Former Lancastrian

Thank god Im not at the airport anymore and needless to say our staff aren't all that impressed with the new procedures.

MarkG

I was sure that, last time I went through Toronto, I didn't have to collect bags and just went to the connecting plane? Did they change back, or am I hallucinating?

Former Lancastrian

Now I could be wrong as I have never worked at the most efficient airport in the world that is LBPIA (Toronto).
If someone has the answer to this question please post the answer.

You are flying from say LHR into Toronto and have a connecting flight to Winnipeg.
At what stage would I as a CBSA officer be able to physically examine your bag?
I won't be doing it at LHR as there is no pre clearance.
I won't be doing it in Winnipeg as you are coming off a domestic flight.
So that only leaves one place Toronto.

scrubbedexpat075

Oh wow, Toronto airport sounds like it could be fun then... (thinking of trying to find a last minute direct flight to avoid Toronto!)

dbd33

My daughter in Vancouver goes to Europe a couple of times a year (with two small children), she says it's not a big deal but she connects at Montreal.

Former Lancastrian

I wouldn't exactly call arriving at LBPIA fun. More akin to being tortured with bamboo shoots or having teeth extracted by pliers and thats on a good day. Well maybe a slight exaggeration but sometimes LBPIA is the only option and there are worse places Ive heard of JFK anyone?

dbd33

JFK is a bother because the connection to Canada is invariably at La Guardia. I'm ok with that now but that's the route we took when we emigrated to Canada; it was more than we needed on top of going to a new country.

Good connecting airports include Detroit and Chicago (big but well organized). Dallas is also ok but Dulles is one I would avoid if possible.

bgpz

OP - isn't there any way that you can change your flight to one of the direct LGW-YVR flights?
It looks like there's a direct flight 4x/week...

MarkG

Sure, but you only need the bag if you decide to search it.

At Vancouver, for example, there's no need to collect your bag for US preclearance when flying to America. They only pull the bag out if they decide they have a reason to check it.

That wastes a lot less time than having everyone collect their bag and drag it to a conveyor belt on the other side.

Former Lancastrian

But that is pre clearance which is different to regular Customs clearance. The US officer knows ahead of time how many bags you have checked and can have it pulled. When arriving internationally (not trans border) we have no idea how many bags you have checked or even have one thats why all baggage has to be picked up by the passenger prior to leaving the Customs area after being off loaded.

MarkG

I just checked the sent emails on my phone. May 2016, I flew through Toronto from Amsterdam, and my bag got to Saskatoon without having to pick it up.

Maybe it's a business class thing ?

Former Lancastrian

From the LBPIA webpage
Connecting to a Domestic flight within Terminals 1 & 3
Toronto Pearson is your first point of entry into Canada. Therefore, even if your baggage is tagged through to your final destination, you are required to pick them up for Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) processing. Once you have been processed by CBSA, drop off your bags at the Connecting Baggage Belt. Follow the or connections signs to your connecting gate. Flights departing from gates are located in Terminal 3. Flights departing from gates are located in Terminal 1. Please note you will be required to undergo security screening prior to entering the departure gate area.
https://www.torontopearson.com/Pears....aspx?id=1201#

MarkG

Maybe they had too many problems and decided to change it. Or maybe it is just for business class.

I sent the email because I was surprised they did that that time, and was wondering whether they'd lose my bag again as a result.

Stinkypup

As a slight aside, they have changed connections at YVR since last year. Previously we had to pick up luggage and then go to the Connections bit down the end of the baggage hall to the airline connections desk and then drop it off and then go via security onward to Kelowna. Now, more streamlined - luggage checked through to KLW and you just follow the connections signs, no luggage pick up and then go to the airline agent in the same place as before with no luggage , through security and onward flight.

Admittedly using my Nexus card it took me 20 minutes leaving the transatlantic plane (WestJet) to arrive at the gate in the Domestic terminal... now that was fast!

I checked online on the flight back on the YVR website and it at least at that time had the old info which was a bit weird.

Former Lancastrian

I just find it hard to comprehend that a suitcase belonging to a passenger is checked in and that the passenger does not collect if from the baggage belt in the Customs area and then place it onto a connecting baggage belt still within the Customs area before clearing the last CBSA officer.

Sure delayed bags arrive without a passenger present but the airline then presents them to CBSA for clearance against a delayed baggage form.
Now there have been cases where the baggage handlers put the bags on the domestic conveyor belt and all the bags ended up in the domestic terminal