LondonElite

I do not believe there are any changes pending.

seawolf

Restrictions were extended until late July

LondonElite

Didn’t Trudeau recently kick out 31 August? I’m sure I heard that somewhere.

gonebabygone

So sounds like we'll know more about the future of non-USA border rules on June 30:

https://www.cicnews.com/2020/06/trud...html#gs.8jvkfq

What are everyone's predictions? My obviously biased, all-fingers-crossed hope is that he announces that on July 31 he will reduce the travel advisory and 14 day quarantine for a select few countries with epidemiologically similar situations.

Feel free to call it wishful thinking

JNelson113

I would love to see him open Canada up if people have a negative test 3 days in advance and are willing to be tested again upon arrival. Kind of similar to the Dubai plan.

jackmaninov

I've read a news story saying that, but there's nothing on the CBSA site or canada dot ca that confirms it. Are we just ruled by fiat in the press now?

seawolf

https://orders-in-council.canada.ca/...=39438&lang=en
https://www.cbsa-asfc.gc.ca/services...diens-eng.html
https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/...2020-13676.pdf
https://www.dhs.gov/news/2020/06/16/...ad-coronavirus

Fraport

I hope this is the case. I am in hell waiting for this.

My situation: Canadian family of 4 living abroad in Germany (3 of us have passports, one, my husband, does not). Used to be a frequent flyer but no longer since I changed jobs. Saved up and spent 5000$ on tickets for us to come in August to visit my family for the first time in 3 years. Wanted to get there to see my family before my kids got too old and moved out, was supposed to be our last big family trip to Canada so i splurged. Bought the tickets before COVID (obviously). Route is a major one, and not likely to be cancelled by Air Canada - if they do cancel, then I am subject to a refund via the EU Passenger Rights Rules. But ive been waiting and so far, its not looking like it will be.

The border control website is still unclear to me. Of course a Canadian abroad can always come home, but it is still not clear to me if this applies to Canadians who are really only coming for family visits. I don't really want to risk getting on that flight only to be sent back. I would like to have SOME confirmation that we will be allowed to come in. Preferably without the quarantine, but with the rules now, we would have to quarantine. Which means staying in a ...... hotel in Toronto, not even being allowed to use that hotels facilities (such as a pool or fitness room, i would guess) and having to order takeout for 14 days and not see my family at all. We are just utterly screwed at this point, and neither the government nor the news seems to address Canadian expats at all. And the kicker is, we are living in a country which a super low Covid rate at the moment.

If things don't change before August 1st, then worst case scenario (after exhausting trying to harass AC into a refund or a voucher or anything and then maybe trying my Aerogold Card for its travel insurance), I am out 5000$ and we wait another few years.

So after my sob story just two direct questions for everyone: 1) does anyone know if the Frankfurt-Toronto AC flights have actually been flying, is there anyway for me to see how many have flown as scheduled recently and what the cancellation rate is of this route? 2) does anyone know of anyone who has had luck getting into canada AS a canadian just for a visit?

LondonElite

The AC flight between Toronto and Frankfurt (872) has been operating every day. I would not worry about those too much. As a Canadian, you cannot be denied entry to Canada, for whatever reason. You will have to quarantine (this may be possible at a relative's house, but best to assume not). Perhaps an Airbnb might work for you. Is your husband Canadian? If so he's going to have a hard time getting a passport issued in time, but you should contact the consulate or embassy in Berlin for further info. If he has an expired passport he may be allowed to travel, but you should get in touch with the embassy.

Fraport

Thanks! That is actually sad news. I WANT it to be cancelled. After spending so much money on the flights, we were supposed to stay at a friends cottage that has an extra unoccupied guest house, so a hotel or airbnb for three weeks would be another 1-2K, plus food delivery. And to come and not see family which was the whole point, man. My kids want to see their cousins so bad and go to the beach and all the things that are not allowed at the moment. So i was hoping there would be a high chance for the flight to be cancelled so we can get a refund and use it to come next year. If Air Canada doesn't cancel the flight, then we are on the hook for that money and wont be able to come for a few more years.

