Flying by Westjet to Orlando

[Demi_8]

This is for anyone who has flown on Westjet to Orlando, with a stopover in TO Pearson to connect to a second flight onwards to MCO. Trying to get an idea of the procedures once we land in TO as far as luggage and customs is concerned.

We are flying out on a red-eye flight due to arrive in TO @ 6:22 a.m. and our connecting flight departs for MCO at 10:30 am. We are using the ME and understand I am supposed to put the tags on our luggage in Van. Are we supposed to claim our luggage at Pearson, go through Customs and recheck our luggage again (confused about this part). Is Customs a long process? I’m also trying to figure out if we have time to get a little breakfast at the airport before we have to get to our gate, so that this will tie us over until an early dinner at Downtown Disney.

 

[DisneyStiles]

This is for anyone who has flown on Westjet to Orlando, with a stopover in TO Pearson to connect to a second flight onwards to MCO. Trying to get an idea of the procedures once we land in TO as far as luggage and customs is concerned.

We are flying out on a red-eye flight due to arrive in TO @ 6:22 a.m. and our connecting flight departs for MCO at 10:30 am. We are using the ME and understand I am supposed to put the tags on our luggage in Van. Are we supposed to claim our luggage at Pearson, go through Customs and recheck our luggage again (confused about this part). Is Customs a long process? I’m also trying to figure out if we have time to get a little breakfast at the airport before we have to get to our gate, so that this will tie us over until an early dinner at Downtown Disney.

Can't give you any help but we are wondering many of the same things. Our flights are basically the same times on Sept 25th - leaving Calgary at 0040. Thanks in advance to anyone who can help Demi 4 or dem be 4 from Alberta.

 

[cpbjgc]

This thread has some information on the connection when flying out of Winnipeg.

I know when we did this connection last year it went smoothly, and we had time to buy some snacks before boarding. Our connection time was much shorter than yours, so you should be OK on that score.

Have a great trip!

 

[Cdn Friends of Pooh]

This is for anyone who has flown on Westjet to Orlando, with a stopover in TO Pearson to connect to a second flight onwards to MCO. Trying to get an idea of the procedures once we land in TO as far as luggage and customs is concerned.

We are flying out on a red-eye flight due to arrive in TO @ 6:22 a.m. and our connecting flight departs for MCO at 10:30 am. We are using the ME and understand I am supposed to put the tags on our luggage in Van. Are we supposed to claim our luggage at Pearson, go through Customs and recheck our luggage again (confused about this part). Is Customs a long process? I’m also trying to figure out if we have time to get a little breakfast at the airport before we have to get to our gate, so that this will tie us over until an early dinner at Downtown Disney.

Yes you will need to collect your luggage in Toronto, go through customs and recheck your luggage again ...

If you know what terminal you will be arriving and departing from, the Pearson website has some good videos to help you find your way ... http://www.airportwayfinder.com/wayfinders/yyz/?v=3_2

 

[CR Resort Fan 4 Life]

My family and I have taken the same flight your going to on WestJet from Toronto - Orlando and flying with them has always been a great experience, which is why WestJet is a great airline. Anyway since your landing in Toronto very early you should have a lot of time to pick up your checked bags, check-in for the flight to Orlando, clear US Customs and security. Finally here is a link to a video from the Pearson Airport website and if you click Terminal 3 connections, then click Canada to U.S. it will then say exactly what to do.
http://www.airportwayfinder.com/wayfinders/yyz/

 

[crashbb]

Generally, you can check-in for both flights at your home airport and have your luggage tagged all the way to MCO. You'll still need to pick up your luggage, go through US customs and immigration pre-clearance, and dump your luggage back on the carousel, but you can avoid having to check-in again.

 

[chimo2u]

Good Afternoon

We are flying almost the exact same timings on AirCanada from Edmonton.
We leave at 1:00 a.m. Sept. 01 and arrive TO around 6:30 am. transfering to a flight departing at 10:30 for Orlando.

??? I am wondering, should I save the tags (Yellow ME tags) to put on our luggage after we have cleared customs in TO and put the tags on the bags then? (just prior to putting them back on the carousel again)

Any recommendations would be much appreciated! I can't believe how fast the trip is approaching now

Marie

 

[crashbb]

Good Afternoon

We are flying almost the exact same timings on AirCanada from Edmonton.
We leave at 1:00 a.m. Sept. 01 and arrive TO around 6:30 am. transfering to a flight departing at 10:30 for Orlando.

