VANCOUVER  AIRPORT   Passenger Reviews and Traveller Reports

Vancouver Airport review by H Leong

2 April 2008   Customer Rating :

Only been to the international terminal, and it looks promising. One of the nicest interiors I've seen with numerous water features, angled lighting, an aquarium, and plenty of trees. Architecture is modern and attractive. Not the biggest fan of the baggage claim area/service; the hall is rather cramped and it took 15-20 minutes to get our luggage - could be better. The lines at the customs are also rather long as there are only around a dozen counters (of which only two thirds are for international arrivals) and countless flights coming in all the time; check-in queues are also on the long side (but not unreasonable). Also, more seating areas in the departures area outside of the gates would not go amiss. On a more positive note, eating/shopping options are reasonably impressive, and the staff are generally polite. The terminal is also bright and quite spacious throughout. Once outside, there are limos, taxis, and buses that will take you to the city center within 45 minutes, and also coaches that take you south to Washington. Apart from under-par customs and some other services somewhat lacking in organization (inefficient baggage handling and check- in), YVR is a very pleasant airport to spend time in.

Vancouver Airport review by L Hurst

25 February 2008   Customer Rating :

I arrived on an international AC flight from Sydney and departing on a domestic AC flight to Toronto. Slightly outrageous walk from international arrival to domestic check-in and then back to international departure . But the walk was welcomed after a 14 hour flight! Only major query is: Why is Tim Hortons the furthest coffee shop away from check-in and arrivals?

Vancouver Airport review by S Brown

12 February 2008   Customer Rating :

Being through this airport many times it looks nice on the surface but services are not what one would expect in a first class airport. When departing the airport the services are very nice with beautiful lounges in the domestic, international and transborder areas. Although the departure services are good the arrival services are lacking. When arriving at customs from a recent flight arriving from London I was surprised that the airport has still not decided to create a fast track line for business class passengers. This crucial step in making an airport good is missing at YVR and I cannot understand why?

Vancouver Airport review by W Fowler

12 February 2008   Customer Rating :

YVR is the best North American airport I have been through. It has some nice waterfalls and a real nature-like feel to it. I also liked the odd Canadian souvenir shops. Going through US customs was slightly slower than expected, but that is my only gripe about Vancouver. It's the only North American airport on par with many of those in East Asia.

Vancouver Airport review by Frank Winter

10 January 2008   Customer Rating :

Agree with last comment by G Stephens. Although not a world class airport such as Singapore Changi, this is a very nice airport. Nice architecture (feels quite cozy), no long walks, immigration was a breeze, average wait for luggage. For smokers, they still have a smoking room. Very good food court just before immigration, coin-operated internet PCs everywhere in departure area (1 CAD/12 minutes, a bit slow but ok), nice shops. We departed Thursday Jan 4 at 4 pm to Hong Kong and the gates were literally empty (besides our flight). Overall pretty good.

Vancouver Airport review by G Stephens

16 December 2007   Customer Rating :

Light airy architecture, friendly airport staff, efficient inbound baggage service, a range of restaurants offering simple fast food in the court to the Fairmont's first class fare. In addition, parking is a breeze. I recommend YVR's Park 'N 'Fly establishment for it's efficient friendly and reasonably priced service. My only complaint, the departure lounges run by the airlines could use an upgrade in the services they provide business and first class passengers.

Vancouver Airport review by William Reeve

17 October 2007   Customer Rating :

Vancouver's airport would rank as okay on my list but nothing wonderful -- it is mediocre like many Canadian institutions and facilities. The messy crowded access from the parking garage, always bad, is now made worse by ongoing construction of the new light rail station (Canada Line). It is a very negative feature at the beginning and end of each visit to the airport. That the parking ticket machines often do not work properly is even more frustrating. Parking itself is not good; the vehicle circulation in the parking garage is poor. The poor design and layout and the inadequate staffing of the immigration section makes entry into Canada at YVR a miserable experience. How come it is slower and more frustrating than arrival at Narita, Kansai or HK – or even CDG! The Immigration Officers are very nice, in my experience, but the logistics are bad. The apparently endless construction between the domestic and international zones of YVR and the very long walk involved also give a bad impression.

