Canadians Still Have Option to Fly to the Sun - On a US Carrier

Canadians who want to go to Mexico or the Caribbean still can despite earlier news that Canadian airlines have halted flights to the destinations – if they book with a US carrier.

According to the Canadian Press, Canadians flying out of major cities will still be able to book trips to Mexico and the Caribbean as normal, provided they are willing to stop over at another airport. American and Delta, for example, are selling tickets for flights from Toronto to Cancun, with passengers connecting through U.S. cities such as Atlanta, Charlotte, N.C., and Philadelphia, an online search shows.

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American Airlines said Monday that it had no schedule changes to share. Delta said it would suspend its flight from Minneapolis to Winnipeg as of Feb. 3, in keeping with government restrictions limiting which airports can receive international flights, but planned to continue its scheduled service to Canada.

It's an attractive option for some, but the Biden administration said on January 21 that it will soon begin requiring quarantines (the length is undertermined) for arriving visitors. Even a seven-day quarantine would, therefore, require a Canadian to spend a week at a U.S. hotel prior to any flight to the Caribbean or Mexico. And don't forget they'd face a $2,000 payment and mandatory quarantine of 14 days when they return home.

The federal government has said more detail and an effective date will be announced “soon,” while the Province of Ontario rolled out mandatory testing at Toronto’s Pearson International yesterday (Feb 1), to bridge the gap. Travellers arriving who say no to take the test, face a $750 fine.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says the suspensions, which are in effect until April 30, are part of stricter measures to stop the spread of COVID-19. Under the new restrictions, arriving travellers will face mandatory testing and quarantine in a hotel for up to three days while they await results, at a cost of perhaps $2,000 per person.

Meanwhile, as the Canadian airline industry continues to suffer, an announcement was made Monday night that Sunwing has secured a $375M federal loan to protect jobs. The company employs approximately 3,000 full time employees across the country.