??? I am wondering, should I save the tags (Yellow ME tags) to put on our luggage after we have cleared customs in TO and put the tags on the bags then? (just prior to putting them back on the carousel again)

Any recommendations would be much appreciated! I can't believe how fast the trip is approaching now

Marie

I would. I don't expect it would matter if you put them on in Edmonton (or home), but I always figure it doesn't hurt to give the airline fewer chances to tear them off!

 

[CR Resort Fan 4 Life]

Good Afternoon

We are flying almost the exact same timings on AirCanada from Edmonton.
We leave at 1:00 a.m. Sept. 01 and arrive TO around 6:30 am. transfering to a flight departing at 10:30 for Orlando.

??? I am wondering, should I save the tags (Yellow ME tags) to put on our luggage after we have cleared customs in TO and put the tags on the bags then? (just prior to putting them back on the carousel again)

Any recommendations would be much appreciated! I can't believe how fast the trip is approaching now

Marie

I would also wait to put the yellow tags on after you clear US Customs in Toronto, because at least you know your bags made it there from your Edmonton flight.

 

[TheMightyOb]

I'm also flying from wpg to TO then to Orlando. Only thing is that we have 50 minutes between the connecting flights and I am FREAKING OUT. Simply because this is the first time I've flown in a loooong time.

There is some great advice in this thread - thanks everyone!

Soooo, worst case scenario, the flight is delayed and you can't make your connection. Next flight is not until the next day. What happens??? Does your insurance cover the hotel costs and the cost of missing that evenings reservations? Does the resort hold your reservation for you? Good gravy, I'm getting worked up just thinking about it.

 

[CR Resort Fan 4 Life]

I'm also flying from wpg to TO then to Orlando. Only thing is that we have 50 minutes between the connecting flights and I am FREAKING OUT. Simply because this is the first time I've flown in a loooong time.

There is some great advice in this thread - thanks everyone!

Soooo, worst case scenario, the flight is delayed and you can't make your connection. Next flight is not until the next day. What happens??? Does your insurance cover the hotel costs and the cost of missing that evenings reservations? Does the resort hold your reservation for you? Good gravy, I'm getting worked up just thinking about it.

I am not sure what airline your flying, however here is what I know. Air Canada and WestJet usually have two flights a day from Toronto - Orlando, however if you were to miss your flight I am not sure if either airline will guarantee seats on either flight because of that. With Air Canada the only way they will guarantee you seats on their other flight is if you were on standby for the 1st one, so if you never made it on then they say you will get on the next one. Since WestJet does not overbook their flights they won't have standby's for that are guaranteed to have seats on their 2nd flight, so I am not sure what happens if you miss a flight with them.

 

[crashbb]

I'm also flying from wpg to TO then to Orlando. Only thing is that we have 50 minutes between the connecting flights and I am FREAKING OUT. Simply because this is the first time I've flown in a loooong time.

There is some great advice in this thread - thanks everyone!

Soooo, worst case scenario, the flight is delayed and you can't make your connection. Next flight is not until the next day. What happens??? Does your insurance cover the hotel costs and the cost of missing that evenings reservations? Does the resort hold your reservation for you? Good gravy, I'm getting worked up just thinking about it.

Generally, you are placed on the next flight on which there are seats available. Note that this is not necessarily the next available flight - they will not bump people off the next flight to make room for you.

Depending on the airline you are flying, you may be able to get a seat on a partner airline (e.g. on United or US Airways if flying Air Canada; West Jet has no partners). Or, possibly a flight with a connection. If I'm worried about missing a connection, I check out my options before the trip.

Whether or not a hotel is covered depends on your insurance and why you missed the flight - you'll have to read the fine print of your insurance policy to check that out.

You'll also need to call WDW to tell them that you'll be a day late - otherwise they will consider you a no-show.

