Air Canada Offers Winter Travel Tips

Highlights

• For a one-stop easy self-service travel experience, the best place for information is aircanada.com
• Save time by checking-in online within 24 hours of departure at aircanada.com and on mobile devices
• Stay informed of flight status whether travelling on Air Canada, Air Canada Express or Air Canada rouge at aircanada.com/flightnotification
• Arrive early at the airport and consult recommended check-in and cut off times at aircanada.com/deadlines
• Check size and weight allowance when packing at aircanada.com/carryon as carry-on baggage will be screened and tagged
• Provide contact information including your email address
• Follow @AirCanada on Twitter and join Air Canada on Facebook for latest travel updates

MONTREAL, Dec. 18, 2015 /CNW Telbec/ - The holiday peak travel season is upon us and Air Canada is offering tips to ensure a smooth travel experience on Air Canada, Air Canada Express and Air Canada rouge flights. For the latest operational updates, customers are invited to visit aircanada.com, follow @AirCanada on Twitter and join Air Canada on Facebook, and sign up for specific flight notification alerts. Additional information on what to expect and do in case of flight disruptions is available at aircanada.com/holidaytraveltips. To see how Air Canada prepares for winter, and what is done behind the scenes to get customers on their way safely during weather disruptions, go to aircanada.com/winterreadiness.

Flight status and travel updates online
Operational news is available in the Daily Travel Outlook under the Flights section at the bottom of the home page at aircanada.com. Before leaving for the airport customers should check the status of their flights on aircanada.com, or on an internet-enabled mobile device at mobile.aircanada.com, or by calling the toll free Air Canada flight status line at 1-888-422-7533; TTY (Hearing Impaired): 1-800-361-8071.

Flight notification
Air Canada encourages customers to provide contact information including their email address and phone number so that they can receive flight delay and cancellation information directly on their mobile devices or via e-mail. To register or for more information, simply visit: aircanada.com/flightnotification.

Web and mobile check-in
Air Canada customers can save time by checking-in, selecting/changing their seat and selecting the number of checked baggage within 24 hours of departure time either at aircanada.com or on their mobile devices through mobile.aircanada.com.

Self-service rebooking tool
In the event of flight disruptions that may be caused by bad weather, customers are invited to rebook themselves using Air Canada's self-service rebooking tool available on aircanada.com or their mobile device.

Recommended check-in times
During peak travel days, Air Canada recommends that customers arrive early at the airport to avoid problems associated with holiday congestion. Information on check-in times during the peak holiday travel period are available at: aircanada.com/deadlines.

Valuables, Medications, Car Keys
Customers are reminded to ensure that all their valuables, including electronics, documentation, medication, car keys, money, jewelry, cameras, etc., are with them or in their in carry-on bags and NOT in their checked bags. To facilitate security inspection, customers carrying gifts on board the aircraft should keep them unwrapped. Information on checked baggage allowance is available at: aircanada.com/checked.

Carry-on baggage
The carry-on baggage allowance is one standard article 23cm x 40cm x 55cm weighing a maximum of 10 kg, and one personal article 16cm x 33cm x 43cm weighing a maximum of 10 kg. More information is available at: aircanada.com/carryon. Airport agents will be screening and tagging carry-on baggage and passengers who exceed their allowance will be required to check their carry-on baggage, and additional checked baggage charges may apply.

Small lithium battery-powered vehicles not accepted as checked or carry-on baggage
Air Canada no longer accepts small lithium-battery powered vehicles as checked or carry-on baggage given safety risks associated with the size of the batteries that power them. (These items are commonly referred to as hoverboards, electric skateboards, airwheels, mini-segways and balance wheels). Air Canada Cargo will accept small lithium-battery powered vehicles however they have to meet enhanced and stringent conditions. Customers should check with Air Canada Cargo well in advance for more information aircanada.com/cargo

Please note that mobility aids such as wheelchairs and scooters continue to be accepted in checked baggage.

