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Old 06-16-2019, 02:11 PM   #1
shane_c
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We were initially booked on a direct flight from Iceland to Halifax (4.5 hrs). But that's not going to happen anymore because Icelandair decided they're not going to fly in or out of Halifax this year.

So then they rebooked us to fly Iceland to Toronto with a 2.5 hr layover and then put us on a WestJet flight to Halifax. Then they cancelled our seats for this route, telling me it's no longer available even though I was confirmed and rebooked us to fly back to Halifax via Vancouver!!!! WTF. They continue to tell me that going through Toronto is no longer available, even though it's still on their website at a higher price than I paid. Seems to me they are just bumping me so they can get a higher fare from someone else.

After much arguing with them to go look at a map and that I want the Toronto flights I previously agreed to and was confirmed on they now have me flying Iceland to Montreal. Putting me on a Porter flight from Montreal to Halifax (the last Porter flight that evening and they refuse to put me on AC or WJ). The problem is that there is only 1.5 hrs between arrival in Montreal and departure to Halifax.

Do you think it's possible to make this connection? I've never been through customs so don't know how long that takes. I was thinking once that's done I would have my partner go get the Porter boarding passes while I wait for the luggage to come off the plane. Then we'd have to check our bags and get back through security. I've very doubtful though we'll make the flight and will end up having to spend the night at the airport and try to get a flight the next day.

This whole Icelandair experience has been miserable. It's been one issue after another and their customer service has been worse than any other company I have ever dealt with (by far). I have spent about 15 hrs on the phone with them the last few weeks. They have no idea what's going on, get emails my flights are cancelled, call them and they say they're not, or I show online I'm confirmed and they tell me it's cancelled, tell me I'm on one flight, send me itinerary and it's different flights. The whole thing has been extremely frustrating, every time I call them I feel like I'm talking to a brick wall. I don't even want to go anymore.
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Old 06-16-2019, 02:26 PM   #2
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Montreal must have a special customs section for connecting passengers like Calgary does. 1.5hr seems perfectly manageable everywhere I’ve flown.
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Old 06-16-2019, 02:38 PM   #3
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Run.

Or hop on one of those Golf Carts.
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Old 06-16-2019, 02:45 PM   #4
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If your luggage is checked through to Halifax, you're likely ok.

Porter only flies the Q400's so it's not a big plane. Boarding can be done quickly and probably starts 25-35 minutes before push back.

If you have to collect your bags and re-check them in with Porter there would not be enough time.


I just checked and Porter has Iceland Air listed as a partner so you should be fine.
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Old 06-16-2019, 02:46 PM   #5
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Montreal must have a special customs section for connecting passengers like Calgary does. 1.5hr seems perfectly manageable everywhere I’ve flown.
Last time I connected in Montreal I went out the wrong door and had to go through security again. Don't do that. Maybe I was super jet lagged but it didn't seem as obvious as it should have.

90 min is way beyond my comfort level for customs/connection however, but it's not impossible.
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Old 06-16-2019, 02:48 PM   #6
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I recommend checking out the group Air Passenger Rights (Canada) on Facebook. If the airline cancels or changes your flight, you have rights under the Montreal Convention that not a lot of people are aware of. Plus, you are leaving from the EU on a European carrier and they have better passenger protections than we do in Canada.
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Old 06-16-2019, 03:32 PM   #7
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Last time I connected in Montreal I went out the wrong door and had to go through security again. Don't do that. Maybe I was super jet lagged but it didn't seem as obvious as it should have.

90 min is way beyond my comfort level for customs/connection however, but it's not impossible.
I came back from China through Vancouver and they made me go through security after customs. They also fired my baggage through for the connector (and you need it with you for customs), so that was a complete mess. I made the connector, but it was ridiculously tight.

I don’t see why the second security check was required because I had just gotten off a flight and only went through customs, but apparently that’s how they do things. It didn’t help that my backpack was held for “further inspection” in that security line due to an epi-pen.
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Old 06-16-2019, 04:48 PM   #8
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I don't know much about Montreal airport but it can be hit or miss whether "partner" airlines will check your bags all the way through. Hopefully because you are starting with Icelandair you should be OK. I have noticed when starting with the smaller airline internationally I have had to gather luggage and re-check.

Either way, I still think 1.5 hours is doable as I would hope the Porter check-in process is short.

I have a very tight connection in Frankfurt in a couple of weeks and find it best just not to stress about these things. You do the best you can and if you miss, deal with it then. It's only an inconvenience when all is said and done..

Icelandair really treated you like crap through this.
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Old 06-16-2019, 04:54 PM   #9
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Your luggage will never get checked through when flying internationally. You always have to go through customs receive it and then check it back in as you likely fly from a domestic terminal now. I know that’s not very helpful but to the people suggesting an airline can check your luggage through for you is not possible. I fly internationally 10-12 times a year and even when flying the same airline the whole way through you will have to retrieve your checked luggage to clear customs.

