Connecting flight in Toronto - we have to go through customs??!! Help!

[bjakmom]

OK so DH just informed me that when traveling Philadelphia - Toronto - Vancouver on Saturday, the girls and I need to actually go and get our luggage in Toronto and take it through customs then reboard our flight to Vancouver???
Yikes, I have less than a 2 hour layover from landing to take off, if I get out of Philly on time.
Arrive terminal 1 depart terminal M. Does anyone know Toronto airport well who can talk me through this?
Add this to the list of things I didn't know about international travel when I booked this. lol I have only flown directly to where I was going, so I just assumed I would go through customs in Vancouver at the end of the trip.
On my return flight we have even less time for our layover - about 90 minutes.
Grandmom is officially feeling stressed about this one. My plan was to have a nice sit down meal in Toronto while they moved our luggage from one plane to the other. LOL

 

[Peggytc]

Is it one booking, with simply a connector in Toronto or did you book the flights separately? The plus side of booking it as one trip is that if you get a little delayed they will wait for you (typically. If the delay is ridiculously long they might leave but then put you on the next flight. This is not a common occurrence!)
Toronto is pretty good about getting people through swiftly, at least in my experience. The one time I felt it took extra long was when there was an outbreak last year, it seemed they were taking a long time to process anyone who had come in for the States, but generally the customs piece is swift.

 

[Peggytc]

Oh but yeah doubt you will get the sit down meal... Grab a panini at Tim Hortons! Lol although sometimes the line there is longer than customs!

 

[KarriTigger]

I'm from Toronto...yes, you will have to pickup your bags and then go through customs before boarding your next flight to Vancouver. There should be someone at the arrivals gate when you get off the plane from the airline that can direct you. There is also a lot of signage for connecting flights - domestically within Canada or to the USA as Toronto is pretty used to this...don't panic!
There is no terminal M - which airline are you flying to Toronto on and which one are you connecting to for Vancouver?
You can also check into the airport website www.torontopearson.com and it will help you determine if you are in the same terminal - we only have 2 terminals...and how things work for connecting baggage. There is a lot of information on there...but don't panic! There are people everywhere you can ask for help or directions, and us Canadians are very friendly!!!

 

[AngelDisney]

Oh but yeah doubt you will get the sit down meal... Grab a panini at Tim Hortons! Lol although sometimes the line there is longer than customs!

Last time I saw the line was out the Tim Hortons and down two stores next to it.

 

[bfamily5]

We are going the other way through Toronto ( canadian flight connecting to U.S)...hope we don't have to get our bags! The one thing I did hear about customs is there is an overhead screen that will display your name when they are ready for you. Check out FlyerTalk ...there may some more detailed info there.

 

[Geomom]

Yikes! Thanks so much for asking about this. We're doing the Alaskan cruise in 2016 and will have to connect somewhere as we'll likely be flying out of Boston. We've never flown internationally, so I didn't realize you had to pick up your bags when you're connecting in Canada. Glad I know about this now! Maybe I'll be looking into a US connection on our way to Vancouver. Best of luck!

 

[Tigger1313]

we had little over an hour between flights and almost missed our flight to Vancouver, NO ONE told us that we had to pick up our luggage between flights. We saw all these bags going around and around and we said I wonder if we need to pick up our luggage. Having two hours should give you enough time, but I would not make any stops along the way. Coming home we did not have to pick up our luggage but it took almost two hours to get through security and customs. the Name on the board thing took a good 20 to 30 minutes. Next time we go on a Alaska cruise out of Vancouver I will fly to Seattle and take the train over. connecting flights suck.

 

[tink too]

In general, the first international city you land in is where you go through customs.

When we fly from London to Orlando with a connection (last year's city was Miami) we do customs there and when we arrive at MCO just pick up our luggage and leave the airport.

 

[bjakmom]

Is it one booking, with simply a connector in Toronto or did you book the flights separately? The plus side of booking it as one trip is that if you get a little delayed they will wait for you (typically. If the delay is ridiculously long they might leave but then put you on the next flight. This is not a common occurrence!)
Toronto is pretty good about getting people through swiftly, at least in my experience. The one time I felt it took extra long was when there was an outbreak last year, it seemed they were taking a long time to process anyone who had come in for the States, but generally the customs piece is swift.

Yes, I booked it as connecting, but through Kayak and not Air Canada. Don't know if that makes a difference. And I just realized that coming home I don't have to go through customs until I hit Philly. So I will assume they will just move my luggage for that leg.

