COVID-19: Measures taken by the travel industry

The Coronavirus is hitting the whole planet with full force. The tourism industry is probably the most affected, not only in the geographical areas most affected by the virus, but also elsewhere in the world.

Indeed, not only are Western tourists gradually cancelling their travel plans to Asia, but Western destinations are also being emptied of their traditional stream of tourists, especially Asian and especially Chinese.

This impacts:

• Airlines on their flights to Asia
• Airlines with vital hubs such as Dubai or Singapore
• The hotels
• and ultimately the entire economy: for example, how many international congresses and events have already been cancelled, impacting many cities?

In France, for example, gatherings of more than 1,000 people are now prohibited. Music festivals have been cancelled such as Tomorrowland Winter. Mask sales are now controlled by the government.

Will this collective hysteria end soon? Or are we witnessing the beginning of a new global crisis? Only time will tell.

In the meantime, airlines and hotel groups are adjusting their various policies to accommodate their customers.

And we’d like to take this opportunity to remind you of your rights regarding travel and credit card insurance.

Most of the travel insurances subscribed BEFORE the generalization of the Coronavirus are valid and can be activated. To do this,Ottawa must advise against travel to the affected country because of the coronavirus.

However, now that the Coronavirus is a known disease, travel insurance policies are beginning to be updated. Therefore, you will not be able to benefit from the insurance by invoking this cause for all the NEW reservations you will make this year.

For example, Manulife and Tugo told CBC that “coronavirus is no longer considered a sudden or unexpected event, it is an international health issue. Cancellation insurance is generally intended for “unforeseen situations”.

The same is true of credit card insurance.

As of March 13, 2020, the Government of Canada advises against travel, which allows travelers to benefit from their credit card insurance (if it has trip cancellation/interruption coverage).

Since the warning, several insurance companies have reviewed existing policies, discontinuing them 10 days after the notice was issued:

If a Travel Warning is issued after departure, the health insurance coverage for that destination is limited to 10 days from the date of the travel warning or official notice, or for such period as is reasonably necessary to permit you to safely evacuate the country, region or area in question.

RSA Group

If you booked a trip BEFORE the outbreak of the Coronavirus, you should have no trouble getting reimbursed for it – within the limits of your credit card insurance policy.

In this article, we have explained in detail how credit card trip cancellation / interruption insurance works.

For example, it states that the trip cancellation/interruption insurance offered by COVER credit cards includes

• A government warning, after your travel purchase, advising travelers not to go to the intended destination

So, if Canada advises against a destination AFTER you have purchased your trip, your credit card’s trip cancellation / interruption insurance can be activated.

For example, as a BMO Ascend World Elite Mastercard holder, you could be reimbursed up to:

• 2,500 per insured person for trip cancellation
• 2,000 per insured person for trip interruption if your trip has already begun

AIR MILES and Aeroplan have announced exceptional measures to help their members.

AIR MILES has provided us with the following statement:

Effective today (March 13, 2020), through April 30, 2020, all AIR MILES change fees will be waived. This one-time cancellation will apply to changes or cancellations of existing reservations made through AIR MILES. Please note that multiple modifications are not allowed. Please note that cancellations are facilitated by AIR MILES in accordance with the policies of the individual airlines. We will continue to monitor the situation and provide updates as soon as possible.

If you wish to make changes to your flight booked on airmiles.ca and scheduled to depart after March 27, 2020, please contact our specialists by phone within two (2) weeks prior to your scheduled flight.

In Toronto: 416-226-5171
Rest of Canada and International (toll free): 1-888-AIR-MILES (1-888-247-6453)

This means that you should be able to change or cancel any flight, hotel or car rental reservations made with your AIR MILES miles at no charge.

An email was sent to AIR MILES Collectors on March 13. And an FAQ is available on the site at this address.

Aeroplan has followed Air Canada’s rules since March 11, 2020.

Flight bookings can be changed or cancelled free of charge, regardless of the date.

But be patient: it can take more than 3 hours to speak to a customer service agent!

As of March 13, 2020, Aeroplan Rewards can be cancelled ONLINE and at no cost. This measure is in effect until March 31, 2020.

To view your air awards and possibly cancel them, go to this page.

Airlines were the first to be impacted by the effects of the Coronavirus. Most of them had to stop their flights to/from China, but also many other services in the region, due to lack of demand.

And now we are starting to see airlines like British Airways reducing frequencies between certain hubs like London-New York due to lack of demand. It is important to note that many large companies have implemented measures to restrict business travel, favoring video conferencing or remote work.

Here is an update on the measures taken by the airlines that affect Canadians the most. But first, a reminder about the importance of ALWAYS booking on the airline‘s website.

It can be tempting to buy your ticket through an online travel agency (Expedia, Priceline…) or a site offering “discount flights”, redirecting to various online travel agencies.

