Air travel policy updates

[22Tink]

So confusing I agree. I wonder if you call WJ if they’ll have more info.

I’d be on the phone with booking! ASAP. One time an airline changed my flight returning home - only the first leg from MCO to Dallas. They had me leaving 2 hrs after my connection. I phoned and asked them to explain how that would work

I got into the habit of checking my reservations regularly years ago.

I booked through my RBC Avion Rewards so I have to call them. I’m hoping to have an email from them in the morning. That’s what happened last time anyway. If not I’ll be on the phone tomorrow for sure. It took an accumulated 10+ hours on hold over last time I had to call them though.
The flights going to Cali have changed as well and they actually extended our layover at YVR to 2.5 hours so that just might be enough time to do the rapid testing there instead of paying way more Prince George. I’m so angry with WestJet right now though!

 

[CanucksRock]

The only flight I have not had changed on me since this pandemic started…one I booked less than 3 weeks in advance and was just going to YYZ

I did 2 Orlando trips (prior to hotel quarantine). First trip, I knew Westjet was going to mess it up so I canceled because the flights they gave me would not work and I flew Delta (although first leg was WJ codeshare) and American.

Second trip, again they canceled the flight I had booked (I kept trying WJ because I had credit from canceled April 2020 trip), with no alternative, so I flew Air Canada. Even then, they canceled my outgoing, moved me to 2 days later, I had them change it to a day early.

Trying WJ again in September…waiting for next month to see how they mess with that one.

 

[Sue M]

I just realized for my October trip I have a 6:00am flight, to MCO via SeaTac. And Covid antigen testing at YVR doesn’t open until 5:00am. I’m not sure if it’s located before security and customs? I think so since you have to show proof of test to them. Maybe when you check in at Airline desk No idea. But guess I’ll have to make a trip the day before travel To test.
At least I’ll find out how it works with my August trip. Maybe by October we won’t have to do it!

For my Oct trip, I decided to come in a day early. Alaska let’s you change at no charge since they were the ones that canceled my red eye flight. So staying at Sapphire Falls 2 nights before I meet up with friends and move to Hard Rock. Just made the changes today. Sapphire has a good AP rate.

 

[SirDuff]

Yes we could definitely connect through the US (basically through San Fran or LAX) but not with Westjet. Unless we wanted two entirely separate flight itineraries. And then we have to worry about double the amount of Covid tests. Antigen test to get back into the US and then a PCR test in the US to get into Canada. Far too complicated. We might as well just travel to the US instead

Any Delta flights that would work? WJ and Delta often codeshare, so that might be an option.

 

[bcwife76]

Any Delta flights that would work? WJ and Delta often codeshare, so that might be an option.

Unfortunately no. There are now ZERO direct flights from Vancouver to anywhere in Mexico until Sept, no matter what airline. Last week there were tons of flights

 

[SirDuff]

Unfortunately no. There are now ZERO direct flights from Vancouver to anywhere in Mexico until Sept, no matter what airline. Last week there were tons of flights

Right, but I meant to have a flight connecting in the US. It won't work on WJ (since there would be a leg that doesn't include Canada) but could work with Delta - Mexico-US (on Delta) - Canada (on WJ (or Delta).

 

[KNovacovschi]

Well $100 is not that bad, it’s half what it costs everywhere else. When do you travel?

Sept 18-25, 2021

 

[PalmettoPath]

Some time in July I think?

The next update from Trudeau is July 21, but who knows if anything will change. Some U.S. Senators are also trying to force open the border on their side so Canadians can enter more freely (by land, since air seems to be working).

 

[bookbabe626]

Yes we could definitely connect through the US (basically through San Fran or LAX) but not with Westjet. Unless we wanted two entirely separate flight itineraries. And then we have to worry about double the amount of Covid tests. Antigen test to get back into the US and then a PCR test in the US to get into Canada. Far too complicated. We might as well just travel to the US instead

Ask the WestJet agent to book you on a Delta codeshare flight via the US so that you don’t have to connect in Canada. They should be able to do it. That’s what they keep switching our YYZ to MCO flights to, connecting via ATL on Delta.

So try Vancouver to somewhere in the US, then go to Mexico from there. Might have WJ for one flight and Delta for the other, but the WJ agent should be able to do it.

Testing, you might not need the extra tests for the US since you’re just in transit and wouldn’t necessarily be leaving the airport. Check what the CDC or TSA websites say about it.

 

[bcwife76]

Flying through the US won't work, Canada would require another test. So we would have to fly from Mexico to the US, stay there until we can get a PCR test and then fly to Canada. Their website is very explicit about this. The test must be conducted within 72 hours of your last direct flight into Canada.

 

[Juventus]

My WJ flights got changed from Pearson to orlando (Aug 15-21) through airmiles. Same days, still direct, just times were changed...will lose a day in the parks.

I called airmiles and there is a return flight on the 22nd but the lady felt pretty sure that they will add flights after announcements on the 16th and 21st..I can change flights once with no penalty so I held off for now.

