Vancouver International Airport urges travelers to arrive early for flights » 2 hours domestic and 3 hours US/International

[don't-use-real-name]

27 minutes ago, outoftowner said:

Hoping that the Vancouver Airport can ramp up their staff and services by June. Right now it sounds a lot like Istanbul! 3 hours!

Could someone who knows, please mention what are the peak times at YVR?

Thank you

 

Presume it to be only in the morning hours (rush to get to the airport) -

Cruise ships arrive at or before 7 am -

Mass movement of cruise guests to the airport 7-8-9-10 am

The usual normal airport traffic for that day plus cruise guests

Flights affected those leaving from 10 am to noon or little bit later

 

Now then not so much in the afternoon arrivals for those cruise ships departing 7 pm later ?

From noon on till 5 pm (after that guests should be on board)

 

Thus two prime time movements from Vancouver Airport to/from Canada Place.

 

[martincath]

1 hour ago, outoftowner said:

Hoping that the Vancouver Airport can ramp up their staff and services by June. Right now it sounds a lot like Istanbul! 3 hours!

Could someone who knows, please mention what are the peak times at YVR?

Thank you

D-U-R-N has it pretty much down - but with tight control at the pier it's rare for anyone to get off close to 7am, 7:30 is a more normal start time with boot-off time tight at 9:30am due to the need to 'zero out' most vessels for their return into US waters. This tightens the cruise peak from 7:30-9:30 at the pier, 9-11am at the airport, and that's on SLOW days when there are enough cabs - cruise shuttle buses don't go before ~9am which shifts the peak volumes to 9:30am and later as a steady trickle of cabs flows OK, but multiple buses rolling in and unloading 50+ each really makes for log jams!

 

Factor in 3 ships or more and the peak just keeps building (three hour delays even in TheBeforeTimes for a cab not unheard of and 1 hour waits absolutely normal). So basically it used to be a real sh*tstorm from maybe 9:30am to noon, even 1pm, purely because of cruiser volumes!

 

But this year, even with not-remotely-full cruiseships, the time to get through Security at YVR has increased so much that every day is like a three ship day in TheBeforeTimes - even folks working YVR and posting on Reddit say their predictive models are utterly out of whack, partly thanks to their own staffing issues and partly thanks to the airlines - so even if they had all staff available the best guess of not just how many are needed but where they are needed (US. Domestic, Int'l) and how many will get sick at short notice is much harder than it used to be... Until all aspects of this settle down, there will be random peaks and troughs that BeforeTimes algorithms just cannot handle well.

 

If you have a choice of flight times right now, choose one as late in the day as possible that is still before CBP precheck closes at 8:30pm (if you get pre-cleared here you land Domestic, and despite all the furore at the moment preclearance is a crapton more efficient than staffing levels at 99% of any US airport's international arrival gates!)

 

Ideally of course you stay post-cruise, do some sightseeing, relax, then take a super-early flight long before any same-day cruise pax can disembark. There's a big tranche of flights that leave in 6am-9am ballpark, and those are the ones you want to be on.

Edited May 12, 2022 by martincath

[Kitty Ellas Mom]

I knew none of this and booked a 12:30 pm flight when I could easily have gone earlier....oh dear. Too late now to change......

[Gray Lady]

15 minutes ago, Kitty Ellas Mom said:

I knew none of this and booked a 12:30 pm flight when I could easily have gone earlier....oh dear. Too late now to change......

Did you book through your cruise line? We did, with the same departure time as you. I called and they said that if we miss our flight because the airport is too crowded and security lines slow, they will take care of getting us on a later flight with no cost to us. Fingers crossed this all works out…especially with having to test for COVID completely on us. If the worst happens, at least it is at the end of the cruise and not the beginning.

[Kitty Ellas Mom]

I needed to use points so I didn't book through the cruise line.  I don't really regret it yet though, as we had enough points that my 4 flights only took half our points we've saved up.  None of us have flown since 2018......

[martincath]

3 hours ago, Kitty Ellas Mom said:

I knew none of this and booked a 12:30 pm flight when I could easily have gone earlier....oh dear. Too late now to change......

