Getting from Vancouver to Fairbanks for Cruisetour - help!

[Daffodil92]

Hi,

We are a family of 5 from the UK and will be doing a SB cruisetour August 2018 which begins in Fairbanks and ends in Vancouver.

We've seen some good flights to Vancouver with Air Transat and want to spend a day or two there to reset our body clocks and relax before heading to Fairbanks.

Does anybody have any advice of the best way to get to Fairbanks? There appear to be flights from Vancouver to Fairbanks with Air Alaska but its only an hour layover in Seattle - would this work? I don't know if we'd need to clear immigration in Seattle or what the layout of the airport is like - is one hour realistic?

Alternativey we could consider a train or private transfer to Seattle? I definitely don't want to be arriving in Fairbanks in the middle of the night though.

If anyone has experience they could share I'd be really grateful.

Many thanks x

[I_Luv_To_Travel]

August 2018......flights won't have been released yet.

[alwaysfrantic]

I am making the same trip this summer. Customs & immigration will be at the Vancouver airport on the way to Seattle, at least for US citizens; but likely for everyone. Then when you (I) land in Seattle it is just like a regular domestic transfer. Hopefully a non US citizen can chime in for sure on that.

 

My transfer time is about an hour as well, but I'm not overly concerned. Maybe I ought to be because it is the last flight in for the night.

 

Flights into Fairbanks are not all that plentiful. We did opt to fly out of Vancouver after dinner and arrive in Fairbanks just before midnight; but are going a day early so we won't arrive at the hotel at 1 am and have to leave for the tour at 8 am or some such schedule. The other options for YVR to FAI were really early out of Vancouver and we didn't want to lose a day of sightseeing there. Are are on Delta, by the way. Everything connects through Seattle, and not all airlines make offer that itinerary.

[Daffodil92]

That's helpful alwaysfrantic, thank you for your reply.

You must have a different body clock to me - I'd dread arriving late at night but am up for an early start. (My teens won't be agreeing with me though!).

So helpful to know that I can look at Delta as well as Air Alaska when flights are released - it's going to come down to that short layover though. Can anyone else comment on whether its long enough?

Do come back and let me know about your trip - I'm so excited to hear people's experiences!

[Gardyloo]

A couple of things...

 

First, it's Alaska Airlines, not Air Alaska. Second, everybody traveling to the US from Vancouver (with two exceptions that I know of - Cathay Pacific and Air Canada nonstops to New York) pre-clear US immigration and customs at Vancouver airport, so your connection in Seattle is treated as a domestic transfer - no security screening, just get off one plane and walk to the departing gate.

 

Alaska Airlines is the biggest operator on the Seattle - Alaska routes; Delta is a relative newcomer (used to be a partner of Alaska, now sworn enemies.) Alaska Airlines has a much wider presence in Alaska than Delta does, but whichever schedule works for you, fine.

 

Both Alaska and Delta use a couple of different sections of Seattle airport, so you might have to use the airport's automated train system to get from your arrival gate to your departing gate, but most transfers will take 20 min. or less. Or it could be as easy as walking ten yards from one gate to another; you won't know until you get there.

 

Both Delta and Alaska open flights for booking 330 days in advance of flights, so if you're looking at next August, check back sometime in mid-September this year.

[Daffodil92]

Thanks for your reply Gardyloo. Oops Alaska Airlines - got it now ; )

It is really helpful to know how the transfer is likely to work - we've only ever arrived as international travellers so I was expecting immigration with huge queues etc. Great to find out that we can clear all this in Vancouver.

If we were to book a ticket with Alaska Airlines from Vancouver to Fairbanks then , would it mean we would not have to collect our bags at Seattle and that they would get checked straight through to Fairbanks? Again this would make a short transfer time more possible.

I know it's very early but our international flights are available and I want to book them very soon because I think they'll only go up over time. Knowing realistic transfer arrangements to Fairbanks is therefore really helpful so we can plan our dates to fly out. Thanks again for your help.

[thinfool]

To twist things around a little... have you used this site to look for routes and fares? http://matrix.itasoftware.com Use the multiple cities feature.

 

Using it, the most cost effective fares and routes for your trip look to be from LHR thru Chicago to Fairbanks and then return from Vancouver. Currently this routing shows as <$1000.

 

This might mean moving your extra days in Vancouver to the end of your vacation, but that could be considered.

[Gardyloo]

If we were to book a ticket with Alaska Airlines from Vancouver to Fairbanks then , would it mean we would not have to collect our bags at Seattle and that they would get checked straight through to Fairbanks? Again this would make a short transfer time more possible.

I know it's very early but our international flights are available and I want to book them very soon because I think they'll only go up over time. Knowing realistic transfer arrangements to Fairbanks is therefore really helpful so we can plan our dates to fly out. Thanks again for your help.

Your bags will be checked through.

