testycal

so...received this email just now...flight scheduled Feb 17 TLV YYZ YVR....big red letters...CONFIRM BOOKING...below states if unable to confirm booking will not be cancelled...what is the point of putting it to me this way other than to bring options to my attention? Of course the link to applicable entry requirements leads to the statement that we at AC do not yet know what is going on?



CONFIRM MY BOOKING There�s nothing quite like the feeling of looking forward to an upcoming trip, but we understand that sometimes plans can change. Please take a moment to let us know if you�re still planning to travel with us. If you are unable to confirm, your booking will not be cancelled.
I wish to confirm my booking

If you still plan to fly from Tel Aviv to Vancouver, please confirm below. Prior to doing so, it�s important to make sure that you�re eligible to fly. You can do so by reviewing any applicable entry requirements here.

Before taking off, learn more about the Air Canada CleanCare+ program, our commitment to providing you with end-to-end health and safety protocols using new biosafety standards.



I�d like to manage my booking

Alternatively, we understand that you may wish to alter your upcoming trip from Tel Aviv to Vancouver, or you may not be able to travel due to any applicable entry restrictions, found here.

expert7700

My guess? If enough people do not confirm, they will cancel the flight/route.

canadiancow

My guess is that the confirm button does nothing, and this is for people who forgot they had a flight booked, encouraging them to cancel, so that AC can make some changes to scheduling based on expected loads.

On Time Reports

I have been receiving these emails for flights since late March. I am not sure how much they rely on these emails for expected loads because if you don't click that doesn't mean you won't fly. Probably just to let you know you can receive a voucher if you don't want to take a trip anymore.

Also these emails come at the most random times ever, I have had ones sent from 5 months to 4 days before departure. I have never clicked on them knowing there is really no benefit in doing so.

ABG

Based on your post's timing it probably was triggered by Air Canada "zero'ing" out flights to/from Israel for early Feb in advance of government directives. In case you are unaware OP, your flight for 17th has been cancelled

testycal

and rebooked through Frankfurt with Lufthansa to YYZ and onwards. I find this counterproductive as the load on each of the 10 and 17 of Feb flights was 40% on the Dreamliner (confirmed by booking agent) so these people are now being flown in various Lufthansa flights? through Frankfurt with the existing Lufthansa passengers that increases chance of infection ie more people. If Government of Canada told AC to cancel Israel flights was is the point of going through the "back door"?

24left

I can understand you are looking for a logical explanation to your situation and example of not being able to fly AC TLV-YYZ and onward to YVR, versus them now re-routing pax on LH via FRA.

Stepping away from logic, I see it as different entities trying to do either what they think is best and issuing directives (e.g. governments) and then airlines having to find ways to meet them. You are caught up in a situation where not only are rules and flights changing on an almost daily basis, but there is the Canadian gov, AC, and the gov in Israel, all making rules about flights and who can fly and how.

Looking at just the issue of the ability to get in or out of TLV:

"The government announced Friday that Ben Gurion Airport would remain closed until at least February 20 as Israel seeks to prevent the entry of new coronavirus variants that have contributed to the latest, unrelenting spike in case numbers.

Israel’s main international airport has been almost entirely shuttered since January 25, except for cargo planes and emergency aircraft."

https://www.timesofisrael.com/cabine...wo-more-weeks/


So while inconvenient that you have to go through FRA and also potentially increase risk due to more flights and more airports, I am not sure what other options there are if AC is not flying.
.

testycal

and this continues to be confusing...not complaining..just confused and following hour to hour changes. I also just now became aware of the Feb 20 closure extension with the result that the rebooked flight will also be cancelled. The extension was I assume decided on Friday and while I received the rebooking today on Saturday, I assume there is a time lag as to information being exchanged.

As I noted, if Canada does not want to accept passengers originating in Israel, what is the sense in allowing them in from Frankfurt?

ABG

TLV airport is closed, this has nothing to do with Gov of Canada

testycal

If is has nothing to do with the Government of Canada why did AC re book me on Lufthansa when the airport is closed? Same date was book as original booking...5 hours later / delay.

24left

Did AC rebook you on LH before or after it was announced that TLV was going to close? Have you called AC?

ABG

Because of the government of Canada is not responsible for granting landing permits at Ben Gurion Airport in Israel. The computer sitting in an AC office somewhere that rebooked you does not take into account the world events and just processes your PNR with the best option it could find. When LH691 is cancelled in a few days, the computer will try and do the same activity, but this time it won't find anything and odds are you'll get a sch change email asking you to call AC. For now, AC has zero'ed out or prevented sales on AC80 and AC81 until March 7th and 10th respectively. Be ready to transit FRA, ZRH, VIE or maybe MUC in your quest to get to Canada

testycal

After and I was told by AC in Canada and Israel that it was the system rebooking that will eventually when do not know the Lufthansa booking also being cancelled. Ben Gurion closed Jan 25 and was extended a day or 2 before this re booking occurred. There must be a delay in the system or the system automatically books an alternate route without regard for whether the airport is in fact operating. Perhaps the AC system assumed that Ben Gurion was open on the rebooking date?

RangerNS

The system only knows LH says they are an option to get there (leave from there) on that date. That isn't an "assumption" it's delegation.

Wrong, perhaps, but expected behavior.

testycal

I mistakenly would have thought that the system could be programmed to realize that an airport is not open and therefore reduce the emails sent back and forth the cancellations and unecessary energy wasted in responding to emails and making phone calls. Seems quite inefficient.