Canadian travelers planning a trip to Mexico are considering whether to stay home
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Canadian airlines are resuming flights from parts of Mexico after violence in the region disrupted service Sunday, but passengers are weighing whether to board them.
Air Canada, WestJet, Air TraNSAT and Porter Airlines resume operations in and out of PuAero Vallarta on Tuesday, while Flair Airlines said it would begin service to the popular resort cityProfit on Wednesday.
glowchild affairs canada said online that There is no new incidentreported as of Monday, but a shelter-in-place warning is still in effect for the western Mexican states of Jalisco and Nayarit. violence sparked by murder Cartel leader Nemesio Oseguera CervantesKnown as “El Mencho” in a military operation over the weekend.
But when asked if Canadians planning to travel to Mexico should cancel their flights, Foreign Minister Anita Anand said on Tuesday That decision shoAlthough the situation seems to be improving, it needs to be taken on a day-to-day basis.
This has left potential Canadian travelers like Cindy Redmile unsure what to do.
She is scheduled to leave from Quesnel, BC, for Cancún, Mexico, with her 18-year-old daughter next week. While Cancún and Puerto Vallarta are on opposite ends of the country, Redmile said he still worries the situation could get worse again.
“I’m still worried because what happened is still fresh,” Redmile said. “I am going with my youngest daughter and her safety is of utmost importance to me.”
Photos | Scenes from Mexico as violence erupted:
Others, like Loretta Prince of Fort St. James, B.C., are not as concerned. She and a friend had booked a week-long trip to Puerto Vallarta with their granddaughters in mid-March to celebrate their graduation from high school and college, and they’re leaving the decision up to the kids.
“I talked to (one of my granddaughters) last night and we both said we’ll wait until Friday to make a decision and see what the climate is like for Puerto Vallarta,” Prince said.
Both Redmile and the Prince have purchased travel insurance which will allow them to re-book their holidays or receive travel credit if they choose to do so.
Insurance may not cover if you cancel
Will McAleer, executive director of the Travel Health Insurance Association of Canada, said that unless travelers buy an insurance policy that allows them to cancel a trip for any reason, they will be stuck with a trip and may not be able to get their money back.
While most airlines are giving customers some flexibility to rebook or cancel their holidays, McClure said that flexibility is only offered for a select number of departures.More dates in the coming days. WestJet For example, people who booked flights to Guadalajara, Puerto Vallarta and Manzanillo by February 27 are being allowed to either rebook or cancel and receive a refund or travel credit, depending on their fare class.
“For those who have holiday plans coming up in March, they will not be covered and you will be subject to any cancellation provisions you would normally see,” he said.
When it comes to insurance, McAleer He said the policies differ, but there are manyIf travelers have to cancel trips due to things like medical emergencies or the government issues travel advisories to avoid all non-essential travel or all travel, refund travelers on their upcoming trips.
Should you still go on that Mexico vacation you’re planning? Travel insurance broker Martin Firestone says it’s a personal choice, but travelers should know how cancellation and interruption insurance works before making a decision.
The Canadian government has warned travelers to avoid non-essential travel to some areas of Mexico, but tourists in popular destinations including Puerto Vallarta, Cancún, Cozumel and Mexico City are being urged to exercise only a high level of caution.
McKenzie McMillan, managing partner of travel agency The Travel Group, said the caution warning is a general warning level. The alert level in Italy currently remains the same Due to the threat of terrorist attacks, which Global Affairs Canada notes have occurred in many European cities in recent years.
While incidents of violence and security scares occurred in several cities across Mexico on Sunday, most of the incidents occurred in Puerto Vallarta. Flights to destinations such as Cancún on the country’s east coast continued normally, which McMillan said should provide some reassurance to people traveling to those parts of the country.
“Things can change, and these days it feels like all bets are off on what could possibly happen to your vacation,” McMillan said. “(But) at this time, we haven’t really seen any issues or any reason why people traveling to those destinations should be concerned.”
McClure said people who have upcoming trips to Mexico should talk to the airline or tour operator they booked with to find out their options.
The Prince of Fort St. James, B.C., has been in touchShe consults her travel agent as well as people she knows to stay updated about the current situationThe owls that are in Puerto Vallarta, okay Now, before you make your decision. But at this point, she said, she’s hopeful the trip will go ahead.d According to plan.
The Prince said, “This is the trip of a lifetime for my granddaughters. And I really don’t want to spoil the celebration that we’re having.” “For me, I’m leaning toward going.”
