Canadians! YYZ airport

Fellow Canadians, just wondering if I should allow more than 1.5 hours layover at YYZ from MIA? Will Customs be horrendous?

 

The other layover I can choose is 3.5 hours (long!)...

 

Thanks!

What airport is YYZ?

 

 

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Toronto Pearson is busy, but you should be fine as long as you are not switching airlines.

Yes, flights are Air Canada.

When I flew LAX to YVR last month, Customs took less than 20min. Filled out form on Airplane, scanned it and my passport at the kiosk, handed printout to customs guy and he waved me through. I dont know for sure, but would assume Pearson has the same process as Vancouver. You know, with Toronto being the centre of the universe. :D

Yes, flights are Air Canada.

 

I think you will be fine.

 

Cherie

Yes, flights are Air Canada.

 

You're fine. Customs doesn't take long at all. We have Nexus and we are usually though in 5 minutes. Non-Nexus passengers can use the new automated declaration Kiosks which, quite frankly, are almost as quick.

Fellow Canadians, just wondering if I should allow more than 1.5 hours layover at YYZ from MIA? Will Customs be horrendous?

 

The other layover I can choose is 3.5 hours (long!)...

 

Thanks!

 

We fly in/out of Toronto a lot and while customs is pretty fast, they also have a dozen or so automatic machines which really speeds things up.

 

I would give myself more time for layover in case flight is late leaving MIA due to hold ups, security issues at MIA.

Fellow Canadians, just wondering if I should allow more than 1.5 hours layover at YYZ from MIA? Will Customs be horrendous?

 

The other layover I can choose is 3.5 hours (long!)...

 

Thanks!

 

When we flew from LAX (LA) to YUL (Montreal) in May 14, we had a layover of 1.5 hour in Vancouver. Canadian Customs is not the issue but the problem is with getting your luggage so you can clear customs. It took forever to get our luggage and this resulted in missing our flight. Our flights were with Air Canada.

Customs is usually quick. It's waiting for bags that always seems to be an issue. Last couple of times I've been through there were delays in getting the bags out.

We had a 1.5 hr layover while traveling over March break from Ottawa to Orlando via Toronto. It was tight but possible. Airline staff told us to tell them if we were having trouble with our luggage retrieval so they could help expedite if needed. It all worked out, but I was glad the staff were there to trouble shoot if needed. That being said, 3.5 hrs layover sounds awful, I'd take my chances on 1.5 hrs.

 

 

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We scanned declarations form, scanned our passports, and then waited almost TWO HOURS for our luggage to be "processed." Until your name comes up on a big board you can go no further. We were in a huge room with probably 400 people, no chairs. We missed our flight to Hartford. Both planes were Air Canada. I will say the Air Canada desk was very helpful, put us on standby for the next flight, gave us each a $10 coupon (barely the price of a drink), said they would put us up for the night if we failed to get on the next flight. B/c it was a small plane we sat in not the best part of the airport for 4 hours. Good luck. I'd take the longer wait, less stress. But that's just me.

In the past when it gets busy they would split the line up for passport control between connecting and local passengers. Not certain if they do that anymore now that they have the automatic kiosk scanning passports.

It is the airport we always travel to/from. Never had any problems. Good luck!

Unless you have Nexus, disregard the comments from Nexus holders who say it's easy-peasy.

 

It all depends on which flights have arrived just before you.

 

 

If 400 non-English speakers get off one plane, and another 400 non-English-speakers get off another....that's 800 people trying to explain to English-speaking Customs agents why they're here, etc.

 

On the other hand, you might walk into the Customs Hall, right up to an agent & be through in 5 minutes.

 

Personally I'd book the 1.5 hour connect. Worst-case is that they have to rebook you on the 3.5 hour connect if you miss the first.

 

 

Stephen

 

 

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YYZ's a good song by Rush.

The line can go quite fast, we have done this fro Mexico the last couple years, Mexico/Toronto /Freddie.....our biggest problem was putting the booze we bought in the Cancun airport in our check bags once we got to YYZ, because we had to go through security again, so beware of liquids bought at the departing airport....but, then again, u might get a pissy border person....an hour and a half should be plenty, and you can always try and get on the later one if u miss it, make sure you get help from Air Canada people as soon as you think u might have a problem, they will sort you out.

