Earthyan Travel: Flying From Vancouver on an International Flight (Non-USA)

Posted on by earthyan_z3720p

Have a Departure from Vancouver (YVR)?

Here we list all aspects of flying from Vancouver for an international destination, other than USA.

Transportation to YVR

There are multiple travel options to take you to YVR across a range of budgets:

Public Transit

Vancouver is privileged to have a direct train service from YVR to downtown Vancouver in just under 30 minutes. You also have connectivity to Richmond, Burnaby, New Westminster, UBC, Surrey, and North Vancouver through one or more connections with public transit.

If you are not local to Vancouver or new to the city, please consult Google Maps or your Earthyan Travel Concierge on the best use of public transportation to get to the airport.

One of the best benefits of using public transit, in particular when commuting from Downtown Vancouver to the airport is the fixed travel time allowing you to plan your day better. During peak periods, there can often be a large amount of traffic heading in the same direction as the airport.

Driving to Vancouver

Google Maps will once again be your best source of accurate driving instructions from your place of residence to YVR, keeping in mind traffic conditions.

There are three parking options when at YVR:

  1. Main Parking Lot. $36.75 / day or $204.75 per week and parking is only allowed in P2 or P3. This is your most convenient option, however, it can be incredibly expensive for longer durations.
  2. jetSet Self Parking. $11.95 / day or $59.75 per week if you book in advance for self-parking. $17.50 / day or $87.50 per week for valet parking. Note, the valet service is not from the main terminal, rather from a main building at the parking lot. There is a shuttle service that departs between the parking lot and YVR that takes 5-7 minutes and departs every 20 minutes.
  3. Value Long Term: $27.50 / day or $153.50 per week. Honestly, I’ve never seen a valuable use case for this parking lot. The other options are preferable.

If you have booked through Earthyan, contact your Earthyan Travel Concierge to arrange parking for you at the terminal. By paying online, you will save additional money and access the best available offers rather than waiting to arrange for parking on the day of departure. 

Uber or Lyft

Both Uber and Lyft are widely available in the Greater Vancouver area, and rates will be subject to current demand, distance and traffic conditions.

Chauffeur Vehicle

For long journeys, extra baggage or a more comfortable experience, a chauffeur vehicle might be an option for you as well. These vehicles can be pre-booked in advance, and will provide a black car service to the airport. When comparing Taxis, Ubers and Lyfts from further areas of Vancouver, such as Langley, Maple Ridge, Abbotsford or Mission, a chauffeur service will be either similary priced or not much more expensive for a much more comfortable journey.

If you have booked through Earthyan, contact your Earthyan Travel Concierge if you would like us to arrange a chauffeur service to the airport.

Taxi

Taxis are typically available as well and run by the meter. There is no fixed fare for pricing to YVR.

 

Check In Counter

There are two terminals in Vancouver, the main terminal and South Terminal. Unless otherwise advised by your Earthyan Travel Concierge, your departure is likely from the main terminal at YVR. The main terminal is split into three distinct areas, USA, International and Domestic departures.

Flying Air Canada

If you are traveling to the airport by public transit, the Earthyan recommendation is to follow signs to domestic departures despite flying on an international flight on Air Canada.

Air Canada Priority Check-In is located in the domestic section even if you are flying internationally. Ignore the guidance to Air Canada international check-in, and the first entrance in the domestic section will be the check-in for all international flights.

Air Canada regular check-in is the last entrance (the entrance closest to the bridge/dome that connects the train station with the terminal) at the international section. 

Flying WestJet

If you are traveling to the airport, either by car or public transit, Earthyan recommends you to follow signs to domestic departures for all international passenger check-in.

WestJet Priority Check-In is located in the domestic section even if you are flying internationally. It is the last entrance in the domestic section for all domestic and international flights.

WestJet regular check-in is the entrance after Air Canada Domestic departures.

Flying Air France, KLM

All flights will check-in between counters 128 and 135.

Flying Air India

All flights will check-in between counters 154 and 162.

Quick Tip: If you are flying on WestJet or have access to priority check-in on Air Canada, follow signs to domestic departure for a shorter walk within the terminal.

Tips: If you are a Canadian PR and hold a valid USA visa, or are a Canadian Citizen, Nexus only costs C$50 for 5 years and can save an incredible amount of time during your travel journey.

Security

All international departures have a centralized security screening area. During peak hours, there will be three lines:

  1. Nexus
  2. Fastrack
  3. Regular

All Business Class passengers and frequent flyers will have access to Fastrack security.

If you have Nexus and the Nexus line is non-operational, let the CATSA screener know that you hold a Nexus card and they will prioritize your security screening.

