As impatient Canadians seek to travel after two years of pandemic restrictions, one expert says the long wait for renewed passports at airports will be the “new normal” for those going on holiday this summer.
Martin Firestone, president of Travel Secure, a Toronto-based travel insurance broker, told CTV Your Morning on Wednesday that there were simply not enough staff in key areas of airports, such as baggage claim, check-in and security, to cope. with the sudden jump in the passengers.
“Welcome to the new normal. It just seems like the trip is back bigger and better than ever. “Unfortunately, the infrastructure is not where it used to be,” Firestone said. “People now face long queues and risk missing a flight.”
Problems have begun in recent days, and the Canadian Air Safety Authority (CATSA) confirmed to CTV News Toronto on Monday that the agency is experiencing staffing problems.
“With the resumption of air travel, we are seeing simultaneous peaks, which could lead to flooding of passengers at more than one checkpoint at a time, making the redistribution of resources to deal with these numbers of passengers more challenging,” the statement said. CATSA.
Firestone says arriving early at the airport is the best strategy to combat long waiting times as well as to plan ahead.
“You can’t get there early enough. I know he writes two hours domestic, three hours international – I don’t think that’s enough. You just have to be there, sit down, spend time there instead of sitting at home and I’m trying to set it up, because if you miss this flight, this plane isn’t waiting for you, “he said.
In a statement to Your Morning on CTV, the Transport Minister’s Office said it was aware of these problems at airports and was working with CATSA to “adopt additional measures and resources to address delays and staffing problems as soon as possible”.
“Our government acknowledges that as the sector continues to recover, adjustments to maintain normal travel levels continue to be made. We will continue to support the industry and ask passengers to remain patient as we work with CATSA to address this issue, ”the statement read in part.
However, Firestone said he did not hope the problems would be fixed before the summer travel season.
“These are the first two days of May and traditionally there is no busy time and see what happens. You can only imagine what will happen in the summer,” he said. “I think we will still face this problem and all you can do to protect yourself is get [to the airport] very early and when you land, be ready to sit and wait. “
In addition to long queues at airports, many Canadians report long delays and waiting times at passport offices as the federal government works to process thousands more applications over the past year.
As Canadians were advised to avoid all trivial travel during the COVID-19 pandemic, Firestone said people did not check their passports as often as before and unknowingly let documents leak.
Given the long waiting time, Firestone said it’s best not to book a trip until you have a renewed passport in hand.
“Even the payment does not guarantee that you will make an appointment and receive this passport in two days. So this is added to the list of the new normal, which we will call it, “he said.
If the flight is delayed or canceled and the cause is within the control of the airline and is not related to safety, passengers are entitled to a “specific standard for treatment, compensation and re-booking or refund” under Canadian air passenger protection rules. (APPR).
However, if Canadians book an international trip and do not have their passport by the time they leave, Firestone says they will be on the hook to change flights.
“There is no insurance in the world to pay for travel cancellation because you do not have a passport [or] because you’re in a long queue at the security, so you have to be careful and get organized before you travel this year, “he said.
With a file from CTV News Toronto
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