Weekday or weekend?

When I asked recently, I was told it was down to the individual officer to decide. As a UK resident we don't have them and this keeps me away from Canada, so hopefully the GE app will work for me.
Might give it a try.

weekend (but I have no idea about weekdays either)

We arrived on the daily ET flight from ADD, earlier than the scheduled 08:45 arrival time. We had cleared Canadian and US security processing and were sitting in the transborder MLL within 30 minutes. The normal US immigration lines were not long. You may want to see if you can use the US CBP's Mobile Passport Control (link). At many airports it is usually almost as fast as GE (and sometimes even faster).

I don't know about YYZ, but when I came through YUL on Wednesday it was a gong show. Nexus was fine. Everyone else was terrible. Even with MPC and some people with US passports had to go through the main line. It took 2.5 hours from entering the customs hall. Most of the US flights were delayed to wait, but I know that some people still didn't make their flights, even arriving 3 hours early.

That's good to know, unlike AC's MCT for CA-US at YUL being 55 min somehow, which sounds like a recipe for disaster without Nexus.

thats peak(‘ish) time…clearing at 9am will be better than 7am, but maybe not by a whole lot.

YYZ Transborder peak is early morning - any flight before 9am for sure is in peak, but will calm down a bit after. Day is going to change things (Monday will be busiest, likely, and other weekdays not far behind). I think AC says their is a queue system by flight for entry….didn’t realize that is still going on…I definitely saw it during COVIF, but given I’m Nexus I mostly avoid that whole side since Nexus enters through the back.

yes, seems crazy that 55 mins would be enough. Isn’t check in cutoff before that to US (60 mins?)

Hello, looking at flights to get me from YYZ back to MAD. If I connect through ORD it's 150eur cheaper than through LHR.

Through ORD it would be AA3610 (and I think arrive as a domestic)
Through LHR it would be BA92.

Given there's pre-clearance, the ORD option is no-worse than LHR?

The lounges would be the AA-AC or this Plaza Premium? (I have access through Amex)
https://www.plazapremiumlounge.com/e...terminal-three

Worth the 150eur savings?

Thank you!

Connecting via the US adds potential additional headaches. Have you ever been denied entry to USA or any immigration/customs issues? USA does not recognize in transit so you have to be formally admitted at YYZ before your flight to ORD.

Unlike at ORD, at LHR csycsycsy will have to pass through a slow, unfriendly, inefficient and intrusive transit/connections security. Unless there is a substantial saving in airfare, I do all that I can to avoid connecting at LHR.

Thank you both! Will look into getting the NEXUS too whilst I'm there.

Count me with those who would sooner connect in ORD than LHR. The concern about US transit is only valid in the reverse direction. If you pre-clear in Toronto you will arrive in Chicago as a domestic passenger, your bag will not have to be re-checked and you won't even have additional security to pass through if your connection there is in the same terminal. I'd do ORD in a heartbeat for the same fare let alone a saving if flying TO Europe. Also remember that even transit passengers will soon require an advance ETA to transit at LHR.

Hi yyzflyer,

Thanks - my routing will be DUB-LHR-YYZ/YYZ-ORD-MAD, using the infamous ex-DUB fare, so can't avoid needing to get the UK ETA for the outbound, but it'll be worth it for not having to transit through the US for that direction, as you said.

I was hoping IB will launch the direct MAD-YYZ service using the new A321XLR but the ex-DUB fare was too good to miss out on.

Also I should have booked YYZ-ORD-MAD-Spain Domestic to get EU261 coverage as my current routing all AA operated will not be covered...the price has gone up 400eur since I booked so too late to canx-rebook...Live and learn!

The outbound NEXUS process at YYZ seems to have changed again. The kiosks have all been shut down and there is a single camera that almost instantly recognizes you, displays your photo on a screen, and signals you forward—all as you walk toward it.

I assume you are referring to this, which I saw yesterday: Global Entry gets a high-tech, 'on-the-move' upgrade at 7 US airports.

Obviously, ignoring the fact they refer to 7 ‘US’ airports.

Curious, was this at T1 or T3. Also, semantics maybe, but note this is not an ‘outbound NEXUS process’ but a new GE trial. When entering the US, you are using Global Entry, not Nexus.

Going home from YYZ T1 on Monday, so hoping to try this out. Also wonder how it will work with kids - they are not with me this time, but between our 2, usually the kiosk has trouble doing the photo for one or the other…more often the younger one.