Vancouver airport-long lines, long waits

[the2ofus]

Have just returned from our Alaska cruisetour which ended Sunday in Vancouver. When planning your air arrangements and if managing your own transfer to the airport after disembarking in Vancouver give yourself at least two and a half hours time, if not more. The ticketing and baggage check lines are long and slow. There are long walks from baggage check to the area where baggage is actually screened and put on the conveyor belts. There is another long walk to the US customs area and waiting time there as well. After that you still have a long walk to your actual boarding gate for your flight.

 

We had an easy time finding our luggage and getting a taxi but the whole process for us took almost two and a half hours, ship to plane.

[kkorman]

Have just returned from our Alaska cruisetour which ended Sunday in Vancouver. When planning your air arrangements and if managing your own transfer to the airport after disembarking in Vancouver give yourself at least two and a half hours time, if not more. The ticketing and baggage check lines are long and slow. There are long walks from baggage check to the area where baggage is actually screened and put on the conveyor belts. There is another long walk to the US customs area and waiting time there as well. After that you still have a long walk to your actual boarding gate for your flight.

 

We had an easy time finding our luggage and getting a taxi but the whole process for us took almost two and a half hours, ship to plane.

 

What time were you there... We arrived at 315 and there were maybe 10 people in security and customs area.

[Putterdude]

While I am not certain that the OP quite has all of the details correct; for those who may not be aware of it, you are constantly advised to arrive at YVR at least 2 full hrs before a flight to the US. Sometimes a little more time is required and most times less time is needed. YVR from Canada Place is a minimum of 35 mins away by taxi or the Canada Line. The real delay within YVR is the fact that you clear US customs there and while there are some 26 booths for customs officers, I don't think that I have ever seen more than a dozen being maned by officers and of course YVR has absolutely no control over that matter. As for distances between security, customs and the gates, I don't find these any worse than those at any other major airport.

[wolfie11]

The Horizon Air gates are located at least halfway to Seattle and the plane taxis the rest of the way! YVR can be an absolute pain at times. Try arriving just after two 747's from Asia have just landed!

[kkorman]

Timing is everything I suppose. We were there 2 hours early... and end up delayed another hour. The airport was very quiet on Sunday evening though.

[PennyAgain]

I've had a variety of experiences at that airport but never a fast transit. That said, there have been improvements due to the Olympics that have made it easier to manage.

 

Your results may vary!

[nomoreknothead]

Okay....Our flight out is at 12:15pm on a saturday! We are coming straight from our post-cruise hotel to the airport. Should we plan to be at the airport 9am? Is 3 hrs enought time? You all have me scared now! We are flyng out on Horizon Air back to Seattle the onto DFW.

[scottbee]

The Horizon Air gates are located at least halfway to Seattle and the plane taxis the rest of the way! YVR can be an absolute pain at times. Try arriving just after two 747's from Asia have just landed!

 

Yes, the QX gates (E80+ turboprop service to the USA) are long walk (and it's not particularly attractive), but having been in and out of Vancouver a fair bit (living here), the only significant delay (> 15 min) I've ever had with all of the various steps (checkin, security, Immigration) is US Immigration/Customs pre-clearance for flights to the USA.

[the2ofus]

I should have clarified my details. We disembarked the MS Zaandam at 8:45a.m. on Sunday Aug. 7th. Our United Airlines flight was at 11:21, and there were 7 of us traveling together. We thought 2.5 hours would be more than adequate but the crowds were very large and lines very long. If I had it to do over again I would have requested the earliest possible disembarkation, 8:00 to 8:15 a.m. That would have been less stressful, allowed for a potty stop and time to buy a snack since United doesn't offer even so much as a pretzel to munch on a 4 hour flight.

[DizzyDallasDi]

Okay....Our flight out is at 12:15pm on a saturday! We are coming straight from our post-cruise hotel to the airport. Should we plan to be at the airport 9am? Is 3 hrs enought time? You all have me scared now! We are flyng out on Horizon Air back to Seattle the onto DFW.

 

There are non-stop flights from YVR to DFW on AA. Why change planes when you can fly non-stop?

[the2ofus]

If you use HAL air/sea program you almost always have a connection somewhere, rarely a direct flight. They book blocks of seats and fit the pax to the schedules, not the other way around. You might be able to pay for a deviation to get a direct flight. I always check flight prices and usually book my own, but with an open jaw flight such as for an Alaska cruise, HAL air is usually cheaper.

[Putterdude]

Okay....Our flight out is at 12:15pm on a saturday! We are coming straight from our post-cruise hotel to the airport. Should we plan to be at the airport 9am? Is 3 hrs enought time? You all have me scared now! We are flyng out on Horizon Air back to Seattle the onto DFW.

 

If you are at the airport sometime between 0930 and 1000 you should have lots of time.

[the2ofus]

I saved all your info about the skytrain months ago on another thread. Several members of our group had late day travel arrangements on disembarkation day in Vancouver. I was able to pass on the info you had posted so they easily accessed and used the public transportation system. Many thanks!!

[Sally Forth]

Okay....Our flight out is at 12:15pm on a saturday! We are coming straight from our post-cruise hotel to the airport. Should we plan to be at the airport 9am? Is 3 hrs enought time? You all have me scared now! We are flyng out on Horizon Air back to Seattle the onto DFW.

