rankourabu

Just came off a short eastbound TATL in J.
My only other longhaul pandemic experiences have been QR and EK so this was quite a letdown.

Still no pre departure beverages, no hot towels or drink refills with the barely edible dinner.

Sigh. At least the seat stayed inflated this time.

capedreamer

This is currently the SOP on Lufthansa (and possibly other airlines when arriving in Germany) due to covid.

wysiwyg

Some data points for my recent flight to Paris from Toronto on Monday. This is AC 872 scheduled for 19:20 and arrives at 08:25 +1. I was in J

-Done with checkin (priority desk) and security in 15 mins.
-Got to MLL Lounge. No wait to get in and the lounge was about 50% full. Got myself a drink, but no food. No lines whatsoever
-Left after about an hour and got a bite to eat a Lee’s kitchen using credit from Priority pass (skipped food onboard)
-Boarding began around 18:40
-Boarding complete around 19:05
-Pushback at 19:21 and take off at 19:30
-Relatively light load with around 75% in J, 95% in PE and about 60% in Y. Excellent crew.
-Touchdown in Paris at 8:06
-Out of the plane at 8:15
-Cleared customs and had my luggage at 8:45.

This was my first flight in almost 2 years and was one of the smoothest I remember.

yyznomad

1. Did you use the YYZ T1 domestic security point? (I forgot if Int'l security has reopened)
2. Which YYZ MLL did you use: DOM (say, if you used domestic security) or INT'L? (because Int'l pax atm can still use the Dom MLL)

emcampbe

Hope this is the right thread, but since the policies have changed relatively recently (spring?), figured here is relevant.

I've got a flight tomorrow night transborder flight that I'll need to cancel. This is a standard fare, US-Canada. Even as a voluntary cancellation, my understanding is that even without a flight delay, I should be able to cancel and get a voucher that I can use basically anytime for myself or someone else, vs. needing to cancel the segment on the PNR and having credit valid for a year from date of issue for only me as the pax. Is this correct?

Can anyone also comment on how long prior to the flight I have to cancel. I thought I saw 45 minutes prior to departure at some point, but I can't find that again. Can someone confirm? I'm kind of holding out as long as possible to see if the flight gets canceled or delayed enough to trigger a refund option, but also don't want to cut it too close, as I realize there are long hold times (ie, higher than normal) if for some reason I need to fall back on that option.

YVRtoYYZ

1) Intl security is open, but no priority line (information as of Aug 19)

Stanbury

Thanks for this report -- we're both doing this route (separately) within the next few weeks, so very helpful.

Couple of questions about CDG arrival if I may :

1. I realize that CDG was your destination, but did you happen to notice if the airside connection route to terminals 2EF was open? Or did everybody have to go landside at the 2A customs/immigration point? (The airside route is straight on at the point where you descent the stairs to the 2A customs, then round through security and on to the airside bus.)

2. Also, was the Priority line open at the 2A customs point?

Thanks in advance.

wysiwyg

I used Gate D security, I think. It wasn’t the international one, but rather the one right behind the Business Class checkin area. I used the international MLL.

wysiwyg

I can’t really say for sure, but I think transit was open as you could go straight for Transit or down the escalator for customs.
Air Canada no longer gave any “Accès #1” cards, but rather a small sticker for your passport. I asked the staff down there if there was a separate priority line, she said no (but there wasn’t any need for one since the line was so short).

Also an interesting point, the police aux frontières (customs) didn’t even want to see my vaccine proof or pass sanitaire when I offered it to them. Just the usual passport, that’s it. They didn’t even ask for the attestation form.

Paris is very nice right now with so few tourists.

yyznomad

When you say "no longer gave any “Accès #1” cards", was this confirmed as permanent or temporary due to whatever Covid reasons?

Sounds par for the course up Schengen entry at CDG. True DGAFers. One time they didn't even stamp my passport and it wasn't until later did I realize that there was no CDG entry point stamp. Maybe the stamp making people or ink people went on strike that year.

wysiwyg

FA didn’t know and I didn’t ask. He just said “not sure why they do this but all we have is this sticker…”

willflyforfood

Family and I just did a YUL-CUN, CUN-YYZ-YUL itin for labour day, and it went smooth. Some observations: no doc check at the check-in counter at YUL, normal as Mexico is wide open. But wouldn't it be reassuring to know that only double-vaxxed pax can fly? Arrival in CUN with the VuelaSeguro app went quickly. No questions, no one asked to see the app, nothing! Got PCR tested at resort, then on departure in CUN pax are supposed to present another VuelaSeguro screenshot, but figuring they will look as closely on departure as they did on arrival, we skipped that step. Surprise surprise, no document check at the check-in counter, or at security, NADA. Landed in YYZ, got screened at customs, no request for test results, just showed Arrive Can screenshot. Luckily, pax still need to pick up luggage for domestic connections so we were able to stow our Don Julio Real before we re-checked our bags. And, miracle of miracles, our luggage only took 15-20 minutes to arrive on the belt - a record for me at YYZ. I did observe an irate pax on the same itinerary, argue bitterly with the security agent at the D gates in YYZ when they repo'd her Duty Free liquor purchases from CUN. She purportedly "spoke" to 3 or 4 "higher-ups" who assured her that she could carry her duty free booze on board because the magic security zip-tie was still on her duty free bag. Learning the hard way not to trust people who don't know anything.
Edit - BTW the return was a 787 and a 220 - both first timers for me, in J. Product was clean and tidy, and everything worked! Food was meh, IFE selections are dismal, but I could stretch my legs properly.

Stanbury

Thanks very much for this response.

The cute little stickers replaced the cards some years ago -- well before COVID. The stickers are actually rather silly as
(a) once they are stuck on your passport you could, in theory, use them for any future trips even when not entitled to Accès #1
(b) as you discovered, the passport line at 2A is usually fairly empty when arriving on 880 (sorry -- 872 arrgh!!) or 870, and all the people with the stickers, who arrive first at the checkpoint, line up for the Accès #1 booth, whereas the lines for the other booths are empty and would be quicker!

WesternCDN

I feel like this has been discussed here somewhere before, but what’s up with the YYC gate situation these days? Arrived at D92 and connection was out of B39. Lots of time so the walk wasn’t an issue but why are WS and AC flights spread out all over the place?

Noticed some pad work being done which had blocked off a few gates, but I don’t see how that could have caused it. Was there some other construction just finished recently ? I don’t connect through YYC that often, so could have missed some reno’s.

yyznomad

You could've taken a ride on one of the meep meeps. But be careful though... if you are wearing a wig or toupee it might blow off. The things move so fast! Meep meep!