Alberta travellers, WestJet react to new variant-fuelled travel advisory
CBC
Calgarian Dave Todd and his wife Barb were preparing for their Sunday flight to Miami, the first stop to their Caribbean cruise, when the federal government announced it was renewing its international travel advisory.
Under the advisory, announced Wednesday, Canadians are being asked to avoid all non-essential travel outside the country as the highly transmissible Omicron variant spreads worldwide.
At the time, the 79-year-old couple only had four days to research the variant and decide whether to still make their trip, totalling $27,000.
"We had a pretty restless night trying to make a decision," said Todd. "Both of us were awake early and decided to cancel."
But when they went to cancel, the Todds were told they couldn't get a refund on their cruise or their travel insurance.
Now, the couple is leaving for their Sunday flight as originally planned.
"It's been a bit of a roller-coaster. You know, we just don't leave that kind of money on the table."
Some Albertans say they're uncertain about what the federal travel advisory means for their upcoming travel plans, with others still eager to leave for their planned trips for the holidays.
The same international travel advisory was in place for most of the COVID-19 pandemic but was quietly lifted in October.
That's why this new advisory doesn't change much for travellers, according to Lesley Paull, president and general manager of Paull Travel in Edmonton.
"I think everybody should remember we've been this way for 18 months. It's not any different," said Paull.
As of Thursday, 119 cases of the Omicron variant have been identified in Alberta.
"To those who were planning to travel, I say very clearly — now is not the time to travel. The rapid spread of the Omicron variant on a global scale makes us fear the worst," Canada's Health Minister Jean-Yves Duclos said.
The Calgary International Airport says up to 35,000 passengers travel through the airport per day during the Christmas holidays, otherwise known as their busiest time of year for air travel.
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