Vancouver Airport review by M Tay

9 October 2007   Customer Rating :

Overall, this was a good airport - almost pleasant to spend time in. However, in my experience, Vancouver definitely has a split personality. The Domestic Terminal and most of the International Terminal is great. Good facilities, helpful staff, varied eating options and comfortable (for an airport) seating. This tends to highlight the disappointing part of the international terminal that deals with flights to the USA. Here, there's a distinct sense of paranoia and mistrust. Admittedly, I haven't used the parking here, so can't speak to that part of the airport, but I liked this one.

Vancouver Airport review by Nathan Fotheringill

19 August 2007   Customer Rating :

Passing through immigration and baggage reclaim was a breeze on the way in - arriving on a Saturday evening meant the place was quiet. Our departure was also at a quiet time - 22:00 which meant the departure area was sparsely occupied and we flew through security. The lounge itself is tastefully decorated and the artificial stream and fish tank lend it a relaxing atmosphere. There are plenty of duty free shops in which to while away the time along with a number of eateries. Most of these are of the fast food variety but there is one bar with waiter service which serves food typical of what you find downtown at similar prices. The quality was good. The gate area was spacious and bright with more than enough seating. All the staff we dealt with were polite and courteous in marked contrast to those at YYZ last year. All in all, it deserves the five stars.

Vancouver Airport review by Rob Payne

6 July 2007   Customer Rating :

Travelled in and out in June from/to London with BA. Great airport, lots of space. However, lots of building work outside due to the building of a light railway system due to be finished in 2009. Great hotel on site (Fairmont). On the 28th when we departed, why on earth close a large porportion of the International departure lounge including the food court. I know something was going on, maybe an event, but the airport was quite busy and it put an unfair pressure on the facilities left and your customers/passengers. Stetched Limo into downtown cost us $49 from outside arrivals and took about 50 mins, again lots of road works. Public transport is available but if you have luggage, do not use the buses 424/'B-line', they get full and there is no luggage facility. I think there is an airporter bus or use taxis. We had a meal at the Koho Restaurant (before security), it was reasonably priced and surprisingly for an airport. Would of had 5 star if they hadn't closed restricted the departure area!

Vancouver Airport review by Mike Davies

20 June 2007   Customer Rating :

I have always found this airport to be pleasant and airy. To me there seemed to be lots of places to eat, shop and sit. Each year I travel quite extensively in North America and Asia and this airport is one of the best on this continent and up there on world standards. Arriving back in Vancouver can sometimes be busy, but having entered in several Canadian cities I dont see this as airport issue, but more thats how it is when entering this country at any airport.

Vancouver Airport review by L Eames

14 June 2007   Customer Rating :

I found this to be a miserable airport. Went to domestic hub to eat, good thing we did, as there was nothing airside. When you go airside, there are two sections, flights to USA and flights to rest of world. Maybe the USA side is better, but the rest of the world side was the pits. Fortunately we were able to use the business lounge, but this was small and fairly basic, but at least we had seats. Only one shop (a newsagents) was open, so I couldn't get rid of my last few dollars. Seating area for those not in business class was crowded and small. Several English lads had paid to be in business lounge - a good idea, they probably drank their way through the entry charge - because it was at least quiet and as I said, you got a seat. From an upper floor we could look down on the queues for immigration - absolutely huge. Fortunately we were amongst the first off the plane, so through immigration fairly quickly. Not a pleasant experience.

Vancouver Airport review by Alan Wan

24 April 2007   Customer Rating : n/a

Arrived from LHR at 2:30pm immigration and customs was okay we were from plane to taxi in about an hour. We departed on Air Canada to the USA on a 1:30pm flight check-in and US immigration was a breeze so had a long time to wait in airside. The departure lounge was very airy and roomy with a decent selection of food. My wife ate at a Japanese fast food outlet and it was very reasonably priced and good quality for an airport.

Vancouver Airport review by Roberta MacRae

29 March 2007

We have just returned from Whistler having arrived at Vancouver from Glasgow on a 12 hour Zoom flight. We were an hour and forty minutes getting through immigration and baggage, mainly die to extremely lengthy non-Canadian queues at Immigration. There were only 4 officers for the non Canadian queue, though there were 2 officers for a very short VIP queue and at least 6 for the very fast moving Canadian queue. There were no facilities (seats, water) while we were waiting. Frankly, we won't be returning to North America until these sort of queuing problems can be resolved : it is just easier to go somewhere else where they treat tourists better. It is has just been reported in the UK that the US is now going to fingerprint all 10 fingers and thumbs, so the queues there will be simply monumental. What I don't understand is why airport authorities, if they know these queues are going to occur, don't provide amenities for the poor victims ?