However, even if you have a file number with the airline, you will often have a hard time getting help from them. It will often redirect you to the online agency where you made your reservation. And the latter will not help you.

In addition, there are often “code-shares” between airlines: you can travel on Air Canada with a ticket issued by a Star Alliance company like United. The rules put in place by Air Canada will not apply to you!

For example, here are the rules outlined by Air Canada for its Coronavirus Goodwill Policy:

• Tickets must be purchased directly from Air Canada between March 4 and March 31, 2020 for flights within 12 months of the original ticket issue date.
• Air Canada tickets will be identified by a 13-digit ticket number beginning with the Air Canada code “014”. Tickets issued by other airlines with a different carrier code (tickets not beginning with “014”) are subject to the cancellation policy of the issuing airline.

Our advice: ALWAYS book directly on the airline’s website. In many cases, the rates will be equivalent, and you will have much more leeway in case of problems.

Air Canada has two policies in place:

• a “goodwill” policy, also applied by Aeroplan:

If you purchased a ticket before March 4, 2020 for travel before April 30, 2020, Air Canada allows you to make a one-time change to your flight up to 24 hours prior to departure without incurring a fee. You can also cancel your reservation and the amount you paid will be credited to a future trip. In both cases, any fare difference will apply, any residual value from a lower fare will be lost and any travel must be completed by December 31, 2020.

Air Canada

In concrete terms, you can change your reservation at no cost by contacting Air Canada or Aeroplan:

• for all flights operated by Air Canada (not only to the most affected destinations)
• up to 24 hours before flight departure
• provided that the reservation was made before March 4, 2020
• for flights that take place until April 30, 2020

See the details of this policy on the Air Canada website.

• a change fee waiver policy for new bookings, also applied by Aeroplan:

If you purchase a ticket between March 4 and March 31, 2020, Air Canada allows you to make a one-time change to your flight up to 24 hours prior to departure without incurring a fee. You can also cancel your reservation and the amount you paid will be credited to a future trip. In both cases, any fare difference will apply, any residual value from a lower fare will be lost and any travel must be completed by December 31, 2020.

Air Canada

Specifically, you can change your reservation free of charge by contacting Air Canada or Aeroplan as long as the ticket was purchased between March 4 and 31, 2020, regardless of the destination.

Here, Air Canada wishes to reassure its customers by encouraging them to still book their flights for the next few months.

See the details of this policy on the Air Canada website.

No action has been announced for a possible extension of the Altitude status.

Here are the main pages of information on the situation:

• Coronavirus Update
• Change Fee Policy

Customer service:

• Air Canada: 1-888-247-2262
• Aeroplan: 1 800 361-5373
• Air Canada Vacations:
  • Mexico, Caribbean, Las Vegas, Hawaii: 1-800-296-3408
  • Europe: 1-877-752-7710

You can also reach Air Canada and Aeroplan via social networks, by private message.

WestJet has established the following eligibility criteria for changing or cancelling a flight:

• Passengers who have traveled to the People’s Republic of China within 14 days prior to their return or connecting flight to destination with government-issued entry requirements. by the government.
• Ticket issued on or before: February 2, 2020
• Initial travel date: February 2 to March 9, 2020

WestJet has also introduced a
modification policy
for new reservations:

All new flight bookings made between March 3 and March 31, 2020 may be changed or cancelled once with no change fees applied.
This one-time change fee waiver applies to all itinerary changes made more than 24 hours prior to departure.

WestJet

No action has been announced for a possible extension of WestJet Rewards status.

Here is the main page of information on the situation:

• Review travelers

Customer service:

• WestJet: 1-888-937-8538
• WestJet Vacations: 1-877-737-7001

You can also reach WestJet via social networks, by private message.

Global Affairs Canada has recently increased its alert level for Italy to Avoid all non-essential travel due to the spread of the coronavirusCOVID-19).

Following this notice, Air Transat has decided to implement a flexibility policy for its flights to Italy, based on the following parameters

• All customers booked to Venice on or before March 2, 2020 for travel by June 30, 2020 are permitted to change their booking date or destination without penalty for travel by October 31, 2020. However, customers will be required to pay any difference in price.
• All customers who have booked a flight to Rome or Lamezia on or before March 9, 2020 for a planned trip by June 30, 2020 are allowed to change their reservation date or destination without penalty for travel by October 31, 2020. However, customers will be required to pay any difference in price.

Please note that Air Transat flight operations are currently running normally.

Here is the main page of information on the situation:

• Book with confidence

Customer service:

• Air Transat: 1-877-872-6728
• Transat: 1-866-322-6649

Air France has suspended its flights to mainland China since January 30, 2020. A gradual resumption of flights to Shanghai and Beijing is planned from March 29, 2020.

Flights to Hong Kong, Taipei and Seoul are also adapted.

Also, a“Reservation with Confidence” policy has been implemented.

