Travel to Canada

A snowHead

Flying through Calgary on Saturday 18th. Guess I'm going to have to accept a couple of days quarantine.

A snowHead

Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?

We are taking the view that it may get cancelled anyway ... but planning on going as otherwise we may never go skiing again ...we are trying to live with it.. but governments are putting costs in our way... no matter how many jabs or how many times I've had covid ..but heyho ..

You need to Login to know who's really who.

Air Canada etc gave full refunds, eventually, from the 19-20 season when Covid closed everything down.

Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.

We're booked to go to Tignes for four weeks. We will try for Banff again next year.

You'll need to Register first of course.

We aren't due to go to Whistler until March: by then the situation may be clearer. Our accommodation is essentially paid for by having been carried over from 2020. The flights will be paid for by a BA voucher for our cancelled flights in 2020 (If BA ever get around to telling me how I use this). If everything gets worse, then we may have to cancel/postpone for another year. On the other hand, it may turn out that the Omicron variant is more manageable than feared.

I guess we'll see.....

Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...

Agree that by March things are likely to be much clearer - either Omicron turns out to be a disaster, in which case the chances of any ski resort still being open will be virtually zero, or it;s a damp squib, in which case most of this extra theatre will likely have been removed

TBH, I'm quite happy for the border to close behind me on the 11th Jan as I exit YVR (with apologies to everyone travelling soon after me)

After all it is free

I’m going on the idea that I’m going unless Crystal Ski decides to halt holidays to Canadian ski resorts and a lot can and will change over the next month, hopefully for the better of course.

@Saintsman, be careful what you wish for , if the borders close the resorts might not be far behind them !!
Have been in whistler/ squamish last two years when they’ve closed at short notice , kinda sucks for all concerned

*Ski* the Net with snowHeads

I was being slightly facetious to be fair

snowHeads are a friendly bunch.

A real world reposrt of someone flying into YVR:

Thought to share in case this is useful to others making similar journeys — arrived in Vancouver last night from Denver on United but my 14 day travel history included non-US/Canada countries. We landed behind a flight from Mexico. Based on comments from the Mexico flight passengers, it seems that testing was not 100%.

1. I filled up ArriveCan but it appeared to be only checked by the airline and not at the border (I did not have to show the app or receipt) It is possible that it is linked on the back end to the receipt that the customs declaration kiosks print out since the CBSA officer told me that “based on your ArriveCan application you have been selected for random testing”.

2. The random testing determination is done after the kiosks when speaking to a CBSA officer. I was selected and the officer wrote a T on my kiosk slip and gave me a sheet of paper explaining what I had to do. The paper does not specifically instruct you to self-isolate/quarantine until results are out, but there is a line in the summary table “understanding your test results” which states that “You may exit quarantine only if you receive a negative test result AND do not have COVID-19 symptoms. I self-isolated anyway in an abundance of caution.

3. Upon exiting baggage claim (where customs officers used to stand), travelers were sorted into two lanes depending on whether one had to test. It appeared that travelers were being sorted by whether there is a “T” on their kiosk slip.

4. If one had to test, there was then a long line for registration where the transfer counters used to be (this is post-customs). It was a madhouse last night and a single line despite many having pre-registered. The YVR greeters were generally clueless and admitted as much. There were designated counters for pre-registered travelers so one should try and insist on standing in the queue for those instead of joining the snaking line (I was told by one greeter to use this line, but other greeters told other passengers conflicting information. Greeters were also using this line for transfer passengers). It takes a good amount of time to register each party so the line of 100+ pax would have easily taken 2+ hours with 2-3 counters in operation. It would be helpful to print the registration confirmation, as many could easily have “pre-registered” on their mobile phones while in line to escape the long line.

5. Having registered, one then proceeds to testing proper, which is relatively painless and in the area where the meet and green seats used to be. There is another short line for this, though not onerous since the bottleneck was really at registration. Oral and nasal swab.

6. While the test results are expected to take 24 to 72 hours, I was told by the LifeLabs people at YVR that it will likely be turned around overnight (this was a 9.40pm arrival). I received by results around 11.30am. Various LifeLabs reps have told me that as long as you test onsite at YVR, results will be back within 24 hours. The 72 hour upper bound may be for those take home kits.

snow reports

Hopefully a bit smoother after xmas...assuming they dont shut the boarders by then

Well I definitely want to be tested at the airport then and registering for the test beforehand seems the way forward!

