When booking limos to Toronto airport, confirm twelve things: flight number, terminal, pickup time worked back from departure, the exact pickup address and access, passenger count, bag count and odd sizes, vehicle class, child seats, accessibility needs, contact details that work abroad, the all-in fare and what it includes, and the cancellation terms. Get all of it in the written confirmation.
Most airport pickups that go wrong fail on a detail that could have been settled at booking: the wrong terminal, a missing car seat, a condo with no visitor parking, a phone number that does not work abroad. This checklist is the order our dispatchers work through when they take a booking. Use it with any company; when you are ready, our Pearson airport limo service page shows the fares and vehicle classes, and the booking page takes every item below in one form.
Booking limos to Toronto airport: the checklist at a glance
| # | Item | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Flight number and airline | Flight tracking and the right terminal |
| 2 | Terminal 1 or Terminal 3 | Different curbs, different pickup areas |
| 3 | Pickup time | Worked back from your departure, not guessed |
| 4 | Exact address and access | Condos, gates, loading docks, buzzers |
| 5 | Passenger count | Vehicle size and seat belts for everyone |
| 6 | Bag count and odd sizes | Whether everything fits in one vehicle |
| 7 | Vehicle class | Sedan, SUV, van or Sprinter |
| 8 | Child seats | Right seat, fitted before pickup |
| 9 | Accessibility | Ramp, lift, folding chair or extra help |
| 10 | Contact details | A number that works on roaming, plus WhatsApp |
| 11 | Fare and inclusions | Gratuity, fees, tolls, HST, waiting |
| 12 | Changes and cancellation | Written terms and your return trip |
1. Flight number and airline
Give the flight number for every airport booking, in both directions. For a pickup it lets the chauffeur follow the actual landing time rather than the scheduled one, so the included waiting of 60 minutes for international arrivals and 30 minutes for Canadian and US starts only when you land. For a drop-off it confirms your airline, which tells the chauffeur which terminal curb to use. If you are on a codeshare, give the number of the airline actually operating the flight.
2. Terminal 1 or Terminal 3
Pearson has two passenger terminals and they are not side by side. Air Canada and most Star Alliance carriers use Terminal 1; WestJet, Porter and many others use Terminal 3, but assignments change, so check your booking and our terminal finder. The free Terminal Link train connects them if you end up at the wrong one. Toronto Pearson's own website lists airlines by terminal and posts any changes.
3. Pickup time, worked backwards
For departures, start from the time your airline wants you at the counter and work back. Add the drive time for your time of day, a buffer for weather and a little slack for loading bags. From downtown a car takes about 25 minutes overnight and 45-70 minutes at weekday rush hour. Our guide to how early to arrive at Pearson sets out airport buffers for domestic, US and international flights. Security wait times are published by CATSA, the screening authority.
4. The exact pickup address and how to get in
"123 Front Street" is not always enough. Tell the dispatcher which entrance to use, whether there is a concierge, a buzzer code, a gated community, a laneway house or a loading dock, and where a large car can stop. Downtown condo towers often have a residential lobby on one street and a hotel entrance on another. For a hotel, give the hotel name as well as the address. Point-to-point pickups include 15 minutes of waiting, so being clear saves you minutes.
5. The passenger count, including children
Count everyone, including babies. Every passenger needs a seat and a belt, and children affect which seats are usable once a car seat is fitted. A business sedan takes three passengers, an executive SUV or luxury van six, and a Sprinter fourteen.
6. The bag count, and anything odd-shaped
Count checked bags and carry-ons separately and mention anything unusual: golf clubs, ski or snowboard bags, a bike box, a musical instrument, a stroller, a wheelchair or walker, or a pet carrier. A sedan takes about three checked bags; an SUV or van about six; a Sprinter fourteen. The single most common reason a family needs a second car at the curb is bags nobody mentioned.
7. The vehicle class that actually fits
Choose the vehicle from passengers and bags together:
- Business sedan: 3 passengers, 3 bags.
- First-class sedan (S-Class or 7 Series): 3 passengers, 3 bags, about +50 % over the sedan fare.
- Executive SUV (Escalade, Navigator, Suburban): 6 and 6, about +25-30 %.
- Luxury van (V-Class, Pacifica): 6 and 6, about +25-30 %.
- Sprinter: 14 and 14, about 2.2 times the sedan fare.
