Help, how long do I need to make a connecting flight in Canada or the USA.

[ihatethecold]

I'm looking at going to Orlando and I have only flown direct before, as the kids are older it's just too expensive.
If I landed in Toronto and had 1 hr 50 mins to make my connecting flight, would that be enough.
What about on the way back if I had a connecting flight still in the US.

You are thinking of going via Toronto???? This is wildly out of the way and is increasing the flying time by a significant amount. Will your family thank you for this or would they rather go somewhere nearer to home with a direct flight, especially as you have been before? No, 1 hr 50 mins is cutting it fine on long haul flights. I would add another hour but I wouldn't do it at all!

The flight time isn't too bad, it was just the amount of time needed to change planes.
Going via Toronto was a cheaper option.

going into the US, you have to clear customs & border control before getting on your connecting flight. so you have to allow at least 3 hours (longer at busy airports) - the queues are very variable.

Not sure on the canada situation, but I wouldn't do a short connection - not with family.
Leaving the US, 2 hrs is probably OK, especially if it is all the same airline and you can check your bags straight through.

why not holiday in europe?

Because the weather isn't great at Easter.
I also love the gulf coast. The beaches and wildlife.
We wouldn't be going for the theme parks.

It might be cheaper but you might have a whole host of problems if the flight from the UK is late! Why risk it for Florida? It can't be that much cheaper as Florida flights don't cost that much in the first place.

From Canada to USA you clear US immigration/border control in the Canadian airport. You will need to pick up your luggage and check it through again. You'll need a couple of hours.

.... having said that, they generally have ground crew going around the lines checking who is on the next departing flights and queue jumping them. I made a CA-USA connection with bag transfers in 30mins once. I was running to the gate and heard the final call they were taking off my luggage, but I made it. Not sure how they would have taken my bag off, as I'd JUSt put it on the conveyor to go out to the planes.

You have to allow at least 3 hours to clear immigration and customs, recheck your bags, clear security etc.

Returning, you check bags through and don't have to clear security on connection (normally), so 1.5-2 hours would be OK. Depends on airport though - going through Washington, Chicago, Atlanta is very different to connecting through a smaller airport

It's not long enough. This is the exact reason why I won't fly via toronto on the way to the us. You have to clear immigration twice, check and recheck baggage twice, clear security 2-3 times...no sorry it's not enough time.

Thanks everyone.
We have decided not to go now. The 1 stop flights were going to cost £2600 for 4 of us.
I found some that stopped on Philly and had 2.5 hours between flights.
My dh became the voice of reason!

2600? That sounds good to me! Last time I checked, it was around £3400 for four of us!
We went through Philly last summer and it took about 20 mins. Then I went through Boston alone and there were, at a rough estimate, around 300 people in the queue ahead of me and only one station open! I managed to queue jump, as I was recovering from a broken leg at the time and couldn't stand for long periods. The official who helped me said queues like that we're standard, due to the government cuts.

When we used to go to Panama we did this a lot. It depends on the air port and you can do web searches to get views from those who use those airports. We found eg that changing in Miami was awful and NY efficient cooler and better so always then went via NY. Even so I would allow 3 and ideally 4 hours not 2. 2 is just too worrying and not worth the worry. It is the queuing (in the US anyway for connecting flights to Central America) which is slow as you go through their immigration (and so pointless as you are going into the US to leave it 2 hours later).

Meh. I've done similar loads of times. Flying into NYC (family live there) it is ALWAYS cheaper to fly via some other, random, out of the way country. Don't ask me why. So - Manchester to Germany to NYC, Manchester to Canada to NYC, Manchester to Copenhagen to NYC etc etc. It adds time and hassle, but a long haul flight with kids is never going to be a walk in the park. If it saves hundreds of pounds I tend to just go for it.

If the flight is ongoing (eg, you've booked it all at one go) you get all of your boarding passes when you check in. They transfer your bags and its just a matter of getting through passport control, which should be do-able in 2 hours. If for any reason you don't make it onto the connecting flight the airline book you onto the next availble flight, but tbh that has only ever happened to me once and was due to snow storms.

Some airlines do not transfer your bags. In Canada you will often have to collect them and put them back through security. At Calgary airport they won't let you enter US departures until 3 hours before your flight. I know several people who were there as it opened and still didn't make their flight.

Same at New York when you transit on to Panama. You have collect your bags once you have cleared immigration and take them to the next flight. All that takes time. I think 4 hours is comfortable, 3 hours tight and 2 you may not make it even if there are no delays to the original fight at some air ports.

Hiya.
We have done connecting flights to Florida a few times and its nowhere near as awful as everyone says it will be. We looked at vua Toronto as so cheap but then found it cheaper vua Houston Texas on one trip and Newark NY on another.

When you fly into America you clear immigration where ever you land first. I would suggest you need a minimum of 3 hours. Immigration can take ages. It better to be through faster than you thought and need to grab lunch or a few coffees than muss a flight.
Go for it I say. Last time we went we saved over £2000 compared to the cheapest direct flights.

Great advice. Thanks.