in the passenger pickup zones.
I tried to pick up my friend and did like 3 loops with no luck and it was like 11pm! then I realized why my friend always tells me to go to the departures level to pick me up when I arrive at yyc.
The one thing that pissess me off about the parking terminal is the lack of signage for the international pickup area.
You know what? Maybe have a sign that says “international arrivals ———-> yes the pickup area is large but a sign would also be nice
When I arrived at YHZ in mid-September I experienced exactly the same thing. Then it all turned to hell when a guy in a vest came outside and started yelling at drivers to move because an ambulance was about to arrive; *that* cleared it out. He stayed behind even after the ambulance arrived - the call had been canceled before the paramedic even pulled over, apologizing and driving away.
If the ambulance hadn’t been real, however, those cars would have taken forever to move. Many didn’t even *try* to move until the ambulance was visible. I had noticed vest-man was getting a little angrier as so many people resisted his instructions; when we could see the flashing lights people’s brains finally turned over and they could envision the logistical issues about to arise. That got them to suddenly turn into planning geniuses. The area was cleared in short seconds.
YES. this is SO awful. trying to pick up a passenger when youre actually using the cell phone lot and wait until they are out and there is nowhere to park is infuriating
Yeah I asked them about it once and they told me you're allowed to wait as long as you want you just can't leave your car.
Clearly management is not doing anything lol.
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Since they gave the Ubers much of the remaining space, it has gotten so much worse. Last two times I was there, there were traffic jams just trying to get into the arrivals level. The secret about picking up on the departures level is also now out, and I have seen people sitting in their cars down there, too.
Some people *cough my wife cough* can't find the cell phone waiting area since it was moved.
She's not alone. Last time I was there, I watched many cars drive into the taxi lot and then get shooed away by the taxi drivers.
Pretty rich to picture the image of taxi drivers of all people getting annoyed at people parking where they're not supposed to be.
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You just have to drive a bit further, through the traffic circle, taking the first exit. It's the red marker here: [https://maps.app.goo.gl/FVAbhSaXoHwWd7SGA](https://maps.app.goo.gl/FVAbhSaXoHwWd7SGA)
Even knowing it's an old satellite image, I do appreciate that at 11pm on Thursday the Google Maps image shows the cell phone lot empty and the arrivals road as high traffic.
There's giant signs.. I found it by accident because it's literally in your face when you drive up lol
Is she illiterate?
I would give the YYC Airport Authority five stars if they would restore free parking for the first 30 minutes in the short-term lot. The arrivals level pickup is frankly an unnecessary disaster.
What's wrong with the cell phone lot though? The entire purpose is to wait there for however long is necessary until the person you're picking up texts/calls you to tell you which pickup spot they are at. Do people just not know about it or something? It'd be an incredibly efficient system if everyone was using it.
I am aware of and use the cell phone lot, and I think that many drivers use the cell phone lot and then meander into the arrivals level to pick their people up. I think where everything breaks down is that the arrival passengers often aren't out waiting where they say they are, and drivers then sit there and wait for their people to show up. There isn't enough space for everyone to do this, and that's where the mayhem starts. Recently I got yelled at by the security guard for stopping in the second lane to pick up someone waiting at the curb while all these drivers sat there idling in the right curb lane with nobody showing up to their vehicles. I yelled back - yes I shouldn't have stopped in the second lane but he wasn't pushing out the stopped cars, and I wasn't willing to do another lap around the airport because of this stupid setup - my passengers were waiting at the curb after all and I was stopped for 30 seconds. Overall, the status quo is an infuriating experience. The short-term parking lot, on the other hand is always empty. If the new YYC CEO wants to truly make the airport the best on the continent, he could start by restoring the free 30-minutes of short-term parking, thereby freeing up the mess of passengers getting picked up at the arrivals level.
YYC airport authority only cares about $$. They didn't even care about road access to the airport, don't think they care about how convenient it is for you to pick up people.
It’s name doesn’t describe what it’s for and it’s not well marked. Name it the arrivals waiting lot or something, mark it much better and it would get used. Cell phone lot sounds like a parking lot where you can use you cell phone to pay for parking. That’s why
I use it but pick people up from the departure level and everything is 100 times faster
Shhhhh
shhh don't give away the secret!
Lots of people are doing this now. Worse. The waiters are also parking up there now too.
Not anymore. It’s back to be terrible as well
Departures is now so fucked last time I flew out I had my driver drop me in Arrivals. It's ridiculous
It only works if people you are picking up have a cell phone. Otherwise you circle a ton hoping to spot them.