Stretch limousines, Rolls-Royce and party buses come from vetted partner operators and are booked by the hour; they rarely suit an airport run. Details are on our fleet page.
8. Child seats, requested at booking
Say how many children, their ages and weights, and which seat each needs: rear-facing infant, convertible or booster. Ontario's rules exempt taxis and buses for hire from car-seat requirements, but we fit a proper seat for every child who needs one regardless. The province's child car seat guide explains which stage fits which child. Seats are on request, added at booking, and are free or a small planning figure of $10-15 each; our child car seat transfers page has the details.
9. Accessibility and extra help
Tell the dispatcher about any mobility needs: a folding wheelchair that travels in the trunk, a power chair that needs a ramp or lift, a walker, or a passenger who needs a steady arm from the door. The right vehicle is different in each case. Airline wheelchair assistance inside the terminal is arranged with your airline; our wheelchair-accessible transfers cover the ground part.
10. Contact details that work when you land
Give a mobile number that will work on arrival, with the country code, and say whether you use WhatsApp, which many international visitors prefer because it works on Wi-Fi. If you are booking for someone else, a parent flying in or a visiting executive, give their number as well as yours, and say who should get the updates.
11. The fare, and exactly what it includes
Before you confirm, read what the price covers. A TorontoAirportTransfer.services fare is fixed and shown before you book: chauffeur, vehicle, fuel, airport fees, 407 tolls if used and gratuity are included, and HST is shown separately. Curbside pickup at the terminal's pre-arranged commercial pickup area is what the fare includes; meet and greet inside the arrivals hall with a name board is an optional add-on with a planning figure of $25-35. If another company quotes you, ask the same questions so you compare like with like.
12. Changes, cancellation and the return trip
Get the cancellation terms in writing. Ours are the same sitewide: more than 72 hours before pickup, no charge; 72 hours or less, 10 %; 48 hours or less, 50 %; 24 hours or less or a no-show, 100 %, all measured from the scheduled pickup. While you are booking, add the return leg: securing the ride home at the same fixed price is one less thing to arrange from a hotel room abroad.
Booking for someone else
Many airport bookings are made by someone who is not travelling: an executive assistant, an adult child booking for a parent, a host booking for a visiting speaker. Give the passenger's name exactly as the chauffeur should display or ask for it, their mobile number and preferred language, and your own number as the booker. Say who should receive updates and who pays. For an elderly or first-time traveller, meet and greet inside the arrivals hall is worth the add-on, because the chauffeur finds them rather than the other way round. Our family visits and reunions page covers the common questions.
If the flight is diverted, cancelled or rebooked
Flight tracking follows delays automatically, but some changes need a message from you. If your flight is cancelled and you are rebooked on a new flight number, tell dispatch the new number. If a winter storm diverts you to Montreal or Ottawa, the original pickup cannot happen; contact us and we will reschedule or, if you prefer, quote a long-distance pickup. If you miss a connection in another city and arrive the next day, let us know as soon as you have the new flight. Changes made more than 72 hours ahead are free, and the earlier dispatch hears about an airline change, the easier it is to move your car to the new time without fuss. Keep the confirmation email open on your phone so the booking reference is to hand when you message.
A booking note you can copy
Send this, filled in, with any booking:
- Flight: airline and flight number from London Heathrow, lands 14:10, Terminal 1
- Pickup: Pearson, curbside (or meet and greet)
- Drop-off: 88 Harbour Street, residential lobby on Harbour, concierge 24 h
- Passengers: 2 adults, 1 child aged 3 (convertible seat)
- Bags: 3 checked, 2 carry-on, 1 stroller
- Vehicle: executive SUV
- Contact: +44 mobile, WhatsApp yes
- Return: 22 March, same address, return flight number
The details in the example are illustrative; use your own.
Mistakes that the checklist prevents
- Booking for the scheduled landing time without a flight number.
- Choosing a sedan for four people because "the kids are small".
- Forgetting the stroller, which takes as much room as a suitcase.
- Leaving out the condo entrance, so the chauffeur waits at the wrong door.
- Giving a home number that will not work abroad.
- Assuming gratuity is included, or not, without checking.
After you book
Keep the confirmation handy, turn on your phone as soon as you land and, for international arrivals, allow time for the customs hall; our note on Pearson pickup rules and waiting areas explains where to go once you are through. If anything changes, a flight, a passenger count, a new address, tell dispatch as early as you can; changes more than 72 hours ahead are free.
