How to get to Canada?

ricktoronto

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Jan 9, 2002
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At the airline or a travel agent

You can go to SDQ airport and buy a ticket SDQ-MIA- YYZ or SDQ-BOS-YYZ or SDQ-JFK-LGA-YYZ on AA. Or SDQ- EWR- YYZ on CO, etc.,etc., etc. POssibly SDQ-PHL- YYZ on US Airways.

A travel agent of course would sell the same thing.

Some people have even been able to buy a one-way on Transat or Skyservice from LRM or PUJ or POP skipping the connection in the USA if the charter airline is flying back with empty seats - you'd have to ask when they are checking in a plane (usually odds hours on weekends) where to buy one way since I don't think they staff those counters otherwise - since charters almost alway sell round trip tickets.

Why do you ask here? One way tickets are just tickets.
 

Americano

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Aug 2, 2003
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I have been trying for 5 weeks now to find a direct flight back to Toronto. I cannot fly threw the US. The charters seem to be all sold out at least from PP. I was wondering if there is another way, or maybe another city in DR with more regular flights?
 

ricktoronto

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Jan 9, 2002
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3 airports

Americano said:
I have been trying for 5 weeks now to find a direct flight back to Toronto. I cannot fly threw the US. The charters seem to be all sold out at least from PP. I was wondering if there is another way, or maybe another city in DR with more regular flights?

Punta Cana will have a lot, maybe the most, then probably Puerto Plata since it serves 2 resort areas, then La Romana. Santo Domingo ( SDQ) has almost no charter flights in or out now unless there are cruises leaving Santo Domingo. People staying Boca Chica, e.g. Hamaca now fly into La Romana (much to their surprise I bet).

Assuming you have a visa for Canada you might try Air Transat or Skyservice AFAIK the only 2 CDN charters doing DR- Toronto, but calling them in the DR might be hit and miss. You may want to ask at resorts when AT/SS CDN visitors are leaving (since they usually have a bus to the airport) - then you can get to the airport and ask for even standby , though I wouldn't take 80 pieces of luggage with you in case they say no. Also try a travel agent in a big city to see if they can sell one way by calling the airline.

Otherwise there are a few other options - via Havana on Cubana since they HAVE to fly nonstop to Toronto and Montreal. Or Air Canada from PAP, Haiti non stop to Toronto or Montreal. Or maybe from Jamaica if you can get there/get in and connect to Toronto on BWIA.

Too bad the USA cancelled the TWOV program eh? Unless you have some reason you are ineligible for that . Liek a record, if you do, you know visa or not you may not be admitted here in Canada.
 
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Eddy

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Jan 1, 2002
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Air Canada. They have (had) not sure, flights to Toronto every Saturday with free connecting flights to anywhere in Canada.
 

Chris

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Oct 21, 2002
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cancelled TWOV program

Went to the US Embassy on Monday to enquire what the alternatives are as we fly through San Juan regularly. It is not so horrendous - just a waste of one day.

You go in to the visa section at the back, (early when they open) get your form, ask them to assist you to complete it, run to the bank, deposit your money, take your deposit slip, run back to the Embassy, give the visa section your deposit slip, passport and form - go for lunch - and they will do your visa on the same day (this is if there are no other reasons for them to refuse it).

Don't know if this will apply to Dominican passports - we have South African passports.
 

debajoelsol

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Jan 23, 2003
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If you have a valid Canadian Visa you can purchase American Airlines , Puerto Plata to Miami connecting to Toronto any day you want. You do not need a U.S visa. Security meets you as you exit the plane in Miami, takes you to a holding ( In Transit) lounge and then to your gate to catch the flight to Toronto. This flight is very expensive.
The Canadian charters will have many seats available after this weekend because school has started. They are not allowed to sell one way to Toronto but they do. Check with the tour operators in Puerto Plata, World of Vacations, Signature, etc. It has become more difficult recently since two Dominicans with false Canadian Visas were allowed on a charter flight at POP and discovered by immigration in Toronto. The tour company took alot of heat.
If you have a good contact in Toronto they may be able to purchase a round trip ticket for you ( Toronto to POP to Toronto) and you only use the return portion.
I have used all three methods .
Good Luck.
 

ricktoronto

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Read the news :TWOV is over

debajoelsol said:
If you have a valid Canadian Visa you can purchase American Airlines , Puerto Plata to Miami connecting to Toronto any day you want. You do not need a U.S visa. Security meets you as you exit the plane in Miami, takes you to a holding ( In Transit) lounge and then to your gate to catch the flight to Toronto. This flight is very expensive.Good Luck.


As part of the anti-terrorism campaign they have cancelled TWOV (transit without visa) via MIA or JFK (or any other city in the USA for that matter) .

Prior to that the connecting TWOV passengers had to clear US Immigration ( as non-visa travelers) for Canada as those are treated as domestic flights . You wait in the main terminal and not in-transit lounges (and you never did) - I fly this flight 6 or 7 times a year - for Canada flights an AA employee had to accompany the passenger and wait with them at the gate and put them on the plane until it left the ground.

