How was your U.S customs experience?

[Sue M]

My main reason for flying with a US airline. I can go thru customs here at YVR, and don’t have to deal with the Toronto horror show!
Don’t forget you need to fill out the US Attestation form. They collected them at the gate to my flight to SeaTac where I was connecting to MCO flight.

 

[notsteve]

Had a 3 hour layover in Toronto yesterday. Between security and the huge queue at US customs, made it to the gate with 25 minutes to spare. Many in the line were complaining that they were missing their flights. The only had 4 customs officers for connections, but I think when I first joined the queue there were less (I couldn’t see around the corner)

 

[Kebby]

Curious. It seems T3 is pretty hood, but T1 is a bit of a nightmare. I wonder if more flights are going through T1 right now

 

[cheshirecatattack]

Here's our experience from Wednesday Sept 22.
Arrived at Pearson for a 10:15 flight to Orlando at 6:30am. Line to check our bags was long - waited maybe 40 minutes. Security was fairly quick, maybe 15 minutes. Customs was another story. Like other posters have said, many people shouting about missing their flights. We waited about 1.5hours. We arrived at our gate around 9:20am after a quick stop for coffee.

Edit: We flew out of T1.

 

[samsteele]

This has been a chronic issue at Pearson long before covid. My last flight January 2020 from YYZ to MCO, I arrived 6 hours early because of pre-set shuttle departure time from rural Ontario and it took almost 3 hrs to get through the airport to the holding area. No checked bag just carry on. This was approx 9:30am on a weekday. US customs always understaffed. Only 2 agents last time I was there with hundreds in the cattle pens. People in line on their phones calling Air Canada for help to expedite. Good luck with that. Unless it changes in the near future, should budget at least 4 hours to get through the airport.

 

[ellbell]

I'm currently at Pearson. We are flying out of terminal 1. We got here at 6:40 and got through security by 7:40. We just got to our gate after leaving customs at 9am.

 

[TommyJK]

Anyone have experience flying to the US recently with Porter Airlines (out of Toronto Island)? Wondering what it's like as I have a flight to Chicago at the end of October and wondering if there is anything special to be aware of like long lines etc. (usually Island airport/Porter is pretty queit and quick).

 

[CanucksRock]

I came thru US customs this morning with zero wait. I have Nexus. No one ahead of me. At like 5:45 am The line for those without Nexus about 4 rows deep? Did not look too bad. Security had nobody, breezed right thru.

They only asked where I was going, if it was vacation and when I was returing. The attestation was done when I checked in, and they checked my negative covid test before departing Edmonton.

In Edmonton there were zero people at Check in, 2 at security That was really a ghosttown.

So, fly early on Sundays? Thankfully I had row to myself on the red-eye so I was able to lay down and kind of get sleep.

 

[Rilli]

Could anyone advise on how tight connections are at YVR? I'm flying domestically with Air Canada with a 1hr 45min layover... before hopping on my AC international... so not very long at all. I can't leave YVR any later, I'm meeting friends at the airport in the US. Would I go through Customs on this side or in LAX - and what would happen with checked luggage?

The last time I went to Disney I went through Edmonton and I did customs there, but I've never flown internationally via YVR, only domestically, so I'm not sure how that works.

I have another flight booked via WJ a day early, with an overnight in Vancouver and then I'd book Air Canada the next morning to LAX. Unfortunately, this costs quite a bit of extra money. Is it worth it to do the overnight? Or do you think 1.45 is enough time? I'd much rather spend my money on Mint Juleps and possibly multiple rides on Indiana Jones with this Lightning Lane nonsense...

My trip is in early November and I'm really stressed about it.

(Direct quote for responses is appreciated, thank you!<3)

 

[KNovacovschi]

We came home on Saturday and had a 2:20pm flight with AC. At MCO it literally took us less then a minute to check our bags and less then 5 to get through security. When we landed at 4:39pm at Pearson, we were about 20-25 mins early, we were held on the plane for 17 mins. Then we went right to security/customs and that only took us 23 mins and bags were already at baggage claim when we were done. We are Nexus users though so I can’t comment on the non-Nexus line but it was long and seemed to be moving at a decent pace.

