Pre-us customs clearance @ YUL (Dorval)

[Shih-Tzu]

For the first time, we are flying Air Canada to Orlando with our connection from at Montreal (Dorval/PETrudeau) airport. Apparently prior to boarding the flight to the US, there is a pre-US customs clearance.
Does this mean that if it is done at the Montreal airport, then when we land in Orlando there is no customs to clear there and we proceed as if we had been on a US domestic flight (such as we have on Delta when we flew from a US airport?).
and....
if that is the case, will the DME automatically rescue our suitcases because they have the yellow Disney tag??
Any help/advice appreciated....

 

[monkey30]

I believe so. We have always gone thru customs before we left canada so not sure!!!

Hope someone can help you!

 

[Shih-Tzu]

We have always cleared customs at a border crossing via car and then left from a US airport - haven't flown to US by air before....

 

[DisneyFreak06]

Yes! You put the yellow tags on your bags before you leave home. The last time I flew through Montreal, they had changed their policy. You do not even get your checked bag before you go through customs. You go directly to US customs and they will show you a picture of your bag. Then you go to your connecting flight. When you get to Orlando, you go meet DME and they will get your bags for you.

It's very simple. Follow the signs in Montreal for US customs and then you'll follow them to the connections area. You will need to go through security again in Montreal though.

 

[Gigi22]

Yes, you are cleared through U.S. Customs in Dorval. You need to make sure you have enough time for your connection, factoring in time for going through Customs (check with your TA, and/or airline).
We fly direct from Dorval to Orlando on a regular basis. It is a large airport, slightly smaller than Toronto. The lines can be fairly long, particularly early in the a.m., but they move reasonably fast.
Can't help you about DME, as we never use it. It is quite likely that you will have to collect your own bags and take them to the DME area yourselves, as you are still flying into the U.S. from a foreign point of origin.

 

[Tinkershelly]

Can't help you about DME, as we never use it. It is quite likely that you will have to collect your own bags and take them to the DME area yourselves, as you are still flying into the U.S. from a foreign point of origin.

If you participate in US customs pre-clearance and put the yellow DME tags on your bags before you check them at your home airport you will not have the opportunity to get them at the airport in Orlando. They will be diverted to the DME trucks before they go to the baggage carrousel.

Be careful when you are ready to leave for home though. Last October the DME documents that were left in our room for the return flights were wrong concerning how our luggage could be handled. They said that in-hotel airline checkin applied to us but in fact it didn't. We had a connection in Newark before heading home to Halifax but that still means we are NOT eligible for in-hotel airline checkin and luggage transfer. Simply take all your luggage with you on the DME bus back to the Orlando airport and check yourself and your luggage in there.

Hope this helps!

 

[Shih-Tzu]

Thanks for all the help everyone Wasn't quite sure how that worked with the newer system. I wasn't sure how it worked for DME but happy that once I check in at Fredericton I won't have to see the bags until the "Magically appear" at the hotel. I did know that we couldn't use the RAC when leaving the resort as we are flying out-of-country....now I eagerly await the arrival of the yellow tags

 

[mtmbyck]

Correct me if I'm wrong folks, but if your connecting flight is a different airline, you must collect your bags. Only if you connect on the same airline they will keep your bags. There is always a separate line for connecting flights in customs. You won't join the line with other people just starting their voyage. I flew through it last time with an enormous customs line on the other side.

 

[DisneyFreak06]

Correct me if I'm wrong folks, but if your connecting flight is a different airline, you must collect your bags. Only if you connect on the same airline they will keep your bags. There is always a separate line for connecting flights in customs. You won't join the line with other people just starting their voyage. I flew through it last time with an enormous customs line on the other side.

That's true about the different airlines, but I think the OP is using Air Canada both rounds, which means the bags will be forwarded for them.

 

[Shih-Tzu]

Yes - using Air Canada all the way

 

[Evelyn]

Quick question here. We are flying Halifax, through Montreal, then to Orlando with Air Canada as well. For some reason, I thought we could not put our yellow DME tags on in Halifax, but had to wait until going through customs in Montreal. If the bags are handled all the way through for us, with us just having to identify the photo, is it OK to put the DME tags on in Halifax? Won't cause our luggage to get re-routed to Timbucktoo or Wallawalla ?

 

[DisneyFreak06]

Quick question here. We are flying Halifax, through Montreal, then to Orlando with Air Canada as well. For some reason, I thought we could not put our yellow DME tags on in Halifax, but had to wait until going through customs in Montreal. If the bags are handled all the way through for us, with us just having to identify the photo, is it OK to put the DME tags on in Halifax? Won't cause our luggage to get re-routed to Timbucktoo or Wallawalla ?

As far as I understand, the luggage handlers look only at the white Airport tags with the airport codes. They will forward your luggage from Halifax to Montreal and then to Orlando. We fly Charlottetown to Montreal to Orlando and we put our tags on at home. The only place that looks for the yellow tags is Orlando.

I usually fly through Montreal on the way down and it's usually quite easy. The one time they lost our luggage was after a bunch of cancellations due to snow. They had lost so many that the person helping at the luggage carousel (before you didn't have to collect them going through customs) started telling everyone going to Orlando to fill in a luggage claim form at MCO because we were cutting it too close. That was in 07 and I've never had any issues since, with luggage.