Flying into Canada from the USA

[Florida_gal_50]

I have a question regarding flying into Canada from the USA.  I am flying into Canada from the USA.  My first point of entry into Canada will be in Vancouver and then I will carry onto my home province.  I understand I will have to clear customs in Vancouver.  Do I also have to pick up my luggage as well?  IIRC you don’t have to on the way down to the USA.  Thank you.

[Fouremco]

It may vary with your airline. From the YVR website:

 

Connecting passengers may be required to go through security screening at YVR, so please pack duty-free liquids in your checked baggage.

*Please check with your airline before arriving at YVR on your eligibility for this process, and/or if you must pick up your bags. Facility operating hours subject to change. If facility is closed or you are not eligible for this process, proceed to Customs Hall on Level 2, pick up your bags and exit, then proceed to Departures Level 3. Follow signs to Check-in.

 

This Thompson Rivers University webpage for international students gives a pretty good description of the process if you do need to collect and then recheck your baggage:  https://www.tru.ca/truworld/new-students/before-you-leave-home/arriving-vancouver.html

 

For Air Canada, there is no need to collect your bags:

 

Connecting through Vancouver – From an International Flight to Canada

Have all of your documentation ready and ensure all applicable forms have been completed.

Follow the "Arrivals" signs to Canada Customs and Immigration.

Once you clear Canada Customs, you DO NOT need to retrieve your checked baggage.

Take the escalator or elevator to the Departures level, and proceed to your gate.

 

So, no single process it appears. As the YVR website recommends, check with your airline.

[Florida_gal_50]

Yes! I’m flying with air Canada so it’s looking good.  They keep on shrinking my times between flights.  I’m at 1.5 hours right now and I’m in business with a nexus card so hopefully everything will go smoothly.  Thank you so much for the information.  I tend to transfer in the USA so it’s been a long time since I’ve gone through Canada coming home.  I really appreciate you taking the time to answer my question.

[Fouremco]

Happy to help out. Having had to play the game of collecting and then rechecking bags for years when arriving at Pearson on an international flight before flying on to Ottawa, I was so relieved when they eliminated this requirement. 

[Florida_gal_50]

23 minutes ago, Fouremco said:

Happy to help out. Having had to play the game of collecting and then rechecking bags for years when arriving at Pearson on an international flight before flying on to Ottawa, I was so relieved when they eliminated this requirement. 

I absolutely detest Toronto.  I usually try to avoid flying through there when I go to Fort Lauderdale.  

[Magicat]

On 10/17/2022 at 7:28 PM, Florida_gal_50 said:

I absolutely detest Toronto.  I usually try to avoid flying through there when I go to Fort Lauderdale.  

Have to agree YYZ sucks.  Pearson is our airport however we are now exploring alternative options like taking the train to Montreal and flying out from there.  

[dolfan1980]

4 hours ago, Magicat said:

Have to agree YYZ sucks.  Pearson is our airport however we are now exploring alternative options like taking the train to Montreal and flying out from there.  

I fly 60-70 segments a year within Canada and being Ottawa based that now requires me to go through Montreal and Toronto fairly frequently post-covid...I wouldn't say Montreal is that much better than Toronto, certainly not better enough to justifying a train to Montreal to get a flight that probably is an incoming plane from Toronto anyways.

[Ex-Airbalancer]

7 hours ago, Magicat said:

Have to agree YYZ sucks.  Pearson is our airport however we are now exploring alternative options like taking the train to Montreal and flying out from there.  

I fly out YYZ a couple times a year , arrive early enough never had any problems , also never had problems returning to YYZ 

 

[gnome12]

58 minutes ago, Ex-Airbalancer said:

I fly out YYZ a couple times a year , arrive early enough never had any problems , also never had problems returning to YYZ 

 

I find that baggage claim in Toronto (my local airport) is among the slowest I have ever seen. Maybe it is because I have Nexus so get out of immigration sooner, but I always have to wait for luggage to begin to arrive, a problem that I don't seem to have in foreign airports (where I am usually held up in a line for immigration). Otherwise, I don't really mind the airport, and I love the fact that I can get to many places on a non-stop flights, or with only one connection.

 

That said, the airport was AWFUL when I departed in mid-July; conveyor belts weren't working and people were lined up everywhere. Baggage was being manually sorted by flight, and moved by carts to the baggage area. When I left again at the end of September, everything was working much better, and I got through very quickly.

