Please help with airline info, anyone!

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Gnu said:
JT didn't forget people abroad, he told them to come back now not on April 15th.
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You misunderstood him. He's been in India for months, since before the COVID-19 crisis and his return ticket was booked for April 15th. He didn't just buy the ticket now. It was bought last year.

He's trying to get back now (well, two weeks ago) when the borders started closing, and not April 15th.
 
Gnu said:
JT didn't forget people abroad, he told them to come back now not on April 15th.
Click to expand...

If you merge the OP's whole story with the video in post 38 the problem becomes clear. Long flights require stop overs and countries change their rules regarding entries and transits while at the same time the airlines cancel and modify flights. It is almost impossible to guarantee anything.
 
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nobbie48 said:
If you merge the OP's whole story with the video in post 38 the problem becomes clear. Long flights require stop overs and countries change their rules regarding entries and transits while at the same time the airlines cancel and modify flights it is almost impossible to guarantee anything.
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Friends of the in-laws are on the Zaandam. I'd much rather be in India.
 
hope that phone is waterproof and the google results populate faster than that shark can swim.
 
Thank you for understanding and clarifying :-)
Fact is this trip to India was planned and paid for much before the COVID-19 pandemic.
April 15th was the prior scheduled return date, timed to be home for the riding season.
The pandemic threw a wrench into the works and I am stuck here but give thanks that at least I am healthy.


"Envoyé de mon Android Phone en utilisant Tapatalk"
 
Breaking news, just received a tweet from the HC of Canada in India that Consular Services are arranging repatriation flights from Mumbai and Delhi.
This actually raises a dilemma because
(a) the COVID-19 pandemic is on the rise in India
(b) there is no word if there will be a pre-boarding health check and by this I mean a swab test, not just a questionaire or temperature check.
(c) if I am a 'silent' carrier of the virus, then 300 others are exposed to a certain health risk as all of us will be in a confined space for 14 hours, the estimated flight time and vice-versa

Quoting that lyric, "should I stay or should I go"?

Help me out with your take on a 'go/no-go' decision.
Thank you Friends!

"Envoyé de mon Android Phone en utilisant Tapatalk"
 
Get to whichever place in which you trust the health-care system more. I know what I'd do, but I have no direct experience or even observation of the Indian health-care system.

If you can get your hands on a N95 face mask, wear that for the duration of your time in the airport and airplane. And wash your hands before you get on the plane and after you get off the plane. I'd try to stay put on the plane (try to avoid using the washroom on the plane).

There is currently no fast-turn-around "swab test". The ensuing lab test takes hours if not days to get results. I understand that a test with about a 15-minute turn-around has just been approved, but there is no way that test is going to be out in the field (and in India) by the time your flight (hopefully) gets you out of there. So, there won't be a "swab test". At most, they'll be checking your temperature (to see if you have a fever) and watching for coughing.

Try not to get infected in the meantime. Stay out of contact with people as much as possible. (Same as we're all doing here).

After you are in Canada, you will require self-isolation for 14 days anyhow.

Best of luck with this. We are all in this together. Take care.
 
Chris-CJ said:
Breaking news, just received a tweet from the HC of Canada in India that Consular Services are arranging repatriation flights from Mumbai and Delhi.
This actually raises a dilemma because
(a) the COVID-19 pandemic is on the rise in India
(b) there is no word if there will be a pre-boarding health check and by this I mean a swab test, not just a questionaire or temperature check.
(c) if I am a 'silent' carrier of the virus, then 300 others are exposed to a certain health risk as all of us will be in a confined space for 14 hours, the estimated flight time and vice-versa

Quoting that lyric, "should I stay or should I go"?

Help me out with your take on a 'go/no-go' decision.
Thank you Friends!

"Envoyé de mon Android Phone en utilisant Tapatalk"
Click to expand...
a) same as everywhere else
b) highly doubt they will be swabbing people with rapid results. Everywhere in the world right now seems they are talking about such a test, but I haven't seen any in widespread use.
c)It is reasonable to assume that you will be exposed (hopefully they provide masks to everybody). Most of the repatriation flights are not being officially quarantined (the first planes with cruise ship passengers went to trenton, the rest let you go home and self-isolate). When you get home, strip clothes into laundry, have a shower and relax. Remember your car may have virus hanging out for a bit, but it should be long gone by the time you are allowed to leave your house again.