 

[bjakmom]

I'm from Toronto...yes, you will have to pickup your bags and then go through customs before boarding your next flight to Vancouver. There should be someone at the arrivals gate when you get off the plane from the airline that can direct you. There is also a lot of signage for connecting flights - domestically within Canada or to the USA as Toronto is pretty used to this...don't panic!
There is no terminal M - which airline are you flying to Toronto on and which one are you connecting to for Vancouver?
You can also check into the airport website www.torontopearson.com and it will help you determine if you are in the same terminal - we only have 2 terminals...and how things work for connecting baggage. There is a lot of information on there...but don't panic! There are people everywhere you can ask for help or directions, and us Canadians are very friendly!!!

Thanks so much for that link. I'll have to check it out closely and download a map of the airport. Hmmm my itinerary says terminal M lol

 

[DVC4US]

The first international city that you enter is usually where you clear customs. I have not been to Toronto but I have been on a few international flights. Typically what happens is you get off the plane, grab your luggage, clear customs and immigrations, and then there will be a drop point for your luggage. Once you drop your luggage then you can move on to your next gate. It's not like you have to go re-check in again(unless your flights are not on the same or partner airlines). Also, some airports have you clear immigrations first then get your luggage and then clear customs. It's really not that bad and you should be okay with 2 hours connection.

 

[DVC4US]

Also just to clarify, you do not have to go to baggage claim to get your bags, there should be a carousel area near where you get off the plane. Because you have to clear customs and immigrations before entering the country the area is controlled.

 

[HookedOnDCL1]

This has recently changed at Toronto Pearson airport. While you still have to go through customs, you don't have to pick up your luggage, unless you have something to declare or you are flagged for a random search. The bags are ticketed straight through. If you have something to declare, they will pull your luggage and you have to pick it up at the "oversize" baggage area.

This was our experience just recently in May. Mind you we are Canadian and returning to Canada from the States, via Toronto. But now that I think of it, it didn't matter because EVERYONE getting off the plane went straight to customs - no baggage carousel in between. It was implemented to speed up the customs process in Toronto since it was previously a nightmare.

 

[HookedOnDCL1]

With the 2 hour layover, you will be fine and will probably have a chance to have a quick meal. The 90 minutes, you'll have to grab sandwiches or something to carry on

 

[Starwind]

Yes, I booked it as connecting, but through Kayak and not Air Canada. Don't know if that makes a difference. And I just realized that coming home I don't have to go through customs until I hit Philly. So I will assume they will just move my luggage for that leg.

Actually, if you are flying

Vancouver > Toronto > Philly, you will clear US Customs in TORONTO. If flying Air Canada for both legs you will not actually physically collect your luggage, but US Customs will verify your bags (they have cameras, and the last time I did it they showed us pictures of our bags and confirmed those were ours). Having cleared US Customs in Toronto, when you land in Philly you land as if you were a US domestic flight, no Customs.

The major airports in Canada have US Customs pre-clearance for flights departing to the US.

The Toronto Pearson Airport website (a PP provided the URL) has EXCELLENT information about navigating connections, including signage info, step by step info, and at least they used to also have videos. Be forewarned: there is a **LOT** of walking involved.

SW

 

[Starwind]

This has recently changed at Toronto Pearson airport. While you still have to go through customs, you don't have to pick up your luggage, unless you have something to declare or you are flagged for a random search. The bags are ticketed straight through. If you have something to declare, they will pull your luggage and you have to pick it up at the "oversize" baggage area.

This was our experience just recently in May. Mind you we are Canadian and returning to Canada from the States, via Toronto. But now that I think of it, it didn't matter because EVERYONE getting off the plane went straight to customs - no baggage carousel in between. It was implemented to speed up the customs process in Toronto since it was previously a nightmare.

This is the case for Air Canada; I have found it works really well and is soooooo much easier than the old way. Unless they have changed it since November, Westjet passengers still have to collect and haul (briefly) checked baggage.

SW

 

[Peggytc]

This is great! I know at Trudeau (YUL) you no longer collect your bags. They show you an image of you bag on a screen and you confirm it is yours, makes it much simpler! Should be a breeze in TO now!

 

[Jk125]

Sorry I hate to be a Debbie downer, but good luck. in my book 2 hours is not enough. I fly internationally through Toronto from the west side of Canada a fair bit and there is just too match that can happen. Customs, specially the US side doesn't care when your flight is.

 

[imbelle]

We just came back through Toronto via Copenhagen and we were connecting to a flight to Chicago. We were told that we would have to pick up our checked luggage but we ended up not having to do so, though we did have to send our carry on luggage through screening again (which meant dumping our water bottles). There were, however, about 7 checkpoints to get through which seemed anal, especially since we had just got off of a another plane. It's not like our passport or boarding pass changed within the last 5 minutes from one person screening it to the next. I don't know if you'll have to go through everything we did since you're traveling the other way but we had about 2 and a half hours between flights and we still had time to grab a quick bite to eat, even with all the security overkill.