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Please help me choose between YUL or EWR


OVgirl
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Looking to book flights in November, YOW>FLL. I have some good options including either a 3 hour connection at YUL-Montreal or EWR -Newark. These are available going both ways. 

My first reaction is to connect through Newark so that I can do Customs/Immigration in Ottawa.

But would there be any benefit connecting through Montreal?

How much time would I need these days to clear C/I at Montreal? The flights through Newark have a 3 hour connection. Would 3 hours in Montreal be enough?

 

Thank you.

 

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We fly from YVR and always book to go through customs here.  That way we can make sure we are early on our first flight and not worry about our connector flight and have time to relax and maybe have a bite to eat.  Just my opinion on what we do.  

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I've used YUL a few times in the past when heading to FLL, and three hours would be more than enough for pre-clearance. While that might be tight today, given the current delays at the airports, I really don't think that it will be an issue in November.

 

Are both options with the same airline and with the same fare? Same plane? What about departure times out of YOW, or FLL at the end of your cruise. I'd forget about the current airport issue and focus on which flight is better overall (pricing, departure/arrival times, seat selection, flight duration, points, etc.).

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Personally it would make more sense to change in Newark, going down pre-clear US customs in Canada, and coming home clear customs on final arrival, rather than having to go through Canadian customs in Montreal).

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As someone who hates connecting flights, what we do is take VIA rail to Dorval and then get a direct flight from Montreal.  We have done this a few times and has worked well.  There is a free shuttle from VIA Dorval to the airport, its about a 5 minute drive.  

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1 hour ago, Fouremco said:

I've used YUL a few times in the past when heading to FLL, and three hours would be more than enough for pre-clearance. While that might be tight today, given the current delays at the airports, I really don't think that it will be an issue in November.

 

Are both options with the same airline and with the same fare? Same plane? What about departure times out of YOW, or FLL at the end of your cruise. I'd forget about the current airport issue and focus on which flight is better overall (pricing, departure/arrival times, seat selection, flight duration, points, etc.).

Montreal fights are Air Canada and Newark flights are United. Departure times are very similar for both. The United flights are about $500 cheaper but a relaxed flight is priceless. 

 

Thanks.

 

Edited by OVgirl
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18 minutes ago, OVgirl said:

Montreal fights are Air Canada and Newark flights are United. Departure times are very similar for both. The United flights are about $500 cheaper but a relaxed flight is priceless. 

 

Thanks.

 

In March, we had a direct YOW-FLL flight that we had to cancel. In the off chance that as AC starts getting personnel numbers up to scratch and offering a greater number of flights than they are currently, and that they include a direct flight from Ottawa, would you be able to make a free/inexpensive change if you booked the YUL flight now? Just thinking of potential options.

 

On the other hand, saving $500 is nothing to be sneezed at!

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We have a direct flight from FLL to YOW in November.  There was 3 price points in AC bookings of 0; partial; or fully refundable.  Suggest one way there and then back and allow some time for delays. IMHO connecting flights anywhere incl YUL, YYZ, YYC or YVR is not predictable that far out.  You could take a chance. It could be seamless through YUL. Same in EWR. Even this far out theres no guarantee of connecting flights improving. Connections to and from our Canadian transatlantic and transpacific “gateways” will need to be re jigged as global travel resumes. All airlines and airports are trying to manage/recover the flow of passengers on international flights that would have landed in smaller cities. Thats the piece we just don’t know about and that will cost the airlines (our wallets) more. The entire deck of international landings over the next 2-3 years will be re-jigged around the planet as flight paths are re-established. 

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I just saw this posted on another social media group. #9 immediately made me think of you. 😞

TIPS FOR FLYING THIS SUMMER 

I guess this is a cruise port tip too! Found this online and I think it's good advice.

Just some good advice for those who plan to travel this summer from a flight attendant:

Flying this summer is ROUGH!!! I feel like as a Flight Attendant I should attempt to share some tips to get you through airline travel for the foreseeable future. ✈️✈️

1.  Things are not good..... if it's less than 7 hours - DRIVE! I'm not kidding. There is nothing enjoyable about flying right now. On any airline. If you must fly, keep reading. 🚗

2. Download and use the app of the airline you are flying. You can do everything on it - get your boarding pass, track your bags, see your incoming plane, and change a flight. It sure beats waiting in a long line to talk to an agent! Trust me - Usually these apps will tell you a flight is canceled before the crew even knows! 📲

3. Fly MUCH earlier than you need to - a whole day early if it's important!!  This week I saw many people miss important things like weddings, funerals, cruises, international connections, and graduations. The tears were very real, for very real reasons, and there was nothing I could do! If you have to be somewhere, spend the extra money, go a day early. Have a glass of wine and stay in a hotel, enjoy your night not being stressed while everyone else misses their events. 🍷

4. ALWAYS fly the first flight in the morning so you have all day to be rebooked if the ***** hits the fan. Yes, that means it might be a 3:00 alarm, but morning flights don't cancel nearly as often.

