A Quebec family has been forced to cancel its vacation in Switzerland after one of its members was denied boarding by airline staff who got the health measures wrong.

"In a few minutes, we had our three-week trip to Geneva destroyed, and since then we have had no news from Air Transat," laments Jean-Pierre Charlebois, who was to leave with his children Antoine, 20. , and twins Ève-Marie and Tristan, 17.

The family originally from Quebec had planned to go to Switzerland. She had to exchange her house with that of a Swiss family.

“We lend our car and our house here, and they lend us their car and their house there,” explains Mr. Charlebois, who cannot return to his house 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, the young Eve-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 vaccine passport.

"As we were checking our bags, one of the employees told my daughter that she couldn't board because she was missing a dose. But that's not true, ”says Mr. Charlebois, who was to stop in France.

Indeed, children aged 12 to 17 "are not affected by the obligation of the booster dose and do not have to present tests" if they have had their first two doses, can we read on the French government website.

Nothing to do

Despite attempts to explain, Mr. Charlebois claims to have been faced with a wall from the employees.

"The only solution we were offered was to buy tickets, but I wouldn't take the chance of paying another $6,000 not to travel," he said.

For its part, Air Transat told the Journal yesterday that it was indeed "an error on [their] part".

“We will contact [them] to offer them a new reservation or to compensate them in full, as well as to apologize for this bad experience,” said Bernard Côté, spokesperson for the airline.

The Charlebois family was able to spend a few days in Gaspésie to enjoy the holidays.

“Fortunately, family took us in for a few days. But there, we have to find another place to end the holidays, ”laments Mr. Charlebois.