OrangeMango

https://www.thestar.com/news/gta/202...ditioning.html

Is this expected to be resolved any time soon?

scilly

Depends on what you mean by "soon".

I'd actually be doubtful, as Canada will be opening its borders to other countries, and they'll all have to have the same covid-related requirements for entering the country, thus taking longerto get through.

OrangeMango

It's probably better to consider arriving at a smaller airport, or looking for a flight with arrives early in the day, rather than late, if that is possible.

Other than that, I am negatively surprised what lawmakers expect from travellers here? Aren't large crowds and gatherings in indoor spaces to be avoided? Did they even ever hear of Covid 19, one is lead to think? One is lead to believe authorities are expecting from travellers to be waiting 3 hours without food and water until all travellers are "properly" infected, so they can order them into quarantine?

I'd say the only way the current scheme of the ArriveCanada App would be halfway efficient is if it's handled similarly to the electronic travel authorization.

Revin Kevin

On the same day we travelled from Toronto Pearson to Manchester. Before being allowed to fly our covid paperwork was checked fully both at the check in desk and again at the gate. As we were transiting through Frankfurt our paperwork was again fully checked at the gate there prior to boarding for the final leg. Once at Manchester we just sailed though the e-gate with no further checks. It seems obvious that the UK authorities have delegated quite cleverly, responsibility for carrying out all the additional checks to the airlines, presumably threatening big fines if the airline doesn't get it right.

OrangeMango

The problem I have, is how shallow, unrealistic and even dumb lawmakers are in this case. As if the pandemic wasn't bad enough lawmakers make it even worse.

For instance, the quote;

“The CBSA’s role is critical in helping to prevent the spread of COVID-19 in Canada and the Agency will not compromise the health and safety of Canadians for the sake of border wait times,” the spokesperson said.

Seriously? By creating wait times of 3 hours and crowded indoor conditions? That's precisely what we don't want to have.

Isn't the Arrive Canada App designed to speed things up? You upload you vaccination documents and your test results, you're given a number and you fly. You key in the number at arrivals possible at the self service machine, scan your passport and if things are ok, you're good to go. Maybe an extra 10 seconds, that's it.

Maybe my expectations of intelligence and efficiency are to high here?

dbd33

You perception of the Toronto airport is just wrong. It's a shit show, winter or summer, covid or nor covid. If you're in a hurry fly to Montreal, Buffalo or Detroit and drive. If any airline currently offers flights to Hamilton take that option. Note that I speak as someone who travelled from central Toronto weekly, or more often, for fifteen years or so, soon learning not to use YYZ if at all possible.

If you want to use that airport then be zen about it, every day there is like the first day of operation, accept it, think "this is Pearson" as people think "this is Africa". Embrace the undersized carousels, the staff shouting at you because you have a form in your mouth, the queues and the many delays; the rest of Canada won't be like that unless you have the misfortune to go to the trauma unit at St. Mike's at closing time on a Saturday night.

Oh, too, ffs.

OrangeMango

I don't think that I am allowed as a Canadian to fly from Europe to Detroit, even if the intention is to get to Canada.

I honestly have to say, I've never had any sort of issues at Toronto airport. Maybe I was spoilt, or lucky, or both. Canadian citizen, no criminal record, thus, they must let me in, whether they like my face or not.... Pre-Covid, I mostly took Air Canada from LHR to YYZ, the earliest flight, departing LHR around 8.30 am or so, arriving into YYZ around 10.30 am. or a bit later. Never had any long queues, never had any issues, 30 to 45 minutes and the wait for the suitcase was the longest experience.

However waiting 3 hours in large crowds and with no access to food or anything is something I'd try to avoid especially in pandemic times. The thing is, I am doing my part, having been vaccinated, tested, done the paperwork and the uploading or played "their game", so they, lawmakers, the CBSA should also do their part.

