Q for Canadian air travellers

[mexico5]

Hi, I have a question for those Canadian travellers. We have always flown out of Florida with a connecting flight in Toronto or Montreal. Well to say it was a gong show would be putting it mildly! We had to retrieve our luggage, go through this, go through that, go through security...with 3 hours to connect we were running like a grizzly was behind us! So...can I ask what it's like when you fly out of the US with a connecting flight in the US? For example..we fly out of San Diego and if we connected in SFO would they put our bags through for us?? There is a flight with only an hour to spare between the connections so I am wondering if this is the case? I suppose since we connected in a Canadian city that's where we might have gone through customs and the whole 9 yards but if we connected through a US city we would wait to go through customs in Calgary?

 

Sorry for the rant...just wanted to see if there is a difference in US vs CAN connections.Thanks!

[startwin]

Hi, I have a question for those Canadian travellers. We have always flown out of Florida with a connecting flight in Toronto or Montreal. Well to say it was a gong show would be putting it mildly! We had to retrieve our luggage, go through this, go through that, go through security...with 3 hours to connect we were running like a grizzly was behind us! So...can I ask what it's like when you fly out of the US with a connecting flight in the US? For example..we fly out of San Diego and if we connected in SFO would they put our bags through for us?? There is a flight with only an hour to spare between the connections so I am wondering if this is the case? I suppose since we connected in a Canadian city that's where we might have gone through customs and the whole 9 yards but if we connected through a US city we would wait to go through customs in Calgary?

 

Sorry for the rant...just wanted to see if there is a difference in US vs CAN connections.Thanks!

 

All I can tell you is that for our flight TO Fort Lauderdale, our TA has advised that we fly an airline with a connecting flight in the US, not Canada, so that we don't have to collect the bags and re-check them. We've never flown to FL before, so I have no previous experience to draw on.

[camrosegirl]

Hi,

 

Agree with you about Toronto!!! Your bags would be sent to Calgary--no worries at US connecting airport--try to avoid LA. I often fly to my cruises through Houston,San francisco,Seattle etc.

 

One thing to remember is that US airlines charge $20-$25 per bag while Westjet and Air Canada allow you 1 or 2 bags free. I always book flights according to times and cost and often find the US carriers to be cheaper. Next week I am going to Fort Lauderdale through Houston with Continental as Air Canada required an overnight flight to Toronto and I am not going to do that.

 

Happy cruising

 

Sherlyn

[ab0si]

Not a Canadian (although I do have a place on Cape Breton), but the answer is:

 

You would go through passport control and customs at your first stop in Canada.

 

Your baggage will be transfered without you seeing it if the airlines in question have a baggage agreement. So if you fly, for example, United to SFO and AC out of there, your baggage will be transfered. If you fly to SFO on Southwest (I have no idea if they even fly there), for example, you will need to claim your baggage, go to the AC counter and recheck it and then go through security again.

 

The need or lack thereof for going through security at your first (U.S.) stop depends on the configuration of the airport. I fit is one big terminal you will not need to. If there are multiple terminals but they have airside transfers, you will not. Otherwise you will.

[Squirt09]

All I can tell you is that for our flight TO Fort Lauderdale, our TA has advised that we fly an airline with a connecting flight in the US, not Canada, so that we don't have to collect the bags and re-check them. We've never flown to FL before, so I have no previous experience to draw on.

 

 

Hi, we have the same issue when flying out of Winnipeg. Therefore we are flying to Ft. Lauderdale out of North Dakota (only 1 1/2 drive from here) Our luggage will be checked directly through to Ft. Lauderdale and as previous poster states we will have to pay 25/bag extra each way. Flying Delta airlines.

[mexico5]

Thanks everyone! Learn something new everyday! We always try and book a non stop (even if it is way more expensive!) but sadly they are dissappearing from Western Canada and want to put us all through Toronto even if it is on the other side of the country!

 

We will fly either AC or United (baggage now makes a difference) so we will try for AC. There is an AC flight through SFO with one hour to spare so not sure how big the terminal will be that we will have to go through, to determine if we have to go through security.

 

We are flying in December so I always caution away from a "winter" airport like Denver so we were thinking SFO would be good! It is the back end so it's not as urgent a matter I suppose! We got a direct flight down with Westjet.

 

Looking forward to our first HAL cruise!

[mexico5]

Squirt...it is SO much cheaper flying out of the US isn't it...we would have to drive pretty far to get to a US airport though!

 

Our very first cruise (a few years back) we were able to fly non stop to Ft. Lauderdale, then it became one stop, then 2! We actually touched down in Winnipeg!

[iancal]

We often fly from Calgary to Fort Lauderdale or Miami. We seldom use Canadian carriers for two reasons. First of all, the US based airlines have always been cheaper for us. But, the second, most important reason for us is that we always fly in the winter. We want to make sure that our connection points are NOT in the snow belt, or at least have only a slight chance of bad weather. Hence, we avoid Toronto, Montreal, Chicago, Denver, Minnneaopis in favour of Dallas, Houston, Salt Lake, etc. We do this every year. The other advantage of flying from Calgary directly inot the US is that you clear US customs in Calgary so your bags go straight thru to your final destination (vs going thru Toronto where you have to get your bags, go thru customs, and then put the bags back on the belt). Coming home, our bags are always checked thru to Calgary.

