Canada’s four major cities are Toronto, Vancouver, Montreal, and Calgary, and in my opinion, Calgary International Airport might be your most low-stress option out of the four. As a gateway that offers non-stop service to close to 100 destinations in North America and abroad, it’s pleasant, friendly, and well-laid-out.
I’ve connected through YYC from Vancouver en route to Europe for the world hockey championships, and I’ve landed there after completing an Arctic expedition cruise in Nunavut. Whatever the circumstances, whether you’re arriving or departing, you feel like you’re in good hands in Alberta’s biggest city.
By car, taxi, or limousine, the Calgary airport is about a half-hour drive from downtown. It can be closer to 20 minutes at off-peak hours or 45 minutes during rush hour. I’m always amused by how simple the route is even if your GPS isn’t working: from downtown, head north on Alberta Highway 2 and follow Airport Trail on to Airport Road. Done deal.
YYC has the major rideshare companies, including Uber, Lyft and Turo. In my experience, there are rarely lineups for taxis or sedans. The commercial curb across from passenger pick-up is where you’ll find public bus #300, which gets you into the city core in roughly 40 minutes. Hotel shuttles and buses to Banff also depart from that curb.
Calgary International Airport features two terminals, one for domestic travel and one for U.S. and international travel, with six concourses. Good news: everything is connected. Essentially, when you go inside, it’s domestic to your left (Concourses A1, A2, B, and C) and international (Concourse D) and U.S. (Concourse E) to your right.
The walkways are all nice and broad. I find using the interactive maps on YYC.com, which include walking times, makes it easy to get around. You can also ride the free-of-charge YYC Link, an in-terminal shuttle, to access the various concourses. Making connections is by and large simple and seamless at YYC: just follow the purple signs. And when you exit to arrivals, there are high-visibility electronic signs specifying which baggage carousel your suitcases are on.
Folks on-site are generally happy to point you in the right direction. I usually look for one of the White Hat Volunteers, sporting the cowboy hat symbol of the annual Calgary Stampede. But the red-jacketed Customer Care Ambassadors, or nearly anyone wearing a restricted area ID card at YYC, are useful resources too.
There are a lot of ways to get through security lineups quickly at Calgary airport, and wait times tend to be brief outside peak periods in any case.
Nexus and Trusted Traveller lanes are available for expedited screening. Handy tip: in my experience, Security D (serving both domestic and international flights) has the quickest lineups on average. With a little planning, you can also pre-book a time to go through security with the YYC Express app. It’s available before 12 noon for both Security D and E (serving U.S. flights).
Like my home airport in Vancouver, YYC is a U.S. pre-clearance facility (open 4:30 pm to 8:00 pm), which greatly speeds things up when you arrive south of the border.
Calgary is WestJet’s hub, and the airline’s ritzy Elevate Lounge (Concourse B) offers showers, artisan cocktails, and local artwork aplenty. The Air Canada Maple Leaf domestic lounge (Concourse C) is nice and spacious with excellent views of the Calgary skyline and Rocky Mountains, as I discovered at the end of a recent adventure in the mountains of eastern British Columbia.
For U.S and international passengers, there are two Aspire lounges (Concourses D and E) with personal TVs, unlimited wifi, and other amenities.
Pre-security, margherita pizza with a glass of red wine at Bistro on the Bow at arrivals is always a welcome proposition. YYC also has a solid food court, with chain mainstays like Subway and Edo Japan alongside locally founded eateries like Chachi’s, which dishes up Mexican fare. There’s great plane-spotting via the floor-to-ceiling windows.
Post-security eateries for craft beer lovers include Summit House (Concourse B) and Belgian Beer Cafe (Concourse E). The Burger Federation (Concourse A), Vino Volo (Concourse C) and The Kitchen by Wolfgang Puck (Concourse E) are other names for savvy diners to check out.
