USA Baggage Checking with Air Canada

[theZsatsea]

We have an Alaska cruise tour ending in Vancouver on 9/17/2022.  We're looking at a return itinerary fared with UAL.  The first leg is YVR to ORD on Air Canada.

My question is do we go through US customs in YVR or ORD considering we will be on an Air Canada flight?  It is of a concern as we have a 1 hour 34 minute layover at ORD before continuing on a UAL regional jet to CLE.  Thanks

[1982CruzStart]

yes you go through US customs and immigration in YVR.  Once checked in for your flight, you go through security and then right into the US customs and immigration area before proceeding to your gate. 

[CruiserBruce]

Doesn't matter what airline you are using. Its all about the fact you are flying direct to, and entering into the US. And the fact Vancouver is a Immigration and Customs "preclearance" airport. It changes your flight type to essentially a domestic flight.

[em-sk]

21 hours ago, theZsatsea said:

We have an Alaska cruise tour ending in Vancouver on 9/17/2022.  We're looking at a return itinerary fared with UAL.  The first leg is YVR to ORD on Air Canada.

My question is do we go through US customs in YVR or ORD considering we will be on an Air Canada flight?  It is of a concern as we have a 1 hour 34 minute layover at ORD before continuing on a UAL regional jet to CLE.  Thanks

 

The vast majority of flights to the US from Vancouver leave out of the US gates (also called trans-boarder).  These make use of US Customs/Immigration in Vancouver.  They can then arrive into a domestic gate in the US.   Generally US Customs closes in Vancouver at around 9:00 pm.

 

Any US flight leaving after 9:00 pm will have to go out of the international gates and will clear US customs when they land in the US.  Usually Air Canada and United don't schedule flights after 9:00 pm to the US.  Delta and some of the Asian airlines have in the past had late night flights.

 

I would be ok with the 1 hour 34 minute connection in Chicago.  Air Canada and United are partners and try to keep there gates together.  With pre-clearance done in Vancouver, there is no extra steps in Chicago.  

 

 

[phabric]

I am Canadian on an Alaska cruise with a returning flight from Anchorage.

 

My flights are booked on one ticket with Air Canada on Sept 3.

 

ANC - 4:10pm  to  YVR - 8:17pm

YVR - 11:40pm  to YYZ - 7:05am

with a 3hr 23 min layover in Vancouver 

 

This is my first time with a connecting flight.

 

 I go through Canadian Customs at Vancouver.
 

Are there kiosks like in Toronto airport for flights to the USA, kiosks where you put in your passport and receive a paper you hand in to a USA Immigration officer?

 

My luggage should be tagged to go to Toronto (YYZ).  I should not have to pick up my luggage in Vancouver,  correct?

 

Is there a connecting flight entrance bypassing the luggage area?

 

 

[CruiserBruce]

2 hours ago, phabric said:

I am Canadian on an Alaska cruise with a returning flight from Anchorage.

 

My flights are booked on one ticket with Air Canada on Sept 3.

 

ANC - 4:10pm  to  YVR - 8:17pm

YVR - 11:40pm  to YYZ - 7:05am

with a 3hr 23 min layover in Vancouver 

 

This is my first time with a connecting flight.

 

 I go through Canadian Customs at Vancouver.
 

Are there kiosks like in Toronto airport for flights to the USA, kiosks where you put in your passport and receive a paper you hand in to a USA Immigration officer?

 

My luggage should be tagged to go to Toronto (YYZ).  I should not have to pick up my luggage in Vancouver,  correct?

 

Is there a connecting flight entrance bypassing the luggage area?

 

 

Are you connecting to the US? You don't mention that in your routing...

 

Toronto is a pre-clearance airport, and IIRC, they have the kiosks like at US airports.

[phabric]

14 minutes ago, CruiserBruce said:

Are you connecting to the US? You don't mention that in your routing...

 

Toronto is a pre-clearance airport, and IIRC, they have the kiosks like at US airports.

My Alaska cruise starts in Vancouver and finishes in Alaska.  I am flying home from Anchorage to Vancouver to Toronto (my home city) all on the same ticket number with Air Canada.

 

I was wondering if Vancouver has the kiosks like the Toronto airport.  The last time I was at the Vancouver airport (1990’s) they didn’t have kiosks and I did not have to go through Canadian Immigration. 

[theZsatsea]

Thanks folks.  With your input, my party can go forward and book the itinerary I mentioned.

Once again, Cruise Critic Rules!

[CruiserBruce]

1 hour ago, phabric said:

My Alaska cruise starts in Vancouver and finishes in Alaska.  I am flying home from Anchorage to Vancouver to Toronto (my home city) all on the same ticket number with Air Canada.

 

I was wondering if Vancouver has the kiosks like the Toronto airport.  The last time I was at the Vancouver airport (1990’s) they didn’t have kiosks and I did not have to go through Canadian Immigration. 

