Re-checking baggage on mixed cabin award thru YOW
 

Hello.

Mrs. and I are traveling on a PY award, YVR to YOW (PY) and then onward to YYZ in Y (supposed to be an A220 but since upgauged to an older A3xx. Can't have it all).

At booking, the milk run was acceptable as it was great value and the 2.5 hr connection enables us to meet with friends at YOW for a quick meal.

We will also receive some food items in YOW which will likely need to be checked...so we will short-check 1 (of 4) bags to YOW.

1. PY entitles us to the 4 bags, but, with the second segment in Y, will there be any issue rechecking the 4th bag? (I'm pretty sure I saw the PY rules apply to the entire itinerary, but don't want any surprises).

2. Are there any circumstances where we could select a later flight YOW-YYZ, ideally without Change fees? I can no longer find Rapidair branding on the AC website. I worry that the flight from YVR arrives late, but AC does not "guarantee connection duration".

Also, if any YOW experts have suggestions as to the following spots, would very much love to hear them:

A) Where to ask our friends to meet (inside the terminal to receive the food items) with minimal steps from baggage claim to...

B) Most convenient bag drop (considering we are likely heading back to the parkade). I'm assuming there will be a J/PY desk we could access?

C) Shortest path to clear CATSA (Nexus, if it helps) on a Monday evening...like we have the "lower-level" checkpoint at Pearson T1 Domestic.

D) How many minutes should we be arriving back at the Departures curb prior to our 7pm flight? Happy to walk briskly, but no Home Alone-esque marathons please.

Any suggestions for this jam-packed connection, in a terminal I am not all all familiar with, are appreciated!

C/D - the Nexus line in ottawa only operates certain hours. If you’re clearing security outside of these hours it dumps you into the regular queue (at the front at least) which will be slower.

if you’re clearing during nexus hours I think 15 minutes after bag drop is adequate to reach your gate. If outside nexus hours maybe 25 minutes. Make sure you base your times off the boarding time not the departure time. Bag drop will also have a deadline - likely around an hour before departure.

nexus hours - The full service line is open during peak hours (4:00 - 8:00 a.m. and 2:30 - 6:30 p.m.) and the front-of-the-line service is open 8:00 a.m. - 2:30 p.m. and 6:30 - 11:00 p.m.

See the "Same Day Change" thread, you could request that when you are checking in at YVR.

A) When you exit airside at YOW you can either go straight ahead (level 2) or down the escalator (level 1). Since you need to pick up your bag anyway, down the escalator to level 1 and the domestic luggage carousel it is, your friends can meet you there. Then you can take the escalator or elevator back up to...

B) ... the AC counters and bag drop on level 3, there is priority line (and an SE line).

C) There is only one security checkpoint at YOW. Verified traveler is only open certain hours, see https://yow.ca/en/travel-planning/travelling-from-yow.

D) I'd be there by 6pm or so assuming you've already got your bag rechecked and you are just heading through security and to your gate. The verified traveler line should be open and it will take you maybe 10 mins from curb to gate. Pull up to the very last door at the departures drop off curb.

Perhaps you've not flown through YOW before, but it's pretty small...like small as in you could pretty much swing a cat and hit all 4 walls so no marathon opportunities here. The check-in/bag drop is less than 100m from the curbside...security is less than 200m from the bag-drop...the MLL is less about 100m from the Security check-point as are all of the gates they normally use for YYZ. The walk from the MLL to the usual YYZ gates is under 5 mins, from security under 3 mins.

I kinda like YOW for it's layout, size and ease of getting in/out, etc...sort of like flying out of BUF vs. YYZ...it's just EASY.

As another poster suggested, please see the SDC/Stand-by Thread for details on what you can and cannot do in terms of easily changing your flight to YYZ. Your safest bet would be a Same-Day Change, and if your YVR flight has a delayed departure I'd try to make the change there. Keep in mind the last flight to YYZ seems to depart at 2100, so not much later than what you have presently in case of a delay.

Thanks everyone. Mission accomplished!

I didn't ask for SDC at YVR, as the segment out of YOW was showing a 30-min delay even before we left YVR (but really: I forgot to ask, distracted by the check-in agent's laser sharp focus on our checked bags): At YVR, we checked our 4 pieces (per the PY entitlement), PLUS the free "check your carry-on" piece that we were offered at OLCI. In my mind, it just meant we were tendering 5 pieces of checked baggage...but this agent was tremendously vigilant, even stepping across the scale to visually inspect the pieces, almost as if to ensure one of the 5 pieces was carry-on-sized; he also mentioned that he had a "small case" tag for that carry-on-going-as-checked piece.

At YOW, we parked at Gate 24(-ish) and it was a quick walk to the concourse exit and escalator down to Baggage Claim where our friends were waiting. (Passed by Premier Doug Ford and his entourage...but I'm sure politicians "hanging out" is a regular occurrence at this particular airport.)

The priority tags worked their magic and the short-checked bag was out quickly and its contents adjusted as necessary. The nearest elevator conveniently let us out with the Priority Check-in desks closest to us. This agent seemed surprised at what she saw on the screen (I'm guessing due to me tendering "another" piece when her screen showed that we were already over the usual-entitlement...but I explained the events of the day and the bagged was tagged in short-order.

Yes, the Verified Traveler lane was closed when we sought return airside, but we did get "Verified Traveler Front-of-the-Line".