Receiving the results the next day means no skiing on the first day, could be worse!

You know it makes sense.

Thanks - sounds right, as expected, but good to know.
I shall be there in a couple of days to confirm if it's smoother by then.
Snowboards are always slow there, so I shall be at the back of the test line, no doubt.

I wonder how one becomes a "pre-registered traveller", exactly?

Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:

Yeah, pre registering and taking one at the airport is much preferable to a take home test. Will be driving in Calgary this Saturday 18th and would be keen on pre booking if that’s the case.

Although I guess there’s a chance if not being selected at all?

A snowHead

To Vancouver, if you're on the AC flight you land at 16:00 (ish). BA gets in around 19:00. Based on the timelines above, especially for AC, you'll be skiing on day 1. You just won't be able to sort out your rentals, ticket collection etc, the night before.

A snowHead

Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?

I’m strongly expecting that Canada will require that booster jab within a few weeks, glad I’m getting mine a week on Thursday!

@philwig, I asked YVR on Twitter and they said you can do it on the ArriveCAN app, trouble is, you can’t do much with it until 72 hours before travel! Laughing

You need to Login to know who's really who.

Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.

@RichardB,
I'm expecting they won't. Though they are rolling out, mostly we are not due to even get boosters until next year and the government don't seem in a hurry

You'll need to Register first of course.

We are arriving in Vancouver then getting a connecting flight to Calgary. According to Crystal our tests will take place in Calgary, so hopefully we'll be looking at a 24 hour turnaround too.

Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...

I think the booster as a requirement for entry is a ways off at the moment, seeing as boosters are still only "strongly recommended" in Canada and aren't part of the mainstream vaccination campaign. They need to work out first what the their timelines will be, which manufacturer would be an approved booster, etc

After all it is free

Aye, and that, I can confirm, is 72 hours before arrival, not departure wink

The airline document upload thing has the same time restriction on it.

Thanks though - I shall look for it in the App.
Booster - I stood in line for mine the other day.

---
They do now and then stuff up transfer of bags. Which is why my boots travel in my hand baggage.
I'm transferring to YKA a day later, I put a 24 hour buffer in there for extra flexibility because of all this.

Oh yeah, boots in hand luggage even if I'm not transferring. Skiis and clothing is cheap and easy to replace/rent, getting boots replaced is a whole day minimum to get sorted

*Ski* the Net with snowHeads

snowHeads are a friendly bunch.

snow reports

How are they making sure you quarantine in your hotel following transfer from the airport. Do they have covid police down Banff Avenue?

Random Covid officers

You know it makes sense.

My son has a mid jan flight booked prior to the announcements with a 2hr connection in Vancouver and onward flight to Kelowna. Anyone know how he will be affected? Tests and quarantine at Vancouver or at Kelowna. Clearly if it is Vancouver it would scupper his connection. As it stands now......*edit* read the initial link and got the answer

Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:

A snowHead

A snowHead

I have tried to pre-register with Switch Health for arrivals testing, however, one of the mandatory fields is a US/Canadian mobile number.
Has anyone managed to register with Switch Health without a US/Canadian mobile number?

Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?

You need to Login to know who's really who.

Anyone else travelling to Vancover on the 12th jan ??? ..might be worth sharing info as we get closer the date ???!!??
We have a 3 night stop over in van before going upto whistler

Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.

4 days until I fly to Calgary. Squeeky bum time hoping Canada don't announce new measures/restrictions...

You'll need to Register first of course.

Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...

For arrivals into BC - BC is using LifeLabs, NOT Switch.

You can pre-register for arrivals testing WITHOUT an USA/Canadian phone number here - https://lifelabs.com/covid-19-updates/?myProvince=on

This is purely for arrivals testing at Vancouver, Victoria, Abbotsford, Kelowna, Saskatoon, and Regina. If you;re arriving somewhere else, I have no idea

After all it is free

@yorkshirelad, my son is so yes will be helpful to try and share any tips (via me as he probably won't use SH.....) but he is transiting on to Kelowna so trying to work out his quarantine plan and where his testing will be! Double vaccinated and boosted but was planning to spend 2 nights in Kelowna before moving up to resort

flying to yvr on thursday on the way to whistler... wish me [us] luck. I will update on the experience after i go through it.

hoping it is better than the family we were supposed to travel with - one of their children tested positive yesterday, bang goes the christmas trip.

*Ski* the Net with snowHeads

Help!!

Travel to Canada

snowHeads Forum Index >>> The Piste