Last update: March 17, 2020
If you have any questions about COVID-19 and your travels, you can come and ask:
Please take a few minutes to get information, by yourself, from the different companies (airlines, hotels, insurance companies…). The situation changes daily and the information on this page may be out of date.
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:
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.
This article will be progressively updated as the situation evolves.
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 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
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:
On the other hand, the insurance companies of the major credit cards have confirmed that for new travel bookings, it will NOT be POSSIBLE to invoke the coronavirus as a cancellation clause . Again, this is a situation that is now FORESEEABLE.
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)
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.
Our recommendation: if your flight does not take place in the next few days, be patient! This will allow other members, in more urgent situations, to be able to resolve their situation!
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:
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.
In order to encourage their customers to continue planning their trips, most airlines have instituted a policy of “Reservation with confidence“This allows you to change and/or cancel your airline tickets at no charge for any NEW reservations made within the proposed time frame (typically for reservations made in March 2020 for travel in the coming months).
Be sure to read all the terms and conditions for each of these policies.
Air Canada has two policies in place:
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
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:
See the details of this policy on the Air Canada website.
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
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.
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.
No action has been announced for a possible extension of the Altitude status.
Here are the main pages of information on the situation:
Customer service:
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:
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
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:
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
Please note that Air Transat flight operations are currently running normally.
Air Transat has also introduced a modification policy for new reservations:
Book a flight to any destination or a Southern package between March 4 and 31, and if your travel plans change, no worries: we’ll waive the change fee. Air Transat
Book a flight to any destination or a Southern package between March 4 and 31, and if your travel plans change, no worries: we’ll waive the change fee.
Air Transat
Here are the conditions of this “Book with confidence” policy:
Beware of restrictions:
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.
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.
Lufthansa Group (Lufthansa, Swiss, Austrian Airlines) has cancelled flights to/from:
And reduced its frequencies to Hong Kong.
The main destinations affected by the American Airlines measures are:
The main destinations affected by the Delta Airlines measures are:
The main destinations affected by the United Airlines measures are:
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:
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:
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.
The top destinations affected by Hilton’s actions are:
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.
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 CardMD 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:
Savings are here:
