Our Vancouver International Airport Guide is a terrific location to start organizing your stay, whether you have a layover, overnight sleepover, or are simply passing through. You may learn everything from airport lounges, mobile charging stations, 24-hour food courts, and motels near the Terminal.
Vancouver International Airport Guide
More than 26 million incoming, leaving, and connecting passengers will use Vancouver International Airport Guide(airport code: YVR) in 2019. Having a strategy for navigating this busy airport will help you save time and energy. 1 Around 12 kilometers (7.5 miles) from downtown Vancouver and about 30 minutes south (by automobile), you’ll find the Vancouver International Airport on Sea Island in Richmond.
It’s convenient to get to the airport, whether taking public transportation or a private transfer because the airport is served by its SkyTrain rapid transit line, the Canada Line. Everything you need to know about the airport is included in this comprehensive reference.
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Common Carriers and Itineraries
Shuttles run every 15 minutes between the Main Terminal and Airport South (South Terminal Building and Floatplane Facility), which are respectively designated for domestic (Canada), international (US), and international (US) flights.
National carriers, including Air Canada, British Airways, Air China, Air France, Air New Zealand, Icelandair, Qantas, and Philippine Airlines, are just a few of the more than 50 airlines that offer flights to and from YVR’s Main Terminal.
Budget Several Canadian airlines, like WestJet and Air Transat, fly to destinations all around North America and beyond, including the United Kingdom. Cathay Pacific is one of the world’s premier luxury airlines, serving various Asian destinations.
Other premium carriers, like China Eastern, China Southern, and Eva Airlines, also provide service within and outside China.
Tofino, Haida Gwaii, and the Gulf Islands can all be reached via smaller airlines, floatplanes, and helicopter operations that use Airport South, such as Helijet and Harbour Air.
Departures
Travelers arriving at the airport from different countries must check in together in a single row at the Main Terminal. They must do so in the following order, according to the direction from whence they originated: US There are three distinct check-in processes: Domestic, International, and Canadian. There are self-service check-in kiosks spread out over the Main Terminal, and checking in and dropping off checked luggage takes very little time overall.
For flights departing between 7:00 AM and 6:30 PM, passengers can use a border pre-clearance facility in Canada to clear immigration and customs before boarding their flight to the United States.
After these hours, all flights depart from the same pier, undergo the same security check as other international flights, and clear immigration and customs upon landing in the United States.
Passengers traveling internationally and domestically can move between terminals as there is no passport control at the departure level; however, individuals using the pre-clearance facility are restricted to using only their Terminal.
Ports A, B, and C provide domestic flights, Pier D serves foreign flights, and Pier E helps pre-cleared flights headed for the United States. Certain gates can process domestic and international departures, or foreign and American departures, because of their dual functionality as swing gates.
There will likely be a long wait to go through security, just like at airports in the United States and Canada. On a typical day, wait times in line at Vancouver International Airport Guide might be 10 to 25 minutes.
Arrivals
Elevators and escalators can be found in the transit area, where arrivals are processed (Level 3). Everyone from outside North America, including the United States, must go through customs and passport control at the airport.
Before meeting with a border security officer, passengers use self-service computer kiosks to scan their passports, take their pictures, and fill out customs declaration forms in one of several available languages.
Whether or not you must claim your bags when making a connecting trip is determined by the origin and destination countries. The average domestic flight disembarkation takes 30 minutes, and the same goes for the arrival of checked bags at the baggage claim. By the time you go through customs after an international flight, your bags may already be in the baggage claim.
Facilities
Before or after going through security, passengers can unwind at the Absolute Spa in the US and Domestic Terminals or in one of the three Air Canada Maple Leaf Lounges in the International, Domestic, and US Terminals.
In addition to a place to store your bags and have any last-minute postcards you may have mailed sent, this hotel offers a shoe shine, shoe repair, and dry cleaning service.
