Air Canada, WestJet & Porter Waiving Cancellation Fees in Wake of Travel Ban
In lieu of Donald Trump’s executive order banning nationals holding passports from Iran, Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen from entering or travelling through the U.S., Canada’s three main airlines have implemented a Goodwill Policy of rebooking tickets without penalty or a full refund to affected travellers.
All immigrant and non-immigration visas issued in any of the above passports have also been revoked. Dual citizens holding a Canadian passport as well as one of the aforementioned are currently permitted to travel to or through the U.S. if presenting their Canadian passport. Permanent residents of Canada can also enter the U.S. provided they have a valid Canadian permanent resident card as well as their original passport. Those holding a green card are exempt from the new policy by way of a national interest waiver. The ban has been set to last at least 90 days.
If you have booked your Air Canada, WestJet or Porter Airlines ticket with Flight Centre (including tickets purchased on www.flightcentre.ca) and are impacted by the immediate travel restriction, please contact your Flight Centre booking agent to make any changes or to refund your ticket, before your flight is scheduled to depart.
For those that have booked directly with Air Canada, WestJet or Porter and need to rebook their imminent travel plans or cancel and refund, contact your airline directly. Changes will be processed, free of charge, to another date between now and January 20, 2018, subject to availability in the cabin you originally purchased. In case of upgrades, any fare difference will apply and be collected.
You may also rebook to travel to an alternate destination, in which case, any fare difference would be paid but change fees will also be waived. You may also cancel your trip completely for a full refund or a future travel credit with the airline.
As the situation and policy is fluid and may change, for detailed up-to-date information, please check with Air Canada, WestJet or Porter directly.
Internationally, other airlines have introduced similar policies, waiving change and cancellation fees for those impacted, including British Airways, Turkish Airlines and Virgin Atlantic. If your upcoming travel is with any other airline and you have booked through Flight Centre, please contact your booking agent. If you have booked directly through the airline, please contact them directly.
About the Author
Daniel Nikulin turned his love of travel into a living and has worked for Flight Centre in various capacities since the late 90’s. Currently an in-house copywriter, Daniel uses his industry experience to bridge the gap between travel professional and professional traveller. When he’s not abroad with a pen in hand, he spends his time with his band and cat, Leroy.
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