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Vancouver Airport Passenger Reviews and Vancouver Airport Traveller Reports
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VANCOUVER AIRPORT customer review : 25 April 2013 by B Mavis (Canada) |
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Rating : 10/10 |  |
Queuing |  |
Cleanliness |  |
Facilities |  |
Recommended |  |
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What a change in Vancouver Airport. Arrived from Cuba on April 20th and with the new scanners for customs and
Immigration it was a breeze to go through.
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VANCOUVER AIRPORT customer review : 17 April 2013 by Michael Zarkou (USA) |
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Rating : 0/10 |  |
Queuing |  |
Cleanliness |  |
Facilities |  |
Recommended |  |
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Horrific experience at Vancouver customs upon arrival from the US. The details are shocking and too many to list. As
beautiful as Vancouver is and as much as I would like to go back and spend my money on their tourism industry. Never
again would I go.
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VANCOUVER AIRPORT customer review : 26 March 2013 by Jean Martsinkiw (Canada) |
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Rating : 8/10 |  |
Queuing |  |
Cleanliness |  |
Facilities |  |
Recommended |  |
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I traveled to and from Honolulu on Feb 28 and March 6. I use a walker and the priority service I received was
excellent. In spite of so many reservations that I had because of my diminished mobility, I would dare to
travel again! My only difficulty came when I needed to board the "golf cart" that would be transporting me
from plane area to the luggage area. The step is high that I literally had to be hoisted on to the cart. A step
that is so high is surely not for the people it is meant to accommodate at the airport. I would like to see
some adaptation made to rectify that oversight.
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VANCOUVER AIRPORT customer review : 12 March 2013 by C Fletcher (Canada) |
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Rating : 10/10 |  |
Queuing |  |
Cleanliness |  |
Facilities |  |
Recommended |  |
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Free wifi and an excellent looking airport. Local to the city and glad to call it my home airport, so close to
downtown! There is an aquarium, totem poles, and a stream running through it. USA border and security is
fast, when considering how extensive checks are. Fast LRT line from airport to downtown. Airport is always
clean and bathrooms are immaculate. Plenty of restaurants and shops in terminal, and parking is easily
accessible and very close to all terminals. Good views while landing as well.
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VANCOUVER AIRPORT customer review : 4 March 2013 by Dave Capstick (South Africa) |
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Rating : 9/10 |  |
Queuing |  |
Cleanliness |  |
Facilities |  |
Recommended |  |
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Great airport clean and very organised. Free wifi plenty of outlets for food and shopping. A pleasure to visit.
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VANCOUVER AIRPORT customer review : 23 February 2013 by Bonnie Lovelace (Canada) |
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Rating : 2/10 |  |
Queuing |  |
Cleanliness |  |
Facilities |  |
Recommended |  |
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For arriving international passengers, YVR is an embarrassment. Start with the condescending attitude of
some of the staff 'helping' you navigate the automated passport machines. Then a reasonably quick trip
through customs and immigration and baggage gives you hope. Then, with a few hundred passengers trying
to get their bags checked in for another flight, YVR allows a very long queue to form. Next comes the security
bottleneck with two checkpoints for all those people, it took us close to an hour to clear our flight through
that security point - I cannot imagine what happens when more than one comes in. With the exception of a
very professional young woman steering you into one of the two lines, the security staff were silent, slow and
unfriendly. Some people needed assistance, but that was scarce and those with tight connections were not
given any leeway. After a 15 hour flight from Sydney, with everyone tired, I can only say the passengers
subjected to this treatment were more helpful and courteous in getting each other through than the staff at
YVR. I have been though most of the world's big airports, and this is the best we can do?
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VANCOUVER AIRPORT customer review : 14 January 2013 by J Fang (Canada) |
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Rating : 5/10 |  |
Queuing |  |
Cleanliness |  |
Facilities |  |
Recommended |  |
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While YVR has a nice waterfall and ponds, it is still a lacklustre airport. Food options are overpriced and
limited. Washrooms are dirty and smelly. Terminals do not have sufficient glass and do not let in enough
light. Feels like you are in an abandoned warehouse. Security officials and border officials are rude,
aggressive and intimidating. On the last few times travelling out of YVR, I have been subjected to intrusive
pat down searches. Why is it that international passengers connecting to US/Canadian destinations have to
collect their luggage, and then re check-in their luggage prior to boarding their next flight? Transiting at
Amsterdam, London Heathrow, Hong Kong, among others, is far easier than through YVR, because of this.
Quite disappointing for an airport that prides itself on being World Class.
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VANCOUVER AIRPORT customer review : 7 December 2012 by M Yang (USA) |
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Rating : 5/10 |  |
Queuing |  |
Cleanliness |  |
Facilities |  |
Recommended |  |
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Everything about my experience at Vancouver airport was excellent except for the Canadian Air Transport
Security Authority - CATSA. The airport was clean, the wifi acceptable, and all other staff competent and
helpful. The CATSA agents for flights to the USA, on the other hand, were both incompetent and refused to
communicate with passengers