returning to US fron Vancouver post cruise

are there any bits of advice for returning to the East Coast of US from Vancouver on a Saturday after debarkation ???? the flights look few and far between and clearing US Customs prior to security needs to be factored into the puzzle.

Thanks in advance for your replies

No special tricks here. As commonly discussed on the West Coast Departures board, to allow for the various issues (clearing US Immigration and Customs in Vancouver is a positive, not a negative), booking a flight before noon is not recommended. Otherwise, a flight direct to your destination would be preferred, if needed, a stop in the US to connect would probably be the next choice.

But, depending on exactly where you are flying, there may be other considerations. You don't give us much info for specific info. Vague questions = vague answers.

Stay an extra day (or better yet, a week) is the best advice - then you can book a nice early flight which would not be possible the day your disembark.

are there any bits of advice for returning to the East Coast of US from Vancouver on a Saturday after debarkation ???? the flights look few and far between and clearing US Customs prior to security needs to be factored into the puzzle.

Thanks in advance for your replies

US Customers closes at 8:30 pm. Flights that depart after this time do not clear US customs in Vancouver.

Heading to the east coast there is a Cathay Pacific red-eye to JFK. This is a continuation of a flight that starts in Hong Kong. It may also have an AA code on it, don't remember. There a better chance the flight is not as full as many other flights.

There is also a Delta red-eye on some days to Atlanta.

You also have the option to of flying Air Canada or WestJet to Toronto, or Montreal and connecting there. If you do this you will clear US customs in eastern Canada prior to boarding your connecting US flight. If it is Air Canada through Toronto your bags will automatically be transferred. That may be your better option if espeically if your are heading to a small city in the US.

My advice is so you don't rush that day to arrive to the airport two and one-half hours before your flight or more. A flight at 1:00 PM gives you a great cushion unless you plan to do anything in Vancouver prior to making your way to the airport.

At the airport you will check in for your flight. Take your bags to a nearby area to drop them off. Go through security. Go through USA customs/immigration. Make your way to the gate or to somewhere to eat, etc.

Keith

The trip to YVR is all street routes, and if traffic backed up.... :mad::loudcry:

It can also take 45 minutes to pass through custom's pre-clearance.

On my trip home from an Alaska, we had to take a short flight from YVR to Seatle airport on a Bombardier Dash 8. Thus, our departure is from gates 90-96 which is a good ten minute hike from the main terminal. Bring your comfy shoes.

The problem, shared by all west coast ports but particularly Vancouver and Seattle, is that most nonstop flights to the Midwest and east coast depart fairly early in the morning, usually too early to allow same-day travel for passengers disembarking from cruises that day. The reason for this difficulty comes from airlines needing to schedule flights so that passengers can make connections to secondary airports after arriving, and the 2- or 3-hour time difference (Central/Eastern) from the west coast makes the timing very difficult, once you add the actual flight (plus taxi etc.) time. For example, a six-hour flight from Seattle to, say, Miami that leaves at 11 AM, would arrive six hour later, i.e. 5 PM in Miami, except the local time there will be 8 PM. That will be too late for some passengers to connect "legally" to another flight to some second-tier city, and the Seattle - Miami plane will probably be stuck there overnight, since demand won't be great for 10 PM departures.

But if that Seattle - Miami flight leaves at, say, 7 AM, then it lands in Miami at 4 PM local time, which is plenty of time for the plane to be used to fly up to New York, or out to Puerto Rico, or even back to the west coast, where, say, a 5:30 PM departure would arrive around 8:30 PM west coast time. That plane would then be available for a red-eye back east, or even if it stays overnight on the west coast it's positioned for an early morning departure the next day.

Hope that isn't confusing, but that's the way airlines manage their fleets. The planes aren't making any money sitting on the ground.

So disembarking from a cruise in the early morning in Vancouver or Seattle means your options that day to the east coast are generally a few flights that leave in late morning that arrive in the late evening in the east, often following an intermediate connection, or else a red-eye that night, or else a flight to someplace like Chicago or Dallas followed by a long (overnight) layover there and an early morning arrival the next day.

clearing US Customs prior to security needs to be factored into the puzzle.

Thanks in advance for your replies

Just FYI, based on my last few experiences at YVR, you clear security first, then immigration/customs, and then it dumps you in to the US departure gate area. Security and immigration/customs are right next to each other, but security does come first.

Thanks everyone for your replies. Every bit of information helps.

Definitely consider the Cathay Pacific YVR-JFK flight if you're heading back to the east coast.