 

[bookbabe626]

Flying through the US won't work, Canada would require another test. So we would have to fly from Mexico to the US, stay there until we can get a PCR test and then fly to Canada. Their website is very explicit about this. The test must be conducted within 72 hours of your last direct flight into Canada.

Right…but it doesn’t have to be conducted WHERE you got on your last flight. Get a PCR test in Mexico at the 72 hr mark from your departure time of the connecting flight. Use those same results to get on both flights. From what I’ve read, lots of resorts in Mexico have testing available to guests.

 

[bcwife76]

Right…but it doesn’t have to be conducted WHERE you got on your last flight. Get a PCR test in Mexico at the 72 hr mark from your departure time of the connecting flight. Use those same results to get on both flights. From what I’ve read, lots of resorts in Mexico have testing available to guests.

It's a moot point anyway. Flights through the US to Mexico are way too much money And the connections are horrible.

 

[Sue M]

It's a moot point anyway. Flights through the US to Mexico are way too much money And the connections are horrible.

United has a 1 hr connection at LAX from YVR

 

[bcwife76]

United has a 1 hr connection at LAX from YVR

I've looked for our dates and the connection times going down seem fine but coming home are super long for some reason. And still, it's more money than we want to spend, considering WJ still has $3400 of our money that we still can't use On the bright side, we are hoping to go to Disneyland in November and our youngest will stay with friends if she is not vaccinated (and she's totally fine with that, go figure )

 

[HappilyEverAfter80]

My WJ flights got changed from Pearson to orlando (Aug 15-21) through airmiles. Same days, still direct, just times were changed...will lose a day in the parks.

I called airmiles and there is a return flight on the 22nd but the lady felt pretty sure that they will add flights after announcements on the 16th and 21st..I can change flights once with no penalty so I held off for now.

We are on your flight on the 15th I think! Got an email today that our flight time changed on august 15 (departs 45 min later now) and our return flight on the 22nd is still the same.

 

[Sue M]

Ugggghhhh. It’s all getting too much. Today I decided to get one thing out of the way and pre register with Fly Clear for our airport test returning home.
You have to give passport # and flight info, address etc. Well I already screwed up that one. For flight time I put 4:53 except it was supposed to be in 24hr format No way of going back in and correcting it. I tried calling and was on hold 1 hr then got disconnected.

Between getting pre flight test, and 2 tests returning home, plus dealing with the ArriveCan app it’s just getting so complicated. Plus I’ve never tried to download info into an app. no idea how to download Covid vaccines into an app. Wanted to do it now while I’m home and can get help. But app won’t let you do anything until 72 hrs before travel. My last trip I could input everything into app and save it until return home. Now you can’t.

 

[22Tink]

Ugggghhhh. It’s all getting too much. Today I decided to get one thing out of the way and pre register with Fly Clear for our airport test returning home.
You have to give passport # and flight info, address etc. Well I already screwed up that one. For flight time I put 4:53 except it was supposed to be in 24hr format No way of going back in and correcting it. I tried calling and was on hold 1 hr then got disconnected.

Between getting pre flight test, and 2 tests returning home, plus dealing with the ArriveCan app it’s just getting so complicated. Plus I’ve never tried to download info into an app. no idea how to download Covid vaccines into an app. Wanted to do it now while I’m home and can get help. But app won’t let you do anything until 72 hrs before travel. My last trip I could input everything into app and save it until return home. Now you can’t.

I tried to put my flight time into the 24 hour format and I couldn't get it to work so my arrival time is also wrong I'm guessing. They also ask for the flight number so I'm thinking you will be ok and they'll be able to check your flight time if they need to? I don't think the preregister gives you a time slot, it just saves them having to register you at time of testing. That's how I understood it, but I could be wrong. My flight is going to be completely different now anyway due to WestJet cancelling on me again so I'll probably have to call Fly Clear to fix that though. I'm still on hold to try to rebook my cancelled flight. 5 hours and 25 minutes and counting.

 

[Juventus]

We are on your flight on the 15th I think! Got an email today that our flight time changed on august 15 (departs 45 min later now) and our return flight on the 22nd is still the same.

Well if they don't add another, later return flight on the 21st, we may be on your 22nd return as well!

 

[Sue M]

I tried to put my flight time into the 24 hour format and I couldn't get it to work so my arrival time is also wrong I'm guessing. They also ask for the flight number so I'm thinking you will be ok and they'll be able to check your flight time if they need to? I don't think the preregister gives you a time slot, it just saves them having to register you at time of testing. That's how I understood it, but I could be wrong. My flight is going to be completely different now anyway due to WestJet cancelling on me again so I'll probably have to call Fly Clear to fix that though. I'm still on hold to try to rebook my cancelled flight. 5 hours and 25 minutes and counting.

What a mess this whole thing is. I guess you’re even more stressed than I am
You‘re right, I have my flight # and Airline. If they look it up they’ll easily see that it’s 4:53 pm not AM. After being on hold an hour and getting disconnected I’m not going to worry about it. I emailed them. I don’t know what they can do except tell me to make another booking, or leave it alone. It says online they aren’t able to change anything on the reservation.