Toronto Pearson Airport Terminal 3 serves WestJet, Porter, Air Transat and many other international and leisure airlines at YYZ. For a chauffeured transfer from T3, your pre-booked car meets you at the terminal's pre-arranged commercial pickup area once you have your bags, or inside the arrivals hall with the meet and greet add-on. A downtown sedan runs $130–160 all-in, plus HST.
Toronto Pearson Airport Terminal 3 at a glance
Terminal 3 is Pearson's second passenger building, sitting to the west of Terminal 1 across the airport's inner road system and linked to it by the free Terminal Link train. It is a big, busy terminal in its own right, with domestic, US transborder and international flights, and it handles much of the sun-destination and charter traffic that peaks in winter and March Break. For a Toronto Pearson Airport Terminal 3 transfer, the key things to know are which level each kind of traffic uses, where booked cars load, and how long each arrival type takes to reach the door. That is what this page covers, from the dispatcher's side of the job. For an overview of both buildings, start with the Toronto Pearson airport transfer hub; for the other building, see Pearson Terminal 1.
Which airlines use Terminal 3
WestJet operates from Terminal 3, as does Porter for its Pearson jet network and Air Transat for its leisure and transatlantic flights. Terminal 3 also houses a wide range of other international airlines and seasonal carriers. Terminal assignments shift with new routes and seasons, and codeshares follow the operating carrier, so we do not reproduce a full list; check your boarding pass and the airline directory on Toronto Pearson's website, or the airline itself, for example WestJet or Porter. Our terminal finder covers the usual cases. If you book with a flight number, dispatch matches it to the live record, so even if you guess the wrong terminal the chauffeur goes to the right one.
Fixed fares from Terminal 3
Terminal 3 fares are the same as Terminal 1 fares; the building never changes the price. Planning figures, business sedan, one way, all-in, plus HST:
| From Terminal 3 to | Business sedan | Luxury van / SUV (approx.) |
|---|---|---|
| Downtown Toronto | $130–160 | $165–205 |
| Etobicoke | $90–120 | $115–160 |
| Scarborough | $145–175 | $180–225 |
| Brampton | $100–130 | $130–165 |
| Richmond Hill | $135–165 | $175–220 |
| Burlington | $150–190 | $190–240 |
| Kitchener-Waterloo | $265–325 | $330–420 |
| Barrie | $265–315 | $330–415 |
A first-class sedan is about 50 % above the business sedan; a 14-seat Sprinter is roughly 2.2 times it. Exact fares for your address and date appear in the reservation engine, and the full list is on our airport rates page.
Domestic arrivals at Terminal 3
WestJet and Porter domestic flights reach the domestic baggage hall quickly, and most travellers are at the door 15–30 minutes after the aircraft parks. Our included wait on Canadian and US flights is 30 minutes from the actual landing, which covers that comfortably. The things that slow a domestic arrival are a remote stand with a bus transfer, a delayed bag delivery during a busy wave, or oversized items such as skis and golf clubs, which come out at a separate belt. If you are waiting for oversized baggage, message the chauffeur so they do not call the car to the curb too early. When you are ready, reply to the pickup text and head to the door it names.
US and international arrivals at Terminal 3
Anything arriving from outside Canada, including US flights, goes through the Canada Border Services Agency hall before baggage. That usually means a kiosk or eGate declaration, an officer where required, then the international baggage area and the final exit. Terminal 3 receives many flights from the Caribbean, Mexico and Europe, and in winter several sun-destination flights often land within the same hour, so the hall can be busy on Saturday and Sunday evenings. The optional Advance Declaration in ArriveCAN can speed up the kiosk step, and visitors from visa-exempt countries other than the US generally need an eTA before flying. We include 60 minutes of waiting from landing for these arrivals. Our guide arriving in Canada at Pearson walks through each step.
Where your chauffeur meets you at Terminal 3
Your fare includes curbside pickup at Terminal 3's pre-arranged commercial pickup area, the zone Pearson sets aside for booked taxis and limousines. Booked vehicles wait in a staging area and are called to the curb as their passengers come out, which is why you should call or message once you actually have your bags, not while you are still at the belt. Pearson's guidance for booked rides is to go to the designated area and let the dispatcher there know you are waiting, and the pre-arranged desk inside Terminal 3 is by Door A. The chauffeur's text on landing names the door to use. The airport does rearrange pickup areas during construction and peak periods, so the text is the reliable instruction; the Toronto Pearson transportation pages show the current plan, and our Pearson pickup rules guide explains how the categories differ.
Meet and greet at Terminal 3
Add meet and greet at booking (planning figure $25–35) and the chauffeur comes inside, waits at the exit from the arrivals halls with a name board and walks you to the car. At Terminal 3, domestic and international passengers come into the public area at different points, so dispatch positions the chauffeur at the exit your flight uses. This is particularly useful for families returning from a holiday with tired children, older relatives arriving from overseas, and groups who need one person to coordinate. Without the add-on, pickup is curbside; the chauffeur is not inside the terminal by default. The meet and greet page lists what is included.
