Flying out of CA for US citizens

[GORDONCHICK]

We don't get out much, obviously.  We've flown INTO Canada, but never out of it.  We are booked on a flight from Quebec City (YQB) to Boston Logan (BOS) and changing planes in Toronto ((YYZ).

First question: flight is at 5am on a Friday morning, what time do we need to be at the airport?

Second:We will have gone through customs getting off the ship, but will we go through again at YQB or YYZ, or not untl US customs at BOS?

Anything else we should know flying from CA that might be unusual to US citizens?  I do know that they will check for the liquids, etc at YYZ before boarding to Boston to meet US requirements but did I miss something else?

 

Thanks!

 

 

[d9704011]

1 minute ago, GORDONCHICK said:

We don't get out much, obviously.  We've flown INTO Canada, but never out of it.  We are booked on a flight from Quebec City (YQB) to Boston Logan (BOS) and changing planes in Toronto ((YYZ).

First question: flight is at 5am on a Friday morning, what time do we need to be at the airport?

Second:We will have gone through customs getting off the ship, but will we go through again at YQB or YYZ, or not untl US customs at BOS?

Anything else we should know flying from CA that might be unusual to US citizens?  I do know that they will check for the liquids, etc at YYZ before boarding to Boston to meet US requirements but did I miss something else?

 

Thanks!

 

 

You ought to be at YQB about 0330.

 

You will clear US CBP (Immigration and Customs) in YYZ.

 

Nothing unusual about what you can carry with you.

[GORDONCHICK]

7 minutes ago, d9704011 said:

You ought to be at YQB about 0330.

 

You will clear US CBP (Immigration and Customs) in YYZ.

 

Nothing unusual about what you can carry with you.

Our layover is an hour and 20 minutes - should that be enough time?  Supposed to get there at 6:50am.  And we'd have to collect our luggage to go through, right?

Edited July 4, 2023 by GORDONCHICK

[LHT28]

maybe  maybe not

https://www.torontopearson.com/en/connections

 

They  will check for  liquids over 100ml at YQB    just like any other airport

[GORDONCHICK]

8 minutes ago, LHT28 said:

maybe  maybe not

https://www.torontopearson.com/en/connections

 

They  will check for  liquids over 100ml at YQB    just like any other airport

Thanks.  Very helpful!

[d9704011]

1 hour ago, GORDONCHICK said:

And we'd have to collect our luggage to go through, right?

You should not have to do that; luggage should be checked through go your final destination unless you have an unusual mix of flights/carriers.

[FlyerTalker]

20 minutes ago, d9704011 said:

You should not have to do that; luggage should be checked through go your final destination unless you have an unusual mix of flights/carriers.

 

Let's be careful with the terminology.

 

There is a difference between "checked through to your final destination" and "you don't have to reclaim your luggage".  At all USA airports where you pass through immigration and customs, you are required to reclaim your luggage and pass through customs.  This is even if the bag is "checked through" - which I assume means that it has a baggage tag labeled with the final destination.

 

Now there are different procedures at the USA preclearance facilities in Canada, so no blanket generalization can be accurately made.

 

 

[GORDONCHICK]

24 minutes ago, FlyerTalker said:

 

Let's be careful with the terminology.

 

There is a difference between "checked through to your final destination" and "you don't have to reclaim your luggage".  At all USA airports where you pass through immigration and customs, you are required to reclaim your luggage and pass through customs.  This is even if the bag is "checked through" - which I assume means that it has a baggage tag labeled with the final destination.

 

Now there are different procedures at the USA preclearance facilities in Canada, so no blanket generalization can be accurately made.

 

 

So this sounds like it's a pre-clearance at YYZ, but real US Customs at Boston Logan.  Both flights are Air Canada

[d9704011]

4 minutes ago, GORDONCHICK said:

So this sounds like it's a pre-clearance at YYZ, but real US Customs at Boston Logan.  Both flights are Air Canada

Nope.  Once you've gone through CBP pre-clearance in Toronto (YYZ), that's it.  When you arrive in Boston, it will be just like a domestic flight.... just head to the luggage carousel, get your bags (if they arrive) and keep moving.

Edited July 5, 2023 by d9704011

[GORDONCHICK]

1 minute ago, d9704011 said:

Nope.  Once you've gone through CBP pre-clearance in Toronto (YYZ), that's it.  When you arrive in Boston, it will be just like a domestic flight.... just head to the luggage carousel, get your bags (if they arrive) and keep moving.

Yeah, it does scare me about the luggage going through Toronto - I've heard it's a luggage black hole!   I think Apple Airtags may be in order.  We have another 9 days after this flight before we are home and we will certainly need our luggage!

[d9704011]

33 minutes ago, FlyerTalker said:

 

Let's be careful with the terminology.