[LiftLockCouple]

We travel through Toronto Pearson frequently. If Toronto is your first point of entry or last point of departure to the USA then that is where you have to clear customes. It is easier to arrive and depart through Terminal One than to arrive at one terminal then depart at the other. IE Terminal One or Terminal 3. In Terminal One they have a baggage claim inside security for PAX connecting from or to an international airport but still departing on a Terminal One flight. At Terminal 3, you do have to, claim your bags, clear customs, leave security ,and check back in with the domestic flight,. Same goes for Montreal as far as I know. I met a lady in July that lost her Peruvian wine because she had it with her and could not carry it though security to the Edmonton flight.:mad: She arrived at Terminal 3 on the Peruvian airline and left though Terminal One on AC.

Sooo it is easier to fly with AC or any other airline that gates at Terminal One because you skip the security step, than Westjet or any of the Terminal Three airlines.

Having said all of that, It would be much easier to connect in a US airport such as Dallas or SFO than to connect in Toronto. There are other factors to consider though for a flight to Calgary such as flight frequency. Many flights a day on both AC and Westjet from Toronto. Better chance of actually getting to Calgary on the same day in the event of weather or mechanical delays. I believe AC has someting in the area of 14 flights a day. Also as mentioned the luggage restictions are tighter on many of the US carriers. If it were me, I would be going through SFO or Dallas as long as the cost factor was in my favour.

Clear as mud?.... I was afraid of that..........:D

[iancal]

If we leave from Vancouver, which we have done in the past, we usually fly out of Seattle. On our last trip, the fare from Vancouver was just over $700. The fare out of Seattle was just under $300. Unfortunately we do not have that option if we fly from Calgary.

[cruz chic]

Thanks everyone! Learn something new everyday! We always try and book a non stop (even if it is way more expensive!) but sadly they are dissappearing from Western Canada and want to put us all through Toronto even if it is on the other side of the country!

 

I fly from Calgary to Fort Lauderdale all the time. There isn't any non stop flight that I have ever found leaving from Calgary. Years ago Westjet had one but that only went on for about 6 months. I will generally try to book a US carrier going to Florida so I can clear customs here. Paying for baggage is a small price from not having to get my luggage and clear customs somewhere else.

[decoste45]

I agree with flying with an american airline. We like Continental, and tend to fly with them to Florida. We never go through Toronto or anywhere else that may get a winter storm (include Salt Lake and Denver!)

I also find booking directly with Continental to be the least expensive.

Good luck!:D

[Berk987]

My sister from Toronto drives to Buffalo and takes Southwest directly to FLL. cheaper flight if you don't mind the drive to Buffalo. Smaller airport so easy to get in/out.

[tcook052]

Who needs checked luggage? I've made a few long haul S. America & Asia trips of 2 weeks without any and am gearing up for my Eurodam sailing in Jan. without any. It means really thinking about what you're packing but I do not miss all the hassles with checked luggage one little bit.

[Squirt09]

Squirt...it is SO much cheaper flying out of the US isn't it...we would have to drive pretty far to get to a US airport though!

 

Our very first cruise (a few years back) we were able to fly non stop to Ft. Lauderdale, then it became one stop, then 2! We actually touched down in Winnipeg!

 

 

You are right Mexico5, flight for both of us North Dakota to Ft. Lauderdale and return is 890.00 US. Can barely get to Toronto for that price!!!!!!!:confused:

[mexico5]

tcook, you must be a man! My carry on could hardly handle all of my shoes! But seriously, I might have been able to do that "pre liquids" but now with the restrictions on sizes of liquids it is harder (sunscreen, etc...)

 

Just booked our flight thanks to the responses here. We are flying from SAN and connecting in SFO (arrive/leave from terminal 3) for Calgary!

[smslms]

We're flying Vanc - Fll in November. The cost on a US carrier is less than 50% of a Cdn carrier so who cares about $25 for a bag. Agree with everything said by OP's, but also if you fly into a US hub there is generally a huge choice of ongoing flights, so you can choose a connecting flight time that allows you to stretch your legs and get a bite to eat.

 

Just flew our daughter who lives in Salt Lake up for a visit. Cost of a return flight Salt Lake to Seatac was 25% of the cost Salt Lake to Vanc. It takes us 1.5 hours to drive to Seatac plus less than a tank of much less expensive US gas there and back. For us it's not a hard decision.

[mexico5]

Liftlock couple, good to know about the differences in WS vs AC in Toronto. We did fly Westjet into there and it was just awful...luckily our next leg was late or we would have missed our flight to Miami...of course we always go in the day before our cruise but it is still iffy at times! I try to avoid Toronto at all costs but it's good info to know!

