Jonesdds

Planning a trip starting in Montreal. Have airline and hotel reservations made but want to try and go out night before on red eye. Really like Jet Blue mint service LAX for this, actually booked the return this way as trip ends in Boston.

Problem is that Jet Blue offers no connection obviously to YUL. So I'm considering BOS to YUL on Air Canada from Boston. I assume I'd be claiming checked bags, possibly changing terminals requiring exiting security anyway, etc....how big of a hassle would that be in BOS, never been?

beckoa

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violist

It's been a while, but here's what I envision you doing.

Collect bags in Terminal C. On this level, there is a
shuttle bus, #55 I think, that circuits all the terminals.
Get on it and ride maybe 10 minutes to Terminal B stop
one. Alternatively, walk across through the parking
garage following signs for Terminal B - should take
about the same length of time. The whole procedure
should be pretty easy and including checkin take less
than n hour after you retrieve your baggage, including
rechecking bags at the counter and going through the
security for the segregated AC gates.

One further thing - the airside facilities at the tiny
gate area are very limited - a snacks/papers/coffee
kiosk and restrooms. The last time I was there there
were places to sit with outlets in case you wanted
to do the Internet. If you want to use a club, there
are United and Admiral's Clubs in the other part of
Terminal B, but that requires yet another trip through
security.

Efrem

Personally, and this may be individual preference, I wouldn't do that. Terminals B and C are next to each other, but the shuttle bus goes in the other direction and circles the entire airport from C before returning to B. It takes longer than walking, not even counting the time you might wait for the next bus. I would use the shuttle bus only if you have too much luggage to walk with comfortably or if someone in your group has limited mobility.

Also, walking through Central Parking is a bit out of the way. From Terminal C baggage claim, go past the high-numbered carousels (I think they go up to 8 or 9) and follow the walkway to Terminal B. You'll go past the airport chapel. It's less than a ten minute walk.

What they call "Terminal B" is actually two separate terminals with a parking garage between them. There's now an airside connection that goes around the end of the parking garage, but that won't help you unless you already have boarding passes and don't need to check bags with Air Canada. (Once you're airside, though, you can use it to get to facilities such as the Admiral's Club on the other side of the terminal. There's no need to go landside and re-clear security for that.) Otherwise, when you get to Terminal B, cross to the far side for AC check-in.

PWMTrav

JetBlue will land in Terminal C, and Air Canada is in a small, dedicated section of Terminal B. You'll claim your bags in C and then walk down all the way to the AC area of B (I think it's Gates 1-4) to re-check. You'll reclear security there.

As far as walking from C to B, you can't do it airside, but you can do it indoors landside almost the entire way. I'd recommend that, shouldn't be more than 10-15 minutes. Follow the signs, and at one point you may cut across the B terminal parking lot to get to the other half.

The biggest hiccup will often be security at B. The AC gates are off on their own, not connected to the larger portion of B airside, so they have their own security. I believe it's a single lane, so sometimes it can back up, and sometimes it's completely empty.

If you can, play it safe and book a 2 hour connection. I'd personally be willing to book 90 minutes, but I know my way around BOS pretty well.

Efrem

I didn't know that, not having flown AC (Air Canada) in quite some time. In that case, ignore what I wrote above about getting to the AC (Admirals Club) airside. It wouldn't work.

Glad to see that PWMTrav and I agree on the best way to get to B, though.

Jonesdds

So it sounds like clearing security in B for Air Canada would not benefit from having TSA precheck? To be honest, I've started all my international travel with a transfer in the US first before the international flight so precheck always applied but maybe not in this instance?

The only reason I'd even do this is I love the Mint service and at $599 to BOS from LAX adding the connection basically I'm at the price point of reclining first/bus seats on Delta/AA/UA etc. adding the connection with Air Canada. Right now to go AA or Delta Business/Delta One with flat seats to sleep on the redeye I'm looking at $1050 or so, so I'd be saving about $300. Only advantage with going AA is might be needed to get status again on AA but not sure $600 for two of us helps with that.....Wish getting to Canada wasn't so tough, not good connections available..

PWMTrav

Air Canada participates in precheck, and the TSA website says that BOS has precheck at the B1 checkpoint. I can't tell you much about whether Precheck is a 24 hour operation there, or if it's only open during peak demand. You might call the airport to find that out. I haven't flown BOS-Canada since 2011, so that's all news to me.

I still think your plan is workable. How long of a layover are you looking at? If it's 2 hours or so, I wouldn't sweat it.

Blumie

Just a guess, but at some checkpoints the TSA has a modified pre-check, which requires you to remove your laptop from your bag (this is because all bags go on the same belt and the screener does not have a way to distinguish pre-check from non pre-check bags), but you're handed a card that you present when going through the x-ray, allowing you to leave on your shoes and to go through the regular x-ray as opposed to the nude-o-scope.