Although a passport has always been recommended for international travel, as of March 1, 2010 passports will be required for entry to Mexico. Canadians without valid passports will be returned to Canada.
According to the Association of Canadian Travel Agencies, there have already been reports of some airlines refusing to board Canadians without a valid passort despite the official entry requirement not yet being in place. As such it would be advisable for Canadians travelling to Mexico before March 1, 2010 to ensure that they have a valid passport for their trip.
CATSA has revised the official carry-on regulations effective January 20. The new regulations are very similar to the old (pre-December bombing attempt) regulations, although very slightly different. It appears as though the biggest differences entail a limitation on the size of laptop cases and purses.
Passengers are now allowed to bring one carry-on, and one personal item. “carry-on baggage is limited to a size of 55 cm x 40 cm x 23 cm (22 in x 16 in x 9 in), which is equivalent to the size of a small gym bag”. Carrying cases for laptops must be limited to holding the laptop and accessories only, cases with expandable pockets, wheels, backpack style cases will count as your carry-on bag.
More information on the new regulations can be found on the CATSA website:
http://www.catsa-acsta.gc.ca/Page.aspx?ID=78&pname=carryonbaggage_bagagedecabine&lang=en
http://www.tc.gc.ca/eng/mediaroom/infosheets-menu-5811.htm
Tags: security, travel
