question about ME and connecting flights from the maritimes to MCO

[wendyt_ca]

Hello,
I have always flown to Florida from Maine but lately by the time you factor in the costs it is cheaper to just fly from NB. I am helping a friend plan a trip and they are flying from SJ due to this. I am actually flying to California in Oct so half of my question helps me too.

So how does it work with baggage and so on with connecting flights. He flies from SJ New Brunswick connecting in Montreal and then connecting again in Chicago on the way to Florida. Coming home from Florida he connects in Washington DC, then Montreal then home.

I believe for the flight home he can't check his baggage with Disney. But when he leaves SJ and drops off his luggage is he fine to put the yellow tags on it and then his luggage will arrive in his room or does he need to get his bags on one of those connecting flights? And another part of this (which helps me in Oct) does he need to go back through customs and security at one of these layovers? Or does he just go through customs in Orlando? I feel like he would need to in Chicago but I may be wrong and if that is the case I am not sure if he needs his bags or if they will automatically still transfer it.

I have been a bit confused by this for when we travel in Oct as we go from SJ to Montreal then California. So I don't know if we need to grab our bags in Montreal and go through customs there of if we would in California.

Thanks for any info! Like I said I rarely fly from Canada and have never had a normal layover when I have flown from Canada so I am not sure how it works.

 

[Tinkershelly]

The general rule is that you need to clear customs, with your checked luggage in hand, at the last Canadian airport before entering the US, and again at the first Canadian airport when returning home. In this case your friend will clear US customs in Montreal, then need to go through security before continuing to the gate to his flight to Chicago. On the way home he would need to clear Canadian customs in Montreal, back through security, before proceeding to the gate to his flight home. I understand that you don;t need to collect your luggage in Montreal as they have a unique bag-matching process, but I don't have personal knowledge of that, sorry, but I know that in other Canadian airports like Toronot you need to collect your checked bags before passing through US customs, then recheck your bags, back through security and on to your gate.

But definitely put the yellow ME tag on the bags before leaving home as they won't interfere with anything. And good luck!