 

There is a difference between "checked through to your final destination" and "you don't have to reclaim your luggage".  At all USA airports where you pass through immigration and customs, you are required to reclaim your luggage and pass through customs.  This is even if the bag is "checked through" - which I assume means that it has a baggage tag labeled with the final destination.

 

Now there are different procedures at the USA preclearance facilities in Canada, so no blanket generalization can be accurately made.

 

 

Fair enough.  The bags are check3d through AND there ought not be any requirement to see them again u til they reach Boston.

[d9704011]

1 minute ago, GORDONCHICK said:

Yeah, it does scare me about the luggage going through Toronto - I've heard it's a luggage black hole!   I think Apple Airtags may be in order.  We have another 9 days after this flight before we are home and we will certainly need our luggage!

You know, I've gone from YOW to the United States through YYZ with Air Canada at least a dozen times over the last eight months and never had a problem with luggage or CBP.  By all means, get some airtags but I doubt you'll need them.

[GORDONCHICK]

2 minutes ago, d9704011 said:

You know, I've gone from YOW to the United States through YYZ with Air Canada at least a dozen times over the last eight months and never had a problem with luggage or CBP.  By all means, get some airtags but I doubt you'll need them.

We'll be heading to Israel in 2024 so I was going to get them anyway.

[Zach1213]

12 hours ago, GORDONCHICK said:

Yeah, it does scare me about the luggage going through Toronto - I've heard it's a luggage black hole!   I think Apple Airtags may be in order.  We have another 9 days after this flight before we are home and we will certainly need our luggage!

 

The vast majority of checked bags make it on their flights, but people don't talk about their bags making it. Nobody goes to the baggage claim office and says "my bags made it perfectly, thanks!"

[GORDONCHICK]

1 hour ago, Zach1213 said:

 

The vast majority of checked bags make it on their flights, but people don't talk about their bags making it. Nobody goes to the baggage claim office and says "my bags made it perfectly, thanks!"

Yes, I'm well aware.  But in the past year, Toronto has been a black hole for luggage!  Documented and investigated several times.  I haven't seen where that's been cleared up.

[GORDONCHICK]

1 minute ago, GORDONCHICK said:

Yes, I'm well aware.  But in the past year, Toronto has been a black hole for luggage!  Documented and investigated several times.  I haven't seen where that's been cleared up.

 

[LHT28]

13 minutes ago, GORDONCHICK said:

Yes, I'm well aware.  But in the past year, Toronto has been a black hole for luggage!  Documented and investigated several times.  I haven't seen where that's been cleared up.

It is not news worthy  when people  get their  bags  without an issue  😉

 

[GORDONCHICK]

5 minutes ago, LHT28 said:

It is not news worthy  when people  get their  bags  without an issue  😉

 

It shouldn't be for people to do their jobs correctly!

[jsglow]

I thought the whole Toronto international connection thing was pretty interesting.  We arrived from Rome and were changing planes to Chicago. In Rome the ticket agent literally begged us to check our carry-ons. We agreed as we were heading home and could tolerate a delay.

 

In Toronto, we exited the plane and after a long walk began a 3 step process if my memory is correct.

 

1) What I'll call Canadian TSA. What I remember most is how rude a Canadian official was to a slightly confused elderly American gentleman that was just asking a simple question.  I think it was the one time in my life that I didn't speak up as we just wanted 'through the process'.

2) 'Baggage approval'. So we told a kiosk that we had a checked bag and waited a few minutes for clearance. We never saw or touched our bag but clearly there had been an transfer approval process behind the scenes.

3) USA Immigration. It's in major Canadian airports where you actually go through US Customs with your Passport and Global Entry (if you have it). The latter was awesome because we simply entered our Global Entry # in the kiosk, an approval ticket printed out, and we simply handed it to the nice Border Patrol guy as we passed him in line. From that moment on we were back in the good old USA flying domestic.

 

If I had to do it again, I would. But I'm happy to have one transit under my belt so nasty Canadians don't belittle me just like they did to that gentleman.

Edited July 5, 2023 by jsglow

[GORDONCHICK]

1 hour ago, jsglow said:

I thought the whole Toronto international connection thing was pretty interesting.  We arrived from Rome and were changing planes to Chicago. In Rome the ticket agent literally begged us to check our carry-ons. We agreed as we were heading home and could tolerate a delay.

 

In Toronto, we exited the plane and after a long walk began a 3 step process if my memory is correct.

 

1) What I'll call Canadian TSA. What I remember most is how rude a Canadian official was to a slightly confused elderly American gentleman that was just asking a simple question.  I think it was the one time in my life that I didn't speak up as we just wanted 'through the process'.

2) 'Baggage approval'. So we told a kiosk that we had a checked bag and waited a few minutes for clearance. We never saw or touched our bag but clearly there had been an transfer approval process behind the scenes.

