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Toronto airport delays on return to Canada


archer_310
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3 hours ago, Fouremco said:

Beg your pardon? I didn't realize that my NEXUS status meant that AC was less loyal to me. :classic_sad:

 

Seriously, all it would take is an announcement from the captain that as CBSA processing was backed up, there would be a delay disembarking. However, as there was no similar backup for the NEXUS lanes, NEXUS passengers would be able to leave immediately.

 

If the passengers could understand the logic of letting those with connecting flights off first without becoming annoyed, I quite sure that they could understand the logic of letting NEXUS holders off. And, as a bonus, passengers with connecting flights who were also NEXUS members would be doubly happy! 😇 As someone who is a NEXUS member who often has to fly back to Ottawa via Toronto because AC doesn't offer direct flights from FLL every day of the week, I would be ecstatic! :classic_biggrin:

 

The instant an announcement was made that NEXUS members could immediately deplane I suspect most everyone on the flight will be in the aisle(s). As things seem to go these days, a check at the door will simply produce arguments and potentially abuse of cabin staff.

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45 minutes ago, gnome12 said:

I know that we have US customs preclearance here in Toronto, so when  you arrive in the US you are a domestic arrival. I don't think that we (yet) have Canadian customs preclearance in the US; there will be a whole lot of airports to cover. Without it, you would be arriving at T3 International; I don't think that there is any differentiation between US and international arrivals in customs or baggage claim.

Your arrival terminal varies with the airline. Air Canada gates all flights - domestic, US and international - at Terminal 1. WestJet, on the other hand, uses Terminal 3. 

 

You're right, US and all other international arrivals are processed together by CBSA. And, like you, I doubt that we'll see Canadian preclearance in the US any time soon, if ever.

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12 minutes ago, broberts said:

 

The instant an announcement was made that NEXUS members could immediately deplane I suspect most everyone on the flight will be in the aisle(s). As things seem to go these days, a check at the door will simply produce arguments and potentially abuse of cabin staff.

None of the posts from those who have travelled recently mention this type of problem arising when they announce that passengers with connecting flights can deplane, and I see no reason why doing the same for NEXUS members would cause arguments or abuse of cabin staff. 

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38 minutes ago, Fouremco said:

Your arrival terminal varies with the airline. Air Canada gates all flights - domestic, US and international - at Terminal 1. WestJet, on the other hand, uses Terminal 3. 

 

You're right, US and all other international arrivals are processed together by CBSA. And, like you, I doubt that we'll see Canadian preclearance in the US any time soon, if ever.

I only stuck with T3, because that was the terminal that archer_310 referred to. I didn't think to question it.

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5 hours ago, Fouremco said:

However, as there was no similar backup for the NEXUS lanes, NEXUS passengers would be able to leave immediately.

 

Again, this is CBSA's determination to make, not Air Canada's.  Certainly worth raising with the CBSA. 

 

Who knows, there might even have been a backup at NEXUS too before I was permitted to disembark.  And the timing of my debarkation could have been a result of a tapering off of pax at NEXUS in the customs hall.  CBSA is at the reins.   BTW, people started lining up two and three deep at the NEXUS self-serve kiosks just as I was leaving the area. 

 

 

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6 minutes ago, lots-of-km2 said:

 

Again, this is CBSA's determination to make, not Air Canada's.  Certainly worth raising with the CBSA. 

 

Who knows, there might even have been a backup at NEXUS too before I was permitted to disembark.  And the timing of my debarkation could have been a result of a tapering off of pax at NEXUS in the customs hall.  CBSA is at the reins.   BTW, people started lining up two and three deep at the NEXUS self-serve kiosks just as I was leaving the area. 

 

 

Yes, CBSA advises the airlines on the status of the lines, and there is no reason for them not to include the NEXUS line status. If in fact they aren't already doing so. Air travel can be filled with delays, so anything that can save wasted time is great, especially when there are easy solutions.  JMO and final comment. 😇

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8 hours ago, Fouremco said:

Beg your pardon? I didn't realize that my NEXUS status meant that AC was less loyal to me. :classic_sad:

 

Seriously, all it would take is an announcement from the captain that as CBSA processing was backed up, there would be a delay disembarking. However, as there was no similar backup for the NEXUS lanes, NEXUS passengers would be able to leave immediately.

 

If the passengers could understand the logic of letting those with connecting flights off first without becoming annoyed, I quite sure that they could understand the logic of letting NEXUS holders off. And, as a bonus, passengers with connecting flights who were also NEXUS members would be doubly happy! 😇 As someone who is a NEXUS member who often has to fly back to Ottawa via Toronto because AC doesn't offer direct flights from FLL every day of the week, I would be ecstatic! :classic_biggrin:

Whatever causes delays while passengers are on board means they still have not cleared customs. The aircraft manifest of any airline has to stay intact until the plane is permitted to open its doors to cross into the arrivals area for clearance. 

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2 minutes ago, Tango99 said:

Whatever causes delays while passengers are on board means they still have not cleared customs. The aircraft manifest of any airline has to stay intact until the plane is permitted to open its doors to cross into the arrivals area for clearance. 

I think we are all aware of the fact that while still on the plane, passengers haven't cleared customs.

 

Once those doors are opened for passengers with connecting flights, there is no reason why NEXUS members could not also deplane.