In case folks join this thread here without reading past entries, important to note that KEM does have the huge advantage of staying a night in Vancouver - so while a noonish flight is still sub-optimal, the lack of pier controls on the morning, the ability to schedule covid testing at leisure the day before or with reliable land-based internet/cellphone Proctored remote tests makes for a completely different kettle of fish.

 

To continue the cooking based metaphors, you have a nice one-pot casserole dish to make in a slow cooker KEM - pay attention during prep, remember your timer, you can go Do Other Stuff and the odds of anything going wrong are near zero... whereas someone disembarking with a same day noonish flight at the moment is trying to prep four different dishes to be served at perfect temp simultaneously to four picky patrons with different allergies in an unfamiliar kitchen with none of their own knives - possible but damn tricky, with some out-of-your-control variables and if even one thing goes awry your resto is facing 1* Yelp reviews ;-)

[jean87510]

I didn't go back and read where KEM is staying a whole day.  Hmmm.  Wish that was my situation.  I have flight through Air2Sea at 1245p.  I have to do my test either with choppy internet on boat or that am when we dock.  Then have to get off ship self assist and make it to airport quickly to stand in atrocious line for hours.  Have to skip fluid until we get through security so i have no issues.  I wish i had a day to relax and make my way to the airport. 

[don't-use-real-name]

45 minutes ago, jean87510 said:

I didn't go back and read where KEM is staying a whole day.  Hmmm.  Wish that was my situation.  I have flight through Air2Sea at 1245p.  I have to do my test either with choppy internet on boat or that am when we dock.  Then have to get off ship self assist and make it to airport quickly to stand in atrocious line for hours.  Have to skip fluid until we get through security so i have no issues.  I wish i had a day to relax and make my way to the airport. 

 

Have to skip fluid until we get through security so i have no issues. 

 

You should have no problem with fluids pre-security - drink up and dispose of the bottle can

container in trash or simply let security take it away from you.

 

Oh you can take EMPTY bottles of liquid thru security to refill afterward - just like you would

do boarding a NCL ship.

 

Once pass the security point there will be ample opportunities to find more liquid refreshment -

until boarding your flight and then whatever the airline rules regs are about taking beverages

liquids on board.

[jean87510]

21 minutes ago, don't-use-real-name said:

 

Have to skip fluid until we get through security so i have no issues. 

 

You should have no problem with fluids pre-security - drink up and dispose of the bottle can

container in trash or simply let security take it away from you.

 

Oh you can take EMPTY bottles of liquid thru security to refill afterward - just like you would

do boarding a NCL ship.

 

Once pass the security point there will be ample opportunities to find more liquid refreshment -

until boarding your flight and then whatever the airline rules regs are about taking beverages

liquids on board.

no.  lol.  i dont want to be needing the restrooms!

[Gray Lady]

10 hours ago, Kitty Ellas Mom said:

I needed to use points so I didn't book through the cruise line.  I don't really regret it yet though, as we had enough points that my 4 flights only took half our points we've saved up.  None of us have flown since 2018......

I will be keeping my fingers crossed for you.

[NavyCruiser]

United made it worse by changing our non-stop flight from 2pm to 12:15pm.

The next non-stop flight is 11:30pm...

All of our group of 20 must fly back that Sunday, iot be back work on Monday

[outoftowner]

17 hours ago, martincath said:

D-U-R-N has it pretty much down - but with tight control at the pier it's rare for anyone to get off close to 7am, 7:30 is a more normal start time with boot-off time tight at 9:30am due to the need to 'zero out' most vessels for their return into US waters. This tightens the cruise peak from 7:30-9:30 at the pier, 9-11am at the airport, and that's on SLOW days when there are enough cabs - cruise shuttle buses don't go before ~9am which shifts the peak volumes to 9:30am and later as a steady trickle of cabs flows OK, but multiple buses rolling in and unloading 50+ each really makes for log jams!

 

Factor in 3 ships or more and the peak just keeps building (three hour delays even in TheBeforeTimes for a cab not unheard of and 1 hour waits absolutely normal). So basically it used to be a real sh*tstorm from maybe 9:30am to noon, even 1pm, purely because of cruiser volumes!

