fll to laguardia and customs question

[eyeore1631]

We have a 2 hour lay over in Laguardia on our flight home on December 23rd.

 

Does anyone know if we clear customs at Laguardia or Pearson ( Toronto)?

 

If in Laguardia do we have enough time at this time of year to collect our bags and make it through customs?

 

Any help would be appreciated. We have an Air Canada direct flight down, but on the way back we have an AA connecting flight.

[JJPNYC]

We have a 2 hour lay over in Laguardia on our flight home on December 23rd.

 

Does anyone know if we clear customs at Laguardia or Pearson ( Toronto)?

 

If in Laguardia do we have enough time at this time of year to collect our bags and make it through customs?

 

Any help would be appreciated. We have an Air Canada direct flight down, but on the way back we have an AA connecting flight.

 

You will clear customs/immigration in Toronto as there are no customs/immigration facilities at LGA.

 

However, you will need to clear security again at LGA as each concourse has it's own security screening and there are no air-side shuttle busses to connect. AirCanada flights are in Concourse A in the Central Terminal and American Airlines operate out of concourses C & D. Depending on the time of the day this can either be very fast or very slow.

[eyeore1631]

Thanks for the info regarding customs.

 

The connecting flights are both AA. We arrive in Concourse C and depart in Concourse D.

 

Is this security clearance doable on December 23rd at 6:35 at night?

 

Assuming the flight is 1/2 late, we have 1 hr to make it through security and still be at the gate with 1/2 to spare. The only concern is how busy the terminal will be so close to Christmas.

 

Does the airline help us get through security if we have a problem. New to connecting flights and having to change termials.

[JJPNYC]

Thanks for the info regarding customs.

 

The connecting flights are both AA. We arrive in Concourse C and depart in Concourse D.

 

Is this security clearance doable on December 23rd at 6:35 at night?

 

Assuming the flight is 1/2 late, we have 1 hr to make it through security and still be at the gate with 1/2 to spare. The only concern is how busy the terminal will be so close to Christmas.

 

Does the airline help us get through security if we have a problem. New to connecting flights and having to change termials.

 

Concourse C & D are adjacent to eachother and not a long walk at all. They are in the same terminal. Unfortunately with the way that LGA is laid-out, each concourse has it's own security check-point as I previously mentioned.

 

With that, if you are arriving late (always a possibility at LGA) and your connecting time is tight, talk to one of the red-jackets meeting your flight. They may be able to radio ahead and have you expedited at the security screening. Also since gate assignments do change, you may luck out and arrive & leave from the same concourse and avoid this trouble.

 

If you have a 2 hour layover, you should be fine. Thankfully the concourses at LGA are very short so you can get from security to the gate very quickly. I've arrived at LGA 25 minutes prior to my flight and still made it, only becuase the concourses are so short and I didn't have to run a half-mile to my gate.

[eyeore1631]

Thanks for all the help.

 

Just really nervous flying this close to Christmas with connections.