 

Anybody who says they know when airline tickets will be less or more expensive is blowing smoke to a large degree; however it's certainly possible to buy them too early. It goes like this: at over a year from the flight (or actually, sometimes quite a bit less than that) the airlines may not know what their internal operating costs will be. The price of oil might spike up, making jet fuel more expensive. A competitor airline might enter or leave a given market, thus increasing or removing price competition that would have an impact on fares. A union contract or two might be negotiated changing the price of labo(u)r for the airline... lots of things.

 

To hedge against these possible causes for higher costs, airlines can and do set fares higher at the beginning of a booking window (the 11 or 12 months, whatever) just so they'll still make a profit if the costs go up in the meantime. (And if the costs don't go up, fat city.) Closer to the flight date, they know more about those costs, but so do their competitors, so costs will tend to track down so that they fill the seats. Of course by a few days or weeks immediately before the flight, as seats have sold out, then prices will track back up until only the most expensive fare categories (called "fare buckets") are left.

 

So from the buyer's point of view, it's often smarter to wait a while before dropping the (many) pennies. There's no way to know when the cheapest prices will come and go (the airlines have very sophisticated and secret computer programs to tell them this) but if you wait until a few months before travel (say, sometime in spring for late summer travel) the odds are good you won't get hurt, and may well do better than being too early. Don't worry, the planes won't sell out, and bear in mind that early birds don't always get worms, sometimes they get cats.

[I_Luv_To_Travel]

Another thing to remember........the further you buy in advance, the more likelihood of schedule changes.

[martincath]

While the US immigration experience at YVR is a help for transfers, if $ is worth more than time to you a one-way rental car to SEA instead is almost certainly the cheapest way to travel. Wrong side of the road - but the highway is wide, boring, and very easy to not get lost on.

 

Fares from SEA direct, without the YVR portion, avoid hefty airport improvement fees, security fees, and Canadian taxes - while it's always possible you'll get a quirky date that means it's cheaper to fly YVR-SEA first, odds are that flying from SEA will save a decent sum by the time you factor in 5 tickets.

 

In theory you should be at YVR 2-3 hours preflight for US-bound planes, plus flight time, plus your layover time - while driving takes ~3 hours plus border/traffic delays and a domestic flight means arrive just one hour preflight. I'd pad the schedule for safety, but leaving Vancouver 6 hours before your flight from SEA would be very generous - and actually only about an hour more total time!

 

Also has the advantage of flexibility in timing and route - so you could e.g. take in the Boeing exhibit in Everett on the way down, or go pootling around some of the nice non-highway routes like Chuckanut Drive, stop in some of the wee coastal towns, see mountains etc. en route. Vancouver's obviously better, but there's some good stuff in WA too;-)

[Chenega]

There are several options to get to Fairbanks from Vancouver. Air Canada offers a one-a-day flight from Vancouver to Anchorage; you can then connect to either Alaska Airlines (http://www.alaskaair.com) or the commuter airline Ravn (http://www.flyravn.com). Both Alaska and Ravn offer multiple flights between Alaska's two largest cities every day.

 

Another option is a Vancouver-Seattle-Fairbanks route with Alaska Airlines; you can also pursue the Vancouver-Seattle-Anchorage-Fairbanks option that uses a combination of Alaska Airlines and their subsidiary, Horizon Airlines.

[nasa1974]

Between Delta and Alaska Air I would choose Alaska Air.

[Daffodil92]

Wow! Such a lot of helpful advice - thank you so much!

The http://matrix.itasoftware.com website was a revelation for me - I always wondered how people found clever flight combinations and now I know!

I would just love to potter along the coast to Seattle visiting towns along the way but I'm ashamed to say I am definitely too scared to hire a car. The highways I could cope with but going through major cities would just be too stressful to consider.

But....how about the train? Would the train between Vancouver and Seattle be a good alternative option? It looks much cheaper than flying out of Vancouver and I wonder if it would give us the chance to see some of the scenery along the way. I don't know if times would work to tie in with a direct flight to Fairbanks or how we'd get from the train station to the airport - once again any advice would be really appreciated.

[martincath]

Wow! Such a lot of helpful advice - thank you so much!

The http://matrix.itasoftware.com website was a revelation for me - I always wondered how people found clever flight combinations and now I know!

I would just love to potter along the coast to Seattle visiting towns along the way but I'm ashamed to say I am definitely too scared to hire a car. The highways I could cope with but going through major cities would just be too stressful to consider.

But....how about the train? Would the train between Vancouver and Seattle be a good alternative option? It looks much cheaper than flying out of Vancouver and I wonder if it would give us the chance to see some of the scenery along the way. I don't know if times would work to tie in with a direct flight to Fairbanks or how we'd get from the train station to the airport - once again any advice would be really appreciated.

The train is, aside from the limited schedule, the best way from Van to Sea or vice versa (really, I didn't mention it only because with 5 of you a rental car will be way less $ if you shop around). If a rental is off the table, and the times work for you, the train is a great choice. NB: unless you choose to leave the highway, the only time you're not on a major divided piece of road all the way to Seatac is right at the start in Vancouver, since there are no highways inside the city limits. However, regular streets do have highway numbers so a GPS or map is still easy to follow, it's just rather odd to be on 'highway 99' and be surrounded by sidewalks & tall buildings with a speed limit pf 30mph!

