TORONTO — Airlines including Air Canada, WestJet, Transat, Porter and Sunwing have posted travel alerts and advisories for the latest winter storm to hit parts of Canada and the U.S. – and in some cases for the snowy conditions coming this weekend too.
Toronto’s Pearson International Airport, where several flights were delayed or cancelled, had seen about 26 centimetres of snowfall by the morning. Flights were also cancelled and delayed at the airports in Montreal and Quebec City.
As the storm started to let up in Toronto on Thursday morning, it advanced further into Quebec and the Atlantic provinces. Transport Quebec warned of dangerous road conditions, while many school districts in Ontario and Quebec announced school closures, and schools also closed in much of Atlantic Canada.
AIRLINE UPDATES
As a follow up to alerts issued earlier this week, many airlines have updated their travel alerts for the coming days.
Air Canada has activated its flexible change policy for flights in and out of New York City (JFK, LGA and EWR) as well as Philadelphia and Washington (DCA and IAD) for Feb. 11 and Feb. 12.
Air Canada’s flexible rebooking policy applies to Toronto (YYZ and YTZ), Montreal, Quebec City, Ottawa, Boston and now also Chicago for Feb. 13. For Feb. 14, 15, 16 and 17, the list is Toronto (YYZ and YTZ), Montreal, Quebec City and Ottawa.
More information for Air Canada is here.
WestJet’s change policy is so far in effect for passengers travelling in or out of Toronto, Hamilton, Kitchener / Waterloo, London, Windsor, Montreal and Ottawa Feb. 12 – 16; Moncton and Halifax Feb. 13; and Quebec City Feb. 12 – 13.
WestJet’s details are here.
Air Transat’s travel advisory notes that significant snowfall is expected through Feb. 14. “These challenging weather conditions may disrupt certain flights. We advise passengers to check their flight status regularly, download the mobile app, and allow extra travel time to reach the airport due to road conditions. Rest assured that our teams are fully mobilized to mitigate operational impacts and ensure the safety of all travellers.”
More information for Transat can be found here.
Porter’s alerts for Feb. 13 apply to Boston, Montreal, Ottawa and Toronto (YYZ and YTZ).
More information for Porter is here.
Sunwing Vacations’ travel advisory has been extended to Feb. 14: “Heavy snowfall is expected in Montreal, Ottawa, Quebec City, Toronto, London, Windsor, Moncton and Halifax commencing on February 12, 2025 and is expected to continue into February 14, 2025. Travellers with flight departures during this period are encouraged to sign up for flight alerts and check their flight status before travelling, and should allow plenty of time to arrive at the airport. We are monitoring the weather forecast closely and will do all that we can to minimize disruptions to customers’ travel plans.”
Sunwing Vacations’ post can be found here.
With file from The Canadian Press
