Spirit is struggling to resume service, Canada reopens to travelers, and an update on the Canada Border Services Agency Union Workers Strike.
Spirit Airlines Meltdown
Spirit Airlines is still trying to recover from more than a week of massive flight cancellations, leaving thousands stranded. According to Spirit these cancellations are caused by a combination of overlapping factors including system outages, weather, and staff shortages.
So why is Spirit Airlines not able to rebound like the major carriers? The answer is simple, size. United, American, and other large airlines fly the same routes multiple times each day. So when there is a disruption they simply shuffle passengers onto later flights. Spirit, on the other hand, might fly a route once a day, or even once a week. So when a disruption occurs, it can have a ripple effect out to other routes. If enough issues occur, then all the domino's start to fall and we see passengers stuck all over the country. Like we’ve been seeing.
Another advantage the large carriers have over Spirit is cross-carrier relationship. For example if an American Airlines flight gets canceled, the passengers might get moved over to a Delta flight. Spirit doesn’t have these relationships, in fact many of the larger carriers don’t peticularly like the smaller, budget carriers like Spirit.
Canada Reopens
Here’s some good news, Canada opened today to U.S. visitors, however Cruise ships are still banned from Canadian waters till the 1st of November. In order to enter Canada you will need to be fully vaccinated for no less than 14 days prior to entering. And you will need to show proof of vaccination. Unvaccinated children under the age of 12 can enter the country with a fully vaccinated parent or guardian. A reminder that using fake documentation is a crime and can lead to hefty fines or even time in jail.
Canada is also requiring a negative COVID test for each visitor, taken no more than 72 hours prior to arrival. There is no quarantine for fully vaccinated visitors, however it is recommended to have a quarantine plan ready incase it’s determined that you don’t meet all the necessary requirements. It’s important to know that you will need to submit COVID information to Canada in advance through the online system ArriveCAN.
Canada Border Services Agency Union Workers Strike
The Canada Border Services Agency Union Workers have ended their Strike on Friday. According to a press release these employees have been fighting for greater parity with other Canadian law enforcement agencies. This new agreement includes better protections against excessive discipline, a new committee to address workplace culture, a paid meal allowance for uniformed members, and a commitment to work towards introducing early retirement benefits.
This Strike would have been disastrous for the reopening of Canada to foreign visitors. But even though there is no strike, or current threat of strike, anyone visiting Canada should expect longer the average delays as Canadian Border Service Agents evaluate each visitor against the updated requirements.