Vancouver Airport review by Dave Casey

27 October 2006

Having recently moved to BC I have been and will be a frequent user of YVR. I have even had to apply for a work permit at immigration and have had a number of immigration interviews there. However, I never have never suffered the negative situations that previous posters seem to encounter. Most of the negative comments come from those deplaning from intercontinental flights, anybody can become irritable after eighteen hours. In July of this year I moved lock stock barrel from Dublin to Vancouver. I transited through LHR, horrible, hot, crowded unpleasant, money grabbing to eventually arrive at YVR. I had been here previously on business but this time it was personal. YVR is an oasis of calm in an otherwise busy world. Sure the queues are long for immigration, but thats not the airports fault, its the airlines, its their scheduling that causes it. Immigration and customs are always stern, but fair at YVR. However so many times at YVR I've seen people who think they're above an immigration insepction, they're the ones that get a tough time. I've been questioned many times, sent for for second interviews etc. The process at YVR is always slow, thats just Canadian beaucracy at work! However staff at YVR have always been pleasant, there's a great selection of food at reasonable prices. Departure areas never seem busy and there are always plenty of desks open. All in all YVR is not the best in the world however it is a long way away from being one of the worst.

Vancouver Airport review by Ed Smith

7 October 2006

Not sure why all the previous postings are so positive, but I found this to be a bit of a disaster of an airport. Arriving after a 10 hour flight I found a ridiculous queue for immigration - it took the best part of 90 minutes to get through it, although the immigration officer was very friendly. By the time I got to baggage reclaim, there must have been about 20 flights worth of luggage floating around - a great deal of it had already been offloaded and strewn randomly around the reclaim area in no order at all. I eventually found mine propped up against a far wall, but I was getting very close to filing a missing bag report. This airport really needs better ordering here, it was chaotic to say the least. Finally, getting out of the terminal building I walked into what can only be described as bedlam - the area outside the terminal was pure chaos - cars trying to get through, people lost, a massive queue for taxis, policemen blowing whistles - totally awful. This place seriously needs to look at its peak time operations if it is to stay a world class airport.

Vancouver Airport review by Neil Ramsay

14 August 2006

International arrival necessitated a very long convoluted walk to immigration but it was adequately signposted and there were helpful staff along the way to keep you going in the right direction. Immigration was very busy but all desks seemed to be manned and the delay was minimal. For once the Canadian immigration officer was pleasant. Baggage soon turned up on the belt and customs clearance was quick. Baggage transfer to domestic flight was hassle free but this process probably needs better signage. It was another long walk to the domestic terminal. It was a zoo here. Extremely crowded with long lines at security. Food concessions were plentiful both before and after security and quality and service were fine in the places I tried. The Jazz departure lounge was very crowded also and a little confusing when a lot of flights are departing at the same time. Arriving back a few days later I had to pass through US immigration. Another long walk from the domestic terminal to international departures making sure to follow the signs (USA flag) to keep within the secure area. INS officer was pleasant enough considering what was happening in London at the time. Baggage was already waiting at the special collection point and US customs inspection was minimal. The security check was extremely thorough and long due to aforementioned London problems. The International waiting area has a huge selection of food and drink outlets as well as Canadian produce etc. Gate lounges are comfortable, rest rooms are clean and flight info is readily available. You have to be fit to navigate YVR or else give yourself plenty of time. Not a bad airport experience.

Vancouver Airport review by David Peachey

21 June 2006

Clean, well signed, interesting art work especially the native Canadian works. A really quick Immigration (well it was in my case) and a very efficient Customer help desk where you can get taxi's, shuttle bus or even a stretch limo, this can be cheapest option if four or more are travelling together.

Vancouver Airport review by Norman Sutherland

28 April 2006

Got to agree with the previous post - Immigration mid afternoon was a good 45 minutes. No way you could make a 1-hour connection. Other than that a really super airport, spacious and well laid out (lots of diagonals), great selection of shopping, but I thought alcohol and tobacco a bit on the expensive side - but such nice people. Well Done YVR.

Vancouver Airport review by Paul Browne

25 March 2006

YVR really is a beautiful airport especially arriving early in the day. Where else do you walk through a ancient native forest filled with birdsong BEFORE you even reach Customs? The major issue is of course is if you arrive from outside Canada at the wrong time of the day - (say anytime between 09:00 and 18:00!) and the lines for Customs are long enough to drive a grown man to tears! Nevertheless, my recent departure to the USA at 4pm found me almost alone with 5 US Customs officers and the 7am return 10 days later was the same - sheer bliss! I was through the place in minutes.

