Trudeau's Bombshell Travel Announcement: What Does It All Mean?

Friday’s announcement of a total, three-month suspension of flights from Canada to the Caribbean and Mexico at one of the busiest times of year sent shockwaves through the travel, tourism, airline and hospitality industries both here and abroad. There are, obviously, tons of questions about how this work, when it will be implemented, and why this is the course of action the Justin Trudeau government chose to take.

Here, as best we can, are answers we’ve been able to find over the weekend. In many cases, details are still being worked out. But our TravelPulse Canada team has done all we could to provide you, our readers, with the best information we could gather.

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Q. What was announced in terms of flight suspensions?

A. The most “grabby” bit of information was the news that Air Canada, WestJet, Sunwing and Transat were voluntarily ceasing flights to Mexico and the Caribbean yesterday (January 31), and that flights would be suspended all the way through April 30.

Q. Will Canadians be stranded overseas?

A. Airlines say they’ll fly people home, although there doesn’t seem to be a set schedule.

Q. Will fliers with flights that are cancelled get refunds?

A. Yes. Airline statements say customers will get refunds for tickets they can’t use.

Q. Why did the Trudeau government act now?

A. The Prime Minister said again that international travel is only responsible for roughly two per cent of COVID cases in Canada. But he said the new variants of the disease made it imperative to take action now.

Q. The variants seem to be coming from Britain, South Africa and Brazil. Why were flights suspended to the Caribbean and Mexico?

A. Tourism workers in the Caribbean and Mexico and hotels/resort owners likely are asking the same thing. Trudeau said those destinations were singled out because that’s where most Canadians go for winter holidays and for March break, a period that Trudeau says should see Canadians staying at home. Alghabra said the government thought about a total ban on all international travel but decided need to keep supply lines open.

Q. Can you go to Mexico or the Caribbean via the United States?

A. For now, it appears Canadians could do so. But the U.S. appears ready to require 14-day quarantines for arriving passengers, which would make a trip to Jamaica via Miami quite difficult. Alghabra also suggested the Liberals are talking to the U.S. government about policy changes, which suggests other destinations also might see flight suspensions. And, don’t forget, anyone who flies back to Canada will face testing and quarantine laws. Which brings us to the next question.

Q. What was announced about testing?

A. Trudeau in early January announced that anyone aged five and over who wants to visit or come home has to have a negative result from a PCR test taken within 72 hours of their scheduled departure; a result that would be presented at the airport prior to boarding a flight to Canada. They went a step further last Friday, saying that passengers would have to not only show that “prior to flying” test but also will be tested when they land. Trudeau said flights will be allowed only to Vancouver, Calgary, Toronto and Montreal so the government can do its testing. Alghabra on Sunday said the tests will be taken at the arriving airport.

Q. What if I’m flying to one of those four airports but have a connecting flight somewhere else in the country?

A. Alghabra said this weekend that arriving passengers will have to remain at an airport hotel at one of those four Canadian cities while they wait for their test results.

Q. How long will test results take?

A. It’s not clear, but the government is suggesting tests could take three days.

Q. So, then, there’s a quarantine in effect, right?

A. Right. Ottawa says every arriving passenger will have to quarantine for 14 days after they land. Here’s how they say it will work. Passengers will land at a designated airport and get a PCR test. They will then be taken to a nearby airport hotel and wait for the test results. If their result is negative, they can go home for the remaining time of their 14-day quarantine period. But there will be extra surveillance, provided in part by newly hired security firms. If someone tests positive for COVID-19, the remainder of their quarantine period will be spent at a “designated government facility.”

Q. What does that mean, “designated government facility?”

A. It’s not entirely clear, but it sounds like another hotel likely would be used.

Q. Is there a cost?

A. Yes. Trudeau said testing, hotel stays, security and food for the three-day “wait for test results” period will cost roughly $2,000 per person. Which is a stiff price to pay for three days and nights at an airport hotel with food being brought in and no visitors and, presumably, no ability to leave your room. Nobody has said so, but it’s pretty likely they won’t be using presidential suites and treating quarantined folks to take-out dinners from Canoe or even The Keg.

Q. When will the new testing and quarantine rules take effect?

A. Algrhabra on Sunday said new rules likely are coming in by Thursday, Feb. 4.

Q. Wait, didn’t Ontario Premier Doug Ford announce testing at Toronto Pearson?

A. Yes, he did. Ford said those tests will start Monday. But it’s not clear what quarantine rules, if any, Ontario will have. The federal program could come a mere three days later, which would make Ford’s program superfluous.

Q. What about the Calgary Airport testing program?

We haven’t heard but it appears to have been overtaken by the new rules announced last Friday. The Calgary program allowed Canadians to go about their business if they tested negative. The new Canadian rules say folks will have to stay home under some kind of supervision for the remainder of their 14-day quarantine, which is a much tougher rule.

Q. How long will these new rules be in place? Maybe until April 30, when flights might resume to Mexico and the Caribbean?

A. We haven’t been able to find anyone who has suggested an end date. One would think it depends on how Canada does in its battled against COVID-19 and any new variants that are either here already or that might arrive later.

Q. What about land crossings over the US-Canada border?

Public Safety Minister Bill Blair is said to be in negotiations with the Biden administration over that very issue. Trudeau last week said Canada will begin requiring non-essential travellers to show proof of a negative COVID test before they drive over the border into Canada.

Q. Will there be airline layoffs due to the suspensions?

A. Air Transat says it will have lay off pilots and flight attendants as of February 11. There’s been no official word from the other airlines.

Q. What does this mean for Mexico and the Caribbean?

A. Canada is one of the biggest sources of tourists to both destinations. Losing the Canadian market will further cripple an already suffering tourism industry in Mexico, and in destinations around the Caribbean, which is the most tourism-dependent region on the planet.

Q. What does this mean for travel agents?

A. It’s obviously devastating for travel advisors. We have a separate story on reaction from ACTA and ACITA. Nancy Wilson of ACITA said Alghabra is talking about help for travel agents, which is encouraging.

Q. Does this mean the airlines will finally get a sector-specific aid package from Ottawa?

A. It appears this might finally happen, nearly a year into the pandemic. It’s hard to believe airlines would voluntarily suspend flights to the Caribbean and Mexico during the busy winter season without getting something in return. There have been reports of government grants that airlines could use to pay refunds to customers who had flights cancelled due to the pandemic. The government has said it will only help Canadian airlines if they provide those refunds (rather than future flight credits) and if they restore the numerous route suspensions that have hit Canadian communities. Alghabra on Sunday was quite encouraging on this front. The recently appointed Transport Minister said that although Ottawa has provided direct help and wage subsidies for airlines, he recognizes that the sector has bee probably the hardest hit of any in Canada and that they need more help. Alghabra said there is “extra urgency” to get moving on the direct talks between Ottawa and the airlines, talks that officially began on November 8, 2020. The minister said he understands how hard the pandemic has been on airlines and their workers, and that he’s “looking forward” to supporting them. Trudeau last Friday thanked Canada’s airlines for their help with sun destination suspensions and said they’re being valuable partners. That’s fairly positive talk that has to be quite encouraging for a badly battered industry.