 

But this year, even with not-remotely-full cruiseships, the time to get through Security at YVR has increased so much that every day is like a three ship day in TheBeforeTimes - even folks working YVR and posting on Reddit say their predictive models are utterly out of whack, partly thanks to their own staffing issues and partly thanks to the airlines - so even if they had all staff available the best guess of not just how many are needed but where they are needed (US. Domestic, Int'l) and how many will get sick at short notice is much harder than it used to be... Until all aspects of this settle down, there will be random peaks and troughs that BeforeTimes algorithms just cannot handle well.

 

If you have a choice of flight times right now, choose one as late in the day as possible that is still before CBP precheck closes at 8:30pm (if you get pre-cleared here you land Domestic, and despite all the furore at the moment preclearance is a crapton more efficient than staffing levels at 99% of any US airport's international arrival gates!)

 

Ideally of course you stay post-cruise, do some sightseeing, relax, then take a super-early flight long before any same-day cruise pax can disembark. There's a big tranche of flights that leave in 6am-9am ballpark, and those are the ones you want to be on.

Thanks!

Not so concerned about the pier.

The airport YVR, delays are what is concerning.

We have a very late departure, 11:30 at night… so I am trying to decide at what time we should be at the airport, to clear security, COVID tests, US customs, etc.

[outoftowner]

17 hours ago, don't-use-real-name said:

 

Presume it to be only in the morning hours (rush to get to the airport) -

Cruise ships arrive at or before 7 am -

Mass movement of cruise guests to the airport 7-8-9-10 am

The usual normal airport traffic for that day plus cruise guests

Flights affected those leaving from 10 am to noon or little bit later

 

Now then not so much in the afternoon arrivals for those cruise ships departing 7 pm later ?

From noon on till 5 pm (after that guests should be on board)

 

Thus two prime time movements from Vancouver Airport to/from Canada Place.

 

Thank you!

good to know that our evening flight time should not be rush hour(s) at the airport.

[martincath]

24 minutes ago, outoftowner said:

Thanks!

Not so concerned about the pier.

The airport YVR, delays are what is concerning.

We have a very late departure, 11:30 at night… so I am trying to decide at what time we should be at the airport, to clear security, COVID tests, US customs, etc.

No US customs - your flight will unfortunately be a 'real international' one when it leaves that late as CBP stop work at 8:30pm... So expect a delay at your first US airport for Immigration & Customs.

 

By all accounts even though there is another wave of red-eyes late in the evening, the flights after about 9pm (i.e those who cannot be Precleared) remain low-volume, so even with minimal Security staff things flow fine. Covid testing locations are the airport will likewise be closed, they keep the same hours as CBP cloising at 8:30pm so you definitely want to test downtown before coming out.

 

Given no Preclearance or testing at YVR, more than 2 hours in advance is definitely overkill so I'd dine well elsewhere at a civilized hour (YVR options have been closing really early, and have always been overpriced even if there was passable quality food available) then head to YVR with a ~9pm cab or SkyTrain, arriving 9:30ish even from right downtown as there won't be any traffic.

[Kitty Ellas Mom]

martincath, what do you recommend re: covid testing in Vancouver?  I'm considering either getting it done at the Pan Pacific at high cost or doing the much lower cost home test with a video chat.  Even though many people talk about doing that video chat test I wonder if I'll get to the airport and it not be accepted.  I do think the Pan Pacific's wifi will be good enough for the video chat, however, which is good b/c I don't have to rely on ship wifi.  This is to fly from Canada back to the US.

Edited May 12, 2022 by Kitty Ellas Mom

[martincath]

17 minutes ago, Kitty Ellas Mom said:

martincath, what do you recommend re: covid testing in Vancouver?  I'm considering either getting it done at the Pan Pacific at high cost or doing the much lower cost home test with a video chat.  Even though many people talk about doing that video chat test I wonder if I'll get to the airport and it not be accepted.  I do think the Pan Pacific's wifi will be good enough for the video chat, however, which is good b/c I don't have to rely on ship wifi.  This is to fly from Canada back to the US.

