crofty82

We should have flown on April 13th and we received the vouchers on April 5th.

Revin Kevin

Just wondered why you took the vouchers from Air transat. I was in the same position flights cancelled by West Jet who only offered me future travel credits. I had bought the tickets with a debit card issued by my UK bank so rang them up and requested a charge back. The call took less than 20mins and by the end of it I had nearly £5k returned direct to my account. I was able to re book with Air Canada and have now landed while West Jet still don't have a restart date!

Revin Kevin

Many hotels are now room only, kitchens and dining rooms have been shut down. Anyone contemplating traveling really needs to find self catering accommodation. I don't know if your OK stopping with say family you haven't travelled with, could be an issue?

crofty82

The vouchers were issued automatically by email. I booked the tickets on a UK credit card so can get the money back that way if I need to. We still hope to move this year and almost always fly AT because they are often the cheapest option, and because they are now the only airline that do MAN-YYZ direct.

Also, I know it sounds weird to say that I feel sorry for an airline, but given that they have furloughed 3/4 of their staff, I am keeping this option in my back pocket in case I can’t use the vouchers for any reason.

Hurlabrick

.....and the Police DO check on quarantine (albeit not enough). See CBC article here

https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/bor...deau-1.5575617

Revin Kevin

They are undertaking risk based checks which is normal with presumably limited resources. What would be interesting is the compliance figures from the checks. Either way it looks clear that quarantine is going to be arround for some time yet and I wouldn't be surprised if it becomes part of the new normal and not just in Canada.

OrangeMango

The subject quarantine was briefly covered today on CBC Radio 1 . Apparently the authorities are checking up. There has been one breach so far, which ended in a fine of $ 1000. There was no mention of the option of testing nor was there mention of excluding certain countries with very low levels of infection or no infections at all.

There was a brief mention regarding easing certain restrictions on the US-Canada border for certain cases, relatives / spouses and partners, but nothing specific.

Sadly, I have the same feeling that quarantine will be around for quite some time. This would mean, I won't see my beloved Canada for the foreseeable future. Sometimes governments pass laws, I can simply not comply with.

The only consolation is that the CBC doesn't seem to be using the term "the new normal" anymore, but the more appropriate "new unnormal".

unobscure

The authorities in BC are certainly checking up on quarantine. Our flight was cancelled (returning for family emergency) and we didn't travel. They phoned us four times (at 1.30am our time) and my mother in law 3 times. The system isn't perfect... we explained repeatedly that we aren't there, please close this case, we will submit a new plan when we travel... and they kept phoning back again and again. Eventually got it sorted.

scilly

So far as I know, the only mention that I have heard of this today was John Horgan, Premier of BC, musing at a Press conference today that this MIGHT be possible sometime in the future. I did not hear Trudeau's media this morning, and have not heard it mentioned among the snippets that the press discuss.

But there's a big catch ................ someone crossing into Canada from the US will have to go into14 days quarantine in Canada. Someone crossing from Canada into the US will have to go into 14days quarantine in Canada, no matter how short a time they've be out.

That is what he said.

Horgan also said that the BC - Washington border will not re-open on June 21st even if Trudeau lifts the Federal ban. BC and Alberta are working together on measures to do with covid, and Horgan said he was in constant contact with the Governor of Washington State, and that they were in agreement about when the timing of the re-opening of the border.


As for you not complying with government's laws, I'm afraid you're just going to have to do that!

OrangeMango

I am afraid, not. Thus I am staying out of Canada these days.

I am hoping that the government will have a more reasonable approach to this and allow quarantine free travel between Canada and countries with similar or lower levels of infection.

Australia and NZ have managed to do so. Why not Canada?

The issue I also have is one simply doesn't know what regulations they will come up next. As quarantine is a distrust issue per se, more surveillance is the only answer. I am only waiting for Canada to introduce mandatory arm or ankle bracelets to track quarantine breaches. It's probably only a matter of time. Anybody's phantasies are as good as mine these days.

dbd33

A similar arrangement in the case of Canada would be with some French overseas departments. Free travel between Canada and St. Pierre et Miquelon seems feasible to me but I don't see how it helps you. It's the border with the US that matters to Canada economically and that's certainly not safe to open. The UK may not be in quite such disarray as the US but it's a long way down the list of countries with sensible protocols. Still, Canada's a cold place with some awful music, it may be as well to go elsewhere.

OrangeMango

What would help me is a quarantine free travel zone between Canada and similar countries. like Denmark, Germany, Austria or Slovakia, even Greece.

However I doubt very much that this would be part of the government's plans at any stage within the next 3 months.

The Canada / US border would most likely be the first to be addressed, and that's together with the UK a no go, looking at infection figures.

dbd33

Agreed. Both the UK and the US seem set on increasing their infection rates so the prospects for the long term are quite gloomy.