Personal electronic devices powered by lithium batteries [laptops, ipads, iphones, etc] and spares must be in carry-on baggage.

Strollers
Air Canada recommends the use of small, umbrella type strollers as facilities are not designed to accommodate larger, heavy strollers. Collapsible strollers may be checked at the gate and will be delivered to you at the aircraft door at destination. Details of the stroller policy are available at: aircanada.com/infant-child.

Sporting equipment
Air Canada recommends that customers pre-register their sporting equipment by contacting Air Canada Reservations, Air Canada Vacations or their travel agent up to 24 hours prior to departure. Some sporting equipment is entitled to a waiver of oversize and/or additional piece charges. Details are available at: aircanada.com/excessbaggage.

Skis and snowboards can now be carried for free between certain dates. Details of the new ski policy are available at: aircanada.com/sportsequipment.

External and internal name tags
As external baggage name tags sometimes become detached, Air Canada recommends that passengers place identification INSIDE their bag. A baggage ID template is available at:
aircanada.com/baggageid.

Travelling with children
Parents travelling with children should ensure they have appropriate documents including a birth certificate showing the name of both parents, legal documents pertaining to custody, or a parental consent letter authorizing travel where the child is travelling alone or with only one parent.

Children travelling outside of Canada with one parent may require legal documentation proving the other parent or guardian's consent that the child may leave the country. Consult the Embassy or Consulate of the countries the child will be visiting and the Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade at 1-800-267-8376 to determine if such documentation is necessary.

Information on security measures  
Government regulations stipulate customers can only transport in their carry-on baggage a limited amount of liquid, gel and aerosol items: 100ml/100g (3.4 oz) per article or smaller. Larger containers must be placed in checked baggage.

For more information on security measures, please consult the following official web sites:

• Transport Canada at www.tc.gc.ca 
• Canadian Air Transport Security Agency (CATSA) www.catsa.gc.ca/home
• USA Transportation Security Administration at www.tsa.gov
• British Airports Authorities at www.baa.co.uk

In-Transit Pre-Clearance (ITPC) in Vancouver, Toronto and Montreal
Customers arriving in Vancouver, Montreal and Toronto from an international flight with a connecting flight to the U.S. do not go through Canadian Customs and Immigration. Their checked baggage is automatically transferred to their connecting flight.

Duty-free purchases
Any duty-free items purchased before or during a flight that exceed current Government regulations will be confiscated at security check points unless they are sealed in Security Tamper Evident bags (STEBs). For more information please refer to the Canadian Air Transport Security Agency (CATSA) web-site: catsa.gc.ca/duty-free-purchases.

Travel documentation
All international travel requires a valid passport and in some cases other documentation, such as visas, in order to enter the country of destination and/or for transiting connection countries. Domestic travel requires government-issued photo identification that includes date of birth and gender for all passengers 18 years of age and older. Government regulations require that the name provided in the flight reservation be exactly the same as it appears in the travel documentation.  More information is available at: aircanada.com/traveldocumentation.

Air Canada encourages customers to complete any travel information form ahead of time at aircanada.com.

Travelling to, from, via or over the U.S.
The United States requires that travellers provide additional Secure Flight information at least 72 hours before their flight or at time of booking. Please note that this requirement applies to many international flights which are deemed to over-fly the US. For more information please consult aircanada.com/secureflight

Eligible Air Canada customers can now enjoy the benefits of the U.S. Transportation Security Administration's TSA Pre✓™ program which provides accelerated security screening at most U.S. departure airports by allowing customers to keep shoes, belts and light outerwear on, and laptops and liquids in carry-on baggage. Learn more about TSA Pre✓ and how it applies to Air Canada flights.

SOURCE Air Canada

Isabelle Arthur (Montréal), [phone]; Peter Fitzpatrick (Toronto), [phone]; Angela Mah (Vancouver), [phone]; Internet : aircanada.com