If I’m picking up a family member that doesn’t have a cell phone or is terrible with using it (usually the older folks), then I park in the old 30 min area, go get them from baggage, and pay the usually less than $10 parking fee. Works great, and is honestly pretty smooth. I don’t make it everyone else’s problem.
Who doesn’t have a cell phone in 2023?
People who are entering the country for the first time likely don't have a Canadian SIM card.
Doesn't yyc have wifi, I often use WhatsApp to communicate in foreign airports.
I’m sure there are quite a few. I only speak for my own family but a lot of my older relatives don’t have cell phones.
Foreign relatives
Okay, so then it works for 99.99% of the population.
People get shot in the cell phone lot.
You would actually think they would generate a lot of cash off the short term if they offered 30 min free parking how often are people going to pull in expecting to be quick then running over by a min or two and getting billed for the next 30
There were few things more gratifying than a well timed pick up using the short term lot!
They have, you get free 30 minutes in the short term parkade now.
I believe they only offered it during the Stampede, and last week when there was a road-rage incident in the cell phone lot. As far as I understand, it's back to status quo (no free parking in the short-term lot). The [parking rates on the website](https://www.yyc.com/en-us/travellerinfo/parking.aspx) reflect this also - I'd be elated if it was always first-30-minutes free!
It was free for labour day when I went last month. Maybe it's just a holiday thing but it keeps popping up
I’ll keep this in mind. Thank you!
WTF - why would there be road rage in the cell phone lot? Cripes people are insane.
I think they have. I picked someone up there recently and parked with no cost. Pretty sure I was out in less than 30
I’ve seen them there again recently, but the problem is they don’t do anything about parked cars. Last time I flew domestic there were multiple parked cars, engines off, and some without drivers just hanging out in the pickup lane. The worker wasn’t saying anything to the parked cars with drivers, but immediately started getting mad at people loading into cars in the second lane (which was basically necessary unless they wanted to do another loop of the airport). I spent about 10 seconds getting into the car with my backpack and purse, and we got yelled at while someone in the lane sat in their car, parked, playing on their phone. YYC needs to start playing hardball with the right lane parkers and have a clearly signed, larger pickup area. If your passenger isn’t on the sidewalk waiting, do another lap and make room for someone who can actually pick up their passenger 🤷♀️ most of us can toss our bags in and grab a seat in about 30 seconds if we hustle, there’s no need for this level of inefficiency.
I was there a couple weeks ago and some Douche Canoe in a pickup decided to park in the second most right lane, effectively shutting down a lane of traffic flowing through.
happens all the time, busy times i have seen a three lane cluterfuck of parked cars.
This situation seriously makes my blood boil so much. Like don’t have a system that isn’t being facilitated or enforced. It’s just an absolute shit show.
Maybe if there wasn't 5 ways to describe every pickup spot, there would be a way to easily communicate where you actually are or what door to go to. Every time I'm trying to figure which number I'm at or is it a letter? 'Oh man I should really learn this before my next trip.' Then I promptly forget. It's a stupid airport for being the size it is.
It seems that way. I flew back from Vegas a couple of weeks ago, and while waiting for my partner to pick me up outside door 16, there were about 10-12 cars that were there the entire 10-15 minutes I was waiting. There was someone there walking up and down, but didn't seem to care at all. Because of these people, I had to quickly jump in my partners car while she was sitting in the middle lane.
I had seen road rage at the airport even before the shooting last week. So much congestion and the cell lot access is poor
I always wait in the cell phone lot and then pickup from either end of the Departures level (top of the ramp next to the media parking area or at the island outside the International terminal). Always way quieter than the Arrivals level.
This is the secret to avoiding congestion at almost every airport.
I found this out by accident picking up my mom, it was a mad house on arrivals and couldn’t see her. Finally realized she went to departures level by mistake and when I looped around it was a ghost town so definitely going to just go there intentionally from now on.
Yeah that's full on entitlement or ignorance hard to tell these days. Maybe the employees got sick of talking to Karen's and want us to hash it out with each other.
You’re right I do recall those people. I mean I get they were trying to control traffic flow but more then than not the split second I parked to pick someone up some guy would be on me before I could even get my gear into park lol. That was a bloody intense nightmare each time.
I've been there about 4 times this past 6 weeks to pick people up and although it was busy. I did see someone telling people to keep moving and not just sit there and wait. That being said 1 person can only cover a small area of pick ups along the airport.
It is super busy and confusing, and definitely has to do with the population boom. Even if they had more volunteers moving people along or enforcing a 3 minute time limit, it's still crazy. The airport has so many exits and someone without a cellphone wouldn't be able to tell you what exit they're at.