Unfortunately, the merge was still about 10-15 passengers before the true front-of-the-line (still skipped ahead of 20-30 others), plus a sign to indicate there were Screeners-in-Training...meaning both lines were hectic. This unanticipated delay inspired a jog out of security to Gate 17. They were announcing "Boarding All Zones" at this point...but Zone 5 still had a healthy line...plus a line-up in the jetway. And, of course, after we were seated and settled, the captain notified us it would be another 20-minute delay due to "paperwork".

My wife and I had a bet if all 5 pieces would arrive successfully and quickly ("Priority Roulette"). Not only were all 5 among the first 6 pieces to the carousel at YYZ, the piece we rechecked at YOW was in the mix (we figured it would be separated from its siblings)

Like billdokes says, YOW is a great, compact airport. Would easily consider connecting thru there again...but the Mrs. will insist we leave MORE time for security, even with Nexus.

Thanks FT!

Out of curiosity, did you go to the right or the left of the barrier that had the VT branding on it? When I was there on Sunday, going to the left of it brought me right to the front with only the people already at the checkpoint and actively putting their stuff in bins in front. I'm wondering if you might have gone through the VISA Infinite Privilege/Priority Screening line accidentally.

Edit: Looking at the map, link I think I got lucky and the barriers were reconfigured to mostly let me follow the purple path after starting at the blue path start but merge right at the entry to the checkpoint. Shame I can't markup the image on my phone.

When we arrived at the queue (maybe 7:10pm) the Verified Traveller's (pink) path was closed (specifically, there was a barrier, with the only option to proceed was to the intake for the other lanes). From the map, it looks like that pink path (when open) would offer the true "Verified Traveller" (VT) experience: A dedicated queue, to a dedicated screening lane.

After the boarding pass scan at the start of the "main queue", we were directed down the Family/Special Needs (blue) path, merging at the glass wall (which is shown in red on the map).

At the time of our visit, the "regular queue" extended along the glass wall (red) parallel to the screening lanes, until the 90-degree turn to the right on the map...so Nexus saved us some time...but security screening was not the super-quick experience we had for the prior three segments this trip.

Side note: I'm fascinated that such a map is available. Is there a thread I can check out for more info on how VT is rolling out? A quick forum search didn't yield quick hits. It looks like this map is from the YOW site...but I don't see anything similar for YYZ (my home airport).

In this same trip, while the actual screening at YYZ-T1-Domestic and YVR-Transborder was super-quick thanks to VT, in both cases, we had to proceed to an "alternate" screening checkpoint to access the VT experience (at YVR, the guard at the front of the queue said to walk 15 minutes -- back where we came from of course; Mrs was not impressed -- to save 40).

So weird, the barriers were configured differently one day to the next. I was going through YOW at the approx same time (~7:20pm) but on Sunday and the VT line was open to walk down but directed to the same security check entry doors as every other line through a small opening in the railing at those doors.

I grabbed that image link from this page on the YOW website: link

YYZ T1, I found nice since I was travelling domestic anyways (still not certain if I can go through security at D gates with an E gates boarding pass). Sounds like we both have a "wife was not impressed" story from YVR trying to use VT. (Mine cheered up when we cleared instantly instead of waiting 45 mins for 4 people...) But yes, the trick seems to be finding the specific security checkpoint that offers the full VT service. E gates at YYZ is just VT-Front of Line.

There's info on the CATSA website and a FlyerTalk thread in the Trusted Travellers Forum

When you say "open to walk down" does that mean there was someone at the start of the queue to scan your boarding card? Sounds like our experiences were very similar...except you merged right at the entry to the screening area (pink path), while we merged prior to that (blue path).


Other data points this trip:
YYZ/T1/Domestic
CATSA page says "Toronto Pearson International Airport - T1 Domestic Level 3" = VT experience
What we got: VERY short queue (able to bypass the general lineups). Electronics, liquids left packed.

YVR/Connection (from YYZ) to Transborder
CATSA Website makes no mention
What we got: Bypassed long line in the general queue (tho' that may have been more about the fact that we were coming via the Connection lane).
Yeah, I think that will be a weakness of the program as currently implemented.

And, the aformentioned:
YVR Domestic
CATSA page says "Vancouver ​International Airport - Security Point 3 – Canada"
What we got: Not knowing the airport, we followed the crowd to Checkpoint "ABC"...where the guard redirected us to Checkpoint 3...where we arrived with maybe 3 people in front of us and got the VT treatment (nothing needed to be removed).

And in August 2023, YYZ/T1/International: The VT signage was brand new, but the guard (at the start of the queue) suggested the VT line might not be much faster. He was right: At the time, they basically put you in the Special Services lane...so we were slowed by wheelchair inspections ahead of us. Hopefully it's changed now.

I get that CATSA probably doesn't want to offer VT lanes at all checkpoints, all the time...but thinking about my own experiences (and I'm a "travel nerd" that I comes to FT), compared to my wife, or Son #2 (who was in YYZ and YLW the week prior), people will just elect to follow the crowd, wait the extra 40 minutes but save steps (like Monday at YVR) and be disappointed we don't have "TSA Pre"-like experiences.

But then again, maybe it's by Design? CATSA gets to herald VT, but with minimal costs to deliver only incremental improvement/convenience.

</soapbox>

PS: Thanks for the links. A couple of new threads to peruse.

off site dining options
 

2.5 h is more than emough time for your friends to pick you up curbsitde and plan to dine offsite. While there are a couple of airport hotels, I can't recommend either for fine dining. Your friends may have ideas? Ot, I suggests Moxie's on Riverside Drive:
https://moxies.com/restaurants/ottaw...mpaign=organic