I've never had to test here yet except at home with a video-chat when we were randomly selected coming home from the US, so I cannot fairly give any specifics in terms of 'this clinic or that one' - but personally in your situation I'd be bringing a comparatively-dirt-cheap Antigen test with me from the US, and scheduling a Proctor observation of me taking it in my hotel room the evening before. Almost certainly more reliable than ship internet, no need to queue up with randos indoors, results quickly by email, so your total period of stress is as short and simple as possible.

 

Multiple reports are out there of folks even successfully using YVRs free WiFi to conduct their online-observed tests successfully - and I've never found that YVR WiFi was particularly fast, so you should be absolutely fine with your hotel connection. Again, personally I'd be sure to have at least 2 kits with me just in case of a drop-out that means the proctor cannot sign off on having witnessed Definitely You Taking A Test!!!

 

There's absolutely no way that airline staff will refuse to accept your test results once you have them - Proctoring services provide the exact same reports that a physical lab does, there are specific criteria from the US gov't about what needs to be included in the report, these services comply with that or else it would be incredibly widespread news. Every story I've seen anywhere about 'Man Refused Boarding Despite Negative Test!' has been clickbait with an idiot at the heart of it, doing an unsupervised test and waving 'their' negative test kit at someone - of course they were then refused! If I waved around a positive pregnancy test nobody would believe my beer gut was really a baby, they'd assume I was waving someone else's test around ;-)

[leennp]

Are the wait time listed on CATSA app accurate?   I am asking because I downloaded the app and have been following the wait times for Vancouver airport lists A and B Canada as usually the longest, at around 20-25 minutes, but sometimes much less, E United states is usually 10-15 minutes.      Just curious if this is an accurate time since in no where near 2-3 hours.    Is there an additional wait you factor in as I thought these were the security screening times, or maybe I just don't understand.   I am another one who's flight was moved earlier by United, now 12:25 departure.    This is on a Friday, which is a 1 ship in port day for us.

 

[martincath]

34 minutes ago, leennp said:

Are the wait time listed on CATSA app accurate?   I am asking because I downloaded the app and have been following the wait times for Vancouver airport lists A and B Canada as usually the longest, at around 20-25 minutes, but sometimes much less, E United states is usually 10-15 minutes.      Just curious if this is an accurate time since in no where near 2-3 hours.    Is there an additional wait you factor in as I thought these were the security screening times, or maybe I just don't understand.   I am another one who's flight was moved earlier by United, now 12:25 departure.    This is on a Friday, which is a 1 ship in port day for us.

No - they started doing a completely-separate, 'Pre-Queue to join the real Queues' several days ago, and until you leave THAT queue and officially join the 'Gate X, Y, Z' queues the clock for the app does not begin. It's frankly ludicrous - there are valid reasons for running the queue that way, but either the app should be suspended entirely or else someone should be timing the 'Pre-Queue' and adding that huge chunk of time to each of the gate-specific timings.

[Gray Lady]

2 hours ago, Kitty Ellas Mom said:

martincath, what do you recommend re: covid testing in Vancouver?  I'm considering either getting it done at the Pan Pacific at high cost or doing the much lower cost home test with a video chat.  Even though many people talk about doing that video chat test I wonder if I'll get to the airport and it not be accepted.  I do think the Pan Pacific's wifi will be good enough for the video chat, however, which is good b/c I don't have to rely on ship wifi.  This is to fly from Canada back to the US.

I found this site and it is legit. The best thing is you can use the free tests given out from the feds.

https://rapidtestandtrace.com/product/observed-test-for-travel/?gclid=Cj0KCQjw4PKTBhD8ARIsAHChzRLfrHC4zN-C_xAJbDm-wACAtBQWqdLqpNuTaQrw4cVDxazM6S_QQ9QaAu60EALw_wcB

[leennp]

Thanks for the explanation of the App, and yes I agree is totally deceiving if there is a pre-queue to even get to where the clock starts. 