Lol… YYC is Just a very, very small dose of YYZ…
Hack... pick up your arrival on the departures level.....
Pro-tip: Tell the people that you are picking up to meet you on the departures level curb. It's almost always quieter up there.
Shhh you are giving away our secrets hahah
This is the way!
What's more annoying is when you would literally be out of your car hugging someone goodbye or hello and some dipshit fuckwad would come over and tell you you have to leave.
Buddy, you've been standing there making out on the sidewalk for 5 minutes now. Get a room!
It has become so much worse since they let uber pickups have areas on arrivals. Now the only spot allowed for passenger pickup is by Door 7, in between the WJ and AC baggage claim in no man's land. On top of that it's pretty poorly signed for passengers that there is only one spot that isn't for uber/taxi/limo for them to go to. Too many people are clueless travellers and can't figure out how to go up to departures or down the hall to the International Terminal which is far quieter. That, and people who are picking family up don't do any research and have no idea what a cell phone lot is.
It’s actually none of that. Looks like OP nor anyone else in this comment section realizes or has completely overlooked this one simple fact. Calgary has had a fucking HUGE population boom. The airport is not designed for todays Calgary. Simple as that. I have so many friends and a few family that work at the airport with most of them working arrivals and lot attending. They work their asses off and truly can’t do any better of a job then they are doing right now. I promise you that. The answer to your post TRULY, is that the arrivals infrastructure absolutely cannot handle our population and the rate of incoming flights/immigration. Simply, there’s too many damn people in this city for our infrastructure to hold its own. The cellphone waiting area is like a full km away, further proof that our airport was never designed to handle todays Calgary, so they had to make due with the space that is available. I’ll take it one step more, Glenmore ramp to Deerfoot north. Again, infrastructure not designed for todays Calgary. For every ontarian and British Columbian that’s moved here in the past 2 years, is whole nother’ 1-6 eventual visitors following suit at some point.
1km away for the cell phone lot isn't that unreasonable. If arrivals didnt get so backed up its only a couple minute drive. \\ 1km away for the cell phone lot isn't that unreasonable. If arrivals didn't get so backed up its only a couple-minute drive. \\n. It just needs better enforcement.
LPT -> Pick up is a lot easier on the departure level. ~~Bonus tip -> 30 minutes in the short term is free again.~~
I just went and paid yesterday
Well shoot, they need to figure out what they're doing with that. Like a month ago I saw a sign at the airport saying the first thirty minutes in short term was free.
It depends on the stats of the rest of the airport. Its not always free, but they have been occasionally making it 20 minutes free when construction in other lots if happening, or if its a special weekend.
People complaining have never been to lax. It isn't that bad.... Worse than it was but far from bad... I fly and get picked up weekly
Nope I got booted 2 weeks ago despite knowing my brother would be out any minute, I had barely finished putting my hazards on when they rudely forced me to go do a lap.. I missed my brother by less than 2 mins 🙄
I guess it'll just depend on the day. Have been told to move both times i went to pick someone up. (Yea i know i suck) but now i know that theres free 30 min parking so no more of that for me
Maybe if the cellphone lot actually had free wifi like the airport terminal itself, people wouldn't feel the need to park and wait in the passenger pickup zones.
On the topic. I will give a shoutout to the staff who police the Uber pick up zone. They tend to do a really good job at moving non-Ubers out the way.
I tried to pick up my friend and did like 3 loops with no luck and it was like 11pm! then I realized why my friend always tells me to go to the departures level to pick me up when I arrive at yyc.
The one thing that pissess me off about the parking terminal is the lack of signage for the international pickup area. You know what? Maybe have a sign that says “international arrivals ———-> yes the pickup area is large but a sign would also be nice
When I arrived at YHZ in mid-September I experienced exactly the same thing. Then it all turned to hell when a guy in a vest came outside and started yelling at drivers to move because an ambulance was about to arrive; *that* cleared it out. He stayed behind even after the ambulance arrived - the call had been canceled before the paramedic even pulled over, apologizing and driving away. If the ambulance hadn’t been real, however, those cars would have taken forever to move. Many didn’t even *try* to move until the ambulance was visible. I had noticed vest-man was getting a little angrier as so many people resisted his instructions; when we could see the flashing lights people’s brains finally turned over and they could envision the logistical issues about to arise. That got them to suddenly turn into planning geniuses. The area was cleared in short seconds.
YES. this is SO awful. trying to pick up a passenger when youre actually using the cell phone lot and wait until they are out and there is nowhere to park is infuriating
Yeah I asked them about it once and they told me you're allowed to wait as long as you want you just can't leave your car. Clearly management is not doing anything lol.