Flying to the Caribbean: What Canadians need to know after U.S. flights cancelled

A U.S. military operation that captured Venezuelan president Nicolás Maduro led to widespread cancellations of U.S. flights to Caribbean destinations, and Canadian carriers say most services remain operating with Air Canada offering limited rebooking options.

U.S. officials reported a military operation that captured Venezuelan president Nicolás Maduro on Saturday morning. That event was followed by cancellations of many U.S. flights to destinations in the Caribbean and nearby islands. The disruptions came during the end of the holiday travel period and affected numerous routes served by American carriers. Canadian airlines say most of their services to the region are operating, and some have provided temporary booking flexibility. What is known: - U.S. officials reported a military operation that captured Venezuela’s president, and that development preceded cancellations of numerous U.S. flights to Caribbean destinations. - American flights to Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Aruba and many Lesser Antilles destinations were canceled, and some U.S. carriers waived change fees for affected passengers. - Canadian carriers report largely normal operations to the region; Air Canada implemented a voluntary rebooking policy for qualifying tickets purchased by Jan. 2 and allowed free changes to travel through Jan. 13 subject to availability, while WestJet briefly paused then resumed Aruba service and Air Transat and Porter reported no major disruptions. Summary: The situation has caused notable U.S. flight disruptions during a busy travel window, while Canadian airline operations have mostly continued with some temporary booking measures in place. Undetermined at this time.