Flight recommendation from Vancouver

[shuguley]

I am considering taking my adult children to Alaska next year and will not be using Regent air service.  For those of you familiar with the YVR airport, what is the earliest time you would recommend booking an outgoing flight?  Would like to depart as early as reasonably possible since we will be headed back to Atlanta.

[rcandkc]

44 minutes ago, shuguley said:

I am considering taking my adult children to Alaska next year and will not be using Regent air service.  For those of you familiar with the YVR airport, what is the earliest time you would recommend booking an outgoing flight?  Would like to depart as early as reasonably possible since we will be headed back to Atlanta.

On another thread recently there was discussion about how bad the lines were when departing in the summer time.  So, be careful in planning. 

[Travelcat2]

As rcandkc mentioned, there are bad  lines at the airport - just as there are horrible lines getting to the ship at the Vancouver cruise port (not always - just depends upon how many ships are in port and there are a lot during the summer).

 

I would not want to book a flight before noon.  Traffic from the cruise port to the airport can be heavy - even though it is only 10 miles from the cruise terminal to the airport.  The ride should take about a 1/2 to 3/4 of an hour.  

 

If I had to guesstimate, I would say that you could get off of the ship 8:00 a.m., get your luggage and go to the airport which should take another 45 minutes to an hour.  Then, if the line at the airport is 1 1/2 hours, it should work.

 

P.S.  YVR is our "home" airport.  

[shuguley]

Thanks so much.  There is a flight which departs around 1:00 PM so that will probably be my best bet.

 

Just out of curiosity, anyone know what time Regent starts booking departing flights from YVR?

[Travelcat2]

18 minutes ago, shuguley said:

Thanks so much.  There is a flight which departs around 1:00 PM so that will probably be my best bet.

 

Just out of curiosity, anyone know what time Regent starts booking departing flights from YVR?

 

If you are deviating, it will be 270 days prior to embarkation. You can calculate the date here https://www.timeanddate.com/date/dateadd.html by putting in the date of the cruise and subtracting 270 days.

 

Hope that this helps!

 

P.S.  The 1:00 p.m. flight sounds perfect!

[FlyerTalker]

2 hours ago, shuguley said:

I am considering taking my adult children to Alaska next year and will not be using Regent air service.

 

37 minutes ago, shuguley said:

Just out of curiosity, anyone know what time Regent starts booking departing flights from YVR?

 

lf you are using Regent, then 270 is the number.  If not, other airlines open at 330, 331 and other lead times, depending on the carrier.

 

Sounds like you might be doing both.

 

[rcandkc]

I think op meant what time does Regent start booking flights out...ie...noon, 2 pm, etc. 

[shuguley]

rcandkc is correct.  I was just wondering, out of curiosity, what time Regent started booking departing flights.  I will be arranging my own air using Skymiles.

[Travelcat2]

Okay - my bad.  I get it now!  You would need to ask someone that has already gone to Alaska or will be going in the near future.  

 

Due to issues getting to Dubai, I am now recommending against booking your own air.  However, if you are getting it "free", as long as you are prepared to change flights (and pay for it if there is a problem), you'll be fine.  

 

Note:  Discussing Dubai may not make sense but issues can happen anytime - anywhere in the world.  Regent takes care of their passengers that have booked with them first.  Then, if there is time, they will assist passengers that have booked their own air.

[FlyerTalker]

12 minutes ago, Travelcat2 said:

Due to issues getting to Dubai, I am now recommending against booking your own air.  However, if you are getting it "free", as long as you are prepared to change flights (and pay for it if there is a problem), you'll be fine. 

 

Any assist or suggestions that I might help with getting to DXB?

[FlyerTalker]

Biggest comment on Emirates (EK):  Don't fly on the non-stop from SEA to DXB.  You're on a 777, and you won't get the best business class experience.  Even with their new interior, it's still a 2-3-2 with relatively cramped personal space.  Especially if you get the middle seat.  But even the window seats still have to climb over the aisle passenger - no direct aisle access for 3 of the 7 seats in each row.

 

IMO, better to fly first to either SFO or LAX, then take the A380 non-stop.  Far better experience.  And FWIW, the EK lounge at LAX is nicer than the one at SFO, so all things being equal, I'd route SEA-LAX-DXB.

 

One other consideration....look at flying across the Pacific to get to DXB.  Flying from either SEA or YVR on Cathay Pacific via HKG is only 900 miles further than the SEA-LAX-DXB option.  Plus, Cathay often allows for a free stopover in HKG, so you can get a few days there as a bonus vacation spot.

 

My own experiences on EK have all been on the 380.  Excellent hard product and very good soft product.  And yes, I've gone out of my way to avoid the EK 777.

[Travelcat2]

FlyerTalker, as usual, excellent information.  Thank you!

[2012_Alaska_bound]

Back to the YVR discussion:

 

The earliest flight out of YVR from our recent Alaska cruise on Regent for our bus group was 12:55.  Our group though was about the 6th called to debark, and we didn't get to the airport until about 9:30.  I think the first group called was about 45 minutes before we were called. 

 

YVR does not let you check luggage until 3 hours before your flight, so I was one of those that was stuck in a 3.5 hour line.

 

That said, I think the earliest flight I might want booked would be noon. That way you would be on an earlier bus and be able to check luggage at 9.  Yes, there were many cruise ships arriving in Port that day.....

[golfgirls]

Just one quick note about flying Emirates.  I agree with Flyertalker  that the A380 is a far superior product on Emirates than the 777 offering.  Having said that, we have done Emirates 777 flights twice in the last couple of years - Orlando to Singapore and Orlando to Cape Town.  Both included lovely stop overs in Dubai with a complimentary hotel to get some rest and freshen up and a voucher for dinner.  Though the A380 is a much, much better configuration, the 777 was perfectly fine with great service and service offerings.   

 

Now back to Vancouver....

[SkystheLimit]

We were off the Mariner last week at 8:45 as one of the later groups(earliest off were around 7:30).  Took independent taxi(very organized operation) and we were at the airport by 9:45.  It was $45 Canadian including gratuity.  Since you are using SkyMiles be prepared for some strange routing.  This summer Delta has only one nonstop from ATL to YVR.  Very pricey in miles or dollars and not great travel times.  It's the all nighter on the way back to ATL.  Our connections were in Seattle.  We had a great cruise!

[Pam]

In 2001, Delta had the one nonstop from ANK to ATL; it departed around midnight and was a 7-hour nonstop.  I am hoping to take my children and their (grown) children next Summer, and since it looks like my SIL can't get off for the 14 night starting in San Francisco, I'll be looking ANK to VFR, then a few days in beautiful VFR and a flight home from there.

[FlyerTalker]

11 hours ago, Pam said:

In 2001, Delta had the one nonstop from ANK to ATL; it departed around midnight and was a 7-hour nonstop.  I am hoping to take my children and their (grown) children next Summer, and since it looks like my SIL can't get off for the 14 night starting in San Francisco, I'll be looking ANK to VFR, then a few days in beautiful VFR and a flight home from there.

 

Didn't know that Delta flew from Ankara Turkey to Atlanta.  🙂

 

And yes, VFR is beautiful because that means you are under Visual Flight Rules.

[Pam]

Funny, that comes from depending on an aging memory.  Kind of like people posting AK when they mean AR; also fat fingers.

 

Anchorage to Atlanta, and Vancouver is beautiful.  No shortening letters today.