Viral video documents liminal spaces of Pearson Airport's 'lost' terminal
Catching a flight out of Toronto Pearson Airport means you can expect a bit of walking through check-in areas and security points before you arrive at your gate.
However, a specific set of Terminal 1 gates at Canada's largest travel hub are standing out among the rest, with passengers comparing the journey accessing the "lost" gates to a "labyrinth," or even a "fun maze."
The gates, namely F84-F99 are located in one of three wings at the airport's Terminal 1, and according to a sign at the travel hub, can be reached following a seven-minute walk.
A TikTok of a passenger who recently travelled through what they called the "lost" terminal recently amassed nearly 700,000 views, and showed all the tunnels, escalators, and hallways travellers must trek through before arriving at their gate.
@kellyklaing Pearson.. girl that is NOT a 7min hike. ✈️ 🧳 #toronto #ontario #canada #pearson #pearsonairport #traveltok #travelling #torontopearsonairport #pearsonairport #travel ♬ In this shirt - ___lyrics.___
A Greater Toronto Airports Authority (GTAA) spokesperson explained to blogTO that these off-the-beaten-path gates are used to accommodate smaller aircraft.
A few commenters noted that they'd gone down these less-travelled corridors themselves.
"Been there done that. Air Canada flight to Boston. Gate 99! I think it was just outside Oshawa," one person joked under the video.
"Last time I walked there...I thought we were meeting the mechanics," another comment reads, with others echoing the sentiment that the wing sometimes feels like a restricted or VIP area thanks to its sequestered location.
"Listen! One time I almost turned back because I thought I was going into unauthorized areas," one person chimed in.
Others noted that they actually enjoyed flying out of the secluded gates, which still come with a Starbucks that offers a bit of "peace" away from all the hustle and bustle of the airport.
"It has a lounge, food, bar, and is more quiet than not," another passenger wrote. "The shipping container gates...but it's a great little Maple Leaf lounge there," a person added.
Other travellers noted that the quiet area is actually much more accessible than departure and connection points at other international airports. "Try Dubai airport. One hour walk to take a connection," one traveller said.
"I actually like flying out of there," another comment reads. "It's somewhat relaxing."
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