Sterile Transit Question
 

I'm not sure where to post this question, but I'll post it here since I'd be flying Delta (I looked in the border/security forum but it looked like a ghost town).

I am looking to fly to Europe this summer on a multi-city itinerary, June 8-30. Here are the two options I have, one of which is $300 cheaper. My question, if I take option #1, do I have to go through customs twice? Or is there sterile transit for me until I get to Europe? We will be four passengers who want to fly economy and get the Delta miles.

Option #1 -- Found on Kayak = $1445

Outbound
Delta Flight 3506: Minneapolis to Toronto (YYZ)
2 hour layover
Delta Flight 9398: Toronto to Amsterdam
1 hour 10 min layover
Delta Flight 9601: Amsterdam to Barcelona

Return
Delta Flight 8501: Rome to Paris (CDG)
1 hour 30 min layover
Delta Flight 8616: CDG to YYZ
3 hour layover
Delta Flight 3875: YYZ to Minneapolis

Option #2 -- Found on Delta Website = $1740

Outbound
Delta Flight 1975: Minneapolis to Atlanta
2 hour 30 min layover
Delta Flight 114: Atlanta to Barcelona

Return
Delta Flight 9352: Rome to Amsterdam
1 hour 30 min layover
Delta Flight 259: Amsterdam to Minneapolis

I'm not sure what you're asking, but the first itinerary does NOT consist of all DL flights. The DL 9XXX nonstop YYZ-AMS is really KLM while DL 8XXX nonstop CDG-YYZ is really an AF flight. These are codeshare flights as DL does not serve these routes. Note also that your 3XXX transborder flights in both directions will be RJs operated by some DL connection carrier, although they could still depart from the traditional Canadian gates at MSP around G8, the ones with the narrow but very deep gatehouse.

Several years ago, a friend of mine flew from MSP to AMS via YYZ and thought it was a miserable experience. Apparently he was kept in some horrible transit holding pen area of the airport and did not have access to lounges, airport shops, F&B outlets, etc. I suspect that there was also a bus transfer between terminals.

On the return, AFAIK you would first enter Canada to go with your luggage to the transborder customs and immigration processing area; I don't think there's a way to get into the line without mingling with the passengers who are departing from Canada but I've never tried this myself. Upon arrival into the USA, this would be treated as a domestic flight.

The schedules look pretty good to me, so if you're not normal lounge users, I'd be inclined to save the $300 each for four passengers.

Have you tried to look at the YYZ airport website for information? What do KLM and AF say on their websites about their gate locations and facilities at YYZ?

Welcome to FT.

I have done the MSP-YYZ-Europe transit and thought it was not a big deal. Did it once MSP-YYZ-MXP and three times SVO-YYZ-SVO :). Each time I had to go through immigration but in the first case my luggage was transferred. The the last three cases I only had carry on.

Returning from Europe to the USA via YYZ requires going through both Canadian and US immigration and customs. Three hours in the summer is pushing it. Crowds can be pretty big that time of year. I would be sure there was another later flight from YYZ to MSP that day in case you miss your connection due to delays in YYZ.

Otherwise, I would certainly save the $300pp for the connection via YYZ.

Just make sure that if you are connecting at YYZ that you are admissible in Canada.

Thanks for your feedback everyone! What would make me not admissible to Canada?

The biggest thing about not being allowed into CA is DUI. Its a felony in Canada and they refuse entry to felons. I am from Northern Minnesota and I know several of people who cannot go to Canada because of that. They can go to Europe or Mexico but not Canada.

This is correct but there are also many crimes that make a person inadmissible including some misdemeanors. It's not just DUI's. I believe you have to apply for rehabilitation. So if you have anything on your record, you should plan far in advance so that you won't have a problem.

None of us have any criminal records at all, so this shouldn't be a problem.

@MSPeconomist: According to the YYZ airport, Delta, KLM, and Air France are all located in terminal 3. Will that make things easier?

@fti: On the return, it doesn't look like there's another flight from YYZ to MSP until the next morning.

Should I be worried about layover time in CDG? I've heard that's a tough airport for making connections, although if I don't have to go through customs there, it shouldn't be as difficult I wouldn't think.

I can't decide if I should leap on these prices now and go with the 2-stop itinerary or wait for the 1 stop itineraries through Delta to go down. I'm not experienced with purchasing international flights so I'm more than grateful for everyone's help.

If you are flying DL to the US out of YYZ you are kept in a terrible area with no lounge access and limited food and drink options. I have been delayed there before and it really, really sucks. For a short transfer with everything on time, it's probably fine.

Even if all three airlines are in the same terminal building, the transborder and true international areas are completely separate.

It would be a three hour layover from YYZ to MSP. None of use are loungers and I'm not sure we care about limited food/drink options as long as there is something. How limited are you talking? Kiosks with packaged food and drinks?

Agreed. The gate area is really quite run down. You have to walk about half a mile (800 meters?) back out by the checkpoint to find anything other than a dingy bathroom.

The checkpoints can also be terribly crowded. It's a little more bearable if you have NEXUS, or GE, but it still can be painful during rush hours.

I was at gate at the end of Terminal3 (maybe a1a) when 2 flights were delayed and there was no room in the gate house area at all and if you walked back out toward the center of the terminal, you risked not being able to hear any of the gate announcements.

Personally, I avoid YYZ whenever possible.

Would it make a difference if it was YUL (Montreal) instead of YYZ? I found another low fare through that airport with a similar schedule.

FWIW...the prices dropped another 100pp on the YYZ version and it's getting harder to resist the urge to go for it. But I'm kind of a newbie at international flying so I don't want to bite off more than I can chew.

For the significant price difference I would go for it. Just familiarize yourself as best you can on the outbound with the airport layout if possible so you have some clue about it for the return.

CDG is not the best airport to transit, but I have done it multiple times. Last time I used CDG my flight from IAD to CDG was delayed by hours so my layover in CDG for my connecting flight to BUD was down to under 1 hour. I still made it. Took some fairly fast walking, but I didn't run. It certainly can be done.

I can't compare YYZ and YUL, as I've never flown through YUL.
YYZ'll probably be fine, just be prepared for the experience... I try to arrange it so I'm starting a new book there, so there's plenty to read to help me ignore my surroundings.. :)