The Office recognizes, among other things, travel advisories posted on the website of Global Affairs Canada, which recommends avoiding all travel or all non-essential travel. This includes:

• the official travel advisories, posted on March 13, 2020 and December 15, 2021, which recommended avoiding all non-essential travel outside of Canada;
• the advisory from the Public Health Agency of Canada, issued on March 9, 2020, which recommended that Canadians avoid all cruise ship travel.

The Compensation Fund for Customers of Travel Agents is a financial protection that is available to customers of travel agents who hold a Québec licence, if all of the eligibility conditions have been met.

In the context of COVID-19, for example, the Canadian government has issued official advisories recommending people avoid all travel or all non-essential travel. In order for your situation to be eligible for a reimbursement by the Fund on this basis, it must, among other things, meet the following conditions:

• your destination is the subject of an official travel advisory issued by a Canadian public authority;
• the trip was purchased when there were no travel advisories in connection with COVID-19 that recommended avoiding all travel or non-essential travel; and
• the travel advisory is still in effect 72 hours before your departure.

If the carrier does not reimburse you, you can ask the Fund to reimburse reasonable fees paid to purchase another plane ticket.

If the carrier reimburses the cost of your initial ticket, the Fund could then reimburse the reasonable surplus you have had to pay to get back into the country.

In either of these cases, the Fund could also reimburse you for reasonable amounts paid for accommodations and meals, up to a maximum of $210 per day, per person.

Yes, you could receive a full reimbursement of the tourism services paid to the travel agent, which could include flights, overnight stays at a hotel, etc., as long as:

• the cruise is the main subject of the contract;
• you purchased your package before the Canadian government’s travel advisory recommending to avoid all cruise ship travel was issued; and
• this travel advisory is still in effect 72 hours before your departure.

If you decide to cancel your trip now, and a travel advisory is still in effect 72 hours before your scheduled departure date, you could be reimbursed by the Fund. For example, you could claim the amount you had to pay as compensation to cancel your trip. However, if there is no advisory in effect 72 hours or less before your scheduled departure date, you will not be eligible for a reimbursement from the Fund on that basis.

No. Given that an official advisory from the Canadian government was in effect when you purchased your trip, you cannot be reimbursed by the Fund on that basis.

However, other situations are covered by the Fund. You could therefore be eligible for a reimbursement on a basis other than those described above.

You can:

• check with all of your tourism service providers (air carrier, hotel operator, cruise line, etc.) to find out about their cancellation terms. You may be able to cancel without having to pay any fees, or you may have to pay compensation to cancel;
• contact your insurer to check whether you have trip cancellation insurance. This insurance may be with a credit card, a group or individual insurance policy, etc.

In the case of cancelled services you paid with a credit card, you can refer to the page titled Credit Card Purchases for details about another applicable recourse option.

It is not illegal for a travel agency or tourism service providers to propose various solutions to customers whose trips have been cancelled. It may be to your advantage to accept such a proposal if it suits you, as it provides you with quick compensation while simplifying the procedure. However, you may be tempted to reject the proposal if the credit comes with restrictive conditions, such as an expiry date or a penalty.

If you are satisfied with the credit you are offered and you accept it, you will be deemed to have been reimbursed. These amounts will therefore not be reimbursed by the Fund. If you refuse the credit, you may be eligible for a reimbursement by the Fund.

You can contact the office either:

• in writing, via our online form; or
• by telephone, at 1-888-999-4965.

Please indicate your claim file number in your written request or have it on hand when you make your call.

To submit additional documents to an existing claim file, you must use the Secure Document Submission service or send your documents by mail to the following address:

Office de la protection du consommateur
Direction des permis et de l’indemnisation
400, boulevard Jean-Lesage, bureau 450
Québec (Québec)  G1K 8W4

Please indicate your claim file number.

To change your contact information, you can contact the Office either:

• in writing, via our online form. Select “Other consumer subject” from the drop-down menu; or
• by mail, at the following address:
  
  Office de la protection du consommateur
  Direction des permis et de l’indemnisation
  400, boulevard Jean-Lesage, bureau 450
  Québec (Québec)  G1K 8W4

Please indicate your claim file number.

Contact the Office right away if you are in any of the following situations:

• You have received a reimbursement or compensation for all of the amounts claimed from the Fund through other means.
• You have used one or more travel credits the total value of which is equal to that of your claim.
• You have decided to cancel your claim with the Fund.

You can contact us either:

• in writing, via our online form. Select “Other consumer subject” from the drop-down menu; or
• by mail at the following address:
  
  Office de la protection du consommateur
  Direction des permis et de l’indemnisation
  400, boulevard Jean-Lesage, bureau 450
  Québec (Québec)  G1K 8W4

Please indicate your claim file number. A cancellation confirmation will then be sent to the email address indicated in your file.

Contact the Office right away if you are in any of the following situations:

• You receive a reimbursement or compensation for a portion of the amounts claimed from the Fund.
• You are using one or more travel credits the total value of which corresponds to a portion of your claim.

Send your proof of reimbursement, if possible, either by:

• using the Secure Document Submission service; or
• writing to:
  
  Office de la protection du consommateur
  Direction des permis et de l’indemnisation
  400, boulevard Jean-Lesage, bureau 450
  Québec (Québec)  G1K 8W4

Please indicate your claim file number. Your claim with the Fund will be maintained for the portion that has not been reimbursed.

You must notify the Office as soon as possible if you have been reimbursed or compensated by the Fund, and subsequently:

• received a reimbursement or compensation from third parties; or
• used one or more travel credits.

You must return to the Fund any amounts you have received or the value of the travel credit(s) you have used, up to the amount you have received from the Fund. You have undertaken commitments to that effect in the claim form.

1. Notify the Office that you have received this reimbursement or compensation in writing, via the online form (Select “Other consumer subject” from the drop-down menu) or by mail. Please indicate your claim file number.
2. Write a cheque payable to the Fonds d’indemnisation des clients des agents de voyages.
3. Write your claim file number on the cheque, and mail everything, including your proof of reimbursement if possible, to:
   
   Office de la protection du consommateur
   Direction des permis et de l’indemnisation
   400, boulevard Jean-Lesage, bureau 450
   Québec (Québec)  G1K 8W4

You will receive an email confirming the amount that must be returned to the Fund. If you have already sent a cheque for the claimed amount on the date you receive the email, please ignore that email.

The Québec government has made all of the necessary effort with the federal government in order for travellers to be reimbursed by a carrier or its associated tour operator.

Air Canada, Air Canada Vacations, Air Transat, Transat Tours, Sunwing Airlines and Sunwing Vacations have thus announced they would be refunding their customers for flights and vacation packages that were cancelled because of COVID-19. In summer 2021, the Office in fact invited customers of these carriers and tour operators to file a reimbursement claim directly with them.

In addition, on October 14, 2021, the maximum amount payable by the Fund in the context of the pandemic was increased by regulation. This amount went up from 60% to 75% of the accumulated surplus as of March 31, 2019. Eligible individuals who have filed claims will be better compensated.

Go to the Compensation Fund for Customers of Travel Agents section of our website, where you will find all of the relevant information.

Refer to the quebec.ca/en/coronavirus page for information about, among other things, the measures taken by the government to limit the spread of the coronavirus (COVID 19).

The Autorité des marchés financiers also provides important information for travelers and investors.

For information on other consumer topics in connection with the coronavirus, refer to the COVID‑19 section (in French only).