 

[CanucksRock]

Would I go through Customs on this side or in LAX - and what would happen with checked luggage?

You will go thru US customs in Vancouver.

 

[SnapesGirl]

I flew into Toronto for a connecting flight for Orlando on Tuesday, Sept 14th. Arrived in Toronto around 7am. There was barely anyone at US customs. I had my US passport with me so I did get to go through another line, but the regular line looked very quiet too. I was in and out within 7 minutes. I guess it does also depend on the time you arrive!

 

[bcwife76]

Could anyone advise on how tight connections are at YVR? I'm flying domestically with Air Canada with a 1hr 45min layover... before hopping on my AC international... so not very long at all. I can't leave YVR any later, I'm meeting friends at the airport in the US. Would I go through Customs on this side or in LAX - and what would happen with checked luggage?

The last time I went to Disney I went through Edmonton and I did customs there, but I've never flown internationally via YVR, only domestically, so I'm not sure how that works.

I have another flight booked via WJ a day early, with an overnight in Vancouver and then I'd book Air Canada the next morning to LAX. Unfortunately, this costs quite a bit of extra money. Is it worth it to do the overnight? Or do you think 1.45 is enough time? I'd much rather spend my money on Mint Juleps and possibly multiple rides on Indiana Jones with this Lightning Lane nonsense...

My trip is in early November and I'm really stressed about it.

(Direct quote for responses is appreciated, thank you!<3)

You go through US customs in YVR and yes you will need to recheck your bags and go through security as well. Even right now 1hr45 minutes does seem a bit tight.

 

[MaMudduck]

Anyone with an update? Flying out YYZ to MCO in early Nov. and still feeling nervous about how long to allow.

 

[Duck1]

Anyone with an update? Flying out YYZ to MCO in early Nov. and still feeling nervous about how long to allow.

We were just there about a week ago. We arrived about 3+ hours before our scheduled flight. The line for us bound flights was ridiculously long, but they managed it quite well. They would regularly go up and down through the various lines and call for people on certain flights. They obviously focussed on the flights departing next to ensure no one missed their respective flights. When we initially arrived we assumed we would miss our flight given the volume of people ahead of us. But within an hour give or take, they called our flight. We were at the gate at least 90 minutes before the flight but we quickly got through customs as we have nexus. The others who were grouped with us who didn’t have nexus took much longer, arriving about an hour after us but still plenty of time to board.

 

[MaMudduck]

We were just there about a week ago. We arrived about 3+ hours before our scheduled flight. The line for us bound flights was ridiculously long, but they managed it quite well. They would regularly go up and down through the various lines and call for people on certain flights. They obviously focussed on the flights departing next to ensure no one missed their respective flights. When we initially arrived we assumed we would miss our flight given the volume of people ahead of us. But within an hour give or take, they called our flight. We were at the gate at least 90 minutes before the flight but we quickly got through customs as we have nexus. The others who were grouped with us who didn’t have nexus took much longer, arriving about an hour after us but still plenty of time to board.

Oh no...that's not good for my anxiety, but thank you for letting me know. I have my "conditional" Nexus approval and was hoping to do my "interview upon arrival" so I hope they'll let me do Nexus lane/line.

 

[Duck1]

Oh no...that's not good for my anxiety, but thank you for letting me know. I have my "conditional" Nexus approval and was hoping to do my "interview upon arrival" so I hope they'll let me do Nexus lane/line.

Based on our experience I wouldn’t be concerned. It was chaos when we arrived but they managed the line very effectively. I was a bit angry and frustrated at first as I was not expecting that size of a lineup but I was very impressed on how the staff managed. They really did a good job. You should be fine.