There is a wide variety of places to shop, from convenience stores like 7-11 and Hudson News to exclusive boutiques selling names like Cartier, Bulgari, Burberry, and Gucci. After passing through Domestic Security, stop into Rogers’ for locally made chocolates or the iStore for some helpful tech for your trip.
Spend the night before your trip or after you arrive at the Fairmont Vancouver Airport, a luxurious hotel and Spa conveniently located in the United States area of Main Terminal.
Choices in Food and Drink
Before and after passing through security, the Main Terminal is home to several dining and drinking establishments. You may bring your restaurant meals and snacks onto your aircraft with Meals on the Go.
The airport has several fast food restaurants on both sides of security, including A&W, Starbucks, Subway, and Tim Hortons. You may get a sample of local cuisine at Stanley Park Taphouse, located in the Domestic Terminal after security, or at Pajo’s Fish & Chips, located in the International Terminal before security. Enjoy West Coast specialties with your loved one at Globe at YVR, the Fairmont Vancouver Airport.
From here, you should stop at the Flying Beaver Bar & Restaurant in Airport South, next to the Floatplane Facility, as it is a beloved local establishment.
Places to Park/Rent a Vehicle
Gateway Valet and the Parkade offer hourly, daily, and weekly parking options near Main Terminal, while jetSet Parking and Value Long Term Parking are short shuttles ride away and offer significantly cheaper rates.
There are parking options at Airport South, and accessible charging facilities for electric vehicles may be located at any of the parking lots.
National, Alamo, Hertz, Dollar Thrifty, Avis, and Budget are just some of the automobile rental agencies with locations in the Main Terminal.
Enterprise Rent-A-Car, Cheap Car and Truck Rentals, Routes Car Rental, and local vehicle sharing services Car2Go and Evo CarShare are all good examples of what can be found off-site (a 10-15 minute shuttle ride away from the Courtesy Shuttle Zone) while looking for a rental car.
Transportation To and From YVR Airport
With the Canada Line, a monorail-style train part of Vancouver’s efficient and reasonably priced public transit system, you can get to or from Vancouver International Airport (YVR) from downtown Vancouver in about 20 minutes via vehicle or not much longer through public transportation, both the International and Domestic Terminals offer easy access to the trains that will take you throughout Vancouver and beyond.
Vancouver is a forward-thinking city dedicated to sustainable living, and its excellent public transportation system is a big part of its eco-friendly appeal. But, if you prefer private transportation, many choices depart from the city center.
Taking public transportation to and from Vancouver International Airport guide is now hassle-free and inexpensive, thanks to the Canada Line. This express train route connects Richmond and the Vancouver International Airport with the city’s heart. The Canada Line can be reached from the airport terminal itself.
Taxis: Airport taxis in Vancouver use a zoned fare structure with predetermined rates to ensure consistency in pricing. It takes roughly 30 minutes and anywhere from Cdn $20 to $40 by taxi to get from the airport to the heart of Vancouver. On top of that, a tip of $3 – $10 is customary.
From downtown Vancouver, including the cruise ship terminal, taxi costs to the airport are approximately $35 (based on the meter).
Free shuttle service connects Vancouver International Airport with several area hotels.
Conclusion
The airport is located in Richmond, British Columbia, about 12 kilometers (7.5 miles) south of downtown Vancouver on Sea Island. Its three-letter IATA code is YVR. The island is home to an airport, a quaint residential neighborhood, a high-end outlet mall, and a protected natural region with pristine white sand beaches.
Despite its seemingly drab appearance inside—glass and concrete ribs hanging above layers of metallic sheets, low ceilings at one pier, and wooden pillars at the other—this airport is one of the most beautiful in the world thanks to its incorporation of traditional First Nation artwork and miniatures of the British Columbia scenery.
During the next eight years, from 2010 to 2020, Skytrax will name it the Best North American Airport due to its combination of friendliness, accessibility, and abundance of volunteer workers and services. It is a significant hub for Air Canada, the national carrier of Canada, and WestJet, a low-cost airline.
