jasdou

So, there is some repairs being done on the runways in YYZ leaving to massive delays and cancellations. I am booked in UA6196 (IAD-YYZ) and then an onwards connection to YQB on AC next week. UA6196 has been cancelled for every day for the last 3 days and showed significant delays in the days before that.

Is there anyway I can be proactively re-accomodated on a different set of flights to avoid YYZ?

Kannai

This won't help you directly, but I'm not sure it's just 6196. I was indeed supposed to be on 6916 Mon. afternoon (connecting from a flight from NRT) but that was canceled due to ATC issues, according to the app. I was waitlisted on on the 10:15 pm flight (forget the number) and that was delayed until 11:40pm-ish and I still wasn't sure I could make it on that flight, so I gave up and got rebooked on AC's 6:55 am flight, which was delayed until 11:30 am. I somehow managed to snag a seat on UA's 8:15 am flight, which was mercifully on time. ...

My point being that if this is a runway construction thing, I wouldn't count on rebooking to help you—sadly.

jasdou

It's certainly not just 6196 - pretty much every inbound and outbound flights at YYZ are delayed and/or cancelled these days. Hence why I would like to be rebooked on an itinerary involving a connection at YUL instead of YYZ. I don't want to wait until day of travel because I anticipate a clusterfudge at the airport...

laxmillenial

@jasdou: Do you have status? Flew out of YYZ Sunday and reuested that myself and a companion (separate PNR, no status) be protected on another flight (I called the 1K line and fed them exactly what flight I wanted to be protected on). I stated that "I'm on the last nonstop flight out to my destination for the day and it looks like every US bound flight has been either cancelled or delayed heavily today. Would you mind protecting me on..." They protected both of us and said if we had to stay overnight and AC did not cough up for hotel vouchers, to send the charge in they would reimburse.

I know it's not re-accommodated on a different set of flights, but maybe you can get protection on a domestic Canadian flight and fly out of YVR or YYC instead?


Oh, and this goes without saying, but don't trust Air Canada when they say "oh someone will meet you at the jetbridge when you deplane (4-5 hours delayed) with new connection info". If you're on a United 016 ticket, call United and have them rebook you / protect you. I can't believe how many people fell for that 'scam', and were standing on the jetbridge when we landed, waiting for someone to tell them that everything was ok, when in fact their connecting flight had gone and there were no more for the day. If only people had tried to get rerouted earlier in the day...

jasdou

@laxmillenial - I do have status on AC and am *G. Not sure if this will be of much value when dealing with UA though. I know exactly what flights I want to be protected/rebooked on so I am prepared. I would really like to avoid overnighting at IAD or YYZ - not concerned about the cost, I know it will be paid for somehow by UA/AC/travel insurance, but would like to get home in a timely manner.

laxmillenial

I'd give the UA line a call and speak to them with your findings. I'd say around T-6 to departure. Usually they shy away from changing itineraries that far in advanced. The only exception is if your inbound is heavily delayed, since YYZ isn't a hub, aircraft substitution won't happen, so they understand this and will be more inclined to protect/rebook you.

aisleorwindow

I would strongly recommend Porter Airlines.

YTZ is a much better place to connect:

https://www.flyporter.com/en-ca/

jasdou

Complete itinerary is GSP-IAD-YYZ-YQB. Complicated/impossible to book on PD.

aisleorwindow

Ah. Fair enough. So perhaps they can reroute you GSP-EWR-YQB?

jasdou

That's one option. I guess I will have to see at the airport or call in on the day of the trip to see what UA is willing to do.

wh6cto

GSP-EWR-YQB seems to be a 35-min connection in EWR, or an overnight there. Neither sounds like a good idea.

Wow, I can't seem to find any reasonable routing that avoids YYZ.

svirfnebli

Oh crud I'm on ua6073 on Tuesday and flight aware said yesterday and today was cancelled. I have a 90 min connection in denver before heading to LAX. Should I be concerned? Sucks because I got a great business fair on this flight. $410 from yyz to lax. I chose it over a direct AC flight

chrisl137

If you're flying through YYZ and have a 90 min connection you should be concerned, especially if you have to clear US customs on the way in and don't have GE or Nexus. My GF just got delayed a day flying YOW-YYZ-LAX because they pretended YOW-YYZ was on time until they pushed from the gate and said "we're going to roll out of the gate and turn off the engines". They then sat for 2 hours and did a few laps in the holding pattern before arriving to have to wait on the ground for a gate.

There's a thread over in the AC forum on delays at YYZ, and it sounds like many flights are being cancelled several days in a row, but only at the last minute. Afternoon flights seem to be more affected than early flights as the delays add up. It also depends on wind direction - in one direction they apparently still have two runways and the other they're down to one.

emcampbe

UA 6073 on Tuesday is YYZ-IAH. If you're connecting in DEN, its not on this flight. Are you sure the connection isn't IAH.

If I'm reading the above correctly (and maybe I'm misunderstanding something), OP is leaving YYZ for LAX. In this case, CBP is irrelevant to flight delays - OP will arrive at airport and clear - whether flight is delayed or not. If they are connecting from somewhere else, yes, this adds time, but no evidence in the post suggests they are connecting in YYZ, sounds like just departing.

svirfnebli

Sorry I meant iah. Travel brain is acting up.