Friday 11:01am flight from Vancouver back to US doable?

[cruiseequalsfun]

Hi.  Would an 11:01 flight out of Vancouver back to the US after getting of Radiance of the Seas in June on a FRIDAY be doable?  I read about the skytrain taking 30 min.  We can haul our own bags and also can do self disembark.  But is that still making it too close?  The airline we would fly I don't have any status on either.  Thanks!

[CruiserBruce]

11am is the earliest recommended, if you read around the board. Remember you need to clear US Immigration and Customs at Vancouver, so you need to hustle. 

[Kfrech]

May I ask where in the US you are flying into?

 

We are in a similar situation, only with a Saturday departure in June. We are returning to Pittsburgh.

 

I found a flight on American, connecting through O'Hare, that departs Vancouver at 12:45. It's not cheap though.

 

Our other option is hanging around all day and taking a 10:30 p.m. flight. The flight is significantly cheaper, but by the time you add the price of a tour, or perhaps a dayroom, the cost is about equal.

 

Can you find anything just a bit later?

[Earl Rosebery]

For a 11:00 flight, you should be at the airport by 9:15.   Certainly doable.   ( Cross the street to the Fairmont Waterfront and grab a taxi there.   ).   Taxi to the airport is 25. minutes.

[martincath]

Agree that it's certainly doable, even on a busy day if you take SkyTrain - the problem with a taxi is that even if you are among the first off YOUR ship, how many other ships are also in port that day and did any of them start disgorging their hordes before yours did...? If there's no queue for the cabs then it will be faster to hop right in one than walk to SkyTrain - but as soon as the wait for a cab hits even 10 minutes, SkyTrain becomes faster even if cabs are not being slowed by traffic.

 

The other thing you can do right now to expedite matters is get your application in for NEXUS or Global Entry - these both help with Security queue and Preclearance queue at YVR (TSA Pre is completely worthless though, as no TSA).

 

There are quite a few posts around from self-disembarkers confirming that they were at YVR before 9am, using both cabs and SkyTrain, so if you're organized there is very little risk of missing the flight.

 

[Keith1010]

If you don't mind stress it is doable.

 

If you stress out about things I wouldn't do it.

 

To me one of the keys is to get transportation to get you quickly from port to the airport.  If there are three ships in port don't rely on getting a taxi from the port.  Either walk over to the nearby hotel (or hotels) or get another means of transportation.

 

And get to the airport early.  As CruiserBruce mentioned you clear USA customs at the airport.  Also security lines can be long.

 

Keith

[scottbee]

On 12/7/2019 at 5:22 PM, cruiseequalsfun said:

Hi.  Would an 11:01 flight out of Vancouver back to the US after getting of Radiance of the Seas in June on a FRIDAY be doable?  I read about the skytrain taking 30 min.  We can haul our own bags and also can do self disembark.  But is that still making it too close?  The airline we would fly I don't have any status on either.  Thanks!

 

I'd consider that tight; and I'm super familiar with Skytrain, YVR Airport, and hold a Nexus card.

[KeepCalmBearOn]

I wouldn't do it.

 

It is probably doable, but not without stress or any bad luck.

[Langley Cruisers]

I see you posted this some months ago in another forum, and received good advice at that time. Personally, I'd book a  later flight. In my opinion, as prepared as you are, there are just too many variables which are out of your control.

[cruiseequalsfun]

Thanks everyone!  I actually forgot I posted this several months ago!! I don't think I'll do it and looks like a 1-2pm departure is in my cards.  Appreciate all the responses.

 

To the person that asked, the 11:01 was Vancouver to Chicago O'Hare on United then connection onward.  Now I'll probably do AA, also through O'Hare.  The flight is more expensive but I have lifetime million miler gold status so bags would be free, etc, so in the end it really won't be any more expensive than United and a little status always helps if there are delays, etc.

[Kfrech]

I actually just booked a 12:45 p.m. on AA through O'Hare with a 3 hour layover before heading off to Pittsburgh. My thought was that even if the flight time got changed, we'd have many more options on American heading either to O'Hare or DFW, with a connection to Pittsburgh.

[Langley Cruisers]

54 minutes ago, cruiseequalsfun said:

.... I don't think I'll do it and looks like a 1-2pm departure is in my cards. 

 

That definitely sounds like a plan. Enjoy your cruise. 🚢