 

Everything is SO much cheaper as soon as you set foot in the US!! Yeesh...our dollar is on par and we still get s*** in the stores/gas/travel/alcohol...you know...the essentials!

[tcook052]

tcook, you must be a man!

 

:D Guilty as charged.

 

My carry on could hardly handle all of my shoes! But seriously, I might have been able to do that "pre liquids" but now with the restrictions on sizes of liquids it is harder (sunscreen, etc...)

 

Oh it'll be a challenge and wearing my suit jacket on the plane with 2 connections (one in Houston & one in Newark) isn't something I will probably enjoy in the dead of winter and as a Calgarian you can probably more readily appreciate that than some of our American counterparts. But the pros outweigh the cons and I don't miss not having to lounge around the baggage carousel, pay the checked luggage fees, wait for the bag to clear customs, etc. so won't likely go back to checked luggage even for a cruise, tempting though it is.

 

Enjoy your travels! :)

[cruz chic]

tcook, you must be a man! My carry on could hardly handle all of my shoes! But seriously, I might have been able to do that "pre liquids" but now with the restrictions on sizes of liquids it is harder (sunscreen, etc...)

 

Just booked our flight thanks to the responses here. We are flying from SAN and connecting in SFO (arrive/leave from terminal 3) for Calgary!

So glad it wasn't just me thinking that. I can't imagine travelling that way. Why would you want to?

[sapper1]

Thanks everyone! Learn something new everyday! We always try and book a non stop (even if it is way more expensive!) but sadly they are dissappearing from Western Canada and want to put us all through Toronto even if it is on the other side of the country!

 

We will fly either AC or United (baggage now makes a difference) so we will try for AC. There is an AC flight through SFO with one hour to spare so not sure how big the terminal will be that we will have to go through, to determine if we have to go through security.

 

We are flying in December so I always caution away from a "winter" airport like Denver so we were thinking SFO would be good! It is the back end so it's not as urgent a matter I suppose! We got a direct flight down with Westjet.

 

Looking forward to our first HAL cruise!

It's the same from eastern Canada----everthing goes through Montreal or TO. No wonder there is such a jam at US customs in Toronto.

[tcook052]

I can't imagine travelling that way. Why would you want to?

 

I personally can't imagine travelling with those steamer trunk sized checked bags I see people struggling to manouver around airports. Who needs that many clothes in a warmer weather destination? :confused:

[sapper1]

I personally can't imagine travelling with those steamer trunk sized checked bags I see people struggling to manouver around airports. Who needs that many clothes in a warmer weather destination? :confused:

I take the same amount of clothing as I would for a cooler destination. The only difference is in the weight of the material.

[Silvermist]

It's the same from eastern Canada----everthing goes through Montreal or TO. No wonder there is such a jam at US customs in Toronto.

 

Oh brother. I hope it hasn't got worse than the last time I had to fly to the US from Toronto. ♫♪Night-mare!!♪♫ I've actually thought about driving to Grand Forks, ND, take Amtrak to Minneapolis, grab a cab to MSP airport and fly. I've priced it out and it was cheaper to do that than it was to fly out of Winnipeg, and it was cheaper than flying from Grand Forks to MSP then on to Florida. I'm retired so I have nothing but time so for me it could be worth "taking the long way" to save big bucks. I haven't actually done it yet, but I keep thinking about it. And to cross by land instead of at Pearson airport has a lot more appeal to me.

 

Has anybody figured out what the deal is with AirCanada? I live in Winnipeg. Right smack in the middle of the country. If we are flying west, they take us to Toronto or Montreal, then on to our destination. If we are flying east, they take us to Calgary and sometimes even Vancouver, then on to our destination. It makes no sense to me. :confused: Somebody needs to give them a map.... ;)

[SweetP2]

I'm from Vancouver Island...try flying out from an island :)

 

We've chosen simple, less connections by flying direct from Victoria to TO and then onto FLL using the same airline (AC) and we going thru HAL air. Why HAL Air - because it will be dead of winter, high chance of storms and if anyone will be motivated to get us there to the ship will be HAL, it will be HAL. Anyway you slice it for us on the island, we would still have to make our way to Vanc or Calgary to then route thru US... Not worth it from our point of view. Would be diff if we lived in Vancouver, but then that would bring a whole lot of other cons!

 

I envy those that can fly more direct to most places. There are some flights out of here that take you east before it takes you west (when going south to some places in mexico etc.).

 

As I remember similar trip a few years ago, our baggage in TO wasn't too far from arrival point in TO terminal. Then dropped our bags close by just prior to ourselves going thru us immigration point (without our bags in tow)...however we all know they love to reconfigure the terminals. We have a couple of hours in between our flights and need to keep busy and moving anyway...rather do that than sit down for 2 hours which we just did for over 4 hours from Vic.

 

On top of all those reasons, my DW hates flying and flying canadian she feels safer and less connections the better!

 

The info and tips posted under this thread will indeed come in handy during spring and fall travels. Thanks everyone.

 

Happy travels everyone - which ever route you chose to get there.;)