Toronto Airport questions

[peimikes]

I booked flights out of Halifax to Orlando for this fall with Delta, we never fly to Orlando on a Canadian airline. Didn't realize until after I booked the flight that Westjet is flying us all the way from Nova Scotia to Florida. I have flown from Halifax to the USA many times, and we have gone through US customs in Halifax for several years now, but or connector flight was always in an American city. Will I go through customs in Halifax, Toronto, or once we reach Orlando? If it is in Toronto will we have to go through security again. I have only been through Toronto on domestic flights, and never as a Final destination, so customs and security there wasn't a issue. I am unfamiliar with that part of their Airport.

Any info would be greatly appreciated.

 

[canadiandisneynut]

I would give WestJet a call. If you have to get off the plane and board another within Terminal 1, then you will not have to go back through customs. I am not sure about Terminal 3 however.

 

[peimikes]

We arrive and leave from Terminal 3 according to my flight info.

 

[EastYorkDisneyFan]

We arrive and leave from Terminal 3 according to my flight info.

you will need to collect your bags and then go through US customs in Toronto in terminal 3 unless things have changed. I always find it's best to ask when checking in for your flight what you need to do when changing flights.

 

[Starwind]

We flew WestJet to Orlando in November -- Ottawa to Toronto to MCO. WestJet is our preferred airline to travel on.

Board plane in Ottawa as a normal domestic Canada flight. Off the plane in Toronto, follow the signs to a special area to claim/pickup our checked baggage. Follow signs again to get inserted into existing line for US Customs pre-clearance. Offload checked baggage, then clear security (this is important, because you can't have picked up prohibited things, like a bottle of water, before this point -- keep that in mind for buying things for on board the first flight) and then clear US Customs [or it could be customs then security, sorry forget the order there -- but you clear both!!!). Then enter Pearson's transborder area and go to gate and wait for flight to Orlando. When the plane lands in Orlando it is as if it is a domestic US flight since you have already cleared US Customs in Toronto.

Note that this process is a bit different than Air Canada's process through Pearson. When we traveled AC YOW>YYZ>DFW in the fall we did not actually have to physically claim our bags, they were transferred for us and the US Customs agent was able to pull up a picture of our checked bags and verify they were ours and that all of them were there.

If your return trip is through Pearson you will clear Canada Customs in Pearson. When you deplane you will go to the Customs hall area and clear Canada Customs; then you move into an area with baggage carousels and claim your checked bags, then you get in a rather long and disorganized line to exit the Customs area, handing off the paperwork to a final Customs officer before leaving into the main airport with your bags. Of course this assumes you do not have to pay the cashier any duties or taxes, and that you do not get selected for secondary inspection. Once out of customs you follow the signs to transfer to your domestic flight, depositing your checked bags in the designated area, clearing security, and then into the domestic terminal to go to the gate for your final leg home. This applies no matter which airline.

The Pearson Airport website actually has excellent guides explaining all of this, including what signs to follow, etc:

http://www.torontopearson.com/Connecting.aspx#


Bottom line:

You clear US Customs in Toronto.

You also clear security in Toronto.

-SW

 

[SirDuff]

I would give WestJet a call. If you have to get off the plane and board another within Terminal 1, then you will not have to go back through customs. I am not sure about Terminal 3 however.

This is incorrect. And has nothing to do with the terminal. The Halifax-Toronto portion is a domestic flight - no need to clear customs in Halifax (many/most people on your flight will not be continuing on to the US). As a PP said, you may (or may not) have to claim your luggage, but you will go through US Customs/Immigration in Toronto.

 

[hockeygirl14]

What was said above is correct (I worked at the airport a couple summers ago). You will pre-clear in Toronto. Painless

 

[peimikes]

Thanks for the info everyone.

 

[Hockey6657]

This is incorrect. And has nothing to do with the terminal. The Halifax-Toronto portion is a domestic flight - no need to clear customs in Halifax (many/most people on your flight will not be continuing on to the US). As a PP said, you may (or may not) have to claim your luggage, but you will go through US Customs/Immigration in Toronto.

It does have to do with the Terminal. Only Terminal 1 will automatically transfer your luggage to the USA. In Terminal 3 you have to claim your luggage, go through us customs and then recheck it, but dont worry u only have to pay once for checked baggage fees

 

[SirDuff]

It does have to do with the Terminal. Only Terminal 1 will automatically transfer your luggage to the USA. In Terminal 3 you have to claim your luggage, go through us customs and then recheck it, but dont worry u only have to pay once for checked baggage fees

The luggage transfer does have to do with terminal, true. However, you still have to go through pre-clearance for Customs/Immigration no matter the terminal - you just may (or may not) have to pick up your luggage. The US is not going to let people just skip customs/immigration entirely (even people using a NEXUS pass are still clearing customs/immigration). They are also not going to clear people in Halifax when most of the plane is not going onto the US and the plane is landing in the domestic terminal.