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Traveling/Flights to Canada from India during COVID 19

crackMBA

Hero Member
Mar 2, 2015
897
377
India
The AI Customer care is not confirming if tagging our luggage all the way to Toronto can be done even if we book Air Canada for the next leg. They are saying you will have to talk to Airport Guys (Probably the one on the counters). If the booking is done on a single PNR then its possible. Is that something the ticketing agents can do ?
I saw tickets on goibibo. They are connecting all the repatriation flights. I am not sure how genuine they are. You can call them and confirm.
 

pkhare23

Hero Member
Sep 25, 2019
411
265
My husband and I have a valid B1 visa for US, but the US embassy in India told us we will not be allowed to transit through US to Canada. I called them yesterday.
Thanks for the update... the only options remaining are EU transit / wait for AI to start direct flights to Canada
 

navyasri99

Member
Jul 4, 2018
14
12
Thanks for the update... the only options remaining are EU transit / wait for AI to start direct flights to Canada
Yes! The flights via Paris are not feasible as reasonably priced tickets to Toronto don't exist after 6pm and Air India flight lands at 6.55pm.

Did anyone manage tickets to London? I cant find them on any website. Travel agents must have booked them already
 

pkhare23

Hero Member
Sep 25, 2019
411
265
Yes! The flights via Paris are not feasible as reasonably priced tickets to Toronto don't exist after 6pm and Air India flight lands at 6.55pm.

Did anyone manage tickets to London? I cant find them on any website. Travel agents must have booked them already
One of my friends checked the flights to London this morning on AI website... there were few available from Mumbai on 26th July and rest from Delhi. You can also try Frankfurt.
 

crackMBA

Hero Member
Mar 2, 2015
897
377
India
My husband and I have a valid B1 visa for US, but the US embassy in India told us we will not be allowed to transit through US to Canada. I called them yesterday.
I think you can. If there is no ban on B1 Visa, you can surely buy 2 separate tickets with sufficient halt time in USA (for collecting the luggage and immigration).
They may have said no to you becasue as of now Canada and USA both are discouraging unwanted travel (although people are still travelling.)
 
Last edited:

akb21

Full Member
Feb 6, 2020
43
48
Toronto
Yes as per French Embassy, a COPR is considered as a valid visa to transit :) This also applies if you are transiting through Frankfurt for Toronto :)
Under normal circumstances, any Canadian visa can be used for transit but not for repatriation flights. They clearly mention such visas as prohibited unless immediate family. Also, airline will only check in luggage all the way through for codeshare flights. Airlines within same network wont. For transiting through Paris with separate tickets, passengers will need transit or schengen visa as they have to go through immigration and recheck-in their baggage.

https://www.airfrance.in/IN/en/local/resainfovol/meilleuresoffres/travelrestrictions.htm?_ga=2.96023516.1959099828.1595328651-1835185741.1595328651
 

SithLord

VIP Member
Aug 18, 2017
6,873
5,135
Under normal circumstances, any Canadian visa can be used for transit but not for repatriation flights. They clearly mention such visas as prohibited unless immediate family. Also, airline will only check in luggage all the way through for codeshare flights. Airlines within same network wont. For transiting through Paris with separate tickets, passengers will need transit or schengen visa as they have to go through immigration and recheck-in their baggage.

https://www.airfrance.in/IN/en/local/resainfovol/meilleuresoffres/travelrestrictions.htm?_ga=2.96023516.1959099828.1595328651-1835185741.1595328651
Yes you can't board the Air France flights. Thats already been made clear.
 
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pumpkin_latte

Hero Member
Oct 17, 2019
410
406
Toronto
Category........
FSW
I am not denying your opinion @SithLord but as far as I have experienced if you have separate tickets you need to exit the airport and check in again does not matter even if its under same alliance. Airlines or air port authorities may be lenient during Covid times (as I have read 1 person doing it via London) but its better not to take risk unless we are sure.
This is what my friend told me that he hates about India: the sheer clusterduck of contrasting information. Nobody is on the same page about the travel updates. Everybody follows different orders, kowtows to different authorities. It's no longer paranoia-- you would be wise to take print outs of emails, official communiques, government dossiers, Scam India's rules and regulations PDF, Twitter screenshots etc., so that you can prove to the airport entrance chap that you are allowed to enter the premises to fly out, then to the baggage wala guy to check your baggage all the way to final Canadian destination, then the boarding area fellow that you are legally allowed to fly.

I would rather my COPR expire In September, and wait for normal flights to resume in their weakened capacity than attempt all this juggernaut business of multiple flights, transits etc. Bhai, so many places to go wrong. Then if we are stuck in some place In Europe, nobody can help us. Meanwhile our baggage will be blown up by airport security in Vancouver as a security measure because it's been spinning around on the conveyor for a whole day and nobody has claimed it.
 

nt13

Hero Member
Sep 1, 2017
206
209
This is the response I got from German Embassy :

Dear Sir/Madam,



US/CAN citizens and holders of a residence permit or national visa (e.g. Green card) are exempted from the need of an A-Transit Visa. Therefore you could travel to Toronto via Frankfurt if you don’t leave the international transit area and have your luggage checked through till Toronto. You have to proof to the airline that the Canadian authorities will let you enter Canada. Proof of onward ticket is of course required. Please also check with your airline if your luggage will be checked through and if you can stay in the international transit area while changing planes. If this is not possible we can only give you the advice not to travel. Kindly note that a maximum stay in the international transit area is allowed for 24 hours.

Please have a look at the website of the German Federal Ministry of the Interior, also https://www.bmi.bund.de/SharedDocs/faqs/EN/topics/civil-protection/coronavirus/coronavirus-faqs.html



We understand, that the requirements for being eligible for the Indian repatriation flights can be stricter than the entry regulations of the European countries of residence. German Embassy has no influence on the decisions of the Indian government or the airline about who will be allowed to board the flights
.
This is very encouraging. Is this a reply you have received??
 

nt13

Hero Member
Sep 1, 2017
206
209
Yes I had explained them my situation regarding the 15hr layover and connecting flight to Toronto and this is what they replied.
I am planning on the same lines for August end. Haven't booked anything though.
Have you booked via Frankfurt / Paris??
 
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mr1989

Full Member
Dec 23, 2019
48
26
I am planning on the same lines for August end. Haven't booked anything though.
Have you booked via Frankfurt / Paris??
Nope not yet still trying to find out as much information as possible. I am planning the same for 1st week of August is at all possible.
 
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