Montréal-Pierre Elliott Trudeau International Airport — Attraction in Dorval

I have rarely experienced such a cold and disrespectful attitude from an airline. We had already flown more than eight hours from Zurich to Montreal when we were denied boarding for our connecting flight to Punta Cana. The reason: we hadn’t filled out the so-called eTicket required for entry into the Dominican Republic.

What Air Canada completely ignored is that this form can be submitted online right up until immigration, as confirmed by the official Dominican government. They simply didn’t care. We were turned away with no support, no Wi-Fi, no assistance, and no attempt at a solution. I stood there with my four-year-old daughter, overwhelmed and helpless. The staff showed no empathy, no responsibility, and no willingness to assist.

For my daughter, the situation was extremely distressing. After a long intercontinental flight, we were rerouted to Toronto, forced to stay overnight, and deal with more waiting. It was exhausting for her emotionally, and for us it was a logistical and psychological nightmare. I was on the verge of a breakdown.

This ordeal cost us over 600 Swiss francs in unplanned expenses for hotel, food, and transportation. On top of that, we lost a fully paid vacation day that we will never get back.

What makes the situation even more absurd is the fact that in Toronto, no one asked us about the eTicket. No check, no mention. In Montreal, it was supposedly a reason to block our journey, in Toronto it didn’t matter at all. This shows how arbitrary and inconsistent Air Canada's procedures are.

All three flights we took with Air Canada were also a disgrace in terms of cleanliness. Dirty seats, stained tray tables, grimy windows, worn-out cabins. For a global airline, this is unacceptable and frankly disgusting.

To make matters worse, our checked luggage arrived more than a full day late, despite repeated assurances from both the gate staff and the Air Canada info desk that it would arrive on time in Punta Cana. The local baggage support at the airport was appalling – slow, disorganized, and almost impossible to reach. We were left to sort everything out ourselves without any reliable information or assistance.

This airline completely abandoned us. In a situation that called for empathy, communication, and basic support, what we experienced was indifference, incompetence, and a total lack of responsibility. Absolutely unfit for families. A risk for any traveler.

Never...

This is for my horrible experience with the TSA security person (skinny brunette covered in tattoos) who was in the international connections part of the airport. I had all my shower items, moisturizers, self care, etc. packed very carefully in reusable silicon TSA approved 2.5 oz containers and she made me go through all of them and throw out a lot of my stuff because it didn’t fit in a tiny little plastic bag. If I had known they had these ridiculous rules about a plastic bag the size of a boggy poop bag, I would have made sure to book a flight that did not pass through Canada. She also was counting things as liquids that from a chemical definition, are not. A block of shea moisturizer in a metal tin. Which is a solid a room temperature. I could turn it upside down and it was solid. She also pulled out make up which was a pressed powder, not liquid at all. She then tried saying anything that you spread on your skin is a liquid. Now as someone with a science degree, that is point blank simply wrong. Perhaps your TSA agents should be informed on the actual definition of a liquid before trying to enforce rules that they clearly lack the fundamental understanding of. Mind you, I’ve traveled like this with these containers for the past 5 years to countless countries and never had any issues. These were high quality reusable silicon containers with expensive products and now they’re just sitting in a landfill. Not very eco-friendly for a country that claims to care about the environment. After all that they were like ok you can out your stuff back now (because I had everything separated before into different compartments of my travel organizer bag). So I had all my stuff torn apart with an attitude for them to throw out travel size approved shampoo, conditioner, toner, and moisturizer, cuticle oil, face washes, microdermabrasion scrub, and nail polish. Great job guys, really keeping your borders safe from what? Clean hair? Pretty nails? 🙄 Maybe try to focus on important things…like drugs...

Montréal-Pierre Elliott Trudeau International Airport (YUL) has a rich and evolving history. Originally known as Dorval Airport, it opened its doors to the public in 1941, serving as a key aviation hub in the province of Quebec, Canada. Over the decades, it has grown significantly, both in terms of size and the volume of passengers it handles annually.

Renamed in 2004 to honor former Canadian Prime Minister Pierre Elliott Trudeau, the airport has undergone numerous expansions and upgrades to accommodate increasing traffic and enhance passenger experience. Today, it stands out as one of Canada's busiest airports, welcoming millions of travelers from around the globe.

Despite its modern amenities and strategic importance, navigating through Trudeau Airport can be demanding, especially when connecting flights internationally. For a traveler journeying from Spain to Montreal and onwards to Tampa, the transit experience might be tiring due to rigorous security protocols. Passengers often undergo multiple security screenings, including during transit, to ensure safety and compliance with international regulations. This can lead to increased fatigue after a long flight, especially when these checks include revalidation of boarding passes even for basic activities like using the facilities.

While these procedures are essential for maintaining stringent security standards, they may sometimes feel cumbersome. Nonetheless, the airport strives to balance safety with passenger satisfaction, continually working on improving the efficiency of its processes and infrastructure to better accommodate the needs of its diverse travelers.

In summary, Montréal-Pierre Elliott Trudeau International Airport remains a vital gateway to Canada and beyond, marked by its historical significance and ongoing efforts to improve the travel experience, albeit with the occasional challenges inherent in modern air...