FLIGHT CENTRE,VISA EXPRESS, CANADIAN EMBASSY
I went into a Flight Centre branch in Claremont, South Africa in August....trusting their brand to be what they said: `travel experts'. I have been fortunate enough to have travelled extensively and have always booked my own itinerary. With the uncer*****y of Covid.....I thought it would be wiser to trust a big travel brand whom I thought would be more in touch with Covid related travel regulations. I was hoping to visit my best friend in Canada..something I had looked forward to for 20 years.We had made extensive travel plans together and were so looking forward to a bucket list reunion.

The agent I spoke with was very pleasant and came across as very knowledgeable and experienced. She gave me a lot of reassurance that my trip to Canada would be  very possible and that they had sent clients there two weeks previously. She encouraged me to pay an additional cost to apply for my visa through `VISA EXPRESS'. Time and time again she said I should not stress and that my flight that was booked for the 20 September would be manageable. For weeks I heard nothing...I contacted everyone at Flight Centre who I thought would help. I recieved no help. I contacted the head of `VISA EXPRESS' in desperation......she was very defensive and told me that her brand was just a trading name and she could not give any reassurance of a `speedier' visa application. I said to her that I thought this was misleading. 

I heard from the Canadian Embassy six weeks after my application!!!! I was not given this information at all by Flight Centre. By this time my flight booking had come and gone. The Canadian Embassy denied my visa saying I was a refugee risk which is totally farcical!!!!!   
My warning to the public is firstly...do not trust Flight Centre agents to be travel experts. All they want to do is sell you a ticket. Secondly ....do NOT  go through VISA EXPRESS. They just upload your document for a huge fee and can do nothing to fast track your visa application. Thirdly....the Canadian Embassy in South Africa suck. There is no way one can get hold of anyone telephonically and they dismissed my application based on erroneous information......perhaps they confused my application with someone else`s. This process shattered my dreams of visiting my beloved friend. BE WARNED...DO NOT USE FLIGHT CENTRE, VISA EXPRESS OR THINK OF VISITING CANADA....SEEMS LIKE A COLD,CONTROLLING COUNTRY!!