Flying Quebec to Dulles, through Montreal, airport Q.

[Kitty Ellas Mom]

I'm nervous about my flights home.  I am taking the Amtrak to start my cruise in Brooklyn, so won't need to deal with the airlines until the end, but I don't want a bad end to my cruise. 

 

I am 1) worried about luggage size, with Montreal's automated sizers, as I've done tons of research only to purchase a bag that just got delivered that is 1" too deep (10" deep instead of 9), b/c amazon's dimensions were wrong.  So I'd love advice about where I can get an international sized carry on that meets Air Canada's standards of 21.5 x 15.5 x 9 inches, and will also meet the standards that most of my USA domestic flights have, which is 22 x 14 x 9. 

 

I am unaware of if Quebec's airport would give me any leeway.

 

2) So I'm worried about Montreal b/c I heard I have to go through customs there, to include picking up my checked bag and having it rechecked.  I've never in my life experienced this during a layover.  I deliberately got the longest layover I could get, which is 2 hrs.  I will get there around noon Montreal time.  Will my carry on bag have to go through the automated sizers?  If it matters, I am traveling business class (but I probably won't always, so I want a bag that can go internationally to many places, and everything else I own is that 22" height).

 

Thanks for any information. Tis is also my first time traveling Air Canada. The first flight is AC Rogue and the 2nd is a codeshare with United.  I recently traveled United and am aware of their very small size for a personal item.  I will likely travel with them a lot in the coming years so I. bought a United sized personal item bag.

[LHT28]

for  Canada - USA  connections  this may help

https://yulsatisfaction.admtl.com/hc/en-ca/articles/360000912958-I-m-arriving-from-a-Canadian-city-and-I-have-a-connecting-flight-to-a-U-S-destination

 

You may sqeak through the carry on bag   if not  you will pay to check it

 I have the same issue  just a pinch too big    I am just going to check out bags  coming back from USA

[lx200gps]

14 hours ago, Kitty Ellas Mom said:

I'm nervous about my flights home.  I am taking the Amtrak to start my cruise in Brooklyn, so won't need to deal with the airlines until the end, but I don't want a bad end to my cruise. 

 

I am 1) worried about luggage size, with Montreal's automated sizers, as I've done tons of research only to purchase a bag that just got delivered that is 1" too deep (10" deep instead of 9), b/c amazon's dimensions were wrong.  So I'd love advice about where I can get an international sized carry on that meets Air Canada's standards of 21.5 x 15.5 x 9 inches, and will also meet the standards that most of my USA domestic flights have, which is 22 x 14 x 9. 

 

I

 

Montrealer here, and I've been flying worldwide out of YUL for over half a century ;o(  By "automatic sizer", I guess you are referring to the steel frames at the check-in counters and gates that only very occasionally you are asked to manually insert your carry-on into? We have multiple carry-on bags, and I just measured my biggest and fattest one. It's 22.5" x 14.5" x 11" empty, and I can assure you that I have made it fit into Air Canada's steel frames  (though IIRC it was usually flying AC out of other airports like Fort Lauderdale returning home where I had to use the sizer frame)  Obviously if your new bag is a hard-shell case and not soft, it could be problematic, but it's always been my experience that those soft carry-ons can usually be "persuaded" to fit.  You also mention you are flying AC Rouge in Business Class. It's generally been my experience that when flying up front, the rules for things like this can tend to be a bit more relaxed as the check-in staff are not as concerned about overhead bin space as they are for cattle class

 

Thinking outside the box, if you are flying (home?) into Dulles, can you head over to the airport sometime before your trip and try the new bag into one of AC's sizer frames there?

[LHT28]

They have automated sizers  now  so maybe that is what they are concerned with

 

Automated carry-on baggage sizers

To ensure that your carry-on baggage will fit onboard, we have introduced automated carry-on baggage sizers pre-security in the Montreal (YUL), Toronto (YYZ), and Vancouver (YVR) airports. These new, touchless machines are easier and faster to use than the metal sizers. Please make sure that your carry-on bag complies with the sizing outlined above to avoid having to check your carry-on bag at the airport. Note that any non-compliant baggage will be assessed and is subject to applicable baggage fees.

 

https://www.aircanada.com/ca/en/aco/home/plan/baggage/carry-on.html#/

[princeton123211]

18 hours ago, Kitty Ellas Mom said:

So I'd love advice about where I can get an international sized carry on that meets Air Canada's standards of 21.5 x 15.5 x 9 inches, and will also meet the standards that most of my USA domestic flights have, which is 22 x 14 x 9. 

https://travelpro.com/collections/standard-carry-on-luggage-and-suitcases

 

These are some of the best-- used by airline crew. They usually last me 7-8 years and I travel 150 days a year. 

 

18 hours ago, Kitty Ellas Mom said:

2) So I'm worried about Montreal b/c I heard I have to go through customs there, to include picking up my checked bag and having it rechecked.  I've never in my life experienced this during a layover.