Vancouver Airport review by Vicky Hawkes

5 December 2005

I found Vancouver airport a treasure to use - a great first impression (warm, clean, inviting) polite and highly efficient immigration staff. The outbound experience was also good; easy to get to (bus from False Creek) friendly staff in the restaurants, brisk passport control. Well done, YVR!

Vancouver Airport review by Phillip Cross

24 October 2005

YVR is a pleasant experience to transit through. I have had a long layover today with a connecting flight to Sydney and have found YVR to be friendly, clean and entertaining. The shops (especially the chair massage centre) and food kiosks are great. If you get delayed by flights, this is definitely an airport you would want to be delayed in.

Vancouver Airport review by Christian Farias

29 August 2005

Everyone seems in agreement re customs staff. Never had a problem myself (and recently, I have been going going through the airport about once a week). I agree the lines can be long depending on arrival time, but find they move efficiently. For international, I only have done trans-border to US, and find the facilities to be very good, maybe not extensive in shopping or services, but it does the job. Domestic terminal much more basic, but fine. My best advice - if you're travelling on Air Canada during the rush hour, don't wait in security lines for their departure pier. All of the domestic piers are connected, so go through the other entry points and then walk to the AC gates, because the lines are much shorter.

Vancouver Airport review by Ed Yang

22 July 2005

One of the most pleasant airports I've been through. Reading some of the comments here regarding unpleasant staff, and I have to disagree. I found security staff to be friendly, and customs to be at least courteous. YVR is aesthetically pleasing with great shopping and food selection. The acoustics is such that it is an exceptionally quiet airport. Nice local touches such as a waterfall greeting immigration visitors and totem poles. Lot of natural lighting. In summary, I love my time in Vancouver International. US airports could use this as a model. Minor complaints: need a highspeed transit line to anywhere, need quicker immigration servicing.

Vancouver Airport review by J Britton

4 July 2005

One of my favourite airports to pass through. Especially good for long connections as there is an excellent selection of food both planeside and curbside and interesting shops to explore. The international terminal is especially nice. Airport workers are efficient, though security/customs personnel are to avoid as much as possible. Beautiful international arrivals area helps to relieve the (sometimes) long wait times at customs. The layout makes it relatively easy to get anywhere you need to quickly. The domestic departures area is a bit confusing. The airport improvement fee is annoying but if you are just connecting through (as I usually am) you don't have to pay it.  

Vancouver Airport review by Jason Johnson

4 July 2005

I would like to add to what Mr. Patrie stated. There will be no direct link to downtown. It will be a spur line attached to the main route which is Vancouver to Richmond. Passengers coming from downtown will have to get off the train in Richmond and transfer to the spur line going to the terminal. My concern is that the proposed railcars are too small to meet the demand from passengers and airport employees.

Vancouver Airport review by Justin Patrie

1 July 2005

There are few airports out there that offer the sheer number of amenities and services within a beautiful terminal setting. Vancouver International is clean and modern. What makes Vancouver special are its amenities. Spas, salons, some of the best airport food courts, a pay-as-you go executive lounge (great for non frequent travelers), DVD machine rentals for long flights, a built-in Fairmont hotel which has day rates for rooms and its fitness facilities, an impressive selection of shops with an airport-wide guarantee that prices are the same as they are in the city, oxygen bar, post office, pharmacy, full medical/dental/optometry clinic, an alliance-atlantis screening lounge and a children's play area. Expansion is ongoing at Vancouver and passengers can expect more improvements including most notably a rail-link to downtown.

Vancouver Airport review by Andrew Mortimer

6 June 2005

Very strange and confusing airport for a Kiwi travelling via the USA to home. Lugging my bags to the gate getting them re-tagged for no apparent reason and then being stuck in a large but wasted space departures area for a delayed flight not helpful. Promised more than it delivered. USA Customs officer was stroppy, courtesy and a greeting doesn't cost money in my part of the world.

Vancouver Airport review by Wayne Maksylewich

4 June 2005

I find YVR a disappointment. I am a very high mileage flyer (and ex-Vancouverite), but over 1 hour to clear immigration? Preposterous, excessive - regardless whether the staff were friendly. Ditto security. I manage a corporate security program and find the YVR staff to be unsmiling, insensitive robots. Canadian security screeners are supposed to use some discretion (see Transport Canada web site) but this is sorely lacking. Send them to Singapore or Hong Kong for training. Overall, not even Chinese airports are as slow and tedious as YVR.

