Canadians abroad are raising concerns about compensation as they try to find a way back home, with some stranded as borders close and airlines cut flights due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Many overseas travellers have seen their routes suspended and booked return trips with a different airline after Global Affairs Canada on Saturday urged Canadians to return to home soil.
Jacqui Birchall, a retired teacher who spends half the year in Mexico, says she is hoping for a full refund from WestJet after it cancelled her flight from Puerto Vallarta to Vancouver as part of its 50 per cent capacity reduction, but says she has heard nothing from the airline about compensation.
Quebecers Guillaume Rioux and Valerie Simard found themselves stranded in Peru with their baby boy after a visit to Machu Picchu, with the country’s president announcing a travel ban Sunday night and a strict self-isolation policy in place that prompted the closure of the Canadian embassy.
All Canadian airlines now offer no-fee rebooking as they ground planes amid the novel coronavirus outbreak, but only Sunwing has a refund policy in place for the cancelled routes.
Carriers could lose hundreds of millions of dollars if full refunds were issued across thousands of flights, but Sunwing spokeswoman Rachel Goldrick says that “it’s only right” to return cash to customers who are out of pocket.
Canadians who need help returning home will be able to apply for an emergency loan of up to $5,000 from the federal government.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 18, 2020.
The Canadian Press
The Canadian Press