 

[cab0899]

This happened to us once. We were flying Winnipeg to TO to Orlando with Westjet. The flight from TO to Orlando was cancelled due to weather. Westjet provided a hotel room for everyone and food vouchers for the airport for everyone. We were put on the same flight the next day. The hotel had a free shuttle service so no taxi costs. I called Disney that night but was unable to get a refund for our hotel for that night but they did refund the money for the Hoop de Doo dinner. Westjet also allowed us to rebook our return flight with no change fee as I wanted to make up the one day that we missed at WDW. (we stayed an extra day than planned)

Our next trip we were flying with Northwest through Minneapolis. The Minneapolis airport was closed due to a snow storm and so we had to stay in Orlando an extra night. The whole flight was rebooked for the next morning. We stayed at the hotel next to the airport with no coverage from Northwest. I did applied to our travel insurance (through mastercard) and got the hotel reimbursement. Northwest did give us meal vouchers for the airport.

I guess it's all part of travelling. I'm just glad that Westjet now had direct flights from Winnipeg to Orlando hopefully we can have a least one trip where the flights go smoothly.

 

[TheMightyOb]

Yep - its a Westjet flight that we're on. Hopefully everything works out ok.

 

[crashbb]

I meant to add - if your first flight was delayed due to a mechanical problem, you should expect the airline to pay for you hotel (if needed) and to provide meal vouchers (though these are often not for all that much money). If it was a weather delay, you are unlikely to get anything from the airline (I'd say you won't get anything, but sometimes weird things happen).

 

[crashbb]

With Air Canada the only way they will guarantee you seats on their other flight is if you were on standby for the 1st one, so if you never made it on then they say you will get on the next one.

I'm sorry, but what are you talking about? If every flight that day is sold out, going stand-by on the first one is not going to guarantee that I get on the second one. They are not going to kick somebody off of a flight for me. The only way I could be guaranteed a seat on the second flight is if I was originally booked and ticketed on the second flight and then tried to stand-by for an earlier flight. If I didn't clear stand-by on the first flight, I'd still get to take my ticketed seat on the second flight.

If the OP happens to hit a day where all flights between YYZ and MCO are full, standing by on the first flight will NOT guarantee that the OP gets on the second flight (a moot point since the OP isn't flying AC, but in case anyone else is reading the thread).

 

[CR Resort Fan 4 Life]

I'm sorry, but what are you talking about? If every flight that day is sold out, going stand-by on the first one is not going to guarantee that I get on the second one. They are not going to kick somebody off of a flight for me. The only way I could be guaranteed a seat on the second flight is if I was originally booked and ticketed on the second flight and then tried to stand-by for an earlier flight. If I didn't clear stand-by on the first flight, I'd still get to take my ticketed seat on the second flight.

If the OP happens to hit a day where all flights between YYZ and MCO are full, standing by on the first flight will NOT guarantee that the OP gets on the second flight (a moot point since the OP isn't flying AC, but in case anyone else is reading the thread).

Well last December my family were flying Air Canada and we had to go on standy for the 10:15 AM flight to Orlando and the gate agent said if we did not get on that one, we would have been guaranteed seats on their 8:55 PM flight to Orlando. Now thankfully we made it on the earlier flight, however when it's a standby situation that's what we were told what happens for those passengers who don't get on the earlier flight.

 

[crashbb]

Well last December my family were flying Air Canada and we had to go on standy for the 10:15 AM flight to Orlando and the gate agent said if we did not get on that one, we would have been guaranteed seats on their 8:55 PM flight to Orlando. Now thankfully we made it on the earlier flight, however when it's a standby situation that's what we were told what happens for those passengers who don't get on the earlier flight.

You misunderstood what was happening and are drawing totally incorrect extrapolations. The scenario you described is one in which your flight was oversold and the next flight had extra seats on it.

I remember the incident because you wouldn't believe long time posters on the transportation board that not getting confirmed seats on your boarding pass meant that you were now flying stand-by. I even remember looking up alternative flights, and their capacity, for you (so I know that the second flight had quite a bit of space).

Your flight was oversold. The next flight had seats available and you could be confirmed on that flight. Had the second flight also been oversold (or full), Air Canada would not have been able to guarantee you a seat on the second flight - you would be on the standby list again. As I said earlier, the airline is not going to kick someone off of a flight so that a failed standby passenger from a previous flight can get on. If they are in a cascading oversell situation, they will ask for volunteers (so you may get onto the second flight even it was full) but they will not guarantee it.