If you don’t get pulled in for secondary screening your fine. If you do however you can kiss that flight good bye.
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Old 06-16-2019, 05:09 PM   #10
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So Iceland, Toronto, Vancouver, then Halifax- seems reasonable way to fly
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Old 06-16-2019, 05:45 PM   #11
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Your luggage will never get checked through when flying internationally. You always have to go through customs receive it and then check it back in as you likely fly from a domestic terminal now. I know that’s not very helpful but to the people suggesting an airline can check your luggage through for you is not possible. I fly internationally 10-12 times a year and even when flying the same airline the whole way through you will have to retrieve your checked luggage to clear customs.

If you don’t get pulled in for secondary screening your fine. If you do however you can kiss that flight good bye.
Yeah this is absolutely right when landing in Canada (or US) when connecting. Works differently in some other countries.

But point I was making is you shouldn’t have to go back outside to regular check-in. There should be in-transit luggage and security for connecting travelers as your bags will be tagged to ultimate destination.

Now I don’t know about Montreal but I would expect this to be the case.
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Old 06-16-2019, 06:04 PM   #12
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I came back from China through Vancouver and they made me go through security after customs. They also fired my baggage through for the connector (and you need it with you for customs), so that was a complete mess. I made the connector, but it was ridiculously tight.

I don’t see why the second security check was required because I had just gotten off a flight and only went through customs, but apparently that’s how they do things. It didn’t help that my backpack was held for “further inspection” in that security line due to an epi-pen.
Because you landed at the international terminal and your next flight was via the domestic, so you have to go through security again.
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Old 06-16-2019, 06:17 PM   #13
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I recommend checking out the group Air Passenger Rights (Canada) on Facebook. If the airline cancels or changes your flight, you have rights under the Montreal Convention that not a lot of people are aware of. Plus, you are leaving from the EU on a European carrier and they have better passenger protections than we do in Canada.
They were willing to give me a refund on the Halifax to Iceland (return) flight but would not refund my Iceland to Norway (return) because it was booked as a separate return flight. I did it this way because we wanted a few days in Iceland on the way back and it was 1/2 the price vs Halifax to Norway return with a layover.
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Old 06-16-2019, 06:24 PM   #14
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So Iceland, Toronto, Vancouver, then Halifax- seems reasonable way to fly
Iceland - Vancouver - Halifax. Toronto is no longer available despite me having previous itineraries showing me confirmed on the flight, and even though it's still available on their website.

NOTHING about this whole ordeal has been reasonable.
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Old 06-16-2019, 06:30 PM   #15
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Because you landed at the international terminal and your next flight was via the domestic, so you have to go through security again.
Yeah for sure, but honestly, that’s kind of ridiculous. I would expect that security is security.

But the thing is, the OP is coming from an international flight to Montreal (I think?) and might be in the same boat.
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Old 06-16-2019, 06:36 PM   #16
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^Security in China is not the same as security in Canada. I've been places where security is mostly non-existent, so I can see why when you get to Canada, they want to make sure you are screened properly. I'm OK with that.
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Old 06-16-2019, 06:37 PM   #17
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Either way, I still think 1.5 hours is doable as I would hope the Porter check-in process is short.

I have a very tight connection in Frankfurt in a couple of weeks and find it best just not to stress about these things. You do the best you can and if you miss, deal with it then. It's only an inconvenience when all is said and done..

Icelandair really treated you like crap through this.
I probably have nothing to worry about because I fully expect to show up at the Halifax airport and be told that I'm not scheduled to be on the Porter flight that Icelandair put me on to Montreal because they've told me about 5 times now that it's cancelled even though it wasn't. But the last time I called I was told that the Porter flight is fine and it was the Montreal to Iceland flight that was cancelled but then it was uncancelled again.

I'm generally a very patient, calm person but have absolutely lost my cool several times over the phone with Icelandair the last few weeks.
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Old 06-16-2019, 06:49 PM   #18
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Yeah for sure, but honestly, that’s kind of ridiculous. I would expect that security is security.

But the thing is, the OP is coming from an international flight to Montreal (I think?) and might be in the same boat.
North American flights don’t trust international security.
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Old 06-16-2019, 06:50 PM   #19
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I regularly do connections of under 30 minutes in YUL coming from the US and am able to do it without issue. I do have Nexus, however, the domestic connections customs is never busy. There’s some brisk walking and last one on the plane, but 1.5 hours should be more than enough.

Also, whoever said that your bags don’t get checked through internationally isn’t 100% true. Anytime I fly through YVR/YYZ/YOW/YUL, all checked bags end up in my destination and make the connections without issue. They confirm if you’ve checked a bag, show a photo of it occasionally at customs, but you’re definitely not picking it up anymore. It’s been years since I’ve done that.
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Old 06-16-2019, 06:51 PM   #20
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I probably have nothing to worry about because I fully expect to show up at the Halifax airport and be told that I'm not scheduled to be on the Porter flight that Icelandair put me on to Montreal because they've told me about 5 times now that it's cancelled even though it wasn't. But the last time I called I was told that the Porter flight is fine and it was the Montreal to Iceland flight that was cancelled but then it was uncancelled again.

I'm generally a very patient, calm person but have absolutely lost my cool several times over the phone with Icelandair the last few weeks.
Sounds like an epic disaster but you should be getting your Montreal-Halifax boarding passes when you get your Iceland-Montreal ones.
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