Air North, Yukon's Airline waives Change Fees Amongst COVID-19 Outbreak
March 16, 2020
Update: Air North, Yukon's Airline Waives Additional Change and Cancellation Fees In Response To Covid-19 Outbreak
In response to concerns surrounding the COVID-19 outbreak, Air North, Yukon's Airline is giving passengers greater flexibility to modify their travel plans. Air North will provide a one-time $0 fee waiver of applicable cancellation/change fee for travel on all routes. This goodwill policy applies to bookings made before 4 March 2020 for travel until 30 April 2020. Modifications to itineraries must be made at least 24 hours prior to scheduled departure.
Passengers that would like to make adjustments to their bookings are able to do so by managing their booking online. Given the high call volumes, only passengers scheduled to depart in the next 72 hours are requested to contact the Air North call centre at 1-800-661-0407 extension 1. New bookings are subject to availability based on the original fare class purchased. All refunds will be processed as customer credit and will be valid for future flights with a scheduled departure within one year of the original travel date on the cancelled itinerary. Fare difference to rebook is applicable and no refund will be given if the new fare is lower than the original fare purchased.
March 10, 2020
WHITEHORSE, YT – 10 March 2020 – Today Air North, Yukon's Airline announced they will be waiving change fees for travel booked between 10 March and 5 April 2020.
Given the concerns around the novel COVID-19, Air North, Yukon’s Airline is allowing passengers to shift their travel plans without incurring a change fee. This goodwill policy will provide a one-time waive of change fees for travel on all routes, for bookings made between 10 March and 5 April 2020, for travel between 20 March and 15 December 2020. Modifications to itineraries must be made at least 10 days before scheduled travel date.
If passengers would like to make adjustments to their bookings, they must do so by contacting the Air North call centre at 1-800-661-0407 extension 1. New bookings are subject to availability based on the original fare class purchased. No refund will be given if the new fare is lower than the original fare purchased.
The company aims to take a proactive approach to managing the effects of the spread of the virus. “Safety is always our number one priority,” says Chief Commercial Officer, Benjamin Ryan. “For the protection of both our passengers and our employees, we are keeping a very close eye on the situation through regular updates from several relevant governing bodies,” continues Ryan.
The Air North Safety Department is in close communication with all of the airports the company operates out of in order to stay up to date on the steps being taken to ensure passengers’ safety and well-being. The Department sends out regular company-wide memos to disseminate the information provided by the airports. The Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) and Travel Canada are monitored on a daily basis for updates regarding general and travel-related advisories.
Air North also has HEPA filters installed on all its Boeing 737 jets. As per the International Air Transport Association, HEPA filters are over 99% effective at capturing airborne microbes in the filtered air. The filters are being replaced on an ongoing basis as per recommendations from Boeing.
As of 9 March, the risk of infection from the virus in Yukon—and throughout Canada—remains low. Travellers who are returning from abroad are being asked to monitor their health for fever, cough, and difficulty breathing for 14 days after returning to the country and to notify the public health authority in their province or territory if they notice these symptoms. Air North, Yukon’s Airline encourages passengers to remain updated on the situation:
https://www.canada.ca/en/public-health/services/diseases/2019-novel-coronavirus-infection.html
Media inquiries:
Debra Ryan
Manager, Strategic Planning and Alliances
ryand@flyairnorth.com
cell 867-335-1220