With Hurricane Melissa bearing down on parts of the Caribbean, Air Canada Vacations issued a travel advisory late on October 28 activating its hurricane waiver for departures through October 29. The policy covers flights to Kingston and Montego Bay (Jamaica), Varadero and Cayo Coco (Cuba), Providenciales (Turks & Caicos), Nassau (Bahamas) and Bermuda. Affected travellers may change dates without penalty or opt for a future travel credit valid for 12 months.
Canadian leisure and business travellers face potential airport closures—Sangster International in Montego Bay suspended operations until at least noon on October 29—and significant schedule disruptions. WestJet, Porter and Air Transat have issued similar advisories, but Air Canada’s is the most extensive, reflecting its large share of Caribbean winter capacity. Travel-risk consultants urge corporates to verify staff itineraries and ensure duty-of-care communications are in place for employees transiting through the region over the next 72 hours.
Insurers note that once an airline offers no-fee re-booking, many standard trip-cancellation policies may no longer reimburse voluntary cancellations. Companies should review policy wording to avoid unexpected costs. Travellers who accept a future travel credit should log the one-year expiry and track unused vouchers, which became a significant cost-management issue during the COVID-19 pandemic.
From an immigration‐compliance angle, employees on time-sensitive visas (e.g., 90-day work permits for project work) should be monitored: unexpected overstays at destination airports could create status issues if re-entry to Canada is delayed. The Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) has not yet announced blanket leniency, so HR teams may need to liaise with carriers for official proof of disruption when seeking status extensions.
Practical advice: Encourage travellers to register with Global Affairs Canada’s ROCA service and update emergency contact information. Consider rerouting via Panama City or Cancun, where regional hub capacity remains unaffected.
Canadian leisure and business travellers face potential airport closures—Sangster International in Montego Bay suspended operations until at least noon on October 29—and significant schedule disruptions. WestJet, Porter and Air Transat have issued similar advisories, but Air Canada’s is the most extensive, reflecting its large share of Caribbean winter capacity. Travel-risk consultants urge corporates to verify staff itineraries and ensure duty-of-care communications are in place for employees transiting through the region over the next 72 hours.
Insurers note that once an airline offers no-fee re-booking, many standard trip-cancellation policies may no longer reimburse voluntary cancellations. Companies should review policy wording to avoid unexpected costs. Travellers who accept a future travel credit should log the one-year expiry and track unused vouchers, which became a significant cost-management issue during the COVID-19 pandemic.
From an immigration‐compliance angle, employees on time-sensitive visas (e.g., 90-day work permits for project work) should be monitored: unexpected overstays at destination airports could create status issues if re-entry to Canada is delayed. The Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) has not yet announced blanket leniency, so HR teams may need to liaise with carriers for official proof of disruption when seeking status extensions.
Practical advice: Encourage travellers to register with Global Affairs Canada’s ROCA service and update emergency contact information. Consider rerouting via Panama City or Cancun, where regional hub capacity remains unaffected.
