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Air Canada extends COVID refund deadline
Beth Potter, President and CEO of TIAC
“We need a plan, and we need it now,” urge Roundtable industry leaders
OTTAWA — Saying “times have changed since March of 2020”, the industry leaders that make up the Canadian Travel & Tourism Roundtable urged the federal government during a June 14 press conference to act now to save the Canadian travel and tourism industry, while highlighting the grave impact the 15-months and counting travel restrictions and advisories are having on Canadian businesses and the economy. Perrin Beatty, President and CEO of the Canadian Chamber of Commerce, was joined by industry leaders and members of the Roundtable including the Tourism Industry Association of Canada (TIAC), the Hotel Association of Canada (HAC), the National Airlines Council of Canada (NACC) and the Canadian Airports Council (CAC). “We call this press conference today to underscore the dire situation facing the Canadian travel and tourism industry and to call on the federal government to take concrete steps to prevent permanent damage to the sector, by providing a clear and comprehensive plan for safely reopening our country,” said Beatty. “Canada remains a clear outlier among our G7 peers” with its lack of plan for restarting travel, he said. “Canada needs a plan of its own and it needs it now.” “Canadians deserve clarity on what life after the pandemic will look like and how we will get there,” he added. The Roundtable is calling on the government to take three immediate steps. “First, we need a comprehensive national plan for the reopening of our economy. Second, Canadians have a right to know the criteria for reopening the Canada-U.S. border. We understand that Prime Minister Trudeau and President Biden discussed this issue on the margins of the G7. But we've seen no plan. We have no idea what the government's intentions are, for when the current closure expires, a week from today. And third, we need a clear vaccination certifi cation process to speed reopening and to support the recovery of the Canadian economy,” he said. Beatty added that these measures are important not just for the survival of the travel and tourism industry, they're also essential for the people that the sector serves: Canadian businesses and the Canadian economy. “Canadians have done their part by getting vaccinated. Now's the time to provide clear, timely and safe guidance on reopening travel Canadians and Canadian businesses don't want to be left behind,” said Beatty. “We need lead time. It's not like throwing a light switch. We need clarity.” He added that the federal government's June 9 update about eased quarantine restrictions, including the elimination of the hotel quarantine eff ective some time in early July was a “small announcement” that, while welcome, lacked concrete details including how families with double-vaccinated adults but unvaccinated kids should approach travel plans. Also speaking at the conference, Beth Potter, President and CEO of TIAC, repeated the simple but urgent message: “We need a plan, and we need it now.” She noted that if the summer 2021 isn't saved, on the heels of 15 months of travel lockdown, up to 75% of small and medium sized travel and tourism businesses in Canada may fail. “Recovery may be years away,” she said, adding that the federal and provincial governments must work to ensure that there's not a patchwork of 13 diff erent travel policies from the 13 provinces and territories, something that would be “unnecessary and cumbersome.” The Roundtable's message came on the same day the Montreal Canadiens face off against Vegas Golden Knights in Las Vegas for the fi rst game of the semi-fi nals in the Stanley Cup playoff s. “If there can be a plan for NHL teams, why can't there be a plan for the rest of Canadians?” said Potter.
MONTREAL — Air Canada has extended its COVID refund deadline to July 12, 2021. The policy allows eligible customers who purchased a non-refundable ticket before April 13, 2021 for travel on or after Feb. 1, 2020, but who did not fl y for any reason, to submit their request for a refund online or with their travel agent. Air Canada's original refund deadline, June 12, was announced in midApril when the company outlined its fi nancial assistance package from the federal government. The company says that since April 13, 2021, about 40% of eligible customers have requested a refund, and 92% of submitted requests have been processed. "The number of customers who have requested a refund is lower than anticipated and most have kept their travel credit, Air Canada Travel Voucher or Aeroplan points, which we are pleased to see as it is an indication they plan on travelling in the future. We also take this as a vote of confi dence from our customers that they intend to fl y with us on their next trip, and we are looking forward to welcoming them back onboard," said Lucie Guillemette, Air Canada's Executive Vice-President and Chief Commercial Offi cer. Guillemette adds: “For customers