YYZ's a good song by Rush.

 

 

 

Morse code for YYZ

Love Rush

YYZ's a good song by Rush.

 

...and I think poster will be Rushed with only 1.5 hours. I seem to always have bad experiences going through YYZ but declansdad and I bantered back and forth about this and his experiences have always been good. Maybe you don't need to be Tom Sawyer to navigate it.

 

If the Miami portion is at all delayed, use some grace under pressure and get them to send a distant, early warning to YYZ that you may be running behind. Nobody thinks you'll be stuck in customs til 2112 but it'd help if the airline can make time stand still so you can make your connection. When you spend the big money to go on a cruise, whether you choose to fly by night or other circumstances, you sometimes need the airline to help make matters happen, presto.

If it's at all possible I avoid travelling thru the Toronto Airport. It can be a zoo sometimes. But, we have experienced sitting on a plane waiting for late passengers so you might get lucky (and this was Air Canada). I'd opt for the longer wait time between connections. Sitting in a bar having a drink & a bite to eat beats running the airport any time:-) Cheers, Sandra

It is the airport we always travel to/from. Never had any problems. Good luck!

Yes, same here. It's my home airport too and I honestly never have any trouble with it. It's about as efficient as it can get for an airport that size with that kind of passenger load. I know people like to pile on YYZ, but for every loudmouth complainer there are a hundred thousand other passengers who passed through without incident.

 

OP> As said prior to me, book the 1.5 connection. I'd wager you'll make it. On the off-chance that you miss it, AC will put you on the next flight in 3.5 hours. If you ask nicely they'll probably give you a meal voucher worth 20 or 30 bucks. So get yourself something to eat and relax.

 

If you happen to miss the connection, when you get back home go to the AC website and find their customer service email and send them a note about your experience. Be honest. If prudent, tell them something along the lines that you were disappointed that your flight was late arriving and that the slow processing at YYZ contributed to the problem. Also mention that you appreciated the meal voucher (if you got one) and their assistance getting on the next flight. If an AC employee was particularly helpful - mention then by name! Most importantly - be honest. Do not write a novel. (And please don't rant and rave about stupid trivial stuff like the flight was too bumpy or the movie you watched was terrible, etc.)

 

Do that and there will be a good chance they will reply with a 5-10% discount code on your next flight. It might not seem like much, but it's something.

I always book the shortest lay-over that the airline's booking site will allow as a valid connection. I can't imagine choosing to wait an extra 2 hrs in an airport.

 

When I travel to/from the US I often have to connect at YYZ. The shortest lay-over I can get is 1.5 hrs (so I assume this is the minimum valid lay-over that airlines will allow). I've never had major delays clearing customs, retrieving checked baggage, and going through security to board my domestic flight.

 

And I must say, I'm not usually concerned about delays coming back from a cruise. :)

Personally I'd book the 1.5 hour connect. Worst-case is that they have to rebook you on the 3.5 hour connect if you miss the first.

 

No, worst case scenario would actually be that you ask them to put you on that next flight and they tell you it's full. Then you wait til who knows when

 

On the off-chance that you miss it, AC will put you on the next flight in 3.5 hours.

 

See above. People always seem to think that getting re-booked on the next flight is an automatic sure thing but it's not. You'll get re-booked on the next flight that has seats available. Could be the very next flight, could be later that day, could be the next day. Or you might get re-booked on to a completely different route with an additional connection(s).

What if we have our seats already purchased in advance? As long as the plane is there, shouldn't we get priority over others who haven't booked seats?

What if we have our seats already purchased in advance? As long as the plane is there, shouldn't we get priority over others who haven't booked seats?

Airlines don't work like theatres - you don't buy a ticket for a specific seat. If the airline decides to offload you, you'll get offloaded. By that time, most other passengers who have reservations but no pre-allocated seats will have checked-in and had seats allocated. When you get offloaded, those (few) who are still on standby (ie no seat allocation) will then get on. On most airlines, having pre-allocated seats doesn't change any of that, because it's the work of a handful of key-presses to offload you even if you had pre-allocated seats.