Hamilton Airport - The Small"er" Airport Experience

August 12 2010 by Bryson Forbes

iStock_000007346883XSmall.jpgI live in Oakville, Ontario, a town 40 kilometres from Canada's biggest and busiest airport, Lester B. Pearson International (YYZ). A gateway to every corner of the globe, Pearson has three separate terminals and is centrally located in the GTA (Greater Toronto Area).

Like any world-class airport though, its strengths end up being among its weaknesses. The time spent on parking, making your way through security and retrieving your bags upon arrival is unpredictable at best--and generally a frustrating and time-consuming exercise.

An interesting fact I've come across only recently is that Pearson is not the only option. For those who live west of the city, John C. Munro/Hamilton International Airport (YHM) is a viable option. For me, it's almost equidistant to Pearson.

Here are a few things to take into consideration before choosing YHM:


  1. There are not many flight options. WestJet is the main tenant at YHM and although they serve most Canadian gateways, you can't fly to all of the same destinations as YYZ. Internationally, you can get to many key U.S. destinations including Las Vegas, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Orlando, Phoenix and Hawaii, as well as the Dominican Republic and Mexico. If you're flexible, the benefits may outweigh the limitations.

  2. Overall, prices tend to be lower. My research has found that although airfares are quite similar between YYZ and YHM, the ancillary fees are less at the latter. For example, parking is dramatically lower in Hamilton. In fact, short-term pick up is free!

  3. You'll save time. Checking in, getting through security and to your gate will literally take minutes at YHM. If you arrive an hour before your flight, you'll likely have 45 minutes to kill before boarding.

My mom recently flew in to YHM from Calgary. Her flight home left at 7:00 pm, and if she had flown out of YYZ, we would have been caught in at least an hour of traffic. Wisely, she flew out of YHM and was able to safely leave my house at 5:30pm--with enough time left to enjoy a coffee at her gate.

What airport experiences have you recently had and do you have any tips to share?

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