New Customs Procedure for US to Canada connections at YYZ?
 

Checking in at LAX today, I found out from the check-in agent that for certain flights, there is a trial going on with CBSA where if you have an ongoing domestic connection at YYZ, you do not need to claim your checked bags anymore.

For example, if you are flying LAX - YYZ - YUL, you clear CBSA in YYZ, but you claim your bags at YUL.

This was in effect for AC788 starting yesterday. Any other flights part of this trial?

This is awesome. Customs can always flag a bag when the pax clears immigration if they need to. Makes a lot of sense. Hopefully this will roll out Canada wide after the trial.

The layout of our airports are still not ideal, but at least we're moving towards the Schengen model for CBSA.

Connecting AC int to AC domestic at YVR do you have to pick your bags, clear and drop them at the connecting bags desk or do they go right through. Wondering if you are using nexus, since you would not be interacting with a CBSA agent, post Kiosk.

On any airline connecting intl to dom at YVR you need to collect your bags after Nexus kiosk or CBSA agent, collect your bag, hand your declaration card to the CBSA agent at the exit, and then take your baggage to the appropriate drop off location for connecting baggage.

I guess you still have to reclear security? That would be the next step, allowing passengers to transit directly to the domestic terminal through a secure door after showing an agent your boarding pass.

They can't do that now unless they completely segregate those in the test and those not, as otherwise they'd still have had access to an unsecured zone (baggage claim). Once they go 100% to 'don't claim your baggage to transfer', I can see that happening though.

Just landed at YYZ. This is only for flights from LAX at the moment, there are signs at CBSA and GTAA workers who were reminding passengers of this new procedure.

Still have to re clear security, as only LAX flighta have this capability and you are dumped into the same customs and baggage hall.

I wonder if the next test might be LAX-YYZ-YOW?

If you're on one of the trial flights, it applies to all Canada connections, not just YUL.

A great improvement. ^

but still limited for ex-LAX flights into YYZ only?


The Bad
Harder to skip last leg/hidden ticket cheap ticket :)
Original way, one can just pick up baggage and walk out of YYZ without asking to short-check baggage

Andrew..if you can provide more comment...I have a large group connecting in January from FLL/MIA/PBI airports through YYZ and YUL to various other stations. Any idea if this will be running for all by then? Much thanks

I'm not sure I want to be on an ex-LAX (http://www.ex-lax.com/) flight :D

Arriving YYZ on Wednesday I noticed that at the NEXUS line it said that passengers from LAX could not use NEXUS but had to see an agent.

A downside of the new test I suppose

Aaargh! Hope that's temporary....