1. Since you are driving, you will go through immigration/customs at the US/Canadian border before you reach Grand Forks. There is no exit requirement to leave the US on a flight, so you will have none at either Grand Forks or IAH. You will be asked to show your passport though and any other travel documents, if needed.

2. If your first flight is on time, that should be fine. No customs or immigration check after your Grand Forks flight, as stated. Just go to your next gate, as if this is on the same ticket, your checked baggage should just go through.

Adding - you got some strange advice in your Houston forum post, as there is NO customs or immigration check for you, either in Grand Forks or IAH.

Also, highly suggest you arrive for your GFK-IAH flight at least an hour in advance.

Well, AC has a flight to HUX from YWG with a connection in YYZ.Decent flight times...

Travelling Hwy 75/ I29 at this time of year is chancy.... I wouldn't do it. I shall assume you were joking about showing up at the airport 30 mins in advance of flight departure.. 90 mins is ideal.

The route you describe through IAH is rather roundabout....Is it some sort of give-away price?

I suspect your muddled up times are due to the DST change on March 10,2013

As others have noted the only time you will be before Customs/Immigration officials is as you enter the US at Emerson/Pembina and upon your arrival at HUX.

Safe Travels. Welcome to Trip Advisor.

It's risky to book this flight on 2 separate tickets. What happens if your flight from Grand Forks is cancelled or delayed and you cannot make your connecting flight?

The airline has no responsibility to put you on another flight - and you're stuck paying the walk up fare for a new ticket to Huatulco.

While the long connections for the "direct" flights are unappealing at least they get you to your destination at a guaranteed price.

Or take the Sunwing option offered above.

Thanks for all the replies.

@ReneeRRES

I would love to take a direct flight that would be half as long as this, but I am unable to go for the 7(8) days. So I'm trying to go for five.

@gracie-boo

As I'd be booking two separate tickets, wouldn't I have to claim my baggage in IAH, and put it through again? Or would I be ablet o set the destination for HUX when I leave in Grand Forks? What are the chances it doesn't make it to HUX with me considering it's two separate tickets?

I might just bring a small bag and skycheck it or whatever it's called.

Might be tough to fit everything in it for five days though.

@Wanderlust

I don't see anything through YYZ, unless I guy the day before and spend the night in YYZ. Being only going for five days, I'd really hate to spend two days traveling. Defeats the purpose for me. My drive to GF, flight to Houston, to Mexico would take 11 hours total. Still sucks, but it's by far the shortest, other than direct flight on a 7 day package.

I wasn't joking about 30 minutes inside the US, I assumed you just show ID and hop on board. Maybe not 30mins, but less than an hour. I've made internation flights with an hour arrival, I figured inside the US wouldn't be a problem.

@f1racegirl

Thanks. Yeah that's a concern of mine, but I really need to leave and be home in five days, and spending 24HRS+ travelling will kill my trip. As above, this is by far my shortest possibility, with 11 hours total, which includes 3hr drive from Winnipeg to GF.

I'm debating leaving it till last minute, and using Sunwing for a direct flight there, or a direct flight home, and manually find the other flight. I'd tell them I wouldn't be making the other flight, and have to buy a separate ticket for the other flight. But if I'm finding a last minute flight I'll probably be paying big bucks for it.

But if my total travel time through GFK/IAH right now is 11hrs each way. If can take sunwing one way, that will be about a five hour flight. So comparing the two, I could take up to 16 hours on the flight home, and it will be equal time.

Gee , Jon X .....you're kinda all over the map here.

Thanks for the clarification regarding the length of your trip. The routing through YYZ only goes out on the weekend..Sat,Sun

You don't mention the Airlines for this GFK-IAH-HUX journey. I realize it is on separate PNR's.....but if the Airlines have an Interline Agreement the bags should be routed through to HUX......you just show the 2 Itineraries to the agent in Grand Forks.

I'm not certain I follow your pounderings on buying a return ticket then not using a portion of it ... And then purchasing a separate one-way....on the date of your choice. Just be aware that if you don't fly a segment of an itinerary.....the rest of the flights are cancelled(notifying the Airline or not). The only way it could work is if you fly the outbound but not the return. (not vice versa)What you propose does not seem cost effective.

How about purchasing two one ways?....they can be with different Airlines

Airline Travel today is a time consuming adventure just about wherever you go.

Flying solely within the US does not provide one with any more of an expediated route.As a matter of fact , it is often more time consuming through the Security check points. In Canada , flying domestically will not include a mandatory footwear removal...as one sees in the US. This process all takes time....certainly varying from airport to airport , time of day etc.

If you do choose to proceed with the GFK departure....give yourself plenty of time ....for the commute, delays at the border crossing, securing your vehicle at GFK and check-in.

Thanks.

Yes I'm all over the place. I get obsessed, and go over every option possible ten times over.

The point of getting the return and not using it is because Sunwing and the likes only do round trips, I guess drop a full plane off, pick up a full plane is there thoughts. That's the shortest flight, five hours. But I can't go Tues to Tues. So I would fly in Thursday, and just use the return of the flight. So instead of going from HUX to IAH to GFK and driving home, it would be a direct flight.

For cost right now I'm looking around $1100-$1200.

If I can get a last minute flight from Sunwing at like $700, and a separate flight to get there for $600-$700, it would be more expensive, but only $100-$200. Still sucks, but I will take $100-$200 cost to save 5-6 hours of travel.

Just to be clear .....if you purchase a return ticket ....and do not fly the outbound ....the rest of the ticket is void. You would not be able to return with the SunWing scenario you describe.

I can appreciate exploring all the options....but skipping the outbound and expecting to fly back on the return segment.....won't work...The whole ticket is cancelled once you fail to show for the first segment.