Here is the main page of information on the situation:

• Coronavirus Travel Review
• Book with confidence” policy

Customer service:

• Air France Canada: 1-800-667-2747

Note that many modifications can be made online.

British Airways has cancelled all flights to Beijing and Shanghai until April 17, 2020.

From April 18 to May 31, there will be a gradual return of traffic. Also, service to Hong Kong has been increased from two daily flights to one daily flight until June 1.

In addition, due to the decrease in traffic, British Airways had to cancel hundreds of flights in Europe and several transatlantic flights, notably to New York.

Here are the main pages of information on the situation:

• Coronavirus Travel Review
• No change fee policy for new reservations
• List of status policies by destination

Customer service:

• British Airways: +44 (0)203 250 0145

Lufthansa Group (Lufthansa, Swiss, Austrian Airlines) has cancelled flights to/from:

• Beijing
• Shanghai
• Nanjing
• Shenyang
• Qingdao

And reduced its frequencies to Hong Kong.

Here is the main page of information on the situation:

• Review travelers

Customer service:

• Lufthansa: 1-800-645-3880
• Swiss: 1-877-359-7947
• Austrian: 1 866 846 4283

The main destinations affected by the American Airlines measures are:

• Hong Kong
• Beijing
• Shanghai
• Wuhan
• South Korea
• Italy

Here are the main pages of information on the situation:

• Coronavirus modification or cancellation policy
• Trusted Reservation Policy

Customer service:

• American Airlines Canada: 1-800-756-8613

The main destinations affected by the Delta Airlines measures are:

• Beijing
• Shanghai
• South Korea
• Italy

Here are the main pages of information on the situation:

• Coronavirus modification or cancellation policy
• Trusted Reservation Policy

Customer service:

• Delta Airlines Canada: 1-800-221-1212

The main destinations affected by the United Airlines measures are:

• Chengdu
• Beijing
• Shanghai
• Hong Kong
• Tokyo
• Osaka
• Singapore
• Seoul

Here are the main pages of information on the situation:

• Coronavirus modification or cancellation policy
• Trusted Reservation Policy

Customer service:

• United Airlines: 1-800-864-8331

The major hotel groups are also adjusting their various policies in response to the coronavirus. Here are the measures taken for the main hotel groups.

Here are Marriott’s key actions for ALL Marriott International hotels worldwide:

• For customers with existing reservations for any future arrival dateIf you have a reservation that is not a prepaid reservation, including prepaid reservations, which are generally more restrictive, we will allow a full change or cancellation at no charge up to 24 hours prior to arrival*, provided the change or cancellation is made before April 30, 2020. Please note that any modification of an existing reservation will be made according to availability and will be subject to possible price differences.
• For guests making new reservations for any future arrival date, including prepaid rate reservations, between now and April 30, 2020, we will allow for complimentary reservation changes or cancellations up to 24 hours before the scheduled arrival date*. Please note that any change in the reservation will be made according to availability and will be subject to possible price differences.

Marriott has decided to extend the expiration of all free night certificates (set to expire in 2020), earned in Canada with, until January 31, 2021:

• Marriott Bonvoy™ American Express^® Card
• Marriott Bonvoy™ Business American Express^® Card

Also, Marriott has paused the expiration of points until August 31, 2020 (if no activity is done in the account in 24 months).

Finally, suite upgrade certificates (Platinum and Titanium members) will have their expiration date extended to December 31, 2021.

At this time, no decision has been made regarding a possible extension of the membership.

Here are the main pages of information on the situation:

• Coronavirus cancellation policy

Customer service:

• Marriott Bonvoy: 1-800-535-4028

The top destinations affected by Hilton’s actions are:

• Mainland China
• South Korea
• Saudi Arabia
• Italy

There will be no cancellation fees for stays until March 31, 2020 in these destinations. In addition, Hilton Honors members located in mainland China, Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan have their status and points validity extended by one year.

Here are the main pages of information on the situation:

• Coronavirus cancellation policy

Customer service:

• Hilton Honors: 1-800-445-8667

Most hotel groups offer similar policies.

Shangri-La Gold Circle, for example, has announced that all Golden Circle Diamond and Jade members will maintain their status until December 31, 2021. Which is good news for those who got it as a benefit of The Platinum Card^MD from American Express!

This status allows for example to get free breakfasts in all Shangri-La hotels.

Best Western Rewards has decided to do the same by extending the status of all its members until January 31, 2022.

If you would like to see the latest information related to the evolution of the coronavirus, here is a list of useful resources:

• Government of Canada Travel Advice and Advisories
• Government of Canada: information about the coronavirus
• World Health Organization: information about the coronavirus
• International Air Transport Association: information about the coronavirus
• Worldometers: Coronavirus statistics
• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: information about coronavirus
• Office de Protection du Consommateur: notice to travelers
• Autorité des Marchés Financiers: COVID-19 – important information for travelers and investors
• La Presse: Coronavirus, who reimburses what in case of quarantine