Ontario family stranded in Halifax after ID used for outbound flight denied for return trip

Ryker Conway is one of many Ontario residents that recently discovered his health card had expired after the provincial government stopped mailing out renewal reminders for licenses and health cards in March 2022.

Having already booked a flight for himself and his partner with Flair airlines from Toronto to Halifax, he quickly visited a Service Ontario office to renew his card.

Conway was told that his new health card would be arriving in the mail in four-to-six weeks and was provided with a “transaction record” showing the document number and all his health card information.

“I was talking to the woman behind the counter that took my picture in Service Ontario,” Conway tells CityNews. “I asked her that I have a flight. She said that I can use this to get on the flight. That it would be totally fine.”

To further ease his concerns, he contacted Flair’s customer service, describing the document he was provided, and inquiring whether it – alongside his birth certificate and expired health card – would be valid identification for his upcoming domestic flight.

“They said as long as I had that sheet that I would be able to get through.”

While optimistic following his call with the airline’s customer service agent, Conway and his partner Eden Furuya said that they were only truly reassured when they arrived at Pearson Airport with their two-year-old and boarded the plane.

“They accepted it without a single question,” he said, adding that no one at Pearson challenged the documents he presented.

It wasn’t until they arrived at Flair’s check-in counter in Halifax last Monday for their return flight home that he was informed the document was not a valid one for domestic air travel.

“She was telling us that whoever let us on the first flight should not have. That they are now investigating, or whatever that means. And that if she made the same mistake, she could be fined $25,000 and fired. That there is nothing she can do and that it’s not her fault,” he explained.

And she’s correct.

In an email, Transport Canada confirms that an air carrier that holds Canadian aviation documents, as defined in the Aeronautics Act, must comply with the requirements of this Act and its regulations before allowing any person to board an aircraft or transporting any person. Failure to do so could result in a fine of up to $25 000 for a corporation.

CityNews reached out to Flair Airlines about the passenger’s situation, the alleged inconsistencies in the information that was provided to Conway, and whether or not they are investigating.

In a statement, a spokesperson for Flair airlines called the situation unfortunate.

“The onus of providing valid travel identification is on the passenger, pursuant to the publicly-available information on the airline website and by Transport Canada. There are several valid types of identification for travel,” they said while not addressing our questions related to their staff’s inconsistencies and any possible investigation.

Although there are various types of identification that can be used for domestic air travel including your health card, the list does not state any documents in reference to renewal forms of government-issued IDs.

And while CityNews sent a copy of the Service Ontario document Conway used to board his outbound flight to Transport Canada inquiring whether or not it was valid to board domestic flights, a spokesperson from the agency did not address the form but only reiterated the information posted on the Public Safety Canada page.

If using Canadian issued identification, you must show one document issued by a federal, provincial or territorial government that includes your photo, full name and date of birth.

Alternatively if you don’t have a document that includes your photo, you must present two pieces issued by a government authority in Canada, with one that shows your surname, first name and any middle names and their date of birth. A birth certificate can be used in this example.

“As indicated, all government-issued identification documents (Canadian or foreign) must be valid. They cannot be expired,” writes Hicham Ayoun, Senior Communications Advisor for Transport Canada.

“They sent us here. We would not have taken this trip if we knew that we wouldn’t be able to come back home,” said Furuya, who tells CityNews she decided to remain with her partner in Halifax with their young child rather than return home.

Conway maintains the inconsistencies with Flair continued as he sought help after essentially being left stranded in the Maritime province.

“The supervisor had told us that we can’t get on the flight but gave us an email. I sent an email and then immediately got an email back saying their inbox is full, so they can’t receive my email.”

That’s when he says he contacted customer service in an attempt to explain the situation, hopeful they could provide a solution.

“I was on the phone with this gentleman for a little over an hour because he wasn’t understanding what I was trying to say. He kept thinking the ID wasn’t expired when we came here and then expired once we were here. I kept explaining to him ‘no that’s not it.’ It was rough.”

Conway claims that after much back and forth the customer service agent assured him he would be eligible for a refund for his return flight and was provided with another email address.

“I contacted them and gave them the information and they said no I’m not getting anything, that I’m ineligible because I didn’t provide the forms of ID that was necessary. It was all a rollercoaster.”

The family of three were forced to pay an additional $600 for two one-way train tickets to return home. Luckily Conway and his family were able to board the 28 hour train ride to Toronto with no issues related to his identification.