NYC to Montreal under Summer '21 Covid regulations

To say the world is a different place than when I made my last post (dated April 2020) is an understatement. I lost half a dozen friends to Covid. My family is still agonizingly separated by Covid border restrictions in Australia. Airline travel is tense and weird and ever-changing so doing a "review" of a flight just seems so pointless.

At some point you have to give yourself permission to take a break from the mind-numbing, time-warping Covid life. I'd just gotten over a Pfizer breakthrough case in mid-July and decided "well, if I was ever going to be super duper extra immune to this thing, now's the time." So we booked a last-minute long weekend in one of our favorite North American cities – Montreal – a week after the border reopened.

I use this blog as an auxiliary memory bank for the increasingly-senile grey one between my ears. To that end, I wanted to make a record of the hoops we jumped through to get there and back under the Summer '21 rules and regulations, because I'm sure we'll go back again soon.

Covid stuff:

Canada requires a PCR test no older than 72 hours to enter the country. The USA will accept either a PCR or an antigen test for entry. We used Vaber Covid Testing on Broadway and Houston (in Manhattan), $325 for a 1-hour PCR. They don't take insurance, but you can submit their bill to your insurer if they cover this kind of test.

MedRite Urgent Care has offices around the city and they offer a 3-hour test for $225, but there was a long line to sign up for a testing slot the day I needed to get tested.

If you're going just for the weekend, you can use the same PCR test you used to enter Canada to return to the USA (as long as it isn't more than 72-hours old). We stayed longer, so that wasn't an option for us.
This might make a 1-hour test at the beginning of your trip worth it (if timing it close to departure will let you skip paying for a second test to come back to the USA). Yes, a flight delay could mess this up, but remember you technically enter the USA at the pre-clearance facility inside the Montreal airport.
Montreal airport has a testing facility for people returning to the USA (US citizens and visitors both need a negative test). You need to book an appointment that's 3 hours or more before your flight time. The cost is CAN$149. The Points Guy has a great overview of the testing.
You need to install an app on your phone prior to arriving in Canada. Among other things, it will want you to confirm that you have an actual PLAN for what you're going to do in the event that you test positive in Montreal and can't return to the USA. In short, where in Canada are you going to quarantine for 14 days until you can return? TPG has a step-by-step of the process.
Both countries allow recently-recovered people to travel without a test. I didn't want to attempt that on the way into Canada, but I did try it on the way back into the USA. I brought my positive test results from Mt. Sinai, as well as a note of full recovery from my doctor (both were just PDFs on my phone), and I had no trouble getting through US immigration with just those two things (ie, I got to skip the return antigen test).
I brought my CDC vaccine card with me just in case, and I had pictures of it on my phone in case I lost it.
Those tests were far and away the most expensive thing about our trip (even more costly than the hotel!)

Booking

Montreal Pride and (I guess?) pent-up demand made the prices ghastly – $1400 per person for Economy! For a 45 minute flight!! I logged in to Aeroplan (Air Canada's mileage plan) and, much to my surprise and delight, found my favorite unicorn: Business Class seats were going for FEWER points than Economy! So we got to sit up front for our first ride on the new A220. There are often points bargains to be found traveling to Montreal (I think the first time I came here I did it for 7000 points?), so always check.

Flight

Honestly, I was pretty geeked out about flying the A220 for the first time. Even if you're not a nerd, this next-gen "puddle jumper" has full size overhead bins, larger windows, and a 2+3 seating setup (so way fewer middle seats). Big folks take note: given the width of the plane's fuselage, the seats (regardless of which airline you're on) are the widest ones in Economy. The seat-back screens were large, the engines quiet, the Wi-Fi fast... We were very happy.

Special shout out to the newly-remodeled La Guardia airport and the new Amex Centurion Lounge. It's big, it has a great view into the terminal, all the usual bells and whistles, and man I love a salad bar that has a mountain of freshly fried chicken on it :) Gotta say, I was really surprised they put a shower into a regional airport lounge.

Montreal

Montreal was mostly reopened, but with lots of sidewalk and parklet dining. The gay bars we went to all required patrons to be seated. The gay bathhouse has a sign saying "masks are required unless there's something in your mouth" 😂 Ahh that Quebecois sense of humor... We went to some old favorite places and tried out a few new ones too. Always so much good food whenever we come here!