aznaphrodite

So I'm looking more closely at my choices and it looks like Air Canada offers more flights into YYZ and AA to DFW. How much time do you recommend I have for a layover in YYZ? I'm booking the tickets separately on my own so I'll need to collect my bags and re-check them into AA myself.

Here's all of my options...

First leg: YQB > YYZ
6:25am-7:59am: $166 (Westjet)
7am-8:45am: $241 (Air Canada)
9:10am-10:55am: $241 (Air Canada)
11:40am-1:25pm: $260 (Air Canada)

Second leg: YYZ > DFW
3:30-5:55pm: $506.66 (AA)
6:15-8:40pm: $506.66 (AA)

Since I don't like getting up early, I would ideally take the 11:40am flight followed by the 3:30 pm one but I'm worried that a 2-hour connection would be cutting it close. So I'm leaning towards...

YQB > YYZ
9:10am-10:55am: $241 (Air Canada)

YYZ > DFW
3:30-5:55pm: $506.66 (AA)

Does that sound like a good plan? Thanks in advance!

tentseller

WS and AA is in the same terminal T3. Air Canada is in T1.

Remember you need time to clear US CBP immigration/custom in YYZ. It can be a long lineup depending on day of week and time of day.

sparkchaser

Toronto because Newark does not have poutine.

Romelle

I know there are lots of votes for Newark, but ... in Toronto one has to go through the whole customs routine again, and the last time I went through it the line was right out of Disneyworld's favorite ride. Plus I had to sign that I'd only purchased something like $65 overseas. While what I'd purchased only added up to a little over $100, I hated to lie. I'm always well under the $400 or so limit for coming into the US.

I'd also not thought through the fact that I'd have to have Canadian $$ to buy even a cup of coffee there while waiting.

Yes, I'd had some serious challenges in Newark, but I've been through there often enough I understand the physical layout and the process.

Romelle

tentseller

Having gone through CBP at EWR and YYZ I will take YYZ anytime, YMMV. OP's itinerary will have one encounter with CBP either way.

OP would not have any issue with having Canadian dollar flying from YQB.

All YYZ concessions take credit cards.

M60_to_LGA

Wait - am I reading this correctly? You're planning to book both legs separately as different tickets? That means if there's a problem with your first flight - e.g., you miss it, there's a mechanical problem that delays your departure by 3 hours - and you can't make your connection, the airline flying the second flight has no legal responsibility to accommodate you.

Am I misreading your statement, or is there a particular reason you're not booking the whole trip as one reservation?

M60_to_LGA

Yes - I don't understand the previous post either. Dante wrote about EWR in the Inferno, I believe. And of course everything down to the Tim's in YYZ will take plastic.

Also, it was unclear to me what was meant by going through customs "again" at YYZ. Flying YQB-YYZ will be a domestic flight, so no customs/immigration there.

tentseller

AA and DL are WS's code share partners as well as same terminal at YYZ.

AC will have more flights out of QC cities as WS is still weak east of ON. Whether it is possible to have the flights on the same ticket/PNR might be an issue with AC YQB YYZ and then AA YYZ DFW.

aznaphrodite

I've got AA gift cards that I want to use but AA will not let me book the Air Canada flights through their web site so I was going to book that flight through Air Canada's web site. I could book the whole trip through an OTA but they are charging more for the AC flight and it would still be on multiple airlines. Would booking the whole trip through an OTA protect me if the AC flight is delayed?

I'm also not concerned about needing Canadian dollars, as I'll have them on me. I'm taking a 7-night Canada cruise prior to this flight.

I also don't understand what others meant by going through customs in YYZ. YQB-YYZ is domestic. I shouldn't have to go through customs until I'm at DFW, correct?

pinniped

But is there really good poutine at YYZ?

tentseller

Not in the traditional rural QC sense but this place is Gooddddddd!
Smoke's Poutinerie
http://smokespoutinerie.com

tentseller

All US bound flights from YYZ clear US CBP immigration and custom before departure. It also applies for many other major Canadian airports (not YQB)

The US bound flight procedure is:
Check in
Clear CBP
Drop off checked bags
Go through CATSA security
Then you are in Sterile US departure zone
Board flight

Upon US arrival, in your case DFW you will walk off the plane into the terminal just like any US departure to DFW arrival.

M60_to_LGA

If you book the trip through a travel agent as one trip, then you should be OK in the event of a delayed flight causing a missed connection.

AA and AC are in differnet alliances, so that's probably why you can't book those flight combinations together with AA. However, WestJet and AA have an interlining agreement, so you should be able to book those flights together on the AA site. I just plunked YQB-DFW into the AA website and pulled up a bunch of Westjet flights on the first leg.

If you're using AA gift cards, then I'd say that settles the question - choose whatever AA is offering, book the flights together, and let AA worry about accommodating you if your first flight is delayed.

No, you'll go through US entry controls at YYZ. All the big airports in Canada (as well as several others around the world) have preclearance facilities in which US-bound pasengers go through US customs/immigration there rather than in the US.

ironmanjt

I'd also recommend YYZ, with one small caveat (which is null if you have Nexus/Global Entry):

CBP agents in YYZ are some of the most unpleasant and, um, "thourough" in the system. I used to get secondaried there more than just about every other post in the U.S. combined.

aznaphrodite

My flight "there" is actually DFW-BOS and home is YQB-DFW. When I put this into AA, it doesn't suggest any Westjet flights (only United through EWR) unless I choose to take a stop to BOS. So annoying. Why must they make it so difficult?!

I just applies for Global Entry and this trip is in August so fingers crossed.