Canadian flight prices rising ahead of eased travel restrictions

VANCOUVER (NEWS 130) – As Canada looks to ease travel restrictions in July, industry insiders say demand and prices have already been rising, and will likely continue to do so.

Allison Wallace with Flight Center confirms prices for airline tickets in Canada have been going up over the past couple of weeks. She says announcements such as the one from the federal government on Monday loosening quarantine requirements for fully vaccinated travellers, will lead to price fluctuations.

“As the demand picks up, we’re going to see more flights being scheduled and more inventory. So then you’ll see the price kind of go down again when they’re starting to fill up the planes. And as the planes fill up, you’re going to see those prices rise,” Wallace said.

She says bargain-hunting will likely be better as get closer to full re-opening.

As of July 5 at 11:59 p.m. EDT, fully vaccinated travellers, who are permitted entry into Canada, may be able to forego the 14-day quarantine, including the mandatory stay in a government-approved hotel.

“Our phones have been ringing off the hook for the last couple of weeks,” Wallace said. “There’s the opportunistic travellers who are ready to go as soon as they’re allowed and are anticipating when the U.S. border’s going to open, when the quarantine was going to be lifted. Definitely, a lot of calls. We are very, very busy, which is great to see. But there’s still a lot of details that we’re missing that is still holding several people back from doing the actual booking.”

Related article: Canada easing travel quarantine restrictions for fully vaccinated passengers as of July 5

While she says the industry is excited by the loosening of restrictions, she cautions there will still likely be travel headaches ahead, suggesting the testing and verification for COVID-19 vaccinations is likely going to add a lot of wait time in terminals.

Being fully vaccinated will not automatically ensure someone is exempt from quarantine requirements. Travellers will still be required to have a “suitable quarantine plan, and be prepared to quarantine, in case it is determined at the border that they do not meet the necessary requirements.”

If they are deemed eligible, people who are allowed to enter Canada will not be required to complete a COVID-19 test on their eight day in the country.

As part of the changes, travellers will also be required to disclose their vaccination status. This applies to all people seeking entry into Canada. Information required will include the brand name or any other information that identifies the vaccine they received, if they were inoculated, the dates on which the shots were administered, and how many doses they received.

To be considered for the exemption, the travellers must have received a vaccine currently approved for use in Canada, and must have received all required doses at least 14 days before leaving.

Vaccines currently approved by Health Canada for emergency use are those made by Pfizer-BioNTech, Moderna, AstraZeneca/COVISHIELD, and Janssen.

With files from Hana Mae Nassar

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