Mexico-bound passengers on first international flight from Saskatoon thrilled

There wasn’t a heavy winter coat to be seen among those checking in at the Sunwing desk in the Saskatoon airport Thursday morning.

Passengers were animated and excited to be boarding the first international flight departing from the city since COVID-19 hit the province in March of 2020.

Cindy Wall and Sharon Neufeld are friends who have travelled together in the past. Their vacation to Ixtapa, Mexico will be the first time either has travelled in three years.

Passengers checking in early for their flight to Ixtapa, Mexico — the first international flight out of Saskatoon since COVID-19 began — on Dec. 9, 2021. (Libby Giesbrecht/650 CKOM)

“We’re going to Mexico,” Wall said while waiting in line to check in for her flight, the recommended three hours before their 10:15 a.m. departure.

Wall’s and Neufeld’s packing lists weren’t overly extensive — bathing suits and sundresses topped the list.

Eugene Kowalchuk alluded to the presence of a floral shirt or two in his suitcase with hearty laughter after arriving at the airport with his wife, Judy.

They were ready for their week in paradise.

“We’re excited,” Judy said. Her husband agreed: “We’re looking forward to it.”

“We’re going to try it out and see how things are. If the travel isn’t too bad, we’ll try to go again in the spring,” Judy added.

Tom Pulles said with a dry laugh he was looking forward to “getting out of here,” while Michelle Hoffman shared she was excited to go snorkeling.

The two were travelling with their significant others in a cheerful foursome that loved travelling leading up to the pandemic.

Pulles remarked their only concern leading up to the trip had been whether they would have to find a place to watch the Saskatchewan Roughriders play in the 2021 Grey Cup game.

However, that predicament was taken care of when the Roughriders lost to the Winnipeg Blue Bombers in the CFL’s West Division final last Sunday.

COVID-19 concerns

The process of getting to the airport was a little tedious, Judy noted.

“It was a little frustrating with all the apps that are required and your QR code … but we did it,” she said, referring to their proof of vaccination.

They opted for COVID-19 insurance through Sunwing for their trip.

“That gave me some assurance because they’re not going to offer such a product if they’re not certain that the hotel is following sanitization protocols and things like that,” Judy explained.

She felt a little more concerned the week leading up to their departure when the Omicron variant was announced.

“I panicked for a minute and I thought, ‘No, everything could change by the time we come back. We’re just going to take this step by step,’ ” she recalled.

Travelling during a pandemic is “a little scary,” Neufeld said, a statement with which Wall agreed.

“But we’re vaccinated and we’ll take it as it comes, I guess,” Neufeld concluded.