Transat Suspending Flights
Transat A.T. Inc. will be gradually suspending Air Transat flights until April 30.
The company said that its decision follows the Canadian government’s announcement that the country is closing its borders to foreign nationals, as well as similar decisions by several other countries where Transat operates.
Sales for departures until April 30 are suspended immediately to and from destinations in Europe and the United States.
Flights will continue for a few more days in order to repatriate Transat customers to their home country. To allow as many repatriations as possible, sales will, however, remain temporarily open in both directions for the following routes:
- Montreal-Paris
- Montreal-Lisbon
- Toronto-London
- Toronto-Lisbon
A date for a full halt to operations will be announced soon. Sales for departures until April 30, 2020 are also suspended immediately to and from the Caribbean and Mexico. Flights will continue for a few more days in order to repatriate Transat customers to Canada.
A MESSAGE TO AGENTS
For domestic flights for departures until April 30, travel agents are encouraged to check our website to ensure that their customers’ flights are operating.
All customers who are unable to travel because their flight is cancelled will receive a credit for future travel, to be used within 24 months of their original travel date.
To our travel agent partners, while these measures may seem drastic, we believe this is the best decision and that these actions are necessary in this current exceptional situation. Please note that no action is required from travel consultants at this time regarding cancelled flights, Transat will be in contact with you to communicate changes and details about each client file.
For passengers in destination, we will take care of repatriating your clients as soon as possible. You may inform your clients that information about their flight to return home will be communicated to them by our Destination Representative team as soon as possible.
For destinations where representative service is not available, please inform your clients to contact the telephone number on their e-docs. The most up to date information can also be found on our website.
Finally, as we will still have a few flights operating in the next days, and you may still have passengers booked to travel, Transat strongly recommends its Canadian travellers to cancel their reservation and not travel to destination.
We ask your help in sharing this recommendation to your customers. If they cancel their travel plans, we will provide them with a credit. If they decide to travel despite being advised otherwise, we cannot ensure their repatriation back home. We greatly appreciate our partners dedication and hard work during this challenging situation.
Transat president and CEO, Jean-Marc Eustache said: “This is an unprecedented situation that is forcing us to briefly suspend all of our flights to contribute to the effort to fight the pandemic, protect our customers and employees and safeguard the company.”
Eustache continued: “We are doing everything we can so that this has as little impact as possible on our employees and customers, whom we are making sure to bring back home.”
TRAVEL AGENT Q&A
My clients have a flight from Canada to the South scheduled before March 21, 2020, is their reservation still valid?
Due to the decrees issued by the Canadian government and various border closures, we strongly discourage them from travelling. To find out which destinations are affected, visit travel.gc.ca. Should your clients cancel, a credit valid for 24 months from the initial travel dates will be applied to their file. Please cancel the file in Sirev or Revnet and the credit will automatically be applied to the file. There is no need to call us.
My clients have a flight from the South to Canada before March 21, 2020, is their reservation still valid?
We continue to operate exclusively to repatriate our customers to their country of origin. If you have not received a cancellation notice, the flight will operate as scheduled. For clients travelling on a package, please refer them to their destination representative who will tell them how to proceed. For air-only clients, an in-destination contact phone number is available on their travel documents. Our website is regularly updated with all information regarding our flight operations and procedures for cancelled flights, including rerouting options for affected customers: https://www.airtransat.com/en-CA/travel-information/coronavirus.
I have clients departing to the South beyond March 21, 2020, is their reservation still valid?
If their departure is scheduled between March 21 and April 30, 2020, you will receive a cancellation notice, a credit valid for 24 months from the original travel dates will be applied to the file. There is no need to call us.
My clients did not show up for their flights in the last few days, what is happening with their reservation?
If you or your client had not cancelled their reservation prior to departure per the flexibility policy, they will not be entitled to the credit.
I cancelled several bookings over the past few days and clients were offered a credit valid until December 31, 2020. Can the credit be extended?
We are extending the credit on file up to 24 months. There is no need to contact us to confirm this. 6. I have clients departing May 1, 2020 and onward, are their reservations still valid? Our intention is to resume our activities on May 1, 2020. However, the situation is out of our control and is changing rapidly. Our website is updated regularly, including all information regarding our flight operations and procedures for cancelled flights, including re-routing options for affected customers: https://www.airtransat.com/en-CA/travel-information/coronavirus.
I have clients departing before April 30 and returning after May 1, 2020 what happens to their reservation?
The entire reservation will be cancelled. The total amount of the reservation will be credited and will be valid for 24 months. It is not necessary to contact us to confirm it. 8.
I have clients currently in the South on an all-inclusive package, what do I have to do?
Please refer your clients to their destination representative who will tell them how to proceed. 9.
My clients’ all-inclusive package has been cancelled, are they entitled to a credit or does it only apply to flights?
The total amount of their reservation will be credited and will be valid for 24 months. It is not necessary to contact us to confirm it. 10.
I have clients who have a land only booking with Transat. What happens to their file?
The total amount of the reservation will be credited and will be valid for 24 months. It is not necessary to contact us to confirm it.
EUROPE & UNITED STATES
Can I make a new reservation for clients for a departure up to April 30, 2020?
We are continuing our activities exclusively to repatriate our clients to their country of origin. It is not possible to make a new reservation for a departure up to April 30, 2020 for most of our destinations. A date for the cessation of operations will be announced shortly.
My clients are in Europe and wish to return to Canada as soon as possible. Your lines are still busy, how can I book my clients on a repatriation flight?
If your clients already hold a ticket with Air Transat, our website is updated regularly with all information regarding our flight operations and procedures for cancelled flights, including rerouting options for affected customers: https://www.airtransat.com/en-CA/travel-information/coronavirus. Changes to return flights are permitted subject to availability. Change fees and additional fare cost are being waived. Please instruct your clients to refer to the in-destination assistance phone number on their travel documents. Ultimately, it is also possible to present themselves at the airport and inquire about availability.
My clients are currently in a destination that you have discontinued, are you arranging for their return home?
We continue to operate exclusively to repatriate our customers to their home countries. We invite you to consult our page dedicated to the coronavirus for the repatriation flight schedule and all the information on our activities: https://www.airtransat.com/en-CA/travel-information/coronavirus. For clients travelling on a package in Costa Del Sol or Algarve, please refer them to their destination representative who will tell them how to proceed. For all other clients, an in-destination contact phone number is available on their travel documents.
I have clients departing May 1, 2020 and onward, is their reservation still valid?
Our intention is to resume our activities on May 1, 2020. However, the situation is out of our control and is evolving rapidly. Our website is updated regularly with all information regarding our flight operations and procedures for cancelled flights, including rerouting options for affected customers: https://www.airtransat.com/en-CA/travel-information/coronavirus.
I have clients who have a land only booking with Transat. What happens to their file?
The total amount of the reservation will be credited and will be valid for 24 months. It is not necessary to contact us to confirm it.