It's probably the best flight in North America, especially if you're flying Business or First and the fares aren't too bad.

http://www.sfo777.com/content/cathay-pacific-first-class-yvr-jfk

Thanks FBGD

Definitely consider the Cathay Pacific YVR-JFK flight if you're heading back to the east coast.

 

It's probably the best flight in North America, especially if you're flying Business or First and the fares aren't too bad.

http://www.sfo777.com/content/cathay-pacific-first-class-yvr-jfk

Thanks for the photos.

Definitely consider the Cathay Pacific YVR-JFK flight if you're heading back to the east coast.

 

It's probably the best flight in North America, especially if you're flying Business or First and the fares aren't too bad.

http://www.sfo777.com/content/cathay-pacific-first-class-yvr-jfk

After seeing photos here and elsewhere (various frequent flyer type blogs, etc.), we made a point (pun intended) of traveling on CX F back from Asia. It took extra points, but... Wow!

The width of that bed was remarkable.

It's almost as wide as a regular twin bed a the top, where shoulder space usually matters.

And the service was just about perfect.

If we'd had the time (and the points, and the seat availability, etc.) I'd have been happy to fly right back, and then turn around again and come back. It was SO relaxing. More like being at a private spa (without treatments or treadmills!) than "in an airplane".

The problem with that flight from NY to Vancouver is, I'm pretty sure, that they are "red eyes", in both directions.

Otherwise, we would consider flying to NY (we are already not that far) to catch that flight, as we need to make a connection no matter what, so why not use CX ;)

GC

After seeing photos here and elsewhere (various frequent flyer type blogs, etc.), we made a point (pun intended) of traveling on CX F back from Asia. It took extra points, but... Wow!

 

The width of that bed was remarkable.

It's almost as wide as a regular twin bed a the top, where shoulder space usually matters.

And the service was just about perfect.

 

If we'd had the time (and the points, and the seat availability, etc.) I'd have been happy to fly right back, and then turn around again and come back. It was SO relaxing. More like being at a private spa (without treatments or treadmills!) than "in an airplane".

 

The problem with that flight from NY to Vancouver is, I'm pretty sure, that they are "red eyes", in both directions.

Otherwise, we would consider flying to NY (we are already not that far) to catch that flight, as we need to make a connection no matter what, so why not use CX ;)

 

GC

Yes red-eye. This flight has operated for decades going back to when there were no aircraft on the market that had the range to do Hong Kong to New York non-stop. It basically reflected the need to refuel somewhere.

CX 888 Departs Vancouver at 10:55 pm and arrives in New York JFK at 7:00 am

CX 865 Departs New York JFK at 9:50 pm and arrives in Vancouver at 1:00 AM in the morning

The other year round non-stop between Vancouver and New York that is on a wide-body is Air Canada 787 dreamliner service between Vancouver and Newark. Air Canada has a bank of flights that depart Vancouver for Australia (Brisbane, Sidney and Melbourne) that leave Vancouver in the evening for Australia and arrive back in Vancouver in the early morning. The Newark and Boston flights are designed to feed the Australia flights.

Not certain if Philippine airlines is still running a Vancouver-JFK flight as a continuation of their Manila flight. They were in the past.

Yes red-eye. This flight has operated for decades going back to when there were no aircraft on the market that had the range to do Hong Kong to New York non-stop. It basically reflected the need to refuel somewhere.

 

CX 888 Departs Vancouver at 10:55 pm and arrives in New York JFK at 7:00 am

 

CX 865 Departs New York JFK at 9:50 pm and arrives in Vancouver at 1:00 AM in the morning

 

The other year round non-stop between Vancouver and New York that is on a wide-body is Air Canada 787 dreamliner service between Vancouver and Newark. Air Canada has a bank of flights that depart Vancouver for Australia (Brisbane, Sidney and Melbourne) that leave Vancouver in the evening for Australia and arrive back in Vancouver in the early morning. The Newark and Boston flights are designed to feed the Australia flights.

 

Not certain if Philippine airlines is still running a Vancouver-JFK flight as a continuation of their Manila flight. They were in the past.

That non-stop from Boston is summer only, so the only connections the rest of the time (we wouldn't be traveling in the summer) would be through NYC area or Toronto or Montreal.

The AC Toronto-Vancouver leg has the nice 787 service, and it's what we've been taking. It's a nice plane, and has those 3 rows of Premium Economy.

If the non-stop CX connection through NY weren't a red-eye, we might consider it. Getting in a 1 am isn't appealing.

GC

The YVR fairmont is great if you arrive late. I’ve taken the JFK flight and gone straight to the fairmont and it’s pretty easy. Even with immigration and customs, wheels down to head on pillow can be done in 30 minutes with carry on only.