5. This is not unique to this year, but keep in mind summer is thunderstorm season. A single storm can shut down a whole airport. We can't fly through them. Storms usually build as the day gets later. Book early flights! ⛈

6. Schedule long layovers - Your 1-hour layover is NOT enough anymore. 30 minutes, not a chance. 3 hours minimum. 🏃‍♀️🏃🏃‍♂️

7. What you see on the news is an understatement. We are short-staffed and overworked. Not just pilots and flight attendants, but also ground crews. Without ground crews there is no one to park the planes, drive jetways, get your bags on/off planes, or scan boarding passes. This causes many delays that snowball throughout the day. Sometimes HOURS.(Another reason morning flights are best!)  👀

8. When flight crews get delayed we time out. We can NOT fly longer than 16 hours. It's illegal. So it doesn't matter if you have a wedding to get to, when we are done we are done. The way things are now, there is no backup crews, so when this happens your flight cancels. (Now you are starting to see why those morning flights are best!) 😴

9. Avoid connecting in Newark. It is literal hell. You have a 50/50 chance your flight will cancel or miss your connection. They have been canceling flights at their starting points just to keep the planes out of Newark because there just aren't enough people to manage the planes, so the gates stay full. Also, the restaurants are expensive, so it is not a great place to be stuck. 💩

10. Be nice. As stated above, we are overworked and tired. We will not help you if you are mean. No one cares that you are going to miss your cruise if you are an *****. So even if we can help, we will save our help for someone nice. Tensions are high. Our patience is gone. If you make us mad - you will not be flying on our planes. We will leave you behind without a second thought, and laugh about you later. 🥰

11. Being drunk on an airplane is a federal offense, so don't overdo it. If you drink too much at the bar waiting for your delayed flight you risk not being allowed to fly at all. We are too tired to deal with your drunk ass when we have legitimate issues to deal with. 🍻

12. Get trip insurance if you have a lot of money invested. I hate the whole idea of this, but I also hate the idea of losing money.  Example: I was working on a flight yesterday that waited over an hour for a gate. A family of 8 missed their flight to Rome. The only flight of the day. They were going on a cruise which they would now miss. They were all crying, there was nothing I could do. (Also a reason to fly a day early!) 🛳

13. Flights are FULL. If you buy cheap seats you will not be able to sit with your family. It says so when you purchase your ticket!! Flight Attendants aren't there to rearrange the whole plane just so you can sit with your family because you tried to save $100 on a third-party website. 💸

14. Speaking of third-party websites and saving money..... Like I said flights are FULL. If a flight is oversold, and no one volunteers to give up their seats, who do you think is the first to be bumped? You guessed it, the family that saved a few $$ by using sites like Expedia, Kayak, Hotwire, etc. 🤷‍♀️

15. Pack smart. Don't be "That guy" Don't hold up boarding because you have your extenders open till they are busting and you can't figure out how to make it fit in the overhead. (Passengers are stressed too, they can be aggressive when boarding a delayed flight) 🛍

16. Take showers, brush your teeth, leave the perfume off, don't eat stinky food (Caesar salad and tuna fish I'm talking to you!), and bring headphones. Trust me. These things sound basic but add to the stress on crowded planes. If you are stuck on the tarmac for 3 hours after a 4-hour flight, you will thank me for this. 💜

17. Bring a sweater if you tend to be cold. So tired of half-naked girls asking me to turn the heat up. NO. Wear clothes!!  Side note: If you dress like this and ask for heat, there's a chance I will turn the AC up. 🥶

18. That's not water on the bathroom floor. For the love of God wear shoes to the bathroom!!! 🤮

19. Don't tell a Flight Attendant they look tired. We are and we know. You may cause us to ugly cry right there in the galley. 😭

20. Happy Travels!

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4 minutes ago, gnome12 said:

Just remember that she probably has no knowledge of Canadian airports.


Her comments about Newark are pretty accurate, though.  I have never had a flight out of Newark go smoothly, in 25+ years of regular travel.  Late, lost luggage, cancelled, whatever…Newark is up at the top of our list of airports to avoid.  And Pearson is my home airport, so I’ve got a pretty low bar for “acceptable” in terms of airports.  Newark is way worse than Pearson.

 

Personally, OP, I’d go with Montreal.  And it’s November, so fly at least one day early, maybe two, if you’re headed for a cruise.

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Before COVID, there were good direct flights available for YOW-FLL (or MIA), and hopefully the air travel situation improves and we will have that again. This past year we’ve found it to be more convenient to drive to Montreal and then take a direct flight from there. I try to avoid connections whenever possible.

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I would definitely pick EWR over YUL for a connection - or just drive to YUL and skip the YOW leg completely (small planes on a short haul, first to be cancelled when something goes haywire). Throwing customs in the middle of things is a recipe for disaster. 

Edited by cmich068
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If you were flying this summer, I'd recommend against EWR -- it's a mess, apparently, with ~50 United flights a day being cancelled. Today's news confirms this:

 

https://www.reuters.com/business/aerospace-defense/exclusive-united-cut-12-daily-newark-flights-boost-performance-2022-06-23/

 

As for a flight in November, who knows whether the situation at EWR would be resolved by then.

 

If United is cheaper by a lot and you are able to tolerate long layovers,, you could still take a chance on a EWR connection by flying out of YOW very early and not on the same day as your cruise departure.  That way, if there are surprise cancellations when you reach Newark, you'd have more same-day and early-next-day options on how to get to FLL.     Just my thoughts.

Edited by lots-of-km2
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