In any case it is moot - no more TWOV. So skip TWOV on AA or any other US airline via the US. Miami Herald said it affected nearly 100,000 DR citizens a year via MIA alone.

Since there is no more TWOV, e.g. if you are a Dominican with no US visa or US transit visa (and you should give up now, trying get one) then you have to avoid the USA.

Air Canada used to do POP to Toronto/vice-versa via Air Canada vacations but there is no sign of that on their site now. A call to Air Canada or a vist to a travel agent may uncover flights on AC still , their web site is no help at all.
 
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ricktoronto

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How does that help?

bob saunders said:
http://www.aircanada.ca
if you go to the above website you will find that here are direct flights from Mexico city to Canada.

The guy seems to be stuck in Puerto Plata and unable to find a charter leaving there, although if he was in Mexico CIty you have a great point there.

I am not sure a Dominican can get into Mexico without a visa if that is the thing you were proposing. If he is Canadian (or at least non-Dominican) and afraid of the US Immigration machine then any connecting flight leaving SDQ and via another country, e.g. as I suggested, Haiti or Jamaica, or Havana will work.
 
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bob saunders

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Jan 1, 2002
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It is very easy for Dominicans to get a Mexican Visa, and yes he can fly direct from Port au prince or Havana. I was offering him a suggestion on how he could travel without going through the states.
 

Americano

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Ok I should clarify, I am Canadian. I am not allowed into the USA for a while. (This is a very long story why and I am not going to get into it).

Flying to Havana or Mexico is possible if I really HAD to. But I live here now in the DR so it is not entirely urgent to go to Canada.

Now, I was told I could buy a 1-way ticket on a charter flight when seats are available. Well, for reasons that seem hard to believe, for over a month now I am told there are no seats from PP to Toronto. Where are all the tourists? It does not seem that busy??

So I think the best option would be to find another city with flights back to Toronto that is not sold out.

I don't want to drive to another city and stand around like a dumbass waiting standby unless I know there are seats available.

I guess I need the number for agent who can find me the ticket I need, and book it. The contact number I have is not getting me anything.

Thank!
 

dawnwil

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Aug 27, 2003
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Toronto Puerto Plata 9/8/03 9/15/03 $198
+tax

Toronto Punta Cana 9/8/03 9/15/03 $268
+tax

Hi Americano,

I called Air Transat last week and I suspect one problem is the lack of tourists. They're not flying as much as they will be by mid December.

I don't know if it's possible to pick up only the return segment (some policies won't allow this-- ie. if you don't show up for the departure segment, you forfeit the return ), but the fares quoted above are through the Last Minute Club.

I just tried calling their office, but they're closed now. If you like, I'll see if I can reach them tomorrow and find out if there's a way.

Oh, their website is: www.lastminuteclub.com

I don't know if their toll-free # works from the DR, but here are both: Toronto: 416 449-5400 Toll Free: 1 877 970-3500


Let me know. I'd hate to be stuck like this!

dawn
 

ricktoronto

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Jan 9, 2002
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Buying A Ticket - There's the Rub

dawnwil said:

I don't know if it's possible to pick up only the return segment (some policies won't allow this-- ie. if you don't show up for the departure segment, you forfeit the return ), but the fares quoted above are through the Last Minute Club.

This is one of the tough things of 1/2 charter flights - as you say they are not usually willing to sell 1 way, so you have to find a flight already planning to leave that is going back, and when.

I think you will find if you call (Toronto) they will not sell 1/2 a R/T even for full price, e.g. pay for the YYZ to DR part also and not use it ( which is too bad as they don't charge a lot anyway for a RT ticket).

But... you should be able to go to Transat and Skyservice web sites ( they are the airlines, while Last Minute sells on behalf of the tour company - including seats on air only - the airline does not sell seats per se) and query for various returning flights. Then you can see what airports and more importantly when they are going back.

Another resource is look at www.gtaa.com which is the Toronto Airport site and check the real time arrivals board online - you can see all airlines and where they are coming from. Find POP arriving 9 pm.? Go to the airport around 3 p.m. and they should be loading up.

I'd suggest on a day you are not planning to go, you go to POP airport, or PUJ, etc., when they are boarding flights ( which are at quite odd hours too quite often) and ask the check-in agent how and when and where you can buy a 1/2 RT ticket, e.g. which upcoming flights do they think are empty ( and now starts a good time for that - with kids in school with of course the risk they cut back on a lot of flights).

I found with local AT staff (Domincian not CDN) they are quite amenible to payola, as I paid CDN $50 for a "Club Class seat to the local girl giving out the boarding passes vs. paying the Montreal based guy CDN$170 for the official thing. A few pesos may get you a lot of intel.

I think you may find PUJ and LRM are a LOT busier year round than POP off-season. Admittedly neither too handy to a POP starting point.

If you've not permanent residence in the DR and have overstayed the tourist card, no big crime but allow time to pay up at the overpaid booth at passport control. Also remember AT and Sky have limited checked baggage allowance, like 40# a person or 44#, something like that.

