Today’s post was triggered by a report from CBC: Garneau won’t rule out invoking Emergencies Act to limit pandemic travel.
Note that we recently wrote a post entitled: Update on Canadian Travel Restrictions. So today’s post is to add onto what was already mentioned there, so if you want a more complete picture, we definitely recommend reading that post first.
We continue to add to our collection of posts related to the current travel restrictions. Our last post was back in November 2020, but there have been several significant updates since then. This post will build on that post, rather than simply repeating the information found there.
The Canadian Government continually updates their website with the latest travel rules and this post breaks down some of the key highlights along with a commentary.
Who can leave Canada?
There seems to be so little news reports (CTV) on this matter, but I thought I’d bring it up. The short version of the story is that Canadians who are coming back to Canada and forced into a 14-day quarantine can potentially qualify for $500 per week (up to 2 weeks or $1,000) if they have lost wages.
The Canadian Government has lots of information regarding who is permitted to travel to and from Canada (along with exceptions). There seems to be a lot of information to sort through. But let’s dig a little deeper as we hope to demystify the whole “travel ban” in place.
We will avoid being political in this post. This post is suppose to be as neutral as possible, but also highlights open-ended questions for food for thought. Feel free to share your thoughts in the comment section below!
I was just reading an article from CBC: Airlines lure Canadians to buy tickets for flights that will never take off.
Flights Being Cancelled
The article is fairly long, but here is a quick summary of the point I would like to discuss today. Basically, passengers are complaining that Canadian airlines are selling tickets for scheduled flights, but the flights never actually take off. So when the flight gets cancelled, the passenger has little option to reschedule, so they end up being stuck with a flight voucher, instead of a cash refund. And there is little chance that the passenger will ever be able to use the flight voucher.
The Canada and US border crossing ban (for non-essential travel) began March 21, 2020 was set to expire on June 21, 2020. It has now been extended to July 21, 2020.
This has been a topic that has gone on for a while, but I have yet to chime in on this. I thought this was as good a time as any, since it has been dragging out.
This is not exactly a good look on the Canadian Transportation Agency (CTA) who is now backing away from their previous position that airlines are not required to refund flight cancellations. Their position was that airlines have the right to issue travel credits instead of refunding cancellation trip. Even though their position is not a binding decision, it was their position.
With the majority of air travel grounded for the time being, airlines are probably working around the clock to see how they can change their business models.
It is highly likely that some current changes to the travel industry will be be sticking around even after the COVID-19 pandemic is over.
Looks like the airlines are loosening up on the travel vouchers. I wrote a post at the end of March hoping to see longer travel vouchers. There is an ongoing heated debate about whether airlines should be refunding cancelled flights or offering vouchers.
Arguments for Each Side
Here is a quick summary of arguments on both sides:
Below is an update of temporary terms and conditions offered by loyalty companies relevant to Canadians, due to COVID-19. The updates focuses on companies (airlines, hotels, cinema, train).
We also have an ongoing updated page found on the menu bar. The reason I am writing this post is because I have been hoping for airlines to extend their vouchers by at least 18 months. Some airlines even took it to 24 months (Air Transat, United, WestJet). I hope to see more airlines follow suit!