[LHT28]

2 hours ago, gnome12 said:

I find that baggage claim in Toronto (my local airport) is among the slowest I have ever seen. Maybe it is because I have Nexus so get out of immigration sooner, but I always have to wait for luggage to begin to arrive, a problem that I don't seem to have in foreign airports (where I am usually held up in a line for immigration). Otherwise, I don't really mind the airport, and I love the fact that I can get to many places on a non-stop flights, or with only one connection.

 

 

I think that may be the problem

you are there before the baggage is offloaded

We do not  have  a pass to get through the lines

 we have to line up for customs  so baggage is sometime delayed but usually is starting to come down by the time we arrive  at baggage claim

Time to hit the W/C  while we wait  😉

 

[Magicat]

16 hours ago, Ex-Airbalancer said:

I fly out YYZ a couple times a year , arrive early enough never had any problems , also never had problems returning to YYZ 

 

I have very few problems flying out of YYZ.  However, that is because I have to be there 3-4 hours in advance of my flight to check my bag, go through security, then if flying through the US, go through US pre clearance.  Arriving less than 2 1/2 hours you run the risk of missing your flight.

Returning waiting on the tarmac for 45 minutes until a gate is open and then another 45 mins for luggage are inconveniences that occur the last few times I flew through Toronto.

So my assessment is based on the additional time, sometimes more than the actual flight, it takes to have a problem/stress free experience in Toronto.  

[dolfan1980]

8 hours ago, Magicat said:

I have very few problems flying out of YYZ.  However, that is because I have to be there 3-4 hours in advance of my flight to check my bag, go through security, then if flying through the US, go through US pre clearance.  Arriving less than 2 1/2 hours you run the risk of missing your flight.

Returning waiting on the tarmac for 45 minutes until a gate is open and then another 45 mins for luggage are inconveniences that occur the last few times I flew through Toronto.

So my assessment is based on the additional time, sometimes more than the actual flight, it takes to have a problem/stress free experience in Toronto.  

Why do you think YUL would be better?  I pre-cleared in Montreal three weeks ago and the US customs hall was an utter mess and long lines.

[Ex-Airbalancer]

8 hours ago, dolfan1980 said:

Why do you think YUL would be better?  I pre-cleared in Montreal three weeks ago and the US customs hall was an utter mess and long lines.

Grass is always greener on the other side 😉

[LeDemonBlond]

Just to fully understand this. If I am arriving from the United States at Pearson but I will be continuing to fly on to Edmonton , I do not have to collect my luggage before I see Canada customs? My luggage will  be transferred onto the  plane to Edmonton, I won't have to recheck it through?

 

I was so used to flying directly from Edmonton or changing over in the U.S. that I did have an issue at Pearson a few years ago.  Flying in From New York to Pearson on Westjet. I wrongly assumed  the luggage would be transferred.  When I went to customs, they waived us through and thought nothing of it. We noticed that people were re-checking their luggage and realized we should of brought ours with us. Talked with someone  and had to do the walk of shame to get our luggage from security and then be scolded by Customs as they checked over our luggage. 

 

If that is no longer a requirement, good to hear. 

[Ex-Airbalancer]

Check your ticket , what does it say 

call the airlines if you are in doubt 

[dolfan1980]

4 hours ago, LeDemonBlond said:

Just to fully understand this. If I am arriving from the United States at Pearson but I will be continuing to fly on to Edmonton , I do not have to collect my luggage before I see Canada customs? My luggage will  be transferred onto the  plane to Edmonton, I won't have to recheck it through?

 

I was so used to flying directly from Edmonton or changing over in the U.S. that I did have an issue at Pearson a few years ago.  Flying in From New York to Pearson on Westjet. I wrongly assumed  the luggage would be transferred.  When I went to customs, they waived us through and thought nothing of it. We noticed that people were re-checking their luggage and realized we should of brought ours with us. Talked with someone  and had to do the walk of shame to get our luggage from security and then be scolded by Customs as they checked over our luggage. 

 

If that is no longer a requirement, good to hear. 

https://www.torontopearson.com/en/connections/guide?arrivingairline=aca&arrivingdestination=bos&departingairline=aca&departingdestination=yeg

 

At terminal 1 from US to Canada connections you do not claim baggage.

