jral

I am heading SEA-YYZ-YHZ on AC in a couple of days with likely 2 checked bags.

I seem to recall hearing announcements in the YYZ Canada Customs hall that US-Canada bags from SOME US cities would be checked-through to the final destination. I recall that Seattle might have been one of those.

I've done a FT search, checked the websites of GTAA & AC but can't find the definitive answer!

So if I'm connecting from SEA at YYZ onward to Domestic, do I still have to collect checked luggage go through Customs then re-belt it, or does it just go right onwards these days.

Thx for replies.

ywgckp

The last two times I've connected USA-YYZ-CAN my luggage has been transferred all the way through.

You can confirm with the check in agent, but I think you can plan based on that.

As you noted, at least for the next few weeks, there is a reasonable chance you won't have to clear security in YYZ, which would obviously mean you don't need to claim and recheck luggage.

jral

Really? I might not have to go through security again at YYZ for the Domestic flight? That would be an enormous help. Is there a shortcut prior to leaving the Customs hall?

tcook052

As this is more a Canada question than Air Canada specific topic it's been relocated to the Canada forum for further discussion.

tcook052
AC forum moderator

phltraveler

There's actually a Connecting Guide which asks you on the YYZ airport site where you're coming from (Canada, US, International) and where you're going onwards from Toronto (e.g. US, Canada, International) along with the airline for each. It then gives instructions.

So, say, arriving in Toronto from the US on United, and then going onward within Canada on Air Canada, it clearly states that a baggage pickup/re-check/re-screen is required. Even with those same options but both flights (incoming to toronto/departing) on Air Canada, a pickup/recheck/re-screen is still required.

mistermap

Yes, but that information is out of date or at least not universally applied. For many YYZ T1 arriving US flights, baggage is moved automatically to domestic flights. This has been the situation for many months.

phltraveler

Have you tried to contact the airport directly?

I went EWR ---> YYZ. All fine. On a recent trip in March I checked a bag at YYZ ---> EWR direct (dropped at YYZ) and went through CATSA/US CBP Preclearance. CBP didn't have a photo of my bag and directed me back to "International Baggage 2" next to US CBP line (but after CATSA security checkpoint).

It was a small waiting room with AC/United reps available that would take your ticket/passport and look for your bag. There was normally an input/output flow for passengers who came from an international destination to wait until they were called or otherwise cleared. Towards the US CBP end, there were airport reps and kiosks for people to scan their boarding passes, I assume to see if their luggage had cleared into the YYZ system with the image for customs appropriately before being allowed to proceed. Once my bag was located/photographed , I scanned my boarding pass at a kiosk, got some sort of clearance mark, and re-entered US CBP pre-clearance.

I'm not sure what destinations or airlines receive this sort of treatment though. You might be better off calling the airport/airline or tweeting them.

They also have a long announcement at the baggage claim after CBSA on who does or doesn't need to pick up bags, but since I'm always direct to YYZ with no further stops I've never really paid attention to it...

unicon

Was looking for a similar information. Flying SFO-YYZ-YHZ-YDF in June. Have a long layover in YYZ (arriving: 6:35am departing 7:25pm) and we will be taking a trip to Niagara during the layover. And we would like to take our luggage out at YYZ.
Should we make sure our luggage is tagged till YYZ only or will we be required to take the luggage out irrespective of where it is tagged to.

Also, wanted to check if there is any PP lounge we'll be able to use upon arrival into YYZ. Basically need to freshen up a bit before leaving the airport. Or if there is any hotel at/near the airport which can be booked for 2-3 hours?

thanks in advance...

Craig6z

Flying LAX-YYZ on Air Canada, then YYZ to Dublin on Aer Lingus. Do I need to pickup my luggage at Terminal 1 and recheck it for the Aer Lingus flight? The YYZ airport website seems to indicate yes, but I am dubious.

This is on a single award ticket issued by United. Thanks

airoli

Yes. You will also need to enter Canada, there is no airside way to connect between T1 (AC) and T3 (EI). So make sure you have the required paperwork to enter the country.

After you reclaim your bag and take it through Canadian customs, you should in principle be able to drop it on the "connections" conveyor belt right away. However, I'm not sure I'd trust the inter-terminal connection, and would probably carry it over to T3 myself and drop it at the EI desk there.

Craig6z

Turns out I did not have to reclaim my luggage, but the process was very nerve racking. Upon checking in with AC at LAX, I asked the business class agent if I had to retrieve my luggage at YYC, and she said she wasn't sure, but thought so. At the Maple Leaf Lounge in T6, after asking thee lounge dragon the same question, she gave my a pretty definitive, "yes I had to retrieve them".

Upon precise ontime arrival in YYZ, Canadian customs was packed, and my wait to clear was 52 minutes. At the baggage carousel the LAX flight was assigned to per overhead monitors, there were tons of bags rotating, but the large screen at the carousel show six other flights (all with arrival times after mine). After 20 minutes of waiting around I went to the AC luggage desk agent working business class, and she thought the bag may have already been transferred to Aer Lingus ("IE"), but truly didn't know. In the last month, she's been hearing that on many days Star Alliance bags were being transferred to partners. She had me fill out a form to give to the customs agent upon exiting the hall, and I hauled my rear to T-3 and arrived at the IE check-in counter 58 minutes before my flight was to leave. Unfortunately AC was unable to print a boarding pass for me for some reason, and the EI app on my phone wouldn't display it either.

When I got to the IE check in desk, it had no customers and one agent reading what appeared to be a magazine. I told her the luggage and boarding pass story, and she indicated that it looked like the tag number was in their system and likely on the IE A330. The boarding pass was issued and I raced off to catch my flight (now 47 minutes away). Through security quickly and found out EI was using a bus to a remote gate facility (56B? maybe), and upon arriving in that hall heard last call being announced on the PA for my flight. There were a good twenty coach passengers ahead of me, so I did make it. EI actually pulled away from the gate 11 minutes early, and was in the air 4 minutes after the scheduled flight time (no idea why they were in such a rush, as we arrived in DUB 34 minutes early).

So bottom line if you have a baggage transfer from AC to another Star Alliance carrier flight to Europe of Asia, give yourself plenty of time (my flight interval on paper was scheduled for 2:25), plus swallow a Xanax.