Flying through Toronto...

[brandyleeann]

Hi everyone,

Our trip is not for ages (we plan to be at WDW Jan 1 to 6 and have a cruise booked Jan 6 to 13, 2018), but I have been looking into flights a bit to support my budget planning.

We have one of the West Jet credit cards so can get the companion fare for $99 to MCO, which is a great deal as flights from Edmonton to MCO are about $750 typically. I know they can sometimes be cheaper but we are firm on our dates.

In any case, my question to folks that have had to fly through Toronto is whether or not your baggage goes all the way through from your original departure point (in this case, Edmonton). We have flown through Calgary once and had to pick up and drop off bags and found it to be super inconvenient. Last year we through Houston and our bags went all the way through from Edmonton.

I know it is not a huge issue, but the flight times are horrendous (depart Edmonton at midnight, get to Toronto around 6 local time and hop back on mid-morning to arrive in Orlando at 1:30 pm). I think that lack of sleep and having to deal with baggage might tip me toward booking United and dealing with not using my companion fare.

Thanks

Brandy

 

[Canooknic]

As far as I know, you have to collect bags and then go through US customs. On every other trip we've chosen Delta and flown down to Minneapolis and transferred there so customs is cleared at YEG.
Our upcoming trip we are with Westjet (yay!) and have sucked-up the extra cost for a direct flight, I think it's going to be worth every penny because our boys are usually so tired for the first day or two

 

[starvenger]

CBP does list YEG as a preclearance point so you should be checked through.

Coming back, however, you would need to clear customs at YYZ, pick up your bags and drop them off again for the YYZ-YEG leg. If you fly Westjet (YYZ T3) and give yourself enough time between flights this should not be an issue.

 

[SirDuff]

CBP does list YEG as a preclearance point so you should be checked through.

Coming back, however, you would need to clear customs at YYZ, pick up your bags and drop them off again for the YYZ-YEG leg. If you fly Westjet (YYZ T3) and give yourself enough time between flights this should not be an issue.

The OP is leaving YEG on a domestic flight so will NOT preclear there (even though it has preclearance facilities). My understanding is that you no longer actually pick up your luggage at YYZ though - you just confirm that a picture of the luggage is yours. Let me find the threat that discussed it.

 

[brandyleeann]

As far as I know, you have to collect bags and then go through US customs. On every other trip we've chosen Delta and flown down to Minneapolis and transferred there so customs is cleared at YEG.
Our upcoming trip we are with Westjet (yay!) and have sucked-up the extra cost for a direct flight, I think it's going to be worth every penny because our boys are usually so tired for the first day or two

You got a direct flight from YEG to MCO on West Jet? I did not know any existed! I know they have a return MCO to YEG flight that is direct. I would totally suck up the extra cost.

 

[SirDuff]

Here's the thread.

delays at customs at YYZ

If they have an MCO-YEG flight they most likely have a YEG-MCO flight.

 

[starvenger]

The OP is leaving YEG on a domestic flight so will NOT preclear there (even though it has preclearance facilities). My understanding is that you no longer actually pick up your luggage at YYZ though - you just confirm that a picture of the luggage is yours. Let me find the threat that discussed it.

Right - forgot about that. Disregard the part about going to MCO.

 

[Canooknic]

You got a direct flight from YEG to MCO on West Jet? I did not know any existed! I know they have a return MCO to YEG flight that is direct. I would totally suck up the extra cost.

Yep!! Saturday mornings (11:40?) arriving 6:50 (ish!)....sorry, I don't have the exact times with me.
I'm so excited about having a normal start to our day, we can check in online so don't need to be ATM the airport until around 9:30!!

Can't wait to use the coat-check option that's available now too!! Usually when we get back DH runs out to the car and brings coats back for me and our boys, poor guy!

 

[Pumpkin1172]

I know it is not a huge issue, but the flight times are horrendous (depart Edmonton at midnight, get to Toronto around 6 local time and hop back on mid-morning to arrive in Orlando at 1:30 pm). I think that lack of sleep and having to deal with baggage might tip me toward booking United and dealing with not using my companion fare.

My daughter and I did this exact flight in Nov. It honestly was not as bad as I thought it was. We didn't have to pick our bags, they went straight through to Orlando with no problems. Coming home American Airlines lost my bag, but not the daughter's. Go figure. But really the flights themselves were not bad. We arrived in Orlando at 12:30. Arrived at our hotel by 2:00. We unpacked, freshened up and headed down to Disney Springs for a really awesome great evening.

I had used points from our credit card. I could have done the direct flight, but the Dd wanted to arrive earlier so we could have extra time in Orlando. We were originally going to try to make it is half a park day, but we were only doing 1 day in the park, and I couldn't justify the cost of only 2 park days. One was expensive enough. All the parks were going to close early that day. So the cost was totally not worth a half day in the park.

 

[dis_guy]

You got a direct flight from YEG to MCO on West Jet? I did not know any existed! I know they have a return MCO to YEG flight that is direct. I would totally suck up the extra cost.

For years we flew to MCO from YEG on United connecting in Houston (IAH). Prices are now a lot higher than they once were. The last two times we've gone on the Westjet nonstop. Only once a week, on Saturday (for now) and seasonal (Nov-Apr-ish) but can be had for a very good price. The flight down is actually the same plane and crew coming back a few hours later. We actually had some of the same crew both directions in January. Last I looked (recently) the flights for next Nov-Dec can be bought for about $500 CAN. The thing to remember is to buy early after they are released as they will go up, usually a lot.

ETA: Curious, so I had to check. WJ non-stops YEG to MCO: Dec 2- Dec 9 (as far ahead as you can book right now) $1038 for 2 everything included. So they're still out there.