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21 hours ago, lx200gps said:

My thoughts exactly. Question is, do airline staff at, say, Hong Kong or Heathrow precheck the ArriveCan status and deny boarding to anyone who has not filled in the app, or do they just let anyone board and have the CBSA sort out the mess on arrival here? I would imagine that Air Canada staff at foreign airports would do so, but what about foreign airlines.  If a few very large aircraft all arrive at Pearson at the same time, from the Far East or Europe, with only a fraction of the passengers having properly completed the ArriveCan info, the delays would be massive.

We flew back from Puerto Vallarta on Saturday -via Calgary so not as busy - but our ArriveCAN app was only checked when  we arrived in Calgary, not by the Mexican WestJet team

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Never even thought of getting a NEXUS card as I never go to the US.   Guess I’ll be applying for one today.   I hope I get it in time for my 4 Dec flight.  I’m more concerned about my flight back.   I have a direct flight from Ottawa to Fort Lauderdale, but coming back I have to transit Toronto and I only have a 2 hr 21 transfer time.    Is the NEXUS card an actual card or is it digital yet?

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3 minutes ago, Evilmuffin said:

Never even thought of getting a NEXUS card as I never go to the US.   Guess I’ll be applying for one today.   I hope I get it in time for my 4 Dec flight.  I’m more concerned about my flight back.   I have a direct flight from Ottawa to Fort Lauderdale, but coming back I have to transit Toronto and I only have a 2 hr 21 transfer time.    Is the NEXUS card an actual card or is it digital yet?

Not a chance! You have to have in person interviews with both Canadian and American agents, and even pre-Covid setting those up took months.

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My whole family got a Nexus card a few years ago when it looked like we'd be going to Florida every March Break.

 

Then we changed our minds and went to Dominican Republic instead.

 

My son and I used NEXUS for our Alaskan cruise in 2019 and it was fantastic.

 

We are excited to use it again for our December, March, and summer trips.

 

If you need to see a visual of why NEXUS is AMAZING - thats a picture of the airport in Anchorage. The lines snaked all around but the NEXUS line had 5 people in front of us.

 

 

67606425_10162124273215634_8360799117550551040_n.jpg

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52 minutes ago, gnome12 said:

Not a chance! You have to have in person interviews with both Canadian and American agents, and even pre-Covid setting those up took months.

 

Yep, a long process.  You apply and pay up front and then you wait.  And wait. And wait. Eventually, they provide conditional approval and permission to book an appointment, or they issue a denial. And the process is probably longer now because of Covid. 

 

Still, it's worth applying for and getting one,  @Evilmuffin.  Cost is $50 USD and it lasts five years.  

 

Edited by lots-of-km2
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1 hour ago, Evilmuffin said:

 Is the NEXUS card an actual card or is it digital yet?

 

It's a small plastic card around the size of a credit card. It's got a bunch of security features and complex graphics on it the way a passport does.  No digital version, as far as I am aware. 

 

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6 minutes ago, lots-of-km2 said:

 

Yep, a long process.  You apply and pay up front and then you wait.  And wait. And wait. Eventually, they provide conditional approval and permission to book an appointment, or they issue a denial. And the process is probably longer now because of Covid. 

 

Still, it's worth applying for and getting one,  @Evilmuffin.  Cost is $50 USD and it lasts five years.  

 

I have a Nexus card which has expired and they have renewed it conditional on having an interview.  However, they are not giving any interviews at this time.   As a result, I would guess it may be awhile before you will be able to get enrolled.

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Yep I applied and got conditional approval but no interview appointments available right across Canada as of now. Nothing at the border near Calgary either so not hopeful of getting one any time soon.  My friend in San Diego applied for Global Entry card about 2 weeks before I applied and already has his. Hurry up and wait is the game 

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1 hour ago, tert333 said:

I have a Nexus card which has expired and they have renewed it conditional on having an interview.  However, they are not giving any interviews at this time.   As a result, I would guess it may be awhile before you will be able to get enrolled.

Same here, my latest NEXUS card expired August 2020, but fortunately I had applied for the renewal and received the conditional approval. As you say, the interviews have been stopped for quite a while with no word on when they will restart. Also, there will undoubtedly be a massive backlog as well. Hopefully they will simply auto-renew us current card holders without requiring an interview, but that's being a bit optimistic. For those that do have their conditional renewal, they have extended your expired card for a further 24 months, IOW mine is good until August 2022. Really looking forward to using it between YUL and FLL next month.  AFAIK, it should also still apply to the Global Entry line at Port Everglades, which can be a huge time saver.

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We flew back from France to Pearson last Sunday.  We were held on the plane and were only allowed off 50 at a time.  Then when we got to passport control/customs, it was a total zoo. An angry mob - with people verbally abusing staff. What a way to end a holiday.  I think it took us an hour to get through that. 

 

Staff only took the most cursory glance at our ArriveCan receipts. 

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Sorry for not explaining further as to what I was asking.  The website that Hancogran recommended lists the current wait times at various airports.  I've been monitoring them and was just confused as to which one was for people returning to Canada.  I think it's probably T3 Canada, but not sure.  I am on Westjet, so yes, Terminal 3.  Most I've seen so far is a 15 minute wait, but I'll see what happens this weekend.

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3 minutes ago, LucasLounger1 said:

We flew back from France to Pearson last Sunday.  We were held on the plane and were only allowed off 50 at a time.  Then when we got to passport control/customs, it was a total zoo. An angry mob - with people verbally abusing staff. What a way to end a holiday.  I think it took us an hour to get through that. 

 

Staff only took the most cursory glance at our ArriveCan receipts. 

 

You are NOT inspiring confidence for my Sunday arrival!

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