Is 1:20 layover long enough...coming back to Canada through Pearson

deedubb

Always Grumpy, except when at Disney!
Joined
Feb 12, 2017
We have never had a layover at YYZ coming home from Disney before, as we always take a direct flight in the winter. This is our first summer trip to WDW and there are no direct flights with WJ. The layover is only 1:20 and I'm wondering if this is long enough, since we would have to go through customs.

I know we don't touch our checked luggage going to MCO when we have a layover at YYZ. Is that the same coming home?

Does NEXUS give you any advantage going through customs from US to Canada?
 
You should not have to retrieve your bags but you can make sure by entering your flights on this page :

https://www.torontopearson.com/en/connections
Some will say that Pearson is terrible and that you must plan for at least two hours of layover, but in our experience, if the company sells you a ticket that takes the layover into account, and if that layover is more than an hour, you’ll be fine, especially if you have Nexus. That expedites what is the longest part of the process, except the walking from one gate to the next.
 
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This is not a Pearson experience.
After missing a connected flight with reassurance from a few airline reps (one of them was my BFF) that I would have enough time for the connection before I booked that flight, I will never try a connecting flight with connection time less than 2 hours. There needs to be enough time to transfer the baggage from one plane to the other as well. Our first flight was delayed causing us to miss the second flight. We arrived just as the door to the other flight closed for boarding. Though we were offered another flight from a different airline, I lost our preferred seats, had a much longer layover plus another extra one, and had to check in my duty free purchases as they exceeded my liquid quota for carryon. The stress was unnecessary and it took us half a day longer to get home. You may get lucky and have a smooth connection. But make sure you are not returning to work or school the next day just in case things don’t go as expected.
 
If you have an option available with a little more time I would take that. Coming home, clearing customs is quicker than going to the US but I wouldn't chance it. Flights are not the most reliable things these days (or you could find your plane is on time but needs to wait for a gate to become available) causing your precious layover time to disappear.
 


I wouldn’t do it! Thanks to a really dreadful experience I had a couple of years ago, which involved flying on WJ from Tampa, and taking an onward flight from Pearson, I won’t take WJ if I have to transfer at Pearson. It’s not the airline, it’s the airport. The flight from Tampa was late, not horribly late, just late. Had to go through Customs, and then basically sprint to my departure gate which was at the other end of the airport. To add to the fun, I had to go through security again. Never again.
 
if there's another flight home with your airline later, from yyz,they could always put you on, if you miss your connection.Imo,that connection time with customs at yyz is cutting it very close for many reasons.
 
If everything is on time you are fine. The problem is if your delayed leaving MCO. This happened to me on my trip in July. It was delayed. Before we even landed WJ had rebooked me onto a flight the next day...BUT I could have made my connection...because my luggage did 😜 (I have NEXUS) They screwed up. I ended up spending an hour waiting for luggage that never appeared, they finally told me it didn’t get pulled and made the connection 😡 So, then I had to get hotel voucher for a whole 5 hours. The only bonus - my rebooked flight was in a WJ Plus seat. I was so tired I slept the whole flight home.
 


Thanks everyone. Looks like there is one later flight out of Pearson, but it is several hours later, so the layover would be over 5 hours. I think I'll just risk it and if we miss the flight, hopefully there will be room on the next one. It's all Westjet so I think terminal 3, and hopefully not a long walk from where we arrive to where we have to depart.
 
We usually do a 1.5 hour connection through Pearson to / from Miami and have no issues. Don't dottle, keep moving and you'll be okay. Like an above poster said, the airline makes the flight schedule. It's not like you are changing airlines as well as planes.
 
If you've got Nexus, you should be able to get through Pearson in about 25 mins on a slow day and around 40-45mins on a busy day, you'll be fine as long as your plane lands on time! If both flights are through WestJet, they'll be aware of any delays and may delay takeoff as well ☺️
I'm a travel school graduate who just applied to dreams and Pearson is my closest hub airport so I'm there a lot!
 
We had a 1.5 hour layover heading to MCO last time from YVR via YYZ. Our flight was on time and we made it just in time to start boarding the plane. We don't have Nexus and we got put in a super slow line for families going through security which I think actually slowed us down. Don't plan on hitting the bathroom or anything other than going through Customs/Security until you get to your gate.
 
Who are you flying with? Pearson has some new gates now at the far side of the regional jet side of T1 gates that seems to be a 20 minute walk to customs. I've seen AC, Rouge, and some American carriers park all the way there. The only nice thing about those new gates is full glass bridges for those who feel claustrophobic in the enclosed ones.
 
Who are you flying with? Pearson has some new gates now at the far side of the regional jet side of T1 gates that seems to be a 20 minute walk to customs. I've seen AC, Rouge, and some American carriers park all the way there. The only nice thing about those new gates is full glass bridges for those who feel claustrophobic in the enclosed ones.
Both flights are through WJ.
 
For Nexus make sure you have your retina scan on file.

Not a huge problem at Pearson T3. Most of the actual Nexus machines are broken. To save time, OP, use the regular machines in the Nexus line rather than the Nexus machines. You’ll need your passport as well as your Nexus card. Otherwise, you’ll wait in a long line for one of the only two working retina scan machines.
 
Not a huge problem at Pearson T3. Most of the actual Nexus machines are broken. To save time, OP, use the regular machines in the Nexus line rather than the Nexus machines. You’ll need your passport as well as your Nexus card. Otherwise, you’ll wait in a long line for one of the only two working retina scan machines.

Thanks for the info!
 

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