WestJet TO connection baggage connection - recent experience?

[Applemomma]

Now that I'm a week out I'm asking this question again since I still can't seem to find a definitive answer.

Flying Halifax/Toronto/Orlando next week. Has anyone recently (as in last month or two) flown through YYZ on WestJet and did you have to collect your bag prior to customs? I'm bad for wanting to know exactly what's supposed to happen - helps with travel anxiety!!

Thanks in advance!!

 

[mjhtvchick]

Now that I'm a week out I'm asking this question again since I still can't seem to find a definitive answer.

Flying Halifax/Toronto/Orlando next week. Has anyone recently (as in last month or two) flown through YYZ on WestJet and did you have to collect your bag prior to customs? I'm bad for wanting to know exactly what's supposed to happen - helps with travel anxiety!!

Thanks in advance!!

I can only tell you what it was like on the return trip (Orlando-Toronto-St. John's) as we flew down direct.
We did not have to actually collect our bags, but we still had to go through the baggage collection area, out of security, back in through the normal departures process and then 50,000 miles to our gate...we barely made it!
Honestly, it was the worst and we were lucky we never experienced any major issues at security, etc. We arrived at the gate just as they started pre-boarding.

I can't say that the experience is the same on the trip to Orlando but I will be looking at options that don't include TO on our next trip to Orlando.

 

[ilovetotravel1977]

Now that I'm a week out I'm asking this question again since I still can't seem to find a definitive answer.

Flying Halifax/Toronto/Orlando next week. Has anyone recently (as in last month or two) flown through YYZ on WestJet and did you have to collect your bag prior to customs? I'm bad for wanting to know exactly what's supposed to happen - helps with travel anxiety!!

Thanks in advance!!

I facebook messaged westjet as we have the same itinerary. This was their reply:

"They will be checked through all the way if they are within the same day. You will however, have to pick up them up on the return flight in Toronto and clear it through Canadian customs."

 

[Applemomma]

Thanks for the responses...guess I'll just have to plan for the worst and hope for the best!

 

[ilovetotravel1977]

Just ask them when you are checking in. Your baggage tags will typically be stamped "transit" or something like that if they are going all the way through. That has been my experience when connecting through YYZ heading to MIA on Air Canada.

 

[Best_Vacation_EVER!]

Having had a couple of unpleasant connections at Pearson when coming back from MCO on Westjet (very, very slow baggage, big crowds with what should have been generous connection times (2.5 hours) that left us running to get to the gate after insane security lines) we will never fly through there again -- if the Westjet flights aren't direct (YOW-MCO) we'll drive down to Syracuse and use Jet Blue.

 

[Applemomma]

Having had a couple of unpleasant connections at Pearson when coming back from MCO on Westjet (very, very slow baggage, big crowds with what should have been generous connection times (2.5 hours) that left us running to get to the gate after insane security lines) we will never fly through there again -- if the Westjet flights aren't direct (YOW-MCO) we'll drive down to Syracuse and use Jet Blue.

TO was my last choice but booked on points so little options. Actually had a 3.5 hour layover, which I prefer, but they changed up the schedule. Flying out of anywhere south of the border for me means a 8-10 hour drive at the minimum, though we have driven it before for a good deal out of Portland on Southwest. This time the pricing and time we could take just didn't make it feasible unfortunatly.

 

[ilovetotravel1977]

Our connection in YYZ in 1.5 hours. We never have any trouble with YYZ. Maybe because our flights are typically EARLY in the morning, so not many people around at 8am in the Toronto airport?

 

[Applemomma]

Our connection in YYZ in 1.5 hours. We never have any trouble with YYZ. Maybe because our flights are typically EARLY in the morning, so not many people around at 8am in the Toronto airport?

We're landing there at 7:30am so hope you're right!

 

[Applemomma]

Update! Bags were indeed checked right through and we just had to wait in that side room to hear our initials then to customs where we confirmed on the screen that yes, that was indeed my lime green bag. Easy peasy!

 

[ilovetotravel1977]

I've never had to do that before! I wonder if it's something new?