NB: If you had a run in with the law in the past ( and NOT the INS) you can probably apply for a waiver - I have a buddy with an armed robbery in his past ( stupid 19 y.o. kid at the time) and a CDN pardon and they (US INS) granted it, though he has to renew it either annually or biennially.

In any case they eventually allow you to touch the soil to connect. If you were expedited removal with INS I think they black mark you for 5 years on the spot and you practically need a federal judge to permit it again before that.
 
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dawnwil

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Aug 27, 2003
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Rick, you are right-- the LMC is already two steps removed from Air Transat. I doubt they could or would authorize anything. I checked the Air Transat website and they do show the flight schedules FROM the DR-- they even allow you to plug in a one-way from the 4 airports in the DR to Toronto.

BUT ... they do not give the option of booking an online one-way FROM the DR. Whatever that means.

They are not flying out of POP or SDQ until Nov/Dec. They are flying out of La Romana, but it makes a stop somewhere else-- I didn't check to see where, maybe it's Cuba?

However, here is their schedule out of Punta Cana to Toronto:

8/31 - depart 14:00 ... no stops
9/07 - depart 14:00 ... no stops
9/14 - depart 14:05 ... no stops

Americano, at least that gives you a time to show up at the airport! :)

I will call Air Transat's office tomorrow and find out what's up with the oneways. If the news is good, I'll find out about that stop from La Romana and post info here tomorrow a.m.

Dawn
 

ricktoronto

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Jan 9, 2002
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Stops are Always in the same country

Whenever you see a stop it is another DR airport. They often will do non stop to , say POP then on the return they do POP, then go to LRM and drop off some LRM passengers that didn't get off at POP then take on Toronto passengers in LRM then go non stop.

And they don't tell you in advance quite often.

But they would not add another country. Since they may have people on board OK to land in one and not the other and hardly proper to put them at risk, or the airline. And a Cuban mid way stop sounds quite out of the way vs. one of the main DR airports.

I think if I was this poor guy, I'd go via Haiti or Havana, neither of which will care or look into whatever record he had years ago, I suppose here in Canada.

Me - I am off from YYZ in 90 minutes and I can connect in MIA, so I shall.
 

dawnwil

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Aug 27, 2003
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Cool, you know the scoop!

I wish the airlines were as knowledgable-- I'm always asking weird questions they can't answer.

Speaking of which, someone mentioned calling Air Canada. I spoke with them two days ago because the website was frustrating. After several menus, and a long wait, I was disconnected. Tried again and mentioned the menu system. Telephone waits and annoying menus are only going to get worse, according to the man with whom I spoke. AC's CEO has decided to 'force' consumers to deal exclusively through the web to save money.

Rick, have a great trip! And thanks... now I know another good question to ask... where the La Romana planes stop to pick up more people.

Americano... will add LRO and stop airport dates/times too. stop. But most important is how best to get the oneway. If you end up not needing the info, that's ok. Everyone is so helpful here that the mood catches quickly. As I'm looking to move to the DR soon, I've got nothing but questions, so it's fun to make a few phone calls and look for some answers. D
 

dawnwil

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Aug 27, 2003
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oops, CORRECTION!

Ok, this makes more sense. The website just updated sometime after midnight, so I wonder if it changed info. If not, I was wrong about la Romana. Air Transat flights begin at LRO and SDQ in November and December. So POP is the flight originator to Toronto, like Rick said... and there's one stop from PP ... so it must be Punta Cana.

Which means Puerto Plata and Punta Cana are the places to check for Air Transat flights leaving the DR directly for Toronto. I was going to say only Puerto Plata... but it could work out that the plane is fuller until it drops people off in Punta Cana, right? So it's worth checking the Punta Cana departures as well. Here're the times leaving from PP, with off course, the PUC departures leaving about 2 hours later.

8/31 - 12:15
9/07 - 12:15
9/14 - 12:00

Ok, it looks like Skyservice this weekend has planes arriving in Toronto from Punta Cana. They didn't give a complete schedule like Air Transat, but arrival time in Toronto is:

15:35 - Aug. 30 ... four hours flight time approx? so 11:30 lvs PUC
1:15 - Aug 31 ... approx 9:00 am lvs PUC?

btw, the Aug 31 flight originally had two planes leaving; one was cancelled... less volume than expected?

One other shot, Americano... I'll call Signature and some other tour companies in the morning and find out what they say as well... these flights are supposed to be booked through a tour company; according to the Air Transat guy I talked to the other day, they are only flying into the DR with Signature. I don't know who Skyservice works with, but will check.

There's got to be a way to get a one-way ticket if a plane isn't full!
One would think. D
 

Rosanie

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Sep 20, 2002
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Hi...


Skyservice has a flight to To from POP on Mondays 11:15 am

call Sunquest Alba Tours #809 - 261 - 6138

Air Transat/World of Vacations has a flight Fridays to Montreal(Dorval) 10:45pm

call World of Vacations #809 - 586 - 3497

Jetsgo has a flight but I am not sure which day/time.

Call Sunway-Jetsgo #809 - 586 - 4000


Good luck!