Air Canada Vacations has been forced to temporarily suspend operations to over a dozen sun destinations effective Jan. 24, lasting until April 30. However, the tour operator is quick to note that 23 destinations are being maintained and only 7 percent of customers will be impacted.
Affected routes include Antigua, Aruba, Samaná, Curaçao, Exuma, Grenada, Puerto Plata, Santo Domingo, Bermuda, Grand Cayman, Havana, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Saint Martin/Sint Maarten, and Saint Kitts and Nevis.
The tour operator says it will operate one-way flights to repatriate clients out of country when the flights stop and offer refunds to any passengers impacted by the suspension. Clients will be contacted by ACV and be prioritized by travel date.
As for travel retailers, the company is currently contacting agents with affected passengers and stresses “there is no need to call into Air Canada Vacations – your files will be automatically cancelled and… you will receive a confirmation once their refund has been processed (up to six weeks).”
But ACV notes that regular terms and conditions apply to compensation for agents, i.e. “commissions are not protected on files that are cancelled.”
Despite the pandemic-related setback, Air Canada Vacations VP Nino Montagnese is maintaining a sense of perspective, stating in a letter to partners distributed yesterday: “At first glance, 2022 can be mistaken for its predecessor. Omicron ushered in a wave of renewed uncertainty that coincided with the holidays and impacted our industry yet again. But unlike the heavy restrictions that kicked off 2021, this setback is a molehill, not a mountain.”
The ACV exec added, “And this year is nothing like the last. We’re stronger, wiser, and well-prepared to manage the potential effects of COVID-19.”
The Toronto-based exec points to the recent holiday travel period, of which he said, “Despite the confusion created by a new variant, our concerted efforts meant that the vacations of our customers were largely unaffected during the peak holiday period.”
However, he said the resurgence of COVID coupled with new government regulations has combined to reduce demand for some sun destinations, leading to “unavoidable disruptions to Air Canada’s flight schedule” in the upcoming weeks and months.
“The challenges of this new year are not unprecedented,” Montagnese continued, reminding that ACV has introduced assurance measures such as guaranteed refunds to customers whose vacation is cancelled by the company; and the introduction of the CareFlex travel protection plan and COVID-19 coverage offered through Allianz Global Assurance.
“Despite the uncertainty created by a new variant, we’re seeing that people are planning their vacations and following through with them,” concluded Montagnese. “This is a fresh start bolstered by a slew of lessons. We’ve become familiar with the ebbs and flows of the pandemic now. Although we may feel trepidation when our déjà vu is triggered, we should see it instead as a sign of how far we’ve come. Pandemic travel is no longer extraordinary – it’s a reality that we’re well-prepared for.”