Fastrack access is also available if you hold a Visa Infinite Privilege card. If you do not have a Visa Infinite Privilege credit card, please connect with our Eartyan Credit Card Experts to learn about how you can leverage credit cards to make for a comfortable journey. 

 

Singapore Airlines First Class Lounge, Singapore

Lounges

There are multiple lounges for international departures from YVR.

Air Canada Maple Leaf Lounge

The Air Canada Maple Leaf Lounge will provide entry to the following guests:

  • Business or First Class when traveling on an Air Canada or any Star Alliance Partner airline flight
  • Star Alliance Gold when traveling on an Air Canada or any Star Alliance Partner airline flight
  • Air Canada Elite 50k, 75k and 100k Members when traveling on an Air Canada or any Star Alliance Partner airline flight
  • Paid lounge access for select customers when traveling on an Air Canada flight
  • Premium Air Canada Credit Card Holders when traveling on an Air Canada flight.

If you are traveling in Business or First Class on Air India, All Nippon Airways, EVA Airlines, Singapore Airlines or Turkish Airlines, you will be have access to the Maple Leaf Lounge.

If you are traveling on Air Canada and are interested in acquiring a premium Air Canada credit card for complimentary lounge access, priority baggage, and priority check-in on all Air Canada flights, contact our Credit Card Specialists at Earthyan to setup a complimentary 15 minute consultation session.

If you are traveling in Business Class on Air Canada, or an Elite 100K Member on Air Canada, you have access to a priority lane to access the Air Canada Maple Leaf Lounge.

The hours of operations are as follows:

  • Monday 11:00 – 00:15
  • Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday, Sunday 11:00 – 00:45
  • Thursday 6:30 – 00:15
  • Saturday 7:00 – 22:45

Air Canada Signature Suite Lounge

The Air Canada Signature Suite is a lounge within the Air Canada Maple Leaf Lounge and has a limited set of eligibility requirements:

  • Paid Business Class Customers who are flying on Air Canada
  • Flexible Business Class Award Tickets who are flying on Air Canada

The lounge features upgraded amenity and a dedicated sit-down restaurant to enjoy prior to your flights. Customers who have been upgraded into Business Class, or on a mileage ticket using the lowest possible miles for Business Class travel do not have access to this lounge.

The opening hours are aligned with the Maple Leaf Lounge.

Plaza Premium Lounge

The Plaza Premium Lounge is a paid lounge service accessible to all passengers. If you have booked through Earthyan, you may contact your Earthyan Travel Concierge to to setup lounge access at the Plaza Premium Lounge.

You may also be eligible for complimentary access for the following passengers:

  • American Express Platinum Cardmembers
  • American Express Business Platinum Cardmembers
  • EVA Airlines Business Class

If you are interested in obtaining a credit card that provides you complimentary access to Plaza Premium Lounges, contact our Credit Card Specialists at Earthyan.

The hours of operation are 5am to 2am every day.

SkyTeam Lounge

The SkyTeam Lounge will provide entry to the following guests:

  • Business Class on a SkyTeam Airline
  • Frequent Flyers of a Skyteam Airline program
  • Priority Pass Cardholders

To obtain a a complimentary Priority Pass membership through a credit card, contact our Credit Card Specialists at Earthyan.

The hours of operation are:

  • Monday: 07:30 – 01:30
  • Tuesday, Thursday, Sunday: 07:30 – 02:00
  • Wednesday, Friday, Saturday: 07:30 – 23:30

Cathay Pacific Lounge or British Airways Galleries Lounge

Both lounges are temporarily closed. 

Priority Boarding

Priority boarding is typically extended to the following passengers:

  • Business or First Class Customers
  • Frequent Flyers of the Airlines elite program
  • Passengers with children or those who require extra time to board the aircraft
  • Paid service on certain airlines
  • Premium Credit Card Holders when traveling on Air Canada

If you would like to obtain priority boarding, please contact your Earthyan Travel Concierge and they will go through the current options.

Boarding can be confusing!

Confused?

Our travel experts are your best source of guidance to determine the best way to travel between Canada and India.  

Trip from Canada 

We charge a C$30 non-refundable consultation fee for asking Earthyan to support you during your travels. We guarantee the lowest publicly available pricing, and if you find a price lower than our quote for the exact same flights, we will refund you our service fee!   

Trip from India 

We charge a non-refundable INR2,500 service fee per person. Many travel agents hide this fee in their ticket costs, instead, we have opted to provide a complete breakdown of these fees to ensure complete price transparency. 

Why do we charge these fees? 

It’s quite simple, air fare for the most part is uncommissioned. If your travel booking involves commissions, for example, through hotels, cruises or vacation packages, our service fee does not apply to you! 

Contact Us Today

Contact us by setting up a meeting to speak with our vacation consultants on creating the perfect travel experience for you!