Rideshare and taxis at Terminal 3: not where we meet you
At Terminal 3, app-based rideshare pickup is on the Arrivals Level in numbered zones around Doors B and D, with each app assigned particular zones and the app naming your bay. Pearson's licensed airport taxis and limousines load from their own stands on a zone flat rate. Pre-booked private cars use neither. Travellers who assume every car loads at the rideshare zones end up waiting at the wrong door while their chauffeur waits at the right one. If in doubt, stay inside by the door named in your text and phone the chauffeur. For price comparisons, see our flat-rate taxi alternative page.
Departures drop-off at Terminal 3
Departures at Terminal 3 are on the upper roadway in front of the check-in hall. Tell the chauffeur your airline and whether you are flying domestic, US or international, and we will stop as near the right check-in zone as traffic allows; stopping is for loading and unloading only. US-bound passengers clear US preclearance at Pearson after check-in, which adds a queue of its own, and sun-destination flights often check in large groups at the same time on winter weekend mornings. We recommend arriving at T3 two hours before domestic flights and three hours before US and international ones, more during March Break and the holidays. See how early to arrive at Pearson for the details.
Holiday season and March Break at Terminal 3
Because so much leisure flying uses Terminal 3, it feels the seasonal peaks hardest. The weeks around Christmas and New Year, Family Day weekend and Ontario's March Break bring early-morning departure waves to the Caribbean and Mexico and evening return waves a week later. On those days security and check-in queues grow, the departures curb is crowded, and the customs hall fills when several sun flights land together. We plan for it: departure pickups are nudged earlier, and we allocate more chauffeurs for Saturday and Sunday evening arrivals. If you are travelling as a family, book an executive SUV or luxury van so beach bags, car seats and strollers fit without a second car, and book early, because the good pickup times go first.
The Terminal Link train from Terminal 3
The free Terminal Link train connects Terminal 3 with Terminal 1 and with Viscount station for long-term parking and nearby hotels. It runs around the clock with frequent service and a short ride between stations. Terminal 3 passengers use it to reach the UP Express, which departs from the Terminal 1 station, and to connect to Air Canada flights on separate tickets. If you are meeting someone arriving at T1 while you land at T3, the train is quicker than the road; tell dispatch where you will be and the pickup is planned there at no extra charge.
UP Express and transit from Terminal 3
UP Express does not have a station at Terminal 3; you ride the Terminal Link to Terminal 1 first and then take the train to Union Station, about 25 minutes, roughly every 15 minutes. TTC routes including the 900 Airport Express to Kipling station also serve the airport; the TTC airport page has details. For a solo traveller heading to the core with light bags, that combination works. For families, groups, heavy luggage or suburban destinations, the connection time adds up, and a private car door to door is simpler. Our Pearson to downtown Toronto page compares the two.
Timing a Terminal 3 pickup by time of day
Terminal 3 has quick access to Highway 427, and the exit onto the airport road system is fast outside peak times. Weekday mornings are slow for city-bound trips on the 427 and Gardiner; expect 45–60 minutes to downtown between 7 and 9:30. Evenings from about 3:30 to 7 are slow for trips east and north on the 401. Sunday evenings in winter combine returning sun flights with weekend traffic, so the terminal curb itself can be the slow part. The engine proposes departure pickup times with a buffer for the hour, and dispatch reviews early-morning bookings when the weather is poor.
Vehicles for Terminal 3 pickups
Holiday returns are where vehicle choice matters most. A business sedan takes three people and three standard suitcases; that is not enough for a family of four with checked bags. An executive SUV or a luxury van seats six with six bags, and a 14-seat Sprinter van suits wedding parties returning from a destination wedding or sports teams. Stretch limousines, Rolls-Royce and party buses are supplied by vetted partner operators through the LimousineWorldwide.Directory network. Whatever the exemptions for taxis and buses, we fit the right child seat for every child who needs one.
Accessibility at Terminal 3
Pearson provides accessibility assistance inside its terminals, including support between the gate and the public area when requested through your airline. For the ground transfer, tell us at booking if you use a wheelchair or walker, whether it folds, and whether you need help transferring into the vehicle. The chauffeur will position the car at the curb with as much door clearance as the airport allows, and meet and greet is a good choice so there is someone to help with bags. For travellers who need a ramp or lift vehicle, see wheelchair accessible transfers.
Terminal 3 pickup checklist
- Book with the flight number; codeshares are the most common source of terminal confusion.
- Wait for all bags, including oversized items, before calling the car.
- Use the door in the chauffeur's text, not the Arrivals Level rideshare zones.
- Choose an SUV or van for holiday luggage and car seats.
- Travelling in March Break or December: book early and allow extra time on departure.
