Flight Report – AC 522 – YYZ to BOS

Since I was scheduled to be in Boston for a work trip that required me to fly in on Sunday, I decided to just fly in one day earlier and give myself 24 hours to explore as much as I could in this historic city.  Coincidentally, there was supposed to be a Stanley Cup Playoff game to be played between the Boston Bruins and the Toronto Maple Leafs.  So needless to say, it was a smart move on my part to book this Saturday morning flight.

Pearson International Airport - Terminal 1 Entrance

I was bit nervous to see what highway traffic would be like on the way to Pearson International Airport.  No matter what time of the day or week, Highway 401 always seems to be like a parking lot near the airport.  Fortunately, that was not the case today as I was able to get there within 20 minutes by cab.  That must be a record as it usually takes me 30 minutes on average to get to the airport.  Ironically, check-in took me twice as long only because I tried checking in the Air Canada domestic booth by mistake instead of going to their U.S. departures booth instead.  That ate up about 10 extra minutes.

I hope to visit over 180 destinations worldwide in my lifetime!

My Boston flight was departing from Gate F64, so with about an hour to spare before boarding, I walked around there for a bit looking for a different Pearson Airport restaurant to eat at this time.  Lo and behold, there was a Wahlburgers nearby.  Founded by native Bostonians and celebrities Mark and Donnie Wahlberg, it only seemed appropriate that I have my first Wahlburgers experience here at the airport.  What a great way to kick off my trip to Boston – or so I thought.  After the underwhelming service at Wahlburgers, I made it back to my gate just in the nick of time for boarding.  The flight was a 2 x 2 formation and pretty full.  You could tell there were a few people heading to Boston for the hockey game as I saw quite a few Leafs hats being worn.  As usual, I had a window seat to enjoy the view leaving Toronto and heading into Boston.

Boarding Air Canada Flight #522

Beside me sat a very friendly, yet talkative, 62 year old woman named Judy.  She told me she was a lawyer and worked for the Government.  There was a Board of Directors meeting at her Alma Mater that she needed to attend to in Boston, but just like me, she decided to fly in early to see a bit of the city and visit some friends of hers near the area.  Over the course of the 1 hour flight, Judy and I swapped stories about travel, family, and career.  Well, she mainly told me stories about her life, children, career, and travels, and I sat there and just listened.  I could have easily stopped the conversation at any point that I wanted, but she seemed eager to connect with someone – as if she hadn’t had the opportunity to have this type of conversation with another person in quite some time.  But hey, it helped to pass time and I got to learn a little more about Jewish culture and Tel Aviv as a result.

The Toronto skyline en route to Boston

The arrival into Boston Logan International Airport was absolutely stunning as we landed near the harbor.  Somehow we made up a bit of time, so instead of a 90 minute flight, we got there a little over an hour.  Judy and I made our separate ways on the way to the luggage carousel.  She told me that we can take a free shuttle from Boston Logan Airport to the nearest subway station so I could get to my hotel a lot cheaper.  Since I was staying near the Dorchester area instead of downtown Boston, I opted for an Uber instead.  Within a few minutes, I was on my way to the hotel and the start of a 24 hour world wind tour of Boston.  First stop – Dorchester Brewery!

Boston Logan International Airport

AC 522 – YYZ to BOS                                                                       

Operated by: Air Canada 

Aircraft:  Embraer ERJ-190 (twin-jet); Seat: 31F

Cabin:  Business:  Breakfast / Economy:  Food for Sale

Depart: 10:57AM EST – Toronto Pearson International Airport (YYZ) – Terminal 1, Gate F64

Arrive:  12:03PM EST – Boston Logan International Airport (BOS)  

Flight Time: 1:06; Non-Stop Flight – 488 Miles/785 Kilometers; Date:  April 21, 2018