Customs question

[RAYJO]

We are American citizens flying Boston-Toronto-Vancouver pre-cruise. Where do we go through customs? If it is in Toronto, do we have to get our luggage inspected? How much time is involved? We are also flying back the reverse route. All flights are on Air Canada.

[scottbee]

We are American citizens flying Boston-Toronto-Vancouver pre-cruise. Where do we go through customs? If it is in Toronto, do we have to get our luggage inspected? How much time is involved? We are also flying back the reverse route. All flights are on Air Canada.

 

BOS-YYZ-YVR; you will clear Canadian immigration(people) and customs(goods) entering Toronto;

YVR-YYZ-BOS; you will clear US immigration and customs in Toronto, before being released into the USA departures area, and then arrive at BOS as if you were a domestic arrival.

[Tweedy]

We are American citizens flying Boston-Toronto-Vancouver pre-cruise. Where do we go through customs? If it is in Toronto, do we have to get our luggage inspected? How much time is involved? We are also flying back the reverse route. All flights are on Air Canada.

 

When you fly from Boston to Toronto, you will go through customs. Follow the signs for intransit passengers then collect your bags. Once you drop off your luggage, you go through security again and head to the plane. On the way back, you will have the same procedure. You'll have to get your bags and go through customs in Toronto.

 

As for time involved, it really depends how busy the customs agents are. Minimum time between flights is estimated about an hour but when fly through Toronto to the states, I always try and book a later flight. I don't mind having an extra hour at the airport. It beats being stressed and running for planes.

[RAYJO]

When you fly from Boston to Toronto, you will go through customs. Follow the signs for intransit passengers then collect your bags. Once you drop off your luggage, you go through security again and head to the plane. On the way back, you will have the same procedure. You'll have to get your bags and go through customs in Toronto.

 

As for time involved, it really depends how busy the customs agents are. Minimum time between flights is estimated about an hour but when fly through Toronto to the states, I always try and book a later flight. I don't mind having an extra hour at the airport. It beats being stressed and running for planes.

 

We have 1:15 minutes in between flights on both ends. Too stressful??

[LiftLockCouple]

We have 1:15 minutes in between flights on both ends. Too stressful??

 

75 mins on the way to Vancouver might be enough but to stressful to me. 75 mins on the way home is way to tight for my ease of mind. Friends from Eastern Canada just connected in Toronto to a US destination and found 90 mins tight. There is a fair distance between the US gates and the domestic gates.

 

Cheers.

[Tweedy]

We have 1:15 minutes in between flights on both ends. Too stressful??

 

I would say you're fine. There will be someone from the airport at the line for customs. If you are thinking you are cutting it too close, you can ask them and they'll bump you to the front of the line. I've seen it happen a few times.

[cruising cockroach]

Unless you have Nexus and Global Entry, I'd say it's too tight with baggage reclaim thrown into the mix. Even with, it's tight if there are any inbound ATC (or other) delays.

[RAYJO]

Thanks everyone. Might have to change my flights by another hour. Will think about it.

[LiftLockCouple]

Thanks everyone. Might have to change my flights by another hour. Will think about it.

 

 

All the best. From my experience returning home via terminal 1, Canadian customs etc has been quicker by a wide margin over the US customs when leaving. My most recent experience at T1 was about a year ago which took approx 30 mins plus security screening. From check-in to the gate it was 60 mins. Antidotal evidence from friends added to my own experience suggests to me, as I mentioned earlier, that 75mins might be enough outbound but doubtful on the way home. I would change the flights if possible. There are something like 14 flights per day to Vancouver so a miss might not hurt to bad, but only a handful to Boston. There was another thread on this board a few weeks ago with the same question. As I recall they did miss the connection but AC rebooked them without fuss.

 

For reference, Terminal one ( Air Canada etc ) is busier than terminal 3. We were from check-in to the gate at T3 this past Feb in less than 30 mins.

[Putterdude]

The real issue in my mind is if you were to be sent in for secondary inspection where your bags are x-rayed and can be opened .... the likelihood of this is small, less than 5%, but when it does happen it can be a real time burner.

[Langley Cruisers]

If you are thinking you are cutting it too close, you can ask them and they'll bump you to the front of the line. I've seen it happen a few times.

 

 

I've seen it happen too but people get choked!! Oh well. :p

.

[em-sk]

Thanks everyone. Might have to change my flights by another hour. Will think about it.

 

I do customs in Toronto transferring between domestic and us flights a few times per year. It is tight but I would not be overly worried. Biggest delay is waiting for the bags (Toronto is particularly slow at times).

 

Toronto and Vancouver are major business centers in Canada with flights every hour or every half hour on Air Canada; some with wide-body aircraft. If you miss your flight when you go to put your bags back into the system, the Air Canada agent will move you to the next flight and put your bags back into the system. Toronto and Boston is also a major business route. On business routes like these are lots of passengers making last minute changes from one flight to another.

 

There is talk of implementing the same photo system in Toronto that Vancouver has where you do not reclaim your bags but the customs people bring up a digital photo of your bags and you identify it. The keeps getting delayed so you will probably have to pick them up.

 

For the Boston -> Vancouver flight transfer in toronto, follow the signs for domestic arrivals. As you enter the queue for Canada customs it is is crowded the staff will split the lines and have connecting passages go into one side and city bound passengers into the other side. If the lineups are short they don't bother. Once you drop off you customs card leaving the baggage hall, on the left there is a sign directing you down a hall to recheck your baggage. That area is staffed by Air Canada agents and they will rebook and retag your bags if you are going to miss the connection.

 

Coming back Vancouver -> Boston in Toronto, you do not go to baggage claim. Instead you follow the US connections sign (US flag) that takes you outside of security to a set of glass doors. The guard by the doors will check your boarding pass, open the doors into the transfer area where your checked bags will be waiting for you to pickup. From there you go into a US customs line only has connecting passengers. Usually it is very quick. Drop the bags off past US customs. You will arrive at a domestic gate in Boston since you have pre-cleared US customs in Toronto.

[RAYJO]

Changed reservations to one hour earlier for the YVR-YYZ-BOS flight. No change fee involved. The BOS-YYZ-YVR flight, I left as is. There are hourly flights from Toronto to Vancouver. The airline will just re-book us to a later flight if we miss our scheduled flight because of customs. Thanks everyone. Hope this works. Cruise critic is the best for information.

[kazu]

Changed reservations to one hour earlier for the YVR-YYZ-BOS flight. No change fee involved. The BOS-YYZ-YVR flight, I left as is. There are hourly flights from Toronto to Vancouver. The airline will just re-book us to a later flight if we miss our scheduled flight because of customs. Thanks everyone. Hope this works. Cruise critic is the best for information.

 

Sounds good to me - I will add that when you go through Customs for entering Canada - there is a special lineup for connectin flights.

 

For the US the Air Canada agents do go calling for certain flights and you do get moved to the head of the line - and no one gets choked:)

 

If the airline will work with you = you should be fine. Well done - enjoy your cruise and I'm sure now that you have researched it, it will work out just fine:)