IAD_flyer

I have an Aeroplan award ticket starting with YFB-YVP-YUL on 5T (Canadian North) then YUL-YYZ on AC then YYZ-IAD on UA. I have a long layover (12 hours-overnight) in YUL while I want to do my pretravel rapid antigen test for US entry. As I been told that in my orgin YFB (Iqaluit, Nunavut) it will be hard to get a pretravel test. At which stage will my pre-travel test be checked? I called Canadian North and their phone agent was clueless and unable to reach out to anyone that would know. Thanks for any info you can give.

trek604

You only need to be vax'ed to fly domestic, no pre-travel covid test required so you shouldn't need a test prior to getting to YUL. AC will ask for it so YUL would be the place to get your antigen test during your layover.

mahasamatman

It's very easy to get virtual tests online from any of a number of companies as long as you have a good Internet connection. I believe they should check before boarding the first flight on your itinerary even if you don't technically need it that soon, but I have no experience with 5T. Maybe the overnight gives you leeway.

YZF_Elite

They should be checking at your origin, but not sure if 5T have the linked up systems with AC to do this. I've only flown 5T domestically since the pandemic. That said, as long as you have an antigen test on hand, you should be able to get an online proctored test and result.

IAD_flyer

Thanks! So is AC going to treat my YFB-YVP-YUL on 5T separately then my YUL-YYZ on AC then YYZ-IAD on UA and conceder YUL as my origin?

Thanks! That's exactly why I'm unsure, normally safe to assume visa/passport/test checking happens at your origin. As it's a bit of a unique airline in a unique place, I am not sure.

YZF_Elite

If you're in YFB, walk down to the airport and ask a check in agent, they only have two or three there, so whoever you ask I'm sure will be likely there the day you fly.

IAD_flyer

Good advice! I'm not there yet but I was thinking of asking them when I fly in.

canadiancow

On a different airline connecting to AC, I had a really tough time checking in, even with something like a 16 hour overnight connection after that first segment.

They wanted the test.

I had to really argue. They had to call someone.

It was not fun. But it worked out.

WesternCDN

I'm not sure that 5T's system interacts that closely with AC's anyway. I flew YFB-YOW-YYJ on a 5T and WS combined fare and they couldn't issue my WS boarding pass when I checked in. The bag got tagged all the way through but I had to go to the counter in YOW for the boarding pass.

You could also try calling their local numbers (not the 1-800 call centre), though unsure if they ever answer the phone at the airport.. 867-979-8339 or 867-979-8336.

IAD_flyer

Thanks, I will try them tomorrow.

IAD_flyer

Good datapoint, which airline was that?

canadiancow

Vistara

yyzgigi

With the 12 hour overnight layover it is unlikely they will want it in YQB. If you have luggage they are only going to check it to YUL and definitely aren’t going to check you in beyond YUL. They may not even ask you for proof of US entry as they may just see as domestic segments in a larger multistop journey and not the start of an international journey.

Drawing attention to the remaining legs with your question may increase the chances of them caring. If it comes up at checkin I would make sure you have proof of your appointment in Montreal and explain your plans. I don’t think they would have any reason to doubt that AC will check your eligibility to fly from YUL and there isn’t any scenario where they’d expect to be responsible for returning you to YQB due to ineligibility to fly.

As noted a proctored remote test is a great option to help ease the anxiety and risk, but not sure if you could count on reliably fast internet to support it. If I remember correctly the cell data wasn’t too bad, but my hotel had crap bandwidth and speed.

Enjoy YQB, visited last year and really enjoyed the experience. One tip I can provide is that regardless of what the 5T website says they will charge you for any checked bags on reward tickets regardless of status. When I pointed them to the rules on their website they showed me the Aeroplan baggage fee rules on the ticket.

YZF_Elite

I tried arguing on a TPA-IAD-YYZ-YOW flight I had last year and was unsuccessful and had to rebook. In my case I was waiting on CVS and Walgreens results which were both taking far longer than I had wanted at the time (PCR/NAAT requirements at that time to enter Canada). After rebooking, sure enough I would have had the test results in time to make my IAD-YYZ flight, but no luck had to spend an extra 8 hours sitting around TPA without lounge access since I couldn't check in.

canadiancow

I also had an issue on SFO-YVR-HKG where they were very hesitant to let me board. I had required documentation for entry to YVR, but not for HKG. Those results came in around pushback (it was an airport rapid PCR).

The only reason the supervisor relented was that:
1. I was eligible to enter Canada.
2. I was willing to just turn around and come home, at my own cost, if I couldn't board the YVR-HKG.

But this was a ~5 hour connection, not an overnight like my previous one. The big issue with that one was that I was flying BOM-DEL-YVR-SFO, and any test I could do before BOM-DEL would not be within a day of my YVR-SFO flight. I certainly could have pulled out an antigen at the airport and done a proctored one, but I didn't want to waste $30.