Vancouver has the kiosks, which were invented for Global Entry. Global Entry didn't start until 2006, so you would not have seen the kiosks before 2006. Not sure when the kiosks went into service. 

[em-sk]

6 hours ago, phabric said:

I am Canadian on an Alaska cruise with a returning flight from Anchorage.

 

My flights are booked on one ticket with Air Canada on Sept 3.

 

ANC - 4:10pm  to  YVR - 8:17pm

YVR - 11:40pm  to YYZ - 7:05am

with a 3hr 23 min layover in Vancouver 

 

This is my first time with a connecting flight.

 

 I go through Canadian Customs at Vancouver.
 

Are there kiosks like in Toronto airport for flights to the USA, kiosks where you put in your passport and receive a paper you hand in to a USA Immigration officer?

 

My luggage should be tagged to go to Toronto (YYZ).  I should not have to pick up my luggage in Vancouver,  correct?

 

Is there a connecting flight entrance bypassing the luggage area?

 

 

 

Kiosk similar to Toronto.  (The Vancouver Airport actually owns the company that designed and manufactured those kiosk for most of the Canadian and US airports.). 

 

Checked bags will automatically be transferred.  You just walk passed the pickup carousels and take the elevators or escalators up to departures.  

 

That time of day out of the domestic sides there are some local flights in BC heading out as well as a couple east.  However it is going to lighter that the morning. It is fairly quick.

 

 

[phabric]

Will we have to go through security to get to the gate?

[em-sk]

1 hour ago, phabric said:

Will we have to go through security to get to the gate?

 

Before COVID I did this all the time connecting onto flights into Victoria.  Yes, your going to have to go through security again.  

 

However, most of the passengers connecting from Asia are doing that between 8 AM and 3 PM.  At the time of day your passing through it is going to be quiet and quick.   If it is busy they will either let connecting passenger into the priority line or open up a dedicated line.

[phabric]

Thanks for helpful information 

[dgc2861]

There is a flight I'm looking at: 

Pittsburgh to Toronto with a 2 hour layover and landing in Vancouver.

Return:   Vancouver to Toronto with a 2 hour layover and landing in Pittsburgh.

Can anyone explain the Customs process to me? Never flown through/landed in Canada before. Are the layovers enough time?

[CruiserBruce]

Going, you will clear Canadian procedures in Toronto.

 

Returning, you will clear US Immigration and Customs in Toronto before boarding your flight to Pittsburgh.

 

The flights between Vancouver and Toronto are domestic flights, no different than a domestic flight in the US. The layover times are fine.

[dgc2861]

4 hours ago, CruiserBruce said:

Going, you will clear Canadian procedures in Toronto.

 

Returning, you will clear US Immigration and Customs in Toronto before boarding your flight to Pittsburgh.

 

The flights between Vancouver and Toronto are domestic flights, no different than a domestic flight in the US. The layover times are fine.

Thank you so much! There is no collecting your baggage at the layovers, correct? Only at your destinations?

Thanks!

[CruiserBruce]

4 minutes ago, dgc2861 said:

Thank you so much! There is no collecting your baggage at the layovers, correct? Only at your destinations?

Thanks!

Correct. Coming home, you willactualy view a picture of your luggage, and be required to identify it.

[em-sk]

On 2/9/2022 at 9:58 AM, dgc2861 said:

Thank you so much! There is no collecting your baggage at the layovers, correct? Only at your destinations?

Thanks!

 

You don't touch your bags in either direction in Toronto.  The computerized baggage system takes care of all of that.  The customs officer scan your boarding pass and the system shows him/her photos of your bags.  They can hit one button to have the automation automatically release the bag to the connecting flight and another to bring them up for inspection.  Vast majority of people they never bring them up for inspection.

 

You clear Canadian customs in Toronto and you clear US customs in Toronto.  

 

Your Toronto to Vancouver is domestic and you will arrive into a domestic gate in Vancouver.

 

On arrival In Pittsburg your flight will be treat as domestic.  No special customs or inspection. 

 

[dgc2861]

6 hours ago, em-sk said:

 

You don't touch your bags in either direction in Toronto.  The computerized baggage system takes care of all of that.  The customs officer scan your boarding pass and the system shows him/her photos of your bags.  They can hit one button to have the automation automatically release the bag to the connecting flight and another to bring them up for inspection.  Vast majority of people they never bring them up for inspection.

 

You clear Canadian customs in Toronto and you clear US customs in Toronto.  

 

Your Toronto to Vancouver is domestic and you will arrive into a domestic gate in Vancouver.

 

On arrival In Pittsburg your flight will be treat as domestic.  No special customs or inspection. 

 

Thank you! We ended up getting booking those flights with layovers in Toronto. 2.5 hours going to Vancouver and 3 hours going back to Pgh. Should be plenty of time.