 

[outoftowner]

8 hours ago, martincath said:

No US customs - your flight will unfortunately be a 'real international' one when it leaves that late as CBP stop work at 8:30pm... So expect a delay at your first US airport for Immigration & Customs.

 

By all accounts even though there is another wave of red-eyes late in the evening, the flights after about 9pm (i.e those who cannot be Precleared) remain low-volume, so even with minimal Security staff things flow fine. Covid testing locations are the airport will likewise be closed, they keep the same hours as CBP cloising at 8:30pm so you definitely want to test downtown before coming out.

 

Given no Preclearance or testing at YVR, more than 2 hours in advance is definitely overkill so I'd dine well elsewhere at a civilized hour (YVR options have been closing really early, and have always been overpriced even if there was passable quality food available) then head to YVR with a ~9pm cab or SkyTrain, arriving 9:30ish even from right downtown as there won't be any traffic.

Thank you so much for answering my question.

[donaldsc]

On 5/8/2022 at 8:00 PM, CarlieInSF said:

Hi @Italy52 - What is the princess shuttle out of Seattle?  We are suppose to fly out of Vancouver after our cruise and are now thinking that may not be the best idea.  Is there a shuttle to the Seattle airport?

 

Yes.  Check it out on the internet.

 

DON

[don't-use-real-name]

21 minutes ago, donaldsc said:

 

Yes.  Check it out on the internet.

 

DON

Yes there are shuttles from Canada Place to the Seattle Airport -

 

A quick one that comes to mind is Quickshuttle link:

Home - Quick Shuttle (quickcoach.com)

 

More info link:

Vancouver airport to Seattle Shuttle Bus - Pick Up, Cost, Schedule (vancouver-travel-tips.com)

 

The shuttles do a customs check at the border - most likely a half hour could be longer

depending on staffing and traffic volume.

Trip takes just about 4 hours normally

 

The Seattle Airport has a great deal more options of travel within the US

and a bonus they are less expensive

 

SEA-TAC flights after 1pm PDT nonstop flights to the east coast (about 5-6 hours)

arrive at midnight EDT 

[3rdGenCunarder]

23 hours ago, NavyCruiser said:

United made it worse by changing our non-stop flight from 2pm to 12:15pm.

The next non-stop flight is 11:30pm...

All of our group of 20 must fly back that Sunday, iot be back work on Monday

 

What is it about United and the Pacific Northwest??? Every time I've flown from the east coast to Seattle or Portland, the flight I chose for its convenient time was changed to a less convenient time. It's frustrating.

 

My flight home is 8:45 AM, so I have to stay the night before. After hearing how long the lines are at the airport, I've changed from a nearby airport hotel to the Fairmont. Much more expensive than I want for one night's sleep, but the hotel I had booked doesn't start its shuttle until 6 AM, which could be too tight. 

 

I'm thinking of booking my test at the airport. So after the cruise, I'll go to the hotel, check in and store bags if my room isn't ready, and then go to the airport for the test. Then I'll have the rest of the day for sightseeing.

[don't-use-real-name]

2 hours ago, 3rdGenCunarder said:

 

What is it about United and the Pacific Northwest??? Every time I've flown from the east coast to Seattle or Portland, the flight I chose for its convenient time was changed to a less convenient time. It's frustrating.

 

My flight home is 8:45 AM, so I have to stay the night before. After hearing how long the lines are at the airport, I've changed from a nearby airport hotel to the Fairmont. Much more expensive than I want for one night's sleep, but the hotel I had booked doesn't start its shuttle until 6 AM, which could be too tight. 

 

I'm thinking of booking my test at the airport. So after the cruise, I'll go to the hotel, check in and store bags if my room isn't ready, and then go to the airport for the test. Then I'll have the rest of the day for sightseeing.

United is no doubt relinquishing the Seattle market to Alaska and Delta the two main players.

So it appears that schedules and equipment are being adjusted in that market

 

If your affinity loyalty is with United check for routing thru San Francisco or Denver where

United has a dominate presence - also don't forget about Chicago and yes I feel that you

want a non-stop flight but you may have to rethink about that.