[em-sk]

11 hours ago, LeDemonBlond said:

Just to fully understand this. If I am arriving from the United States at Pearson but I will be continuing to fly on to Edmonton , I do not have to collect my luggage before I see Canada customs? My luggage will  be transferred onto the  plane to Edmonton, I won't have to recheck it through?

 

I was so used to flying directly from Edmonton or changing over in the U.S. that I did have an issue at Pearson a few years ago.  Flying in From New York to Pearson on Westjet. I wrongly assumed  the luggage would be transferred.  When I went to customs, they waived us through and thought nothing of it. We noticed that people were re-checking their luggage and realized we should of brought ours with us. Talked with someone  and had to do the walk of shame to get our luggage from security and then be scolded by Customs as they checked over our luggage. 

 

If that is no longer a requirement, good to hear. 

 

Depends.  Terminal 1 is streamlined and simple.  Terminal 3 is not as simple but still better than before.  If your coming in on one terminal and leaving on the other then it is painfully and you need to handle your baggage.

 

If you flying Air Canada/United your in terminal 1. It is handled behind the scense.

 

If your flying WestJet/Delta/American your in Terminal 3. 

 

Edited October 22, 2022 by em-sk

[maryann2]

15 hours ago, dolfan1980 said:

https://www.torontopearson.com/en/connections/guide?arrivingairline=aca&arrivingdestination=bos&departingairline=aca&departingdestination=yeg

 

At terminal 1 from US to Canada connections you do not claim baggage.

Thank you for the link.

I was able to change it from Miami to Vancouver.

That's great that we don't need to collect luggage anymore, with AC anyway.

[DirtyDawg]

On 10/19/2022 at 12:40 PM, Magicat said:

Have to agree YYZ sucks.  Pearson is our airport however we are now exploring alternative options like taking the train to Montreal and flying out from there.  

Buffalo is a lot closer to the GTA than taking Via to Montreal. And Hamilton is closer than Buffalo if you want a flight to Florida.

[LHT28]

1 hour ago, DirtyDawg said:

Buffalo is a lot closer to the GTA than taking Via to Montreal. And Hamilton is closer than Buffalo if you want a flight to Florida.

Also Kitchener/Waterloo (YKF) have flights to FLL if you do not mind Flair  😉

 

[DirtyDawg]

9 hours ago, LHT28 said:

Also Kitchener/Waterloo (YKF) have flights to FLL if you do not mind Flair  😉

 

Do you remember those old The Hide House radio commercials where the tag line was; "It's worth the drive to Acton."?

 

I wonder if Fair's tag line could be:"It's worth the drive to KW." 🤔 Nay.

 

Actually, Porter fly's from the Toronto Island Airport to Newark with connecting flight on Jet Blue to some Florida locations. Another option for someone who hates Pearson. 

[Ex-Airbalancer]

2 minutes ago, DirtyDawg said:

Do you remember those old The Hide House radio commercials where the tag line was; "It's worth the drive to Acton."?

 

I wonder if Fair's tag line could be:"It's worth the drive to KW." 🤔 Nay.

 

Actually, Porter fly's from the Toronto Island Airport to Newark with connecting flight on Jet Blue to some Florida locations. Another option for someone who hates Pearson. 

Last time went Porter it was a sh1t show , they over book a plane and it left 1-1/2 hour late 

All of our cruises are in the EU or TAs , so flying out of Person is great so many direct flights to EU 

we can get parking for $120 a month 

Living east of the GTA it not worth to fly out of Buffalo, Hamilton or KW 

it will be interesting once Porter gets they jets and are flying out of YYZ , hopefully lowering prices 

[LHT28]

2 hours ago, Ex-Airbalancer said:

we can get parking for $120 a month 

Where do you get parking ??

[Ex-Airbalancer]

29 minutes ago, LHT28 said:

Where do you get parking ??

We been using them for years , sign up for their emails 

used them in April and September this year 

skypark.ca 

 

Edited October 23, 2022 by Ex-Airbalancer

[Magicat]

On 10/22/2022 at 7:33 PM, DirtyDawg said:

Buffalo is a lot closer to the GTA than taking Via to Montreal. And Hamilton is closer than Buffalo if you want a flight to Florida.

Well, it is a dream to fly out of somewhere else, but just booked flights to Europe out of Toronto.  I'm a glutton for punishment.  Or maybe I have the misguided dream things will get better by then.