When do you go through customs? In YYZ or MCO?

[peacefrogdog]

I've always flown out of Buffalo, but for our planned post-Xmas trip, the flights home actually look cheaper to fly from MCO to YYZ than to fly to BUF.

When departing from Pearson, do you go through customs? Or do you go through customs upon arrival at MCO? If at Pearson, how far in advance do you need to be there? If it matters I'm looking at a Flight on Delta leaving YYZ to MCO.

Similarly, when returning home, do you go through customs at MCO or when you land at Pearson? (flight would be Air Canada)

 

[coastgirl]

We have connected through TO, not originated, but if we touch down in TO that's where we do Customs, both coming and going. Not sure about the timing, are they still saying 2+ hours for international? With a connection, they are not supposed to route you through Toronto and Customs with less than an hour between flights (and that is cutting it close).

 

[Camilo]

When flying to USA, customs is done in Peason. We always give ourselves at least 2.5 hours.
When returning to Canada, customs is done in Canada.

 

[peacefrogdog]

The flight leaving Pearson leaves at 7 AM. Are there less crowds goign through customs that time of the morning, so that you'd still need to get there 2.5 h before?

 

[asudol]

I go through customs at Pearson all the time. Are you flying from terminal 1 or 3?

If you're at T1, give yourself 2 hours from when you check-in. (ie. consider the time from the parking lot to the building. depending on when you get there, unloading baggage, the link arrival time, etc. this can take 10-15 minutes on its own)

If you're at T3, there are a TON of flights first thing in the morning -- stick with the 2.5 hours.

 

[chimo2u]

Our flight home from MCO is through Toronto..... We depart MCO at 10:30 am and arrive in Toronto around 1 pm. The next flight leaves at 2:50, so basically have 1 hour and 45 minutes to catch our connection and do the customs thing. I hope that is enough time! We are flying executive class on our way home, due to a great deal. Do they have a seperate/expidiated line for Executive class passengers to go through at customs?
This will be my first time doing customs without my husband (who is the seasoned traveller in our family)....hopefully all goes well!!

 

[abdmom]

There is no expedited line at immigration or customs. You will have to line up for immigration first. Then collect baggage, then go through customs and drop your luggage off at the connecting flights area. Your timing may be tight. Last week it took me 45 minutes to go through immigration and collect luggage (at terminal 3). That was with my luggage labelled as priority.

 

[asudol]

Executive Class may be treated differently by the airlines, but the customs folks really don't care... At least not for Canada/USA travel.

I flew exec to the UK earlier this year and you get a "special invitation" to a priority lane when going into the UK through customs... but nothing like that for north american travel. Sorry!

If it's a connecting flight with the same airline, they are usually very good at working to make sure you catch the flight, and if things are really bad will sometimes work to get people prioritized at customs if there is a risk to missing the flight...

You should be fine.

 

[TorontoGirl]

It actually depends on the airline you use to go through Pearson (YYZ) - Air Canada, WestJet and the other bigger airlines - then yes you go through customs at YYZ.

BUT - if you use a smaller airline...like the ones that usually only go to the caribbean/mexico on package deals, then you may go through customs in MCO because they do not normally us the U.S. customs office at YYZ.

 

[fan1080]

It actually depends on the airline you use to go through Pearson (YYZ) - Air Canada, WestJet and the other bigger airlines - then yes you go through customs at YYZ.

BUT - if you use a smaller airline...like the ones that usually only go to the caribbean/mexico on package deals, then you may go through customs in MCO because they do not normally us the U.S. customs office at YYZ.

If you're not going to the US, you don't go through US Customs.

To the OP: Where you go through US Customs usually depends on your last departure point prior to entering the US. If you are not on a connecting flight, and the "home" airport you are departing from doesn't have a US Customs preclearance, you will have to collect your bags at your arrival US airport and proceed to US Customs. If there is a US Customs preclearance available at your "home" airport and you are flying direct, you will go through US Customs prior to your flight.

Coming home you will go through Canada Customs at the Canadian arrival airport.

 

[mbb]

YHZ. *sigh*
You'll preclear for US Customs there.

If you're connecting through YYZ:

If the lines are really really bad, and you're getting short on time, don't be afraid to ask for help.

At worst, you may be ignored

At best, you get taken to the front of the line...we've hit Customs with just under 30 minutes to spare - twice.
Mechanical delays, runway delays, late boarding passengers...you name it, stuff can happen...and your 3 hours gets whittled down pretty quick.

First time, I asked for help from the first airport employee we saw.
They got us to a "lady with a clipboard" around in the line somewhere, and she got us to the front.

Only to hit a line at security.

And we missed our flight.

No worries, though.
We got seats on the next flight.

Second time, the "lady with the clipboard" was right there at the entrance, checking boarding passes.
When she saw ours, she called for someone else, and they took us to the front. And then we were directed through the passengers requiring assistance/wheelchair security point.

Made that flight.
Complete with applause from the plane-full of waiting passengers

Stay relaxed, stay positive, and ask for help if you need it.
People miss connections every day, every minute even And the folks there know how to "fix" it.

If you wind up in a situation like this, have the flight numbers of what you would like to be put on ready to go when you do get to the gate/new ticketing counter, as a suggestion.

HTH!!

 

[CR Resort Fan 4 Life]

When flying either Air Canada or WestJet from YYZ you will clear US Customs in Toronto and when flying home from MCO you clear Canada Customs in YYZ after you land and get off the plane.

 

[fan1080]

When flying either Air Canada or WestJet from YYZ you will clear US Customs in Toronto and when flying home from MCO you clear Canada Customs in YYZ after you land and get off the plane.

Those can't be the only ones using Preclearance, right?

I would expect all US airlines use it. Are there really some airlines that don't use it?

 

[CR Resort Fan 4 Life]

Those can't be the only ones using Preclearance, right?

I would expect all US airlines use it. Are there really some airlines that don't use it?

Yes anyone flying on any of the US airlines out of YYZ also clear US Customs over there, however I would say the Charter Airlines such as Sunwing have their customers pre-clear at YYZ and will need to clear US Customs at MCO. When they were still in business everytime Canada 3000 Airlines was one of the Charter Airlines out of Terminal 3 and when we flew them from YYZ - MCO we always cleared US Customs when we landed at MCO.

 

[temom]

We try our best flying direct to US via halifax Because customs is just so much easier from a timliness and crowding perspective
than doing your connecting via Toronto.