I would probably try to get back to Canada. I know what the health care system is here, how to navigate it and I have support from others should I need it. In Mumbai, I know nothing about the health care system, don't know if I would have trouble accessing it as a foreigner or someone without lots of spending money, don't know how long I will be unable to return (causing issues with any medical issue as your travel insurance will run out), etc.

Only you know the situation well enough to come up with the right answer for you. Good luck
 
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Chris-CJ said:
Breaking news, just received a tweet from the HC of Canada in India that Consular Services are arranging repatriation flights from Mumbai and Delhi.
This actually raises a dilemma because
(a) the COVID-19 pandemic is on the rise in India
(b) there is no word if there will be a pre-boarding health check and by this I mean a swab test, not just a questionaire or temperature check.
(c) if I am a 'silent' carrier of the virus, then 300 others are exposed to a certain health risk as all of us will be in a confined space for 14 hours, the estimated flight time and vice-versa

Quoting that lyric, "should I stay or should I go"?

Help me out with your take on a 'go/no-go' decision.
Thank you Friends!

"Envoyé de mon Android Phone en utilisant Tapatalk"
Click to expand...

No fever no worry. The only active screen they can do is a thermometer scan. As mentioned above there’s no rapid test for COVID.

You are all quarantined anyway after the flight as the assumption is that you are infected. Arrange for groceries now.
 
Get on that plane no matter what.
There is no swab test that will give instant results. I've been waiting 4 days in BC and am in an apartment for quarantine until I get the results, or 10 more days pass and I can fly home.
Try and get your hands on some latex / rubber gloves and a mask. Ideally N95, but if you can only get a fabric mask it's better than nothing.
Also, and this one's important, AC has stopped providing food on basically ALL of their flights. So make sure you bring food onto the plane for yourself and your wife.
But make sure you are on that flight. I'm sure India's good....but you want to be here if you need it.
 
Universal health care in India is rudimentary and quality of treatment is proportionate to the size of your wallet. OHIP is a world apart, so the decision to return is a no brainer.
Grateful for all your travel tips and am waiting for info from the consular office on the next steps.
They have confirmed that there will be a temperature check and questions prior to boarding and at the Heathrow stopover.
Am still waiting for word on the cost of the flight and hopefully it is not too pricey.
Now to figure out how to get to Mumbai airport (all transport is stopped here) and then once at YYZ, how to get from there to 'Sauga.

THANK YOU, your advice means a lot!

"Envoyé de mon Android Phone en utilisant Tapatalk"
 
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Chris-CJ said:
Universal health care in India is rudimentary and quality of treatment is proportionate to the size of your wallet. OHIP is a world apart, so the decision to return is a no brainer.
Grateful for all your travel tips and am waiting for info from the consular office on the next steps.
They have confirmed that there will be a temperature check and questions prior to boarding and at the Heathrow stopover.
Am still waiting for word on the cost of the flight and hopefully it is not too pricey.
Now to figure out how to get to Mumbai airport (all transport is stopped here) and then once at YYZ, how to get from there to 'Sauga.

THANK YOU, your advice means a lot!

"Envoyé de mon Android Phone en utilisant Tapatalk"
Click to expand...
Remember that there's a program that just came out where people can qualify for up to a 5k loan from the government to get home. Make sure you look into it if needed.
 
Chris-CJ said:
and then once at YYZ, how to get from there to 'Sauga.

THANK YOU, your advice means a lot!

"Envoyé de mon Android Phone en utilisant Tapatalk"
Click to expand...
To avoid someone getting locked in quarantine with you, the recommended (required?) approach is someone drops a car for you at the airport. You hop in and drive home (after an exhausting 24 hour flight, drive safe). Hopefully whoever dropped off you car also stocked your house with two weeks of food. If you dont have a car (or friend that can give you a car for a week or two), you might be able to get a two week rental at the airport? Not ideal for so many reasons though. I guess last resort is airport limo, not sure what restrictions/cleaning fees they are tacking on right now.

You are not allowed to go to a store until your 14 days are up. If you cannot find someone to stock your house, you can get grocery delivery. This will be complicated as most services have four to seven day lead time right now as they are not scaled for this many requests.

In short, the easiest and safest solution is you get someone to help and coordinate transportation and food on this end. Doing it from Mumbai will be tiring at best.
 
a travel forum I’m on seemed to suggest there are “special” taxis available to take people home but I have no idea how true that is. Send Pearson a tweet....they are reasonably good at responding and yours would be quite important to answer since you’re a possible/more probable risk
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