Help - AC Flights Connection Timing Dilemma (YYZ - Terminal 1)

[disneymath]

Due to itinerary changes, our original flight plan -- midday arrival at TI-International (E-gate) with 2.5 hrs before our Canadian connection (D-gate) -- is now currently an 8-hour layover with the connection at 11 PM (last flight out that day).

Since AC cancelled the earlier connector completely, the only way to cut down the layover is to take one of two later flights from LHR. Option 1 cuts the connection time down to just over 5 hrs. Option 2 cuts the connection time down to 1h55min.

Option 2 is tempting (gives us almost an extra day in London and the later departure means it's more likely we'll sleep some on the plane). BUT, is it doable? (Is does come up as a booking option on the AC website and an AC call center rep did suggest it as an option ... but that doesn't necessarily mean it's a "good" option.)

Basically, 8 of us (5 adults, 3 kids) need to get from the AC arrival e-gate, get bags, go through Canadian customs, recheck bags, pass through security and get to connecting d-gate in less than 1h 30 min.

TIA for any sharing any opinions/advice/experiences.

 

[mom_rules]

Due to itinerary changes, our original flight plan -- midday arrival at TI-International (E-gate) with 2.5 hrs before our Canadian connection (D-gate) -- is now currently an 8-hour layover with the connection at 11 PM (last flight out that day).

Since AC cancelled the earlier connector completely, the only way to cut down the layover is to take one of two later flights from LHR. Option 1 cuts the connection time down to just over 5 hrs. Option 2 cuts the connection time down to 1h55min.

Option 2 is tempting (gives us almost an extra day in London and the later departure means it's more likely we'll sleep some on the plane). BUT, is it doable? (Is does come up as a booking option on the AC website and an AC call center rep did suggest it as an option ... but that doesn't necessarily mean it's a "good" option.)

Basically, 8 of us (5 adults, 3 kids) need to get from the AC arrival e-gate, get bags, go through Canadian customs, recheck bags, pass through security and get to connecting d-gate in less than 1h 30 min.

TIA for any sharing any opinions/advice/experiences.

Personally with that many people and luggage and customs I wouldn't chance it.....Sometimes it's taken them over 1/2 hr to off load the luggage and get it to baggage claim.

If it were just my DH and I, I might chance it. There are quite a few flights to Orlando from YYZ everyday.

 

[disneymath]

Personally with that many people and luggage and customs I wouldn't chance it.....Sometimes it's taken them over 1/2 hr to off load the luggage and get it to baggage claim.

If it were just my DH and I, I might chance it. There are quite a few flights to Orlando from YYZ everyday.

Thanks for the reply ... we're actually not headed to Orlando but home after a Disney cruise in Europe.

After sleeping on it, we've pretty much come to the same conclusion as you: too risky with all 8 of us and our stuff. (Definitely not wanting to end our first overseas vacation stressing about something going wrong - or worse, having to deal with it if something does.)

A third option, which we hadn't considered at first, is to stay over in London for an extra night and come home the next day which would allow us to arrive home much earlier in the evening.

Decisions, decisions.

 

[mom_rules]

or book a night in Toronto in one of the airport hotels.....there are so many hotels with free airport shuttles. Take a flight out of Toronto the next morning.

 

[mab2012]

Personally, I'd probably chance the second option, but it depends on a lot of factors. What's your backup plan if you miss the connection? When is the next flight out to wherever you are trying to get to? What happens if you don't make it home until the next day? How old are your kids? Is there anyone in your party with mobility issues?

Two hours should be plenty of time to connect, even after clearing customs and even with the change of terminal… *IF* your incoming flight is on-time.

If you miss your "legal" connection because the incoming flight is late, and there is no later flight that day, Air Canada should put you up for the night: http://www.aircanada.com/us/en/customercare/customer_service_plan.html.

All that said, I'm the kind of person who tries to be last on the plane rather than first, and as long as I have a contingency plan in the event of a missed connection, I'd be comfortable with whatever the airline will let me book. I recently booked flights for my family's Dover -> Barcelona DCL cruise next summer. We are flying into Edinburgh and have a 2h25m layover in Heathrow which will involve a change of terminal and airline, as well as clearing customs. Inbound we fly through Montreal and our layover is 1h15m. I'm comfortable with both connections. If our Barca flight is late there's a good chance we'll miss the Montreal connection, but we're only going to Ottawa, and there are Montreal->Ottawa flights all the time. If we miss it, they'll get us on the next one. Or the one after that. Or in the worst case, we'll take the train or a bus. There are lots of options.

 

[disneymath]

Personally, I'd probably chance the second option, but it depends on a lot of factors. What's your backup plan if you miss the connection? When is the next flight out to wherever you are trying to get to? What happens if you don't make it home until the next day? How old are your kids? Is there anyone in your party with mobility issues?

Two hours should be plenty of time to connect, even after clearing customs and even with the change of terminal… *IF* your incoming flight is on-time.

If you miss your "legal" connection because the incoming flight is late, and there is no later flight that day, Air Canada should put you up for the night: http://www.aircanada.com/us/en/customercare/customer_service_plan.html.

All that said, I'm the kind of person who tries to be last on the plane rather than first, and as long as I have a contingency plan in the event of a missed connection, I'd be comfortable with whatever the airline will let me book. I recently booked flights for my family's Dover -> Barcelona DCL cruise next summer. We are flying into Edinburgh and have a 2h25m layover in Heathrow which will involve a change of terminal and airline, as well as clearing customs. Inbound we fly through Montreal and our layover is 1h15m. I'm comfortable with both connections. If our Barca flight is late there's a good chance we'll miss the Montreal connection, but we're only going to Ottawa, and there are Montreal->Ottawa flights all the time. If we miss it, they'll get us on the next one. Or the one after that. Or in the worst case, we'll take the train or a bus. There are lots of options.

You make some good points ... Kids will be 8 and 6. No mobility issues. Hopefully we'll decide one way or another this weekend.

 

[disneymath]

or book a night in Toronto in one of the airport hotels.....there are so many hotels with free airport shuttles. Take a flight out of Toronto the next morning.

Definitely trying to avoid having to do this ... have three "hotel moves" (pre-cruise hotel, cruise ship, post-cruise hotel) already, and know we would just be wishing we could do the final hop home instead.