tecate55

All airlines are providing exit info to CBSA as of this year: https://www.cbsa-asfc.gc.ca/btb-pdf/...erien-eng.html

*Well, just the commercial ones. You can still private jet it out without anyone knowing.

tcook052

OTTAWA – Canada’s largest airline association says it is “frustrated” and fears the “uncertainty” created by the federal government’s “rushed approach” to impose an obligatory negative COVID-19 test to all travellers flying into Canada starting next week.

“We’ve been calling on the government now for over the past six months to work with industry to implement the national testing strategy,” Mike McNaney, President and CEO of the National Airlines Council of Canada, said in an interview Friday. “The whole point of (recent pilot project programs) was to avoid with a rushed approach and implementation, which is exactly what we are exactly what we are now seeing.”

“What makes this so darn frustrating for us is that we could have avoided what we are now about to experience if we had taken the actions we’ve been calling for the past several months,” added the head of the industry group that represents companies such as Air Canada, Air Transat and WestJet.

skybluesea

While this suggestion won't work in the time frame necessary to get on with immediate transmission interruption, GoC could have launched an ETA type registration program for PCR-entry approvals.

This would eliminate the massive problems/confusion that is coming at departing airports for airlines serving Canada.

Canadians could then simply upload whatever PCR information they have, get an approval, which is then forwarded to the airline before issuing a Boarding Pass.

I'm at loss of what to do with this nonsense about "traveler can't find test center", but possibly someone else could put a creative thought to resolve this gap in my idea.

Again, this won't happen, but would have made implementation of this initiative far more seamless.

ps...funny that I was typing away while MOD posted about airline frustrations...so predictable.

sydneyracquelle

If this becomes too much of a PITA I will just drive from a border city. My recent flights from USA to Canada involve way too many questions by the airline at the gate plus a temperature check. Where do I live, what is my status in both countries, how long I was away, how long I am going for. And this is the airline not CBSA. They are frustrated as I only book one way tickets. I simply answer that it is none of their damn business as I am a citizen.

The Lev

Thanks for sharing. Yuck. I notice in their "privacy impact" they complete avoid even mentioning that this is a new form of big brother surveillance that was not avalable before and instead focus on petty stuff. Too bad that I have a NEXUS card which required me to disclose my European passport to CBSA, so presumably they can now make the link.

zrh2yvr

Canadians can not fly into the USA from Europe and have not been able to do so since March when the US made the European arrivals banned.

Thus - that idea does not work.

skybluesea

While we have yet to see what GoC will do regarding airline penalties for non-compliance with the PCR test requirements, assuming GoC simply uses the existing approved Master Penalty schedule, be assured that the cost to airlines can be massive, and far exceed even the most expensive F class fares on offer, plus for foreign nationals also removal costs.
https://www.cbsa-asfc.gc.ca/trans/guide-eng.html

Plus, airline tariffs specifically indicate that the traveler is obliged to comply with the laws of the land of the intended destination. Accordingly, airlines will implement PCR test verification processes, despite the frustrations identified in the post by the Mod.

And you are free to respond as you wish when airlines start asking you about the PCR test requirements, but airlines are also free, if you do NOT comply with their validation efforts, to deny you boarding, without compensation btw...

tcook052

Whether those here agree or disagree with the new testing requirement can there be any who think this step was arrived at after much careful deliberation and planning? I wouldn't think so as it seems clear this has been a rushed, knee-jerk reactionary rule change.

Anecdotal evidence from those I know who work for airlines said they were hearing about this in the media on Wed. as was the general public so the government was apparently making things up on the fly which is usually the recipe for problems. For example, as was noted in the linked NatPost article, with no advance warning the airlines now have only a week to try and adequately train check-in staff about what paperwork is sufficient and that's much responsibility with so little notice.

rankourabu

https://www.canada.ca/en/transport-c...to-canada.html

skybluesea

Few observations:

>test conducted within 72 hours prior to their scheduled boarding

Lot of previous debate on arrival - this works better for me in Rome in April as gives me another half day to get test done.

> flights may be delayed due to unforeseen circumstances, outside the air carrier’s control.

Gives more leeway for IRROPS

>Persons who are travelling from a country where PCR testing is unavailable

Well, this list will be pretty short, and it doesn't say "CITY" - so if you are in a country with testing, but in a CITY/REGION where might NOT be available, too bad, go get the test done.

>lab accredited by an external organization (e.g., a government, a professional association or ISO accreditation)

Interesting, will mean report will need to show the validation stamp, etc.

> Can the airline refuse boarding if a traveller doesn’t have / can’t get a test? Yes. Unless otherwise exempt,

All the beachgoers better get out of the sun, and find clinic soon, or you may have more time for sun after denied boarding.

>c) Exempt Technical stops – flights refueling

Nothing about transit passengers, so this will hurt AC in particular

> would accommodations, rebooking fees and fees for tests be eligible under the Emergency Loan Program?

I love this one - basically says if you decided to travel after C-19 hit, your SOL

Well, shoe drops on a lot of travellers.

I expect more specific airline details to come out, but this is highly enlightening'

D582

I’m still struggling to see how airline staff would effectively enforce this.

I’ve seen over a dozen different forms for molecular COVID test results in the US and they are all totally different in terms of the information they show and the formatting.

Some are so basic and look like a table you could re-create in Microsoft Word. How would you verify authenticity?

Some have different flavours of PCR language. Some say NAAT (nucleic acid amplification test) instead of the letters PCR.

Most don’t report the time (just the day).

And that’s just one country. And if you get the results in a different country from the one your flight to Canada departs from, how would those agents know?

On Time Reports

So if you can't get a test, how do you board a plane...??

skybluesea

Yup, have been asking such questions since the announcement.

Here is my test result from June from the British Columbia Center for Disease Control....pretty skinny detail wise.

btw...only my first name & first letter of my last name is included, so how will airline even know this is me.

rankourabu

Starting January 7, 2021, anyone flying to Canada from another country, unless exempted, will be required to provide written or electronic documentation showing they received a negative result from a COVID-19 test conducted within 72 hours prior to their scheduled boarding.

So 80% of pax, no change at all.
However, looks like transits are not exculded from the requirement.

AC may as well shut down shop apart from domestic. This is gonna hit the airlines hard. And its so, so, pointless. It doesnt do anything to stop imported cases with 80% exempted anyway.

sydneyracquelle

Anyone and everyone could just show this same text copied and pasted from post 178 to some poor entry level gate agent in a small Caribbean country who barely speaks English. This is going to be a mess.