CX/AC Interline/Transit in YVR (quick reply requested)
 

I'm considering flying the following:

CX888 arriving YVR at 20:25 and then AC156 to YYZ departing at 22:30. Both of these are on separate tickets.

Will CX interline baggage to AC? Will they issue onward boarding passes at HKG?

Or will they just do the bags but not BPs? Do I need to change terminals. I see MCT according to KVS from CX I-D is 120 minutes.

Am I cutting it too fine or is this basically doable? What is the procedure for transit?

I'd really appreciate a quick reply as I'm travelling next week and need to buy my AC ticket appropriately. The other option is to check in only upto YVR and then check in from scratch onto AC162 which leaves at 23:35 but I'd like to avoid that if the 22:30 connection is doable.

What about bags? I'm in CX First but I'm in AC Economy so I get no bags for free? Where would I have to pay the bag fee?

Thanks in advance!

Another alternative is a Westjet flight leaving YVR at 22:55. Is that any better?

do you not have the option of having the WS fligth code shared from YVR to YYZ?

i do know WS has interline agreements with CX and also code share arrangements.

I've already issued by HKG-YVR ticket, so at this point code share on WS isn't an option.

My first choice would be to take AC at 22:30 assuming I can check bags at HKG. My assumption would be that the process works something like this (if it can, indeed, happen):

1) At HKG, check in bags though HKG-YVR-YYZ, get BP for HKG-YVR only
2) At YVR, collect bags and go to domestic transfer belt, drop bags (pay bag fee here??)
3) Find a transfer desk and get an onward BP

According to KVS, CX has interline agreements with both AC and WS but I'm not sure what this means. I called MPC to ask and they said that I can't through check CX-AC because it's a different alliance but I'm pretty sure that MPC doesn't have the correct information on this.

Answers:

1. No point cos you still must collect bag at YVR and go through customs. But CX can if you want, tag it to YYZ. It has nothing to do with 'alliance'. MPC knows nothing if it ain't what they are taught.
2. Yes.
3. You may print your own BP 24 hours before flight.

Thanks Guy Betsy.

Do I have enough time to do all this if I want to make the 22:30 AC flight?

It depends on how long is the queue at immigration. If yours is the only flight arriving at that time, you will have no problem. Once you exit the immigration area, you will be able to "deposit" your bags at the transfer counter. However, you must ask CX to tag your bags all the way to YYZ. You will also need to print out your BP ahead of time.

http://www.yvr.ca/en/navigating-yvr/...rough-yvr.aspx

I've gone ahead and booked the 22:30 connection. According to AC even if I don't connect, I can check in upto 30 minutes before departure (checkin should be completed before this time).

With a 20:25 scheduled arrival on CX, even if I take an hour to get out (can't imagine it could possibly take that long) I should still have enough time to make the connection.

I do have an APEC card - does anybody know if in YVR they honour the APEC card privilege to use a special immigration counter and does it make a positive difference with regards to speed?

Thanks. Does this mean that CX will issue my AC boarding pass here in HKG too?

Not unless it's on the same ticket. Sepeate tickets require separate check in. You may do OLCI.

There is a separate queue at immigration for transit passengers. The Airport staff in green uniforms will direct you thru the proper line which are shorter tan the regular lines.

Separate TKTs do not necessarily prevent through check-in, nor does single TKT always allow it. CX will be able to issue you the BP on AC segment if AC allows it and if the CX agent knows how to do it.

No bag fees other than those paid on CX as CX is MSC

If the guys at F checkin at HKIA don't know how to do it, then I don't know who else would... :) Anyway by midweek I'll have a definitive answer and will report back here.

Does MSC apply even if the two flights are not on the same ticket?

At HKIA, CX was able to check my bags through to YYZ and also issue the BP for my connecting AC flight. ^

20:43 arrived gate
21:13 waiting for next flight

In between I cleared immigration, customs, walked over to AC checkin, dropped off my bag, went through security and walked to the AC gate. And I was worried I'd be short on time!

AC staff said no need to retag bag or get new BP. The CX issued ones would do fine.

From CX First to AC economy....

Ouch.

Talk about a shock treatment ! :p

Couldn't you have flown direct to YYZ?

Had expiring miles and needed to burn at least 180K. No F to YYZ.

I would have asked CX to try and sell the AC ticket on the same PNR.
It avoids Canadian HST.

MSC does not apply on separate TKTs, but AC may choose to waive bag fees given int'l connection. Also, I see http://www.aircanada.com/en/travelin...e/checked.html says first bag is free.

OP is on an award TKT...and AC is not an AM member...

