Toronto Star & PIA

 This is not a political topic but I feel compelled to talk about this. This from someone who actually works at Pearson International Airport and sees first hand what goes on inside the restricted area of the Airport. It's a great job. According to the Toronto Star and most recently the Toronto Sun and National Post, they have said that SkyTrax, A UK based airline and Airport consulting firm ranks Pearson as the worst Airport in Canada. I disagree with this. Pearson is not the worst Airport in Canada or in the World. Everybody including myself who work for different airlines and different Companies at Pearson work very hard to insure that passengers get to their destinations along with their luggage. While the survey by SkyTrax talks about Trudeau Airport in Montreal (YUL) being the best in Canada, it should be noted that Pearson has more passengers connecting from more flights and more Airlines to more destinations around North America and around the World. Montreal is a small Airport compared to Toronto. Fewer connecting flights.
In the Star excerpt by staff reporter Vanessa Lu and Stephanie Findlay,
They say if you're a foreign visitor you will likely not have the correct change for what they say is for the baggage trolley.
 My solution to that is this. People travelling to other Cities, different Countries, and other Continents do not travel without cash, or without other things like traveller cheques, credit cards etc. If you can't afford a phone call, you shouldn't be travelling. Also, there are plenty of places where a person can get the coins required like a $1 or $2 coins for long distance phone calls back to their homeland. There is also places in both Terminals that will exchange your currency into Canadian Currency.  as well, there are plenty of stores, gift shops in both T1 and T3 that will accept your money and change it into Canadian money.  such as A&W which is at Terminal One and Tim Hortons which is at both Terminals. There is also places in the food court at T3 such as Pizza Pizza, Upper Crust and Panopolis which is nearby. There is also ATM's from RBC. So maybe you're a foreign visitor like the Star excerpt says but there are plenty of places to get change.
The excerpt talks about a man who after landing there, called his daughter on a pay phone and got a very large bill credit card bill of over $12. That is regrettable but I don't blame the Airport or GTAA for this phone call, the phones belong to Bell Canada. It mentions that slow security, bad service (by who I wonder), and lack of dining options are the reasons for this. At Terminal 3 once you go up to the elevator or escalator where you will see plenty of phone booths and where you will see the check-in counter, you will see two gifts shops both competing for your dollars, if you turn to the right there is Tim Hortons, turn the left you will see Panopolis. Go into the food court and see Swiss Chalet, as a place to
to dine, there are actually two dining places in the food court which are not hard to find. Trust me it's a food court, of course they're easy to find. Once you pass through security and into the restricted area, you will find places like Fionn McCool's, two more Timmies B-22 & 26. and if your flight is too the U.S. you will go to the U.S. gates like A-10 or B-19 and will find a place called Front Street. There is also a food court on the restricted side.
 Any ideas of there not being enough places to eat in both the restricted and unrestricted areas is sadly mistaken. In other words, there is NO lack of dining options at the Airport. The excerpt says the Airport in Fort Worth, Texas has over 50 restaurants, I say so what. There is no lack of dining options at Pearson. That, as the excerpt says is for all 33 million people who passed through Pearson last year. 50 Restaurants.
Are there any Timmies?
It also mentions a play area for kids. If there are, I don't know where, but generally parents will keep their children with them and usually they will behave. It may not be necessary to have an area for kids can play. What you have to remember is that the few of you are taking a flight. You're not going to be there long. Two hours. Maybe longer. It may not be necessary to have a play area for kids. So any suggestions of copying the Airport in Frankfurt (I would assume that's Germany) is not necessary. We don't need to copy anybody. Pearson is not the worst Airport in Canada.
 As a suggestion, it says that parking at Pearson can be a problem. I have two suggestions.
First. Have someone drive you to the Airport, and pick you up again when you return. No cost.
Second. Take Public Transit. The TTC 192 bus coming out of Kipling Station will take you there. Also
the 58A bus from Lawrence West Station will take you to Pearson as well as the 300A blue night bus and all surrounding transit systems like Mississauga Transit and Brampton Transit. There is a Airport Train that will take you between T-1 and T-3 and additional parking if you have a 7am Departure. You maybe there to pick someone up coming off a flight. You can park right in front the the entrance and wait for your guest to arrive or you can even wait inside, and still park in front. No charge.
 It again says as a suggestion that we can copy the example of the Johannesburg Airport and it's innovative system, where green and red lights were installed to signal if there was any open parking spots. But as the picture below says there is plenty of parking for anyone leaving, going, or picking up a passenger.
 I'm not sure if it's a good idea. If it works then sure. But how much does it costs? Do we need it. No.
But try to look at it this way. The Star is trying to argue that this is the worst Airport. Have they been to every Airport they've mentioned in this excerpt and seen for themselves? Have they counted every eating place in Dallas, Fort Worth, Texas?  Did they look at the three play areas at Pearson? Again, I don't know where they are and I've been there for 2.5 years.
One more thing, The Star is offering five suggestions because Pearson was named 2 years in a row as the worst Airport in Canada. But one need only go to Terminal 3 over by Gate B-22 (you'll find a timmies there too) and see that according to International Air Transport Association (IATA), Pearson was named the most improved Airport of the year in 2010. Look and see below.

Big Question: How do you go from most improved to the worst in the Country?

In conclusion I say this. The Star may be the biggest Newspaper chain, but I don't buy their newspaper. Never really did. This is why. Their liberal slant, Police bashing and bad journalism is enough to make a person buy something of better quality, like the National Post. Just for their superior journalism.

I think the Star justs look for things like this too fill up it's newspaper. Without doing research. The only thing they're good at is diggng up the past. Especially Stephen Harper and the Police. Just recently, I posted the Star's take on the R.C.M.P and everything they did in the past. Things that although they were awful, they were no longer relevant, and certainly not on people's minds. They're still not. lol. It's good to have a sense of humor. The Lord God does. They know how to dig up the past. But do little to find research. Eventually, people will stop buying this newspaper. They will get tired of it's usual tirade. People will find something else to read. There are options. The National Post is one. The NP is a better quality Newspaper.

Here is the latest:

http://www.thestar.com/business/article/1229738--toronto-pearson-international-s-most-irritating-traveller-traps

Have a nice day.