lifexplorer

Update: Actually found out I don't the alternate route through London doesn't necessarily need a Gatwick-Heathrow change, so can bypass the need for the below question anyway.

Thanks!

Hi everyone, was looking to book a flight from Varna, Bulgaria to Toronto via JFK, but don't see the option come up directly. The best option would seem to be going to VAR-BUD with Malev (codeshared with AA), BUD to JFK with AA, and then JFK to YYZ on one of many AA flights - however when I do a serach on Expedia or AA or anywhere this never comes up as an option - all they suggest is transitting through London (with a hideous Gatwick to Heathrow transfer!)

I can find the option of transitting thorugh JFK if I do a multi city booking though, booking VAR to JFK, and then separately JFK to YYZ same day... but I'm concerned about why I can't find this route through a normal, direct point to point search, and whether it's due to transit rules in the US - do you need to collect and re-check your bags in the US even if you're just transitting through on the same airline? If so I might still book it, but what kind of leeway would I need to give? Would 3 hours be enough? Booking this for a Canadian citizen so no visa issues at least!

Thanks

clacko

what booking site[s] are you using?.....

i believe you have to enter the us even for an intl connection.....3 hrs should be enough....

Microwave

When transiting the USA from an inbound international flight from a location without preclearance, like BUD, you always have to collect your bags to get through customs (US airports do not have the ability to do sterile international transfers, so everyone passes through US customs and immigration). Assuming you have onward travel, you would then recheck baggage immediately after that.

As to why this isn't showing up, it isn't due to any government transit rules. The reason would be rules and restrictions based on the published fares between the two cities. It does appear that AA do have a constructed fare between VAR and YYZ, which is based on a published SOF-YYZ fare with an add-on for VAR. That said, AA metal into and out of BUD has been suspended for the winter--could that be part of the problem?

Bottom line is that, if you can construct the flights you want using a multi-city search, just book those.

FlyerChrisK

There are a handful of exceptions to this. NZ lets its business class passengers booked all the way through from AKL to LHR (or back) via LAX check their bags all the way through without reclaiming them.

Due to US airport design (and US customs rules), the passengers still have to go through customs.