It's a give and take.

dbd33

It's not give and take at all. A single passenger has no negotiating power, no significance to the authorities, neither the lawmakers nor the CBSA has any obligation to the passenger. They set rules and the passenger can abide by or not fly, the authorities don't mind what you choose to do.

Are you only Canadian? What's your home passport?

scrubbedexpat091

It's really not a viable option right now for non-US Citizens to travel via the US to get to Canada for much of Europe.

Anyone who was physically present within the following countries during the 14-day period preceding their entry or attempted entry into the United States who are not US Citizens or lawful permanent residents of the United States unless part of an exempt group, will not be admitted entry into the US.

China
Iran
Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Monaco, San Marino, Vatican City.
United Kingdom (England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland)
Republic of Ireland
Brazil
South Africa
India


So you basically if coming from any of the above countries and want to enter the US, need to first fly to a 3rd country you can visit that isn't on the above list, stay there for 14 days, before onward journey to the US.

I know one UK youtube personality went via Mexico, stayed in Mexico for 2 weeks, then entered the US, but he was making content for his channel, so not exactly regular tourist.

OrangeMango

The general rule for the US travel ban doesn't seem to be citizenship but where one has spent his / her last 14 days?

It would also seem that Turkey is also exempt from that travel ban, all EU countries plus the UK are under?

So if a Canadian or any other citizen, other than US American has spent 14 days in Turkey they can fly directly to the US?

This would account for all the Turkish airplanes on Flightradar24 which are refueling at Shannon. There seem daily flights to New York and Chicago.

Atlantic Xpat

Currently there are only a limited number of international gateway airports you can fly into in Canada. So Montreal, Toronto, Vancouver etc but not yet (I think) Halifax as an example. In reality then for the Eastern half of the country that means Pearson or Montreal.
Covid shitshow notwithstanding, I used to be a frequent traveller through Pearson, but unlike dbd33, I would be transiting on immediately to my final destination. So I've rarely had to claim baggage there. Perhaps that accounts for my much more positive view of the place.
Of course, I'd prefer to fly via Halifax to avoid 3 hours in the wrong direction first or, ideally directly from St John's but those almost forgotten delights are still some way away.

dbd33

One should be careful if using a hub in Canada as duty free purchased at Heathrow isn't allowed as cabin baggage on the second leg. I was once obliged to chug a couple of bottles of wine at the Halifax airport which was a bother as, of course, one cannot carry a corkscrew as cabin baggage from Heathrow and so is not ideally equipped.

Weak points at the Toronto airport include, parking, check in procedures, immigration procedures upon arrival, baggage claim not being set up for multiple people arriving at once, crumbling infrastructure. Fewer of those apply to passengers in transit than those for whom Toronto is the final destination.

dbd33

What's happened with small airports? It used to be that, if you were on a small plane, you could radio ahead and have customs and immigration people meet you when you landed, that was the case for little airports, some grass strips in fields, and even with the, semi-commercial, island airport. I haven't done that for some years but, if it's still the case during covid, it would take the urgency out of opening more commercial hubs; rich people and those with access to the public purse wouldn't need them.

Atlantic Xpat

At the height of Covid, the govt restricted international entry to (IIRC) Vancouver, Calgary, Toronto & Montreal. So no flights into Halifax or St John's as an example. I believe those restrictions are being eased as far as Halifax is concerned in September. For St John's & the St John's to London route we used to have pre-737 Max and Covid - I think we'll have to wait until the UK let Canadians in again without quarantine, whenever the hell that is. For those of us the east coast either Halifax or St John's is preferably to flying 3 hours in the wrong direction to go East to Europe. Going through a smaller, though not always more efficient airport is a bonus!

scrubbedexpat091

That is correct. A Canadian citizen if they have been to any of the banned countries in the last 14 days also cannot enter the US.

There is a UK youtube travel personality who got around it by flying UK to Mexico and spending 2 weeks in Mexico before flying into the US.