Holiday travel plans? Here's how to navigate rapidly changing rules

Rapidly changing travel restrictions in response to the omicron variant have disrupted holiday travel for many, but Ontario's industry regulator says there are concrete steps consumers can take to safely navigate shifting rules.

Purchasing travel insurance, carefully reading the booking terms and conditions, and working with a registered travel agent are among the top recommendations for Canadians flying over the holidays, according to the Travel Industry Council of Ontario.

"Be as informed as possible," said the council's president and CEO Richard Smart. "Because rules are changing all the time."

The council is an independent not-for-profit that regulates consumer protection for Ontario's travel industry. It is financed through registration fees paid by travel agencies and wholesalers.

Since border restrictions started loosening in the summer, Smart said "pent up" consumer demand has led to an increase in bookings through the holiday season and into 2022. Evolving border rules in response to the omicron variant have introduced uncertainty for those who have purchased or are looking to purchase holiday flights.

Smart said travel insurance is one way to reduce the risk, but credit card or group insurance offered through an employer may not be enough. Instead, travellers should explore both trip cancellation and interruption insurance as well as out-of-province medical insurance.

Any extra rules or fees must be disclosed to consumers before their purchase, Smart added, so reading through the terms and conditions carefully helps prevent surprise fees.

Travel agents contend with evolving rules

The key for navigating changing rules, Smart said, is booking through a travel agent.

"Our recommendation to any consumers we interact with," he said, "is to work with your travel agency or your travel agent."

Agencies are required to decipher changing laws and communicate them to buyers, per the travel council rules. Some agents told CBC Ottawa government communication has made the job more difficult.

"It's frustrating enough with the pandemic, and then they make up these last-minute policies. They really should know what they're doing before they release it to the world," said Willy Lee, owner and manager of Ottawa-based travel agency Can Air World Travel Inc.

"The government really should be more [...] forthcoming."

Nicolas Nasrallah, a manager at Ottawa-based travel agency Phoenicia Travel, said he relies heavily on daily updates from the International Air Travel Association and the airlines.

"When you're selling a ticket to your client, you have to do the homework at the same time," he said.

Travel documentation 'critical'

For people who have already booked a trip in the coming months, Smart said appropriate travel documentation and the ArriveCan app are important.

"Travel documentation required by destination vary. ... You may need to have certain proof of inoculations and vaccines in addition to COVID," he said. "So travel documentation is critical."

All travellers into Canada must upload proof of vaccination to the ArriveCan app.

Smart said steps like booking through a travel agent and double-checking travel documentation will help prepare travellers for any further changes to border rules as the holidays approach.

"The only constant is change itself. And I expect that there will be more changes in the days and weeks ahead," he said. "So be informed, be informed, be informed."