A Quebec family has been forced to cancel their holiday in Switzerland after one of their members was denied boarding by airline staff who misunderstood health measures.
“Within a few minutes, our three-week trip to Geneva was ruined and we have had no word from Air Transat since,” laments Jean-Pierre Charlebois, who was due to leave with his children Antoine, 20, and twins Ève-Marie and Tristan, 17 .
Originally from Quebec, the family had planned to go to Switzerland. She had to swap her house with that of a Swiss family.
“We lend our car and house here and they lend us their car and house there,” explains Mr Charlebois, who cannot return to his home, now occupied by the Swiss family.
A dream vacation quickly turned into a nightmare at the Montreal airport.
While the father and his two sons have received their three doses of vaccine, young Ève-Marie has only two. The latter had COVID-19 at the end of March 2022, but without an official screening test it is impossible to have proof in the Quebec vaccination card.
“When we checked our bags, one of the staff told my daughter that she couldn’t board because she was missing a dose. But that’s not true,” argues Mr Charlebois, who was due to make a stopover in France.
In fact, children aged 12 to 17 “are not affected by the obligation to take a booster dose and do not have to submit any tests” once they have received their first two doses, we can read on the French government’s website.
Unrelated to
Despite attempts to explain, Mr Charlebois claims he was confronted with a brick wall by staff.
“The only solution we were offered was to buy tickets, but I wouldn’t risk paying another $6,000 not to travel,” he said.
For its part, Air Transat yesterday pointed out to the Journal that it was indeed “a mistake by [leur] walk “.
” We [les] We will contact them to offer them a new reservation or to fully compensate them and apologize for this bad experience,” said Bernard Côté, airline spokesman.
The Charlebois family was able to spend a few days in Gaspésie to enjoy the holidays.
“Fortunately, the family took us in for a few days. But there we have to find another place to end the holiday,” laments Mr Charlebois.
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