You have to clear Immigration (Customs is a different thing related to goods and money that you most likely won't have to deal with) upon arrival into any country so given that your layover in Montreal is your entry into Canada, thats where you would clear immigration. The airline wouldn't book you on a connection you can't make so they assume that a reasonable person will be able to go through the immigration formalities given the timing of the layover. 2 hours is plenty of time-- I wouldn't worry about it. 

 

Flying will be faster but you can take VIA Rail from Montreal to Quebec City if the connection is stressing you out. It is about 3 hours through vs a much shorter flight. 

 

 

[lx200gps]

45 minutes ago, LHT28 said:

They have automated sizers  now  so maybe that is what they are concerned with

 

Automated carry-on baggage sizers

To ensure that your carry-on baggage will fit onboard, we have introduced automated carry-on baggage sizers pre-security in the Montreal (YUL), Toronto (YYZ), and Vancouver (YVR) airports. These new, touchless machines are easier and faster to use than the metal sizers. Please make sure that your carry-on bag complies with the sizing outlined above to avoid having to check your carry-on bag at the airport. Note that any non-compliant baggage will be assessed and is subject to applicable baggage fees.

 

https://www.aircanada.com/ca/en/aco/home/plan/baggage/carry-on.html#/

Very interesting. We last flew out of YUL in June and never saw such a thing, nor were we asked to verify our bag's compliance. We will be more careful next time and be sure to bring our smaller carry-ons.  Thanks for the correction. Do you know if EVERYONE is required to put ALL their their carry-ons through this, or is only used when the AC rep thinks the bags may be oversized?

[LHT28]

3 minutes ago, lx200gps said:

Very interesting. We last flew out of YUL in June and never saw such a thing, nor were we asked to verify our bag's compliance. We will be more careful next time and be sure to bring our smaller carry-ons.  Thanks for the correction. Do you know if EVERYONE is required to put ALL their their carry-ons through this, or is only used when the AC rep thinks the bags may be oversized?

I have not flown since Covid   but saw this  when getting  our flights

Will see in a couple of weeks

 

 

[LHT28]

13 minutes ago, princeton123211 said:

Flying will be faster but you can take VIA Rail from Montreal to Quebec City if the connection is stressing you out. It is about 3 hours through vs a much shorter flight. 

 

 

I believe they are flying  YQB to IAD  via  YUL 

so they will need to pre clear US  Immigration/customs in YUL

[Kitty Ellas Mom]

1 hour ago, LHT28 said:

They have automated sizers  now  so maybe that is what they are concerned with

 

Automated carry-on baggage sizers

To ensure that your carry-on baggage will fit onboard, we have introduced automated carry-on baggage sizers pre-security in the Montreal (YUL), Toronto (YYZ), and Vancouver (YVR) airports. These new, touchless machines are easier and faster to use than the metal sizers. Please make sure that your carry-on bag complies with the sizing outlined above to avoid having to check your carry-on bag at the airport. Note that any non-compliant baggage will be assessed and is subject to applicable baggage fees.

 

https://www.aircanada.com/ca/en/aco/home/plan/baggage/carry-on.html#/

Yes, this is what I'm worried about.  I started reading articles, and threads on Reddit, about this as soon as I found out about it.  I don't want to spread misinformation, b/c I wasn't there, but people were saying they sometimes turn those on and check every single bag on a flight as people are, I suppose, getting on?  I will admit I have a hard time understanding the process, as I haven't seen these automated sizers in action.  This was the first I ever heard of automated sizers (they called them digital in some places).  I had a carry on I used for international flights for 10 yrs but its handle broke in Feb so now everything I own is that 22" height that is .5 too tall for Air C.

 

I did order a different carry on bag last night which I'm pretty sure is the right size b/c in the ads they made a huge deal about the dimensions, they weren't just an afterthought.  This is a relatively cheap bag to get me through this trip, although I do like the look of it a lot.  I really love an international carry on on the Travelpro website, and we just bought some other luggage from them for one of our kids that we like, but the one I love is currently sold out.  I really hope they get that back in stock b/c I'd buy it in a heartbeat. The one I purchased that is 1" too big is a hard shell and I am beginning to think I may have gone wrong by choosing that anyway, although I like the idea of a hard shell for checked baggage.  I may keep the checked bag I purchased.

[Kitty Ellas Mom]

42 minutes ago, LHT28 said:

I believe they are flying  YQB to IAD  via  YUL 

so they will need to pre clear US  Immigration/customs in YUL

Yes this is accurate.  I thought about taking the train to Montreal instead and not having the connection, but decided that mixing different kinds of travel in one day was too much for me.  I'm traveling solo and to places I haven't been before, and I tire easily on travel days.

