Earliest Flight for Vancouver Departure

[vacation44]

We will be getting off the NCL Jewel on September 4, 2023 in Vancouver.  What is the earliest flight out of Vancouver Airport does everyone here, with a lot more knowledge then me, think we could make getting us back to USA?  Is an 11:20 a.m. flight too risky.   We will definitely be self debarking and then grab an Uber.  The next flight is at 2:00 p.m. but has an very long connection flight.

[CruiserBruce]

I would call an 11:20 flight risky. Remember you need to clear Canadian Immigration at the port, and US Immigration and Customs at Vancouver airport. You are flying on Labor Day, a pretty busy holiday. 

 

If you try it, it is going to be pretty stressful. I would spend the night and catch that flight, or a better (earlier)one the next morning.

[vacation44]

Thank you for your response.    I agree, it will most likely be very stressful to try it.   The 2:00 p.m. flight would be doable, right?   

[CruiserBruce]

11 minutes ago, vacation44 said:

Thank you for your response.    I agree, it will most likely be very stressful to try it.   The 2:00 p.m. flight would be doable, right?   

2pm is no problem.

[vacation44]

Again, thank you!

[Ashland]

We just flew out of YVR .... Had a 12;00pm flight....off the ship and at our gate just before 10:00.

[Lazz]

On 11/21/2022 at 7:52 AM, CruiserBruce said:

I would call an 11:20 flight risky. Remember you need to clear Canadian Immigration at the port, and US Immigration and Customs at Vancouver airport. You are flying on Labor Day, a pretty busy holiday. 

 

If you try it, it is going to be pretty stressful. I would spend the night and catch that flight, or a better (earlier)one the next morning.

 

We are disembarking from a Princess Cruise next May.  Can you explain the customs process at the Vancouver airport for US Citizens?  Thank you.

[CruiserBruce]

You will clear both Immigration and Customs, Immigration takes the most time, not Customs, unless you get a random search, which happens rarely. However, there are changes in progress involving biometrics, which might speed the process. Perhaps someone who went through recently can explain what the exact procedures were this last summer.

[martincath]

6 hours ago, Lazz said:

 

We are disembarking from a Princess Cruise next May.  Can you explain the customs process at the Vancouver airport for US Citizens?  Thank you.

As Bruce says, usually when folks say 'customs' it's actually the immigration side of things that is more relevant... but since things do run rather differently here even though you deal with CBP just like you would if you flew into a US airport from elsewhere in the world, here's a Plain English summary:

 

Check-in with your airline (in advance online if you can, if not using kiosks is usually a lot faster than queuing for the desk staff);

Drop checked bags (not part of check-in for US-bound flight! Due to Preclearance screening US bags are dropped at a dedicated spot rather than just handed over to the desk staff);

Security (CATSA, not TSA, therefore TSA Precheck is worthless - but Global Entry or NEXUS both get you into the short queue here);

US Preclearance deals with Immigration and Customs using kiosks by default - full info about the CBP setup is here - again, Global Entry or NEXUS have access to their own queue with dedicated kiosks. There are agents and paper forms if there's a problem with the kiosks.