 

 

Budget $32pp for adult Saver coach tickets on Amtrak (if some of the 5 are Seniors or Kids, even better pricing is possible) and be sure to book in advance, as prices only go up. Sales no longer apply to Saver tix - at least I've never seen a sale that did in over three years.

 

From King St to Seatac - Uber/Lyft if you have smartphones with data to use the app. Otherwise EastSideForHire is a local car firm that offers fixed price rates - IIRC downtown to airport $29 per car. A metered cab somewhere around $40, but traffic in wildly variable in Seattle. If you're traveling light, the LINK light rail has a stop almost nextdoor to Amtrak, and another at the airport. $2.75pp and about 40mins travel time (plus a long walk through a garage on the other end, so budget an hour from station to concourse).

[Daffodil92]

The train is, aside from the limited schedule, the best way from Van to Sea or vice versa (really, I didn't mention it only because with 5 of you a rental car will be way less $ if you shop around). If a rental is off the table, and the times work for you, the train is a great choice. NB: unless you choose to leave the highway, the only time you're not on a major divided piece of road all the way to Seatac is right at the start in Vancouver, since there are no highways inside the city limits. However, regular streets do have highway numbers so a GPS or map is still easy to follow, it's just rather odd to be on 'highway 99' and be surrounded by sidewalks & tall buildings with a speed limit pf 30mph!

 

 

Budget $32pp for adult Saver coach tickets on Amtrak (if some of the 5 are Seniors or Kids, even better pricing is possible) and be sure to book in advance, as prices only go up. Sales no longer apply to Saver tix - at least I've never seen a sale that did in over three years.

 

From King St to Seatac - Uber/Lyft if you have smartphones with data to use the app. Otherwise EastSideForHire is a local car firm that offers fixed price rates - IIRC downtown to airport $29 per car. A metered cab somewhere around $40, but traffic in wildly variable in Seattle. If you're traveling light, the LINK light rail has a stop almost nextdoor to Amtrak, and another at the airport. $2.75pp and about 40mins travel time (plus a long walk through a garage on the other end, so budget an hour from station to concourse).

 

That is just brilliant - thank you so much for your really helpful and informative reply. The train sounds a really good option, especially if we took the evening one (as I guess it stays light late in July?) and stay one night in Seattle.

 

So...I'm going to book my international flights (£2700 for 5 of us London - Vancouver/ Toronto - London ) and leave 2 full clear days before our cruise tour starts in Fairbanks to either enjoy Vancouver and fly to Fairbanks or do 1 night in Vancouver, get the train to Seattle and perhaps overnight in Seattle before flying to Fairbanks. We'll firm these plans up in September when the flights are released.

We'll have a week back in Vancouver after the cruise and are then going to Toronto to sneak in a quick visit to Niagra Falls.

I really am so excited - and so grateful for everyone's help on this board. Thank you x

[martincath]

That is just brilliant - thank you so much for your really helpful and informative reply. The train sounds a really good option, especially if we took the evening one (as I guess it stays light late in July?) and stay one night in Seattle.

 

So...I'm going to book my international flights (£2700 for 5 of us London - Vancouver/ Toronto - London ) and leave 2 full clear days before our cruise tour starts in Fairbanks to either enjoy Vancouver and fly to Fairbanks or do 1 night in Vancouver, get the train to Seattle and perhaps overnight in Seattle before flying to Fairbanks. We'll firm these plans up in September when the flights are released.

We'll have a week back in Vancouver after the cruise and are then going to Toronto to sneak in a quick visit to Niagra Falls.

I really am so excited - and so grateful for everyone's help on this board. Thank you x

No problem. Since you said tour starts August, I assume it's the very end of July you're flying in (if you stay until Wed Aug 1st, there's a free fireworks show...) Sunset is about 8:45pm, plus or minus a few minutes, with another ~45mins of twilight. Depending exactly where the train is, you may have a quite spectacular sunset over island and ocean if you take the evening train - it's pretty much the driest time of year for BC & WA so your odds of a clear sky are good.

 

Niagara is awesome - but while Canada has by far the best view of the falls, the US do a MUCH classier job with management of the surroundings (I warn folks to expect the bastard child of Blackpool and Vegas, it's just tacky as all get out - while the US side has a delightful park and an informative, educational ranger station). Since you'll obviously be organising your ESTAs and any other Visa requirements, I heartily recommend a trip over to the US side if you have the time (over-nighting on the Canadian side of Niagara is better, as there's a lightshow at night).

 

You should also book a TAP into T.O. Greeter as soon as you have firm dates for your time in Toronto. Free guided tours by locals, and the earlier you give notice the better chance of hooking you up with the optimal Greeter for you (everyone has their specialties from specific neighbourhoods to broad interests like food or art right down to ridiculous niches like pre-War firehalls!)