Flight Help Toronto

[vacation rccl]

Flying from Philadelphia to Calgary July 31st, spending 3 days in Banff, before cruise from Vancouver.

 

Air Canada to Toronto layover, then on to Calgary also on Air Canada. Layover in Toronto is only 80 minutes... Is this possible? Do we need to recover luggage and pass through customs in Toronto? Flights are booked through Expedia. 

[cruising cockroach]

It is short.  Immigration, yes. Bags may or may not have to be reclaimed, cleared and rechecked.

[Earl Rosebery]

It’s very short.   Your flight from Philly might well be a few minutes late.  Your luggage will probably be checked right through but might not make it.  Immigration in TO has a separate line for connecting passengers but the time is problematic.  I would book a later flight.  Why Expedia?  

[martincath]

Both replies above correct; this is the official YYZ connections guide page - if you look at the bottom you'll see little dropdown menus where you can select your arriving from, departing to, and airlines for both which then produces a custom guide with what you need to do. Unfortunately for a US-Canada connection on Air Canada, it could be either 'claim bags, recheck bags' OR the 'bags are checked all the way through' and until you get there it doesn't seem like there is any way to confirm!

 

The connection is legal, so if you don't make it Air Canada will get you there (and they're not bad about living up to their responsibilities in terms of food vouchers, hotels in the event of delays without you needing to kick up a major stink) - but I'd personally like at least 90mins. If you have Global Entry or NEXUS you should get through all required security/immigration faster, and you should also ensure you speak to EVERYONE about getting you to the head of the line if your flight is even minutes late, or the queues look really long - they have a vested interest in getting everyone who can possibly make it to their next flight in time onto that flight as you'll cost the airline money and clog up the available space in the airport if you miss it and have to hang around; people get escorted in front of me even when I'm in the NEXUS queue at Pearson almost every time I fly through it!

Edited February 9, 2019 by martincath

[vacation rccl]

Thanks for the info.....the price was incredable and to good to pass up! I will report back after trip to report how things went. If we get pushed to a later flight, it will not ruin everything as the 1st day will be for travel only.

[cruising cockroach]

4 hours ago, martincath said:

If you have Global Entry or NEXUS you should get through all required security/immigration faster,

 

Unless things have changed, GE by itself gets you squat entering Canada.  May help with security but that's it.

[martincath]

3 hours ago, cruising cockroach said:

 

Unless things have changed, GE by itself gets you squat entering Canada.  May help with security but that's it.

OMG - thanks for catching that total brainfart. I'm so used to adding GE to talk of NEXUS because here in Vancouver it's always questions about folks boarding at Canada Place or 'can I make a flight out of YVR by X time!!!' I have actually heard multiple people say they've been given priority Security queue access for Domestic Canadian flights with a GE card, but I wasn't even thinking about that when I answered above😖