In my experience you're far more likely to lose the bags in the Canadian part of the trip...............

rog747 is correct - often airlines will route your bags through if you ask nicely - don't try it if it involves a LCC tho'

There I think are direct flights from YCD to YYZ>? or is it seasonal

Slightly off-topic, but Mrs DD and I took a direct flights from/to Dublin in November and found everyone, particularly the security staff, to be the among nicest and most helpful of any we have met anywhere.

Indeed there are but the timings are wrong for connections and going via YVR means the 4 hour flight in business is a pod rather than just a seat.
​​​​​​It was also the only way I managed to get fare below half the normal cost
Really appreciate your investigations thanks.

I’ve never flown to NQY but in all the other UK airports I’ve never had to go through immigration on arrival from Ireland as you entered the CTA in Ireland and therefore no need to check again. Customs might be a different matter post full Brexit implementation though, due COVID I haven’t entered mainland Britain since 2019.

Everyone making a connection or arriving into Dublin passes through Irish passport control, even if connecting off a domestic/CTA flight (I know thats a bit strange but its how things work), UK + EU + US + CA origin passengers do not need to reclear security if arriving into T2 itself, but do if coming in via T1

As you are arriving from outside the UK, standard customs formalities red/green challenge apply, in reality its the same as it always has been

Thanks again everyone!

You would be entering Europe anyway. NQY, UK is located in Europe.

Brexit..... Its hard enough convincing the locals NQY is in England:O

I have just seen on another site that there is Passport Control in DUB Transfers/flight connections and arriving from YYZ you will clear Irish immigration there (EU), which then of course gives you open access to fly from DUB-NQY which has ''no border'' as such > aka 'Common Travel Area'

As for your luggage if you hang onto it until Toronto YYZ then ask there to check it through to NQY and you may get a result.
Ask them also if they can issue your DUB-NQY boarding cards as well.

In 2012 Air Canada and Aer Lingus Signs Interline Agreement and is pleased to interline with Aer Lingus as it will complement our Toronto-Dublin seasonal service to make it easy to fly year-round between Canada and Ireland via convenient connections through to London Heathrow Airport, and UK regional airports from Air Canada's largest international station YYZ. We intend to follow through with other measures, including a full code share relationship with Aer Lingus.

It seems-
No PLF or Covid Tests needed to enter Eire.
UK GOV says no PLF needed if flying in from Eire.

Thanks so much rog747 a great help!

I confirm that. I had a flight in January and the experience with the staff was the best I ever had

To close the op we landed four hours late at DUB from YYZ, spent two hours in baggage hall searching for our now lost baggage and missed our NQY connection with no further flights available for 2 days.
Aer Lingus were very good and put us on a BRS flight, itself delayed by several hours, then cost us £350 for a taxi BRS/NQY at midnight.
What the percentage chances are of ever seeing our baggage again I would love to know but observing the sea of cases spread across the floor in DUB my expectations are low. I suspect the bags were lost in YYZ.
Respect to the staff at DUB handling some of those rude and arrogant passengers, difficult times indeed.

Did you as I suggested hang on to your bags as far as YYZ then reclaim them there and then re-check in for DUB>?

HI rog747, remembered your advice and tried but AC wouldn't do that, said they had to be checked right through YCD/YVR/YYZ/DUB or checked to YVR then again to YYZ etc and there was no time in connecting to do that.. One of the bags just arrived back here to our home, it came from Dublin via Manchester so the other one which is the important one is pretty likely to be somewhere in Dublin too. It was shambolic when we arrived with baggage on the wrong belts and strewn all over the floor, bikes, buggies, surfboards etc.
If I could find someone at Dublin could locate the bag, I would happily pay them a reward!

Dublin baggage is sadly a nightmare - would probably work on the assumption you wont see it again unfortunately. Even people with air tags who actually know where their bags are are not being allowed to go and get them as bags are airside

And so, it came to pass, the dream turned into a nightmare QED.

Just out of interest are unclaimed bags sold off or just destroyed, on top of the bag inside is a big sign with our e mail, phone number and reward offer so maybe somewhen in the future.....!
If they are just destroyed so be it, big insurance claim coming up!

With luck your 2nd bag will show up soon -

Rule of thumb with Lost Luggage is that you must report the loss to your Travel Insurance Co. within 7 days -
So if you have not yet then I suggest you speak to them PDQ - You have your PIR ref to quote.

Also if you have an amount of Cover added on for ''all risks, aka away from the home'' on your Home Contents Policy then you are also covered for lost luggage on there.

The airline will pay (you may have to lean on them) your unrecoverable losses such as the Taxi and the Policy Excess and any out of pocket expenses.
If you paid for your air ticket on a Credit Card you also may have some clout for a Section 75 charge back claim.

Cheers Rog747, once again a constructive and helpful reply. Not holding my breath but you never know, Air Canada are notorious for not paying up but I have three other options if I get nowhere with them. Paid on Amex so that is one,.I can be very persistent. Time will now tell.