 

Three hours is lots and don't stress out too much. They will start pulling people out of lines if they are about to miss their planes.

 

Viv

[napunani]

Anyone with experiences ARRIVING into Vancouver IAP? Did you experience long lines to enter into Canada?

Just planning ahead for next summer...

[cruiseryyc]

Anyone with experiences ARRIVING into Vancouver IAP? Did you experience long lines to enter into Canada?

Just planning ahead for next summer...

 

It totally depends on what time of day you arrive and how many international flights are arriving at the same time. If you happen to arrive at the same time as 2 or 3 flights from the Far East arrive - you'll be in a long line up. Last April I returned from Hawaii at 10:30 at night; no line up.

[c-to-sea]

Suggestion

 

Let's say you are booked to arrive in Vancouver on a Saturday. Using today as an example,

go to the Airport website http://www.yvr.ca/en/Default.aspx and just click on the GO button

under Arrivals on the top left of the page. It will show you all of the arriving flights for that

day.

Do this for the day of the week that you are scheduled to arrive.

It should be very similar next summer for that day of the week. Scroll down to the

time your flight is scheduled to arrive and you will see all the other flights arriving around

that time. By looking at the international flights, you can estimate the number of passengers

that will be arriving and the congestion or lack thereof in the Customs Hall.

[scottbee]

I saved all your info about the skytrain months ago on another thread. Several members of our group had late day travel arrangements on disembarkation day in Vancouver. I was able to pass on the info you had posted so they easily accessed and used the public transportation system. Many thanks!!

 

It was probably my information about Skytrain; as Putterdude normally recommends a taxi; and I'm the daily rider of Skytrain. But I'm sure we're both glad it worked well for you.

[scottbee]

There are non-stop flights from YVR to DFW on AA. Why change planes when you can fly non-stop?

 

Alaska Air vs American, that's a no brainer, that's why

[scottbee]

Anyone with experiences ARRIVING into Vancouver IAP? Did you experience long lines to enter into Canada?

Just planning ahead for next summer...

 

It's rarely really bad, unless you happen to arrive at the same time as 3 large flights from Asia (there's ablock of them around mid-day). Even then, it goes pretty quickly. Leaving YVR note that on flights to the USA you pre-clear USA immigration/customs before going into a special part of the airport (and then you dont have to clear in the USA) and that also can take time.

[kc7wxy]

North bound Celebrity and dealing with Vancouver to meet the Millennium never again. Going through all that for a half hour cab ride to the ship and leave Canada. The same thing in Fraser for the White pass train we took the bus up the Klondike hwy. to the Canadian customs station there the agent boarded the coach gave several people guff ( pretty impressed with himself ) because they didn't have there passport open to the picture. Then the coach drove around the same building back toward Skagway to meet the train and leave this left most of us shaking our heads. If Celebrity (hope your listening ) wants me to sail to Alaska again they will be starting in Seattle/ Bellingham. The White pass rail road has to deal with customs. I'll be skipping that the next time we cruise to Alaska.

 

Duane

[Mike073]

Left the Coral Princess today via cab at 8:00AM and was at the gate at 10:00 for an 11:00 flight. Seemed crowded, but the lines moved pretty efficiently. Baggage at the cruise claim was there and ready to go. I would think three hours would be sufficient.

[scottbee]

North bound Celebrity and dealing with Vancouver to meet the Millennium never again. Going through all that for a half hour cab ride to the ship and leave Canada. The same thing in Fraser for the White pass train we took the bus up the Klondike hwy. to the Canadian customs station there the agent boarded the coach gave several people guff ( pretty impressed with himself ) because they didn't have there passport open to the picture. Then the coach drove around the same building back toward Skagway to meet the train and leave this left most of us shaking our heads. If Celebrity (hope your listening ) wants me to sail to Alaska again they will be starting in Seattle/ Bellingham. The White pass rail road has to deal with customs. I'll be skipping that the next time we cruise to Alaska.

 

 

1. SEA to Pier 91, Seattle; 15 miles. YVR-Canada Place; 15km (or 10 miles). Plus YVR has the option of a cheap fast subway that goes literally from airport to cruise terminal.
   
2. You're going to have to deal with Customs & Immigration, as all cruises must be international; unless you'd like to take WA state ferries across Puget Sound. And if you think Canada is a hassle for Americans, try it the other way around.
   
3. You need a passport, because the UNITED STATES requires it for re-entry to the USA, not because Canada wanted to change rules
   

[mr green]

Every air port that we have been in since 9/11, both in Canada, AND, the USA, has been little better than a slow form of torture, so, for this reason we have given up flying. Now we just cruise out of our 'home port'.

Yes I am well aware that there have been long line ups these days, to get through the US customs in Canada, the main reason being that too few officers are supplied. I read a news item to-day of the line up that Canadians suffered in Toronto, a few days ago, trying to fly to the United States. Out of the 22 booths, only 4 were manned, BUT, 2 of those were 'reserved' for persons holding United States Passports!!!

 

 

john

[kc7wxy]

All that may very well be true all I'm saying is what I experienced and what I'm never doing again. Don't care for customs looking at me like I'm something they want to wipe of their boots. And don't even ask me about the four Canadians women I was assigned to set with in the MDR. Two meals is all I could take with out telling them what I thought so we asked for another table and it was granted. Celebrity was the best not one complaint we where treated very well.

 

Duane