My husband is not Canadian. The border website is not really clear, since it says immediate family members of Canadians, but we all know this wasn't meant for people like us - who want to come as tourists/visitors.

I did find out that i could possibly make a claim for a refund with my aerogold card, but the website has been down all day. Ill have to be patient and see how this plays out - first try to see if we can even come from the embassy, wait and see if AC cancels it, try to get a voucher through them, and then finally try for the aerogold travel cancellation insurance.

LondonElite

So your husband has a passport, just not a Canadian one. I see. I don't see a problem with him entering. But the flights are unlikely to be cancelled. I suspect by August a lot of the distancing rules will be relaxed, so perhaps wait to see how things look then. If you can stay in your friend's cottage, that sounds ideal. I know a lot of friends of ours have essentially moved up north to be out of the city and working remotely from there. I don't know if a claim for disinclination to travel is covered by Aerogold, sorry, I can't help there.

JNelson113

Hey there, so sorry for your situation. I too want to visit Canada this summer and read the news every day. There is to be some sort of announcement on June 30th about entry to Canada and this may help you. I would worry about your husband being able to get in. Canadian border security is very tough and they may deny him entry given that this is not an "essential" activity and that he is not going in to join you.

As far as Air Canada goes, I don't know their policies but I do know that the major US airlines are allowing people to cancel their tickets and preserve the value as a travel credit for up to two years. Is that not an option for you?

Actually, I just found this article which indicates that you should be able to get a travel credit to use on a flight next year: https://www.nj.com/coronavirus/2020/...ronavirus.html

emma69

You shouldn't have an issue rescheduling or getting a voucher, here is the language from the Air Canada site:

"We have implemented highly flexible and expanded booking options. You can make a one-time change without a fee for all new or existing bookings made through June 30, 2020 for original travel between March 1, 2020 and June 30, 2021. If you booked directly with Air Canada and you need to cancel for any reason, you can convert your ticket to an Air Canada Travel Voucher that has no expiry date or to Aeroplan Miles with an additional 65% bonus miles."

I would not expect the flight itself to cancel, it has been flying regularly since all this began, one of the very few routes that has.

In terms of in Canada, I expect the quarantine will last for some time to come for foreign arrivals, we implemented it early, and it would be very risky to lift it as we approach high tourist season. I am not sure where your family are, but I am in the Toronto area, and things are definitely not normal here, and I don't think will be for some time yet. Still no restaurants with indoor dining, patios are allowed to open as of tomorrow, but very few tables because of distancing, and the table sizes are limited at most, some as few as 4 people per table. Shops are reopening, but have strict capacity controls, meaning queues to get in, and some require masks to be worn at all time. Many leisure facilities are not yet open and those that are (such as parks and beaches) are strictly enforcing the 10-person maximum group size. Many of the fun festivals, activities, food trucks etc. that make up summer fun are not happening. And people are wary, I haven't met with friends for social events since this began, it has either been online, standing on my front porch while friends talk to me from the street, or on one occasion, visiting a friend to drop off a care package, and spending a few minutes sitting in her garden, 4m apart (and I am sure she wiped down the chair after I left just in case!) I haven't been to downtown Toronto, but it is absolutely dead, no shops / restaurants / bars open in the usual tourist hotspots, and many of the usual tourist attractions are closed (CN Tower, Hockey Hall of Fame, ROM, AGO, etc)

With all the love in the world, I think it might be time to postpone. I hate having to say that, as I love travel as much as anyone, but I don't think you will have the amazing trip you might otherwise have if you were to come this summer.

abc5

really? despite the border being closed until late July, there's supposed to be an annoucment on june 30th?

JNelson113

Read up in the thread. It may not be about US tourists, though. May be about opening to other countries. Hard to say.