Baggage transfer in Toronto Airport

[jeda4137]

While not a cruise  related question , still a travel concern.

Will be travelling between Calgary and Halifax later this month with a 1 1/2 hour  layover in Toronto,

Any one have experinced lately  having checked luggage arrive safely at final destination or is it still a big mess?  

Not sure only carry ons will work for us. 

 

 

 

[canadianbear]

Although we haven’t done your flights we’ve done Vancouver Calgary Montreal (once in June & once in August).  I chose flights that did NOT connect in Toronto on purpose.  We had no issues with a 1 hour layover in Calgary getting our luggage, thankfully.   I’m not sure if Toronto has improved but hopefully with your 1 1/2 hour layover it “should” be ok. 

[CDNPolar]

We have flown several times in the last few months with connections.  Although every flight we have been on was delayed in departure, or we were held on the aircraft (Toronto Pearson) before we were allowed to disembark, our luggage followed us each time to our final destination.  If you are flying within Canada, you should not be held at arrival as this is a customs/immigration thing because of overcrowding.

 

Personally, I believe that there is a mess at many airports, but I also believe that the media make it look far worse than it is.  I say this because in the times we have flown, we have sped through checkin, bag drop, and security without any delay.  Our last flight through Toronto Pearson was the quickest that I have ever gotten to my gate.  (We arrived with 3.5 hours to spare and we were at the gate in 20 minutes)

 

Toronto Pearson is definitely in a mess, but if I were in your shoes, I would check my luggage and be fairly confident that it would make it to your final destination.

 

I think that your bigger concern is the layover time.  Is 1.5 hours enough.  If you are delayed leaving on your first flight then that reduces the time for you to get to your next flight and also reduces the time for your luggage to transfer to the next flight.  In this case, if your initial departure delay is significant, and the next flight is not also delayed, then luggage not following you could be a time thing over anything else.  We don't do any layover now that is less than 2.5 hours.

 

We have adopted a new strategy - which we should have done always - which is to have one or two changes in our carry on as well as an extra pair of shoes in case the checked bag does not arrive with us. 

 

BUT, make sure your carry on bag and personal item are within both the dimensions allowed and the weight allowed.  We have had our carry on and personal item checked for dimensions AND weight recently by 2 different airlines and we have seen people at the gate basically "forced" to check their carry on.  We have also seen passengers on the aircraft forced to check their carry on because there is no room in the overheads.  You don't want that to happen, but because more people are trying to do carry on only, they are sometimes unaware of the size and weight restrictions.  I was stopped at Toronto Pearson, flying Lufthansa, at the bag drop because my carry on was 2 pounds overweight and I was made to take 2 pounds out of that and transfer to my checked bag.  If the checked bag had already gone down the belt, then I would have been forced to check the carry on.

 

I fly a lot for both business and personal, often 20+ flights a year and I have NEVER had my carry on scrutinized like they are now.

 

Good luck!

[1kaper]

My biggest issue lately has been that it seems if your luggage wont make it, you won't either. 

A friend of mine was flying within Canada a few months ago and had a very tight connection.  She made it to the plane but was told she was no longer on the flight because her luggage couldn't make it. 

 

[Oceangoer2]

This happened to us on our way to a cruise as well.  We had ample time for the connection through Toronto, but our plane was held in the air to allow larger flights to arrive from South America (so we were told).  Large number of passengers getting through security and no one made exception for our now boarding flight.  We literally ran to the gate (OJ? I even took my shoes off so I could run faster....LOL) but the door had just closed.  We begged 🥲 our way on and the pilot (I think) reopened and allowed us in.  Our luggage however did NOT make it;  we were without our bags for 3 days when they finally caught up at a port.  So even with time enough between flights was allowed, anything can happen to delay.  Due to family constraints, this was the only time we flew same day as the cruise and a big lesson learned.

Edited September 8, 2022 by Oceangoer2

[boblin]

In July this year, I arrived at Pearson after a flight from Rome with a tight connection flight back to London, ON. AC decided I wouldn't make the flight and reissued a boarding pass for the following morning. I decided against that and had my daughter come from Guelph and then drive me back to London the next day. I had left the airport knowing I'd have to try to find out where my checked bag was. I was quite pleasantly surprised to have a message from AC awaiting me on my answering machine when I got back to London, telling me my luggage was at London airport, having been put on a flight the previous evening. In other words it made it home before I did!  I asked why the bag was put on a flight without me and was told it was because I had accompanied the checked bag on the flight from Rome to Toronto.

[jeda4137]

Thank you all.

I guess it is not only the checked luggage to worry about , but will we get on the next leg of our trip!!