Vancouver Airport review by John Robertson

28 April 2005

YVR is immaculate compared to other airports I've been to, and has decent shopping. US Customs have become very efficient (not so 7 years ago) and I'd even say friendly. These folks have a job to do and I don't expect that so "kudos" to them. I'm sorry to say that Canada Customs does not send their employees to the same school as the US. While not generally rude, they can be insensitive to the frustrations of inbound travellers, and very slow. Concurrent arrival's of 747's from Singapore, Hong Kong, etc can indeed make for 1 hour+ lineups, and the 3 or 4 agents screening passengers is an annoying hurdle each time I arrive. For each trip I've breezed through CAN customs, I've had the 1 hour wait for 2 others. As for YVR the 'airport', departing passengers have the moving walkways to get to the end of the Int'l / US Terminal. If you're inbound, you will have a long walk that same distance, and it will involve going up staircases (not escalators). Yes, there is AN elevator, if you don't mind waiting for it, possibly letting two hundred people get in front of you at Canada Customs. On 3 visits over the past 5 years, a door has been locked at the end of the jetway after disembarking the plane. On two of those occasions, trying to open the door resulted in a piercing alarm....so there we were, stuck behind a locked door, unable to go backwards to the plane, listening to a siren blaring for 10 minutes until security let us through. In summary, YVR is actually a very "pretty" airport and when things go right can be a fun experience, but just plan on leaving extra time, and don't carry on/off too much. And if you see a couple of 747-400's rolling up to the terminal, run for the customs lineup!

Vancouver Airport review by Jonathan Perratt

6 March 2005

A pleasant, modern airport. Light and spacious with no problems departing. On one occasion, though, it took an eternity for my baggage to arrive and on another the queue for immigration on arrival was backed up so much that it took over an hour (I timed it!) to get to the head of the queue. This would be a definite problem for frequent business travellers, but since I was on vacation I was pretty relaxed. Still, the authorities need to work on it if they are serious about promoting Vancouver as a serious business centre.

Vancouver Airport review by Dave Gourlay

11 November 2004

YVR is a beautiful modern airport and I was not surprised to see that the so called "improvement fee" was still grinding its' way into the pockets of the public flying from this facility. What an ingenious way they have of ripping you off, its' called a holdup, no pay, no fly, how much "improvement " does this airport need anyway ? Its' been going on for years, a B747 with four hundred passengers = another six thousand bucks for the kitty, each departing passenger should be presented with a thank you card from the administrators of this airport.

Vancouver Airport review by Liz Maher

2 November 2004

I was very impressed by Vancouver airport and can highly recommend it. I arrived from London in the mid-afternoon and was surprised by the peaceful surroundings of the arrivals lounge. A beautiful water fountain greets you as make your descent down the stairs, making for a serene environment. I found the airport staff to be pleasant enough. They may seem stern, but they are just doing their job. It took a long time for my luggage to come from the plane, but hey, it was so chilled out in there that I didn't mind! Good departure from there two weeks later - friendly staff, good shopping, relaxed and unhurried. Shame I had to fly back from Heathrow, where the stress kicks in.

Vancouver Airport review by Greg Read

21 October 2004

Vancouver is a beautifully designed and relatively tranquil airport. The light and signing is excellent. Facilities generally were clean, well cared for and the staff were helpful at the Info counter. Walks from arriving to customs are long, as is the walk between all the departure lounges but because of the space and lack of crowds, it isn't an issue. Try Heathrow, Gatwick or Naples for another experience altogether! It was an ideal and friendly welcome to British Columbia.

Vancouver Airport review by Masaki Oda

13 August 2004

YVR is a beautiful airport especially if you arrive or depart on an Intercontinental flight. However, if you are on an domestic flight (esp. on Air Canada) in late morning when the airline considers off-peak, many of you may get frustrated. There are about five rows of Air Canada check in counters. but only three tellers were open. Unless you are a member of Enroute programme (and/or flying on business class), you cannot take advantage of many automatic check in machines available. A few days ago, I had to take a flight to Nanaimo, and had to wait in a line for an hour to reach the counter. The actual flying time to Nanaimo was only 13 minutes!