3) USA Immigration. It's in major Canadian airports where you actually go through US Customs with your Passport and Global Entry (if you have it). The latter was awesome because we simply entered our Global Entry # in the kiosk, an approval ticket printed out, and we simply handed it to the nice Border Patrol guy as we passed him in line. From that moment on we were back in the good old USA flying domestic.

 

If I had to do it again, I would. But I'm happy to have one transit under my belt so nasty Canadians don't belittle me just like they did to that gentleman.

We've heard stories for years about the rude Canadians at border patrol.  We've not personally encountered any.  One guy was quite cold but not rude in Vancouver.  When we were driving across the border from Alaska into Canada, that guy was very friendly.  When we came from Seattle via train, we walked with our luggage and our passport out, scanned as we walked and never even stopped (we just followed all those ahead of us who appeared to know/understand the process)!  Don't know if they guy was nice or not because he never said a word.  But we have friends who flew their plane to Ontario and told us of all the rudeness they encountered.  

I'm learning a few words and phrases in French to at least show the people we interact with in Quebec that I'm trying!

[jsglow]

1 hour ago, GORDONCHICK said:

We've heard stories for years about the rude Canadians at border patrol.  We've not personally encountered any.  One guy was quite cold but not rude in Vancouver.  When we were driving across the border from Alaska into Canada, that guy was very friendly.  When we came from Seattle via train, we walked with our luggage and our passport out, scanned as we walked and never even stopped (we just followed all those ahead of us who appeared to know/understand the process)!  Don't know if they guy was nice or not because he never said a word.  But we have friends who flew their plane to Ontario and told us of all the rudeness they encountered.  

I'm learning a few words and phrases in French to at least show the people we interact with in Quebec that I'm trying!

I'm sure 99% are just great.  But in the situation I described, a 75+ year old American got literally snapped at simply for asking for some clarification on slightly different Canadian procedures; like he as an American was supposed to know somehow.

Look, I've spent way too much time internationally being embarrassed by Americans who frankly shouldn't have ever left Cleveland (using John Heald's favorite reference.)  But that agent was WAY out of line. I think I even remember helping the man navigate the situation. Anyway, old news.

[6rugrats]

Deleted, wrong post.

Edited July 5, 2023 by 6rugrats

[Z'Loth]

Per https://www.cbp.gov/travel/preclearance, the following Canadian airports have United States Preclearance:

 

• Calgary International Airport
• Edmonton International Airport
• Robert L. Stanfield International (Halifax Preclearance)
• Montreal Trudeau International Airport
• Ottawa MacDonald-Cartier International Airport
• Lester B. Pearson International Airport (Toronto Preclearance)
• Vancouver International Airport
• Winnipeg International Airport

 

In effect, once you pass through PreClearance, you are in the "United States", and your flight is a domestic flight. 

[GeezerCouple]

8 hours ago, Z'Loth said:

Per https://www.cbp.gov/travel/preclearance, the following Canadian airports have United States Preclearance:

 

• Calgary International Airport
• Edmonton International Airport
• Robert L. Stanfield International (Halifax Preclearance)
• Montreal Trudeau International Airport
• Ottawa MacDonald-Cartier International Airport
• Lester B. Pearson International Airport (Toronto Preclearance)
• Vancouver International Airport
• Winnipeg International Airport

 

In effect, once you pass through PreClearance, you are in the "United States", and your flight is a domestic flight. 

"In effect, once you pass through PreClearance, you are in the "United States", and your flight is a domestic flight. "

 

On the off chance that someone is meeting you (instead of your taking a taxi or Uber/etc.), they should know *where* the pre-cleared AC flights arrive.  It's likely not going to be at an "International Terminal".

 

In BOS, at least in years past (please check in case it's changed), AC flights arrive (and depart from) AC's little home at the very end of the (American Airlines?) terminal.

It works like any other *domestic* gate/terminal:  No customs/immigration upon departure (you'll clear upon arrival in CA) and no C/I upon arrival (you pre-cleared before take-off in CA).

 

GC

[CruiserBruce]

1 hour ago, GeezerCouple said:

"In effect, once you pass through PreClearance, you are in the "United States", and your flight is a domestic flight. "

 

On the off chance that someone is meeting you (instead of your taking a taxi or Uber/etc.), they should know *where* the pre-cleared AC flights arrive.  It's likely not going to be at an "International Terminal".

 

In BOS, at least in years past (please check in case it's changed), AC flights arrive (and depart from) AC's little home at the very end of the (American Airlines?) terminal.

It works like any other *domestic* gate/terminal:  No customs/immigration upon departure (you'll clear upon arrival in CA) and no C/I upon arrival (you pre-cleared before take-off in CA).

 

GC

Very true. At SFO, AC arrives at Terminal 2, not the International Terminal, which is an entirely different approach to the airport.