Thinking of dining at one of the on-site airport hotels? Head to Codo Agave Social House at the Delta Calgary Airport In-Terminal Hotel and dig into their nachos or fish tacos. I’m a fan of the steak sandwiches and poke bowls at the Marriott Calgary Airport In-Terminal Hotel’s spacious Yakima Social Kitchen + Bar.
It’s hard to go wrong with either the Marriott Calgary Airport In-Terminal Hotel or the Delta Calgary Airport In-Home Hotel. Both these brand-name offer free high-speed Internet, fitness centres, and lots of other great amenities for business travellers. And there’s nothing quite like staying right at the airport when you’ve got an early flight.
The Delta underwent an extensive renovation in 2022. Conversely, while the Marriott is a little pricier, I’d say it offers better views of the airfield and also wins the breakfast category.
YYC is ultra-accessible from almost every standpoint. As someone with older relatives who are no longer as mobile as they used to be, I appreciate the availability of mobility guidance, including help with baggage, from curbside to check-in. Hearing loop technology is available: check at the information desk for help. There are also dedicated accessible lines at security.
Seven in-terminal pet relief areas, the most in Canada, await your furry friends. To reduce passenger stress during peak times from Wednesdays to Saturdays, the airport even brings in dogs and cats tagged “Pet Me” via a partnership with the local Pet Access League Society.
While arriving early is always a good idea, spacious and quiet spaces abound at Calgary Airport. Pre-check in, near the check-in counters, Kananaskis Hall is your best bet. A 24/7 Prayer Room awaits people of all faiths and non-religious travellers close to the food court.
The area near Gate A24 on the domestic departures side is also very chilled-out. Ditto for the space outside the Aspire Lounge on Concourse E for U.S. travellers. And if you’re in the mood for some pre- or post-flight pampering, I recommend the massage and manicure options at the OraOxygen Wellness Spa.
The Calgary International Airport car rental center is easy to find: it’s attached via a walkway that spans the road in front of arrivals at Door 6. You can also access it at departures level via a crosswalk. All major car-rental brand names are represented, including the likes of Alamo, Avis, Budget, Enterprise, Hertz, National, and Thrifty. Service is quick: I hit the road on a trip to Stettler, Alberta just minutes after disembarking at YYC.
Extensive short-term and long-term parking awaits right outside the terminal. You can save money and time by pre-booking your parking on YYC.com. If you want to greet arriving friends or family members and time things right, you can get 20 minutes of free short-term parking.
Even when the world-famous Calgary Stampede isn’t on, there are still plenty of entertaining and educational options around Calgary. On a recent visit, I admired the 2018-built Calgary Central Library’s soaring architecture, enjoyed an exhibition on music and wellness at the nearby National Music Centre, and devoured Caesar salad and filet mignon at the classic Caesar’s Steakhouse.
For a bird’s-eye view of the city, the 626-foot-high Calgary Tower is the local answer to Toronto’s CN Tower or Seattle’s Space Needle. Sports buffs enjoy exploring the legacy of the 1988 Winter Olympics at Canada Olympic Park.
YYC is rich in visual treats for art lovers. On the international concourse where visitors exit Canadian customs and immigration, a huge “Canada” sign is a popular photo-op. I’m partial to Robert Keith Spaith’s nearby Breakaway statue, a vivid bronze depiction of wild horses, and Michel Maillot’s 220-foot-long Glacier Wall, made of thermoformed glass, is likewise an eye-catcher. Water features and displays of vintage cars from Calgary’s Heritage Park add to the distinctive ambience.
For aficionados of Indigenous art, it’s well worth admiring the granite bears carved by Stewart Steinhauer, an Alberta-based Cree artist, in the international terminal.
This KAYAK-commissioned article is presented as-is, for general informational purposes only, and may not be up-to-date. The opinions contained in the article are original to the author and reflect their authentic experience, which may vary significantly from the experience of others.
IATA Code | YYC |
---|---|
Serves | Calgary |
Hub for | Condor, Philippine Airlines, LOT |