[lx200gps]

17 minutes ago, Kitty Ellas Mom said:

Yes, this is what I'm worried about.  I started reading articles, and threads on Reddit, about this as soon as I found out about it.  I don't want to spread misinformation, b/c I wasn't there, but people were saying they sometimes turn those on and check every single bag on a flight as people are, I suppose, getting on?  I will admit I have a hard time understanding the process, as I haven't seen these automated sizers in action.  This was the first I ever heard of automated sizers (they called them digital in some places).  I had a carry on I used for international flights for 10 yrs but its handle broke in Feb so now everything I own is that 22" height that is .5 too tall for Air C.

 

I did order a different carry on bag last night which I'm pretty sure is the right size b/c in the ads they made a huge deal about the dimensions, they weren't just an afterthought.  This is a relatively cheap bag to get me through this trip, although I do like the look of it a lot.  I really love an international carry on on the Travelpro website, and we just bought some other luggage from them for one of our kids that we like, but the one I love is currently sold out.  I really hope they get that back in stock b/c I'd buy it in a heartbeat. The one I purchased that is 1" too big is a hard shell and I am beginning to think I may have gone wrong by choosing that anyway, although I like the idea of a hard shell for checked baggage.  I may keep the checked bag I purchased.

Thanks for bringing this to our attention. Although we are regular AC flyers we had never heard of or seen these new sizers. As a suggestion, if you want more and better info on this, you might want to consider posting questions over on the Canadian Cruisers sub-forum where you will probably find more, and more recent, Air Canada customers who have experienced these sizers.

 

https://boards.cruisecritic.com/forum/2510-canadian-cruisers/

[Kitty Ellas Mom]

Thank you, I had not thought about that part of the forum.

[LHT28]

How many bags do you have ?

I would think if BIZ class you can get free checked bag  if your bags do not meet the  size rules

I have used my  carry on bag before  without issue  but  the new sizers are new  to me

I am just checking my bag  so only worry it gets on the same flight with us  😉

 

[Rubyfisch]

I flew on Air Canada out of Montreal to the US last week. I saw nothing that looked like an automatic sizer, nor did I see anyone get questioned about their carry luggage. And we were on a full flight on a small plane.

 

Also, you should consider downloading the Mobile Passport app - it can really speed up things at preclearance in Montreal if it's crowded.

[Kitty Ellas Mom]

27 minutes ago, Rubyfisch said:

I flew on Air Canada out of Montreal to the US last week. I saw nothing that looked like an automatic sizer, nor did I see anyone get questioned about their carry luggage. And we were on a full flight on a small plane.

 

Also, you should consider downloading the Mobile Passport app - it can really speed up things at preclearance in Montreal if it's crowded.

Thank you for mentioning the app, I forgot to ask!  I had read about that.  I definitely want to do that.

 

To answer some other Q, I will have one checked bag and one carry on.  The reason I'm so worried about my carry on is that I want to fill it with all my souvenirs and favorite stuff, so that if my checked bag goes missing I won't lose that stuff.  I could check the carry on, but I'd much rather have it with me.  

[LHT28]

4 minutes ago, Kitty Ellas Mom said:

Thank you for mentioning the app, I forgot to ask!  I had read about that.  I definitely want to do that.

 

To answer some other Q, I will have one checked bag and one carry on.  The reason I'm so worried about my carry on is that I want to fill it with all my souvenirs and favorite stuff, so that if my checked bag goes missing I won't lose that stuff.  I could check the carry on, but I'd much rather have it with me.  

I do not think you will have an issue

[lx200gps]

1 hour ago, LHT28 said:

How many bags do you have ?

I would think if BIZ class you can get free checked bag  if your bags do not meet the  size rules

I have used my  carry on bag before  without issue  but  the new sizers are new  to me

I am just checking my bag  so only worry it gets on the same flight with us  😉

 

Way more than that actually. I flew the planet in Business on Air Canada for decades. You get 2 free bags, each up to 70 lbs, when the Economy class limit is 50 lbs each Also, Aeroplan or credit card elevated statuses can also confer free bags (my credit card gives us priority everything and two free bags each for example)

[LHT28]

2 hours ago, lx200gps said:

Way more than that actually. I flew the planet in Business on Air Canada for decades. You get 2 free bags, each up to 70 lbs, when the Economy class limit is 50 lbs each Also, Aeroplan or credit card elevated statuses can also confer free bags (my credit card gives us priority everything and two free bags each for example)

Yes I have flown BIZ on AC &  Rouge   but the OP wants to keep a carry on with them

 

We take  1 checked bag  each  & a small bag with meds/electronics  so no problem for us

 

 

[electro]

On 9/8/2023 at 2:57 PM, lx200gps said:

Way more than that actually. I flew the planet in Business on Air Canada for decades. You get 2 free bags, each up to 70 lbs, when the Economy class limit is 50 lbs each Also, Aeroplan or credit card elevated statuses can also confer free bags (my credit card gives us priority everything and two free bags each for example)

Air Canada also give 3 free checked bags up to 70 lbs for active and retired military. This also applies to US military.