Originally Posted by Former Lancastrian

I always prefer to use the legal requirements under the Customs Act and policies and procedures of the CBSA over an airline website.

You are obligated by Canadian law to present yourself to an officer, respond truthfully to all questions, accurately report your goods, and, if requested, present your goods for examination, which may include unpacking and repacking the contents of your luggage or vehicle.

Your cooperation and patience is appreciated while you wait and we conduct our duties. To help us get you on your way as quickly as possible, we ask that you:

treat our employees in a fair, courteous and respectful manner;
recognize that all travellers and goods are subject to review and examination; and
be aware of and comply with the legislation, regulations and policies we administer.
BSF5146 - What to Expect: Secondary Services and Inspections

Section 12.3 Customs Act
Who reports

(3) Goods shall be reported under subsection (1)

(a) in the case of goods in the actual possession of a person arriving in Canada, or that form part of the person’s baggage where the person and the person’s baggage are being carried on board the same conveyance, by that person or, in prescribed circumstances, by the person in charge of the conveyance;

or section 13 of the same Act
Obligation to answer questions and present goods

13 Every person who reports goods under section 12 inside or outside Canada or is stopped by an officer in accordance with section 99.1 shall

(a) answer truthfully any question asked by an officer with respect to the goods; and

(b) if an officer so requests, present the goods to the officer, remove any covering from the goods, unload any conveyance or open any part of the conveyance, or open or unpack any package or container that the officer wishes to examine.
Customs Act

There again Im just a poster on the internet who may or not work for CBSA so absolutely believe the information from that website that there is no need to have Customs look at your bags if off a flight from LHR.

There again a different user name from several years ago is still the same person doing the usual wind ups (wink).

Originally Posted by lmartin1000

I am not winding you up at all. I am just surprised that you suggest AC would post something that is wrong for all of its passengers. What do you think happens for those coming through YYZ?

Originally Posted by Stinkypup

I think you are generalising a tad. YVR was excellent. I had loaded the app which FL mentioned ready to go but didn't need it. Nexus I do admit certainly does significantly smooth the way

Originally Posted by Jsmth321

Just avoid YVR during the mid-day rush, it can get iffy during the rush as there are many arrivals from Asia, Europe and US within a short time frame.

Originally Posted by dbd33

You’re the specialist but I’ve been to the US, and to the UK in the company of various Americans, literally hundreds of times. Where cardboard is involved it’s handed over at first contact with the authorities. After baggage claim one simply walks through the green door. It’s because that’s the system everywhere else in the world that the mouth carriage system works so badly in Canada, people don’t expect to have to produce forms after collecting their bags. This most recent time through the airport I actively looked for signs, to see if passengers had a reasonable chance of following the procedure, but I couldn’t find any. I think the system is deliberately confrontational though why the border agency wants its staff to spend the whole shift in unnecessary conflict I can’t imagine; I would think there’s enough unavoidable conflict without making more.

Your closing line suggests that the Canadian mouth transfer system deters nasty stuff that would gain access to the UK or, for example, Australia. What does Canada keep out that those countries let in?

Originally Posted by Stinkypup

I came in at 1.30pm at the same time as a Lufthansa and a couple of other big flights- yep- any large airport gets busy but people were getting through pretty smoothly, maybe I was just lucky but we travel through YVR and YYC a fair bit and I would say the process is pretty smooth in both but maybe a smidge better at YVR. I like the terminal at YYC.
I do like the no picking-up baggage at YVR if connecting to another airport in Canada off an international flight, although the website is still giving out the old and now wrong process which is confusing if you dont know things have changed

Originally Posted by Jsmth321

Curious as to how the transfer of bags works international to domestic, so they don't go into the customs hall where you have to pick them up?

Originally Posted by dbd33

There is confusion on that point, an airline and the announcements at the airport say it works one way, Former Lancastrian says, with some justification, that it cannot work that way. The airline mentioned is AC so their statements don't add credibility to either side of the debate.

Originally Posted by MarkG

I've already said that I didn't have to collect my bags last time I flew through Toronto from Europe. Whether that's still the case eighteen months later is another question.

Originally Posted by Former Lancastrian

Was your bag in the Customs Hall as it would have been offloaded to change planes. Did you take the bag off a carousel within the Customs Hall and put it on a connector belt also within the Customs Hall? If CBSA had asked to see your bags what would you have done? Even if Business Class that bag needs to be available for examination as it was being transferred to a domestic flight where you don't clear Customs on arrival.
There again airlines have delivered bags that didn't clear Customs and have had penalties made against them which can get quite expensive depending on the number of bags and the number of times they have done this.

Originally Posted by Former Lancastrian

Was your bag in the Customs Hall as it would have been offloaded to change planes. Did you take the bag off a carousel within the Customs Hall and put it on a connector belt also within the Customs Hall? If CBSA had asked to see your bags what would you have done? Even if Business Class that bag needs to be available for examination as it was being transferred to a domestic flight where you don't clear Customs on arrival.
There again airlines have delivered bags that didn't clear Customs and have had penalties made against them which can get quite expensive depending on the number of bags and the number of times they have done this.

Originally Posted by Jsmth321

Maybe CBSA at
some airports are not requiring every bag to come to customs hall for connecting passengers?

Maybe some sort of process similiar to passengers connecting to US destinations where the passenger has to clear US customs but they are not required to collect their bags, the bags are transferred air-side and if USCBP wishes to inspect certain bags they will request specific passengers bag.

Originally Posted by Stinkypup

I am agreeing with Mark here- luggage went straight through at YVR, no pick up, I didnt see it again until YLW. We dont get the option to make it available- cases booked straight through. I can see why you are saying that FL, it just doesnt happen- at least with my experience and this seems to be how they are doing it now.



Certainly not AC or Westjet and maybe other Airlines Connections International to domestic at YVR. I presume if they want to look inside they wil do so just without passenger being there.

Originally Posted by Jsmth321

Sounds like there is some sort of process in place with Air Canada at least. I know Westjet has a transfer desk/baggage belt just outside of CBSA for their passengers but Air Canada has nothing similiar.