Stressing about connection in Toronto

[Fairyloveheart]

Flying in April from Gatwick to Toronto and then connecting to MCO.
Flights are both with Westjet.
How does it work? Do we have to claim our luggage or will Westjet move it to the connecting flight?
Do you clear Canadian and US customs there? Thanks

[YorkshireT]

I’m going via Toronto with Air Canada to LA, and back from Orlando.

My pal uses this route a lot and loves it (his wife is American so he goes a lot). I asked him if just over 1.5 hours was enough and he said it’ll be no problem (if plane is not delayed).

He tells me you don’t have to collect your luggage, it goes all the way through now. You do have to go through customs, I didn’t ask him how that worked but assume it’s a Dublin type set up where they show you a photo or something but you do not have your luggage with you.

You arrive in US as a domestic flight.

Don’t forget you need the Canadian version of the ESTA to do this, it’s only about £5 each.

It’s described as ‘effortless’ on the Air Canada website and my pal says this is true.

See here:

aircanada/us/en/aco/...rt/int-us.html

When applying for the Canadian Esta (eta) just follow this guide- https://www.canada.ca/content/dam/ir...ta/english.pdf

It’s a simpler process than the US one, the thing that does mess you up is if you put your passport number in wrong, so make sure that’s right. It’s 7 Canadian dollars.

[Fairyloveheart]

Thanks. I got a response on Facebook and they’re saying I do have to pick up bags and move them ourselves! Argh! They said:

Sorry for the confusion, but as you would be connecting onward to the United States after Toronto, you would need to collect your baggage before proceeding onward through customs and immigration. Toronto denotes a new point of entry. ~Levi

[YorkshireT]

Originally Posted by Fairyloveheart

Thanks. I got a response on Facebook and they’re saying I do have to pick up bags and move them ourselves! Argh! They said:

Sorry for the confusion, but as you would be connecting onward to the United States after Toronto, you would need to collect your baggage before proceeding onward through customs and immigration. Toronto denotes a new point of entry. ~Levi

See more...

Well they must be different to Air Canada then which is surprising given it’s the same airport?

[BevS97]

torontopearson/en/co...estination=mco


There is a guide here. It’s not as streamlined as Air Canada unfortunately.

[Buzz242]

We definitely had to collect our luggage on arrival but that was about 10 years ago so it could have changed.

[princess allie]

We went home from Orlando with BA via Toronto a couple of years ago and we had to collect our bags. We had a 2 hour layover, but as our first flight was delayed, we only just made it onto our transatlantic flight and sadly our bags did not make it as it was too late to load them. BA had them couriered to us in 2 days.

[Fairyloveheart]

They said we collect our luggage and then go to connecting flights...

[robotango]

OP... how long is your layover, so long as you’ve got plenty of time it’ll be fine, we fly indirect into the US all the time and collecting bags is not unusual but you normally only move them a short distance before you check them again. We have missed connecting flights before because of delayed flights/customs and they just put you on the next flight, I know it’s easy for me to say but try not to worry too much

[YorkshireT]

Interesting thread. Seems if you go via Toronto via Air Canada you do not have to collect bags (that is the case) for all other airlines you do. Thus you want a longer transfer time if you are none Air Canada.