From London, UK to Toronto, Canada - April, 2017

London Heathrow Airport (LHR) Departure, 12 April 2017.

We booked directly with Air Canada for our flight tickets and shipping of the motorcycles under Air Canada’s ‘Fly your Bike’ program which has run in the summer for the last few years. Communication on the motorcycle shipping is done with the relevant Air Canada cargo office, in our case London Heathrow. We provided all information requested which included registration, VIN etc. Air Canada Cargo will provide an Airway Bill number, which is the key tracking number you will need at delivery and collection. Motorcycles are to be delivered, we rode ours, to Air Canada Cargo LHR located at Building 553 Shoreham Rd East, London Heathrow Airport, Hounslow, TW6 3RG off the Southern Perimeter Road. Air Canada Cargo will ask for the motorcycle to be delivered to them at least 24 hours before scheduled shipping date to ensure all Customs paperwork can be completed in time. This would be simplified in our case, we think. as the motorcycles were UK registered.

After completion of paperwork, credit cards were accepted for payment which is not always the case, do check beforehand. Motorcycles were ridden into the Cargo area and loaded panniers removed for X-ray. We were able to leave helmets in top boxes. Fuel tanks below 25%. Check the Air Canada Cargo website for terms and conditions. We left the motorcycles and stayed overnight near Heathrow for a following day departure to Canada.

Toronto Pearson International Airport (YYZ) Arrival, 14 April 2017.

As our motorcycles travelled around the same time as we did and we arrived late afternoon, we waited until the following day to collect our motorcycles. You travel to the Air Canada Cargo area by taxi, it is on the opposite side of the airport to the Passenger terminal. 

Join the queue in the Air Canada Cargo office and wait for the next agent. Airway bill will be produced and then you need to go to Canadian Customs to obtain their clearance. This is about 10 minutes walk away. Note we both had to go as we had two motorcycles. Customs may decide they wish to inspect the motorcycles, in our case they did not. Returned to Air Canada Cargo and paid them CAN$110 for local processing. Motorcycles were delivered on pallets, removed and we loaded up and rode out.

Second time we have used Air Canada Cargo Fly your Bike program. Very happy with the service.  Due to capacity issues our motorcycles ended up in Toronto rather than Montreal. As we were heading west, Air Canada Cargo arranged for us to fly down to collect the bikes on the same day.