Yes that's correct. I didn't have a chance to test the MSC rule as I had only 1 bag of less than 23kgs.

Your other option would have been to go to JFK or ORD and connect to YYZ there on AA... on one award ticket.

LAX would also be an option (although not the best)

Both JFK and LAX options require 40K more AM to be spent, plus I am traveling during thanksgiving week so there is virtually no award availability of any kind of North American travel.

What I did actually worked out decently well. From a transit point of view CX-AC on two separate tickets is as good as CX-AA on a single ticket. Only possible downside of what I did is IRROPS but luckily I didn't have to deal with that.

Hey folks

Needed to check the MCT at YVR for a CX-AC Connection for a trip next summer (CX888-AC230 to YYC). Fairly certain that what I'd really prefer isn't do-able, but thought I should check nevertheless (would love to not have to overnight at/near the airport).

I guess both flights are in terminal 'M', albeit on the International and Domestic sections respectively. CX gets in at 2125 while the AC flight departs at 2310 - will be separate tickets.

KVS reads:
DD DI ID II
STANDARD: YVR 020 060 060 090
TERMINAL: YVR M TO M 045 050 090 090

However I see that CX has an exception:
CX M --- 090 120 120
-ALL- M
(and another exception for connections to the US)

Am I reading this all right - that CX purposely asks for extra time for bags to be tagged through?

Cheerios

For CX to North American transits I think for most ports they require 120 mins

You have a 2 hour 5 minute connection, both flights are at Terminal 'M' (thought at completely opposite ends, it's a bit of a trek with bags).

I recently (last month) did exactly what you're trying to do, also with a 2 hour 5 minute connection except going to Toronto instead of Calgary. It's very possible, with plenty of time to spare (assuming CX on-time arrival into YVR).

The procedure looked like this:
1) At HKIA, CX tagged bags to my final destination (YYZ, for you will be YYC)
2) CX gave me boarding passes for BOTH flights (including the Air Canada one)
3) Arrive YVR, go through immigration and then collect bags
4) Walk your bags all the way through to the other end of Terminal M (long walk, when I was there the lifts weren't working, nuisance), and dump them onto the Air Canada baggage belt (which is just behind the AC self check-in counters). You do not need to get them re-tagged before doing this.
5) Use the CX-issued BP to board the AC flight. You do not need to exchange for a new BP in YVR.

For me this worked as I was within both the CX and AC baggage allowances. If you're over your AC baggage allowance I don't know what would happen.

But as long as you're within allowances, the procedure is very smooth and easy.

Thanks, midlevels

Unfortunately, my dates are in the summer schedule, which has CX getting in at 2125 instead of 2025 - giving me 1:45mins for the connection (AC leaves at 2310)

Ah. Sorry. I need to recheck my mental arithmetic which is obviously getting rusty. In this case you're below MCT so CX won't help you out.

BUT, if CX is on time and you don't get bogged up in immigration, you probably have enough time to recheck yourself with AC. However, if CX is a bit late, you're risking trouble...

Realize this is an old thread but posting here since my question is connected.

Understand from reading this thread that CX is able to issue onward boarding passes on AC on separate tickets and also check baggage all the way through to final destination in Canada. Any idea if AC is willing to do the same for the reverse leg? Not sure if the 2016 partnership between CX and AC helps.

Itinerary I am thinking of booking is SIN-HKG-YVR on CX and YVR-YYC on AC separate tickets. There is the option of issuing the entire itinerary with CX but I am trying to book premium economy for the CX segments and for some reason tagging on the AC flights from YVR-YYC increases the price substantially and it's much cheaper to book the tickets separately.

My recent experience has been that AC will through-check to a separate ticket on AA flight, so I assume AC will do so for CX, too. I had everything in one PNR though.

Even though CX is able to tag all luggage for you to YYC, you would still need to clear immigration at YVR, then pick up you baggage and then through customs. Then, you would have to drop off your luggage to AC and proceed to the domestic terminal. However, recent changes have made transiting to a domestic flight much easier at YVR, which I think you would be able to benefit especially if you decide to split the booking up.

There is an easily accessible connection desk near carousel 24 and 25, which you can pick up your onward tickets and tag/check your bags again. Also, there are two customs portals you can go through after immigration and baggage claim: 1. Into Vancouver if that is your final destination and 2. Domestic connection to YYC in your case. And by going through the domestic portal, you will be able to clear customs and remain in the restricted area (so no security check required again), check you bags through to YYC and be driven by a shuttle to the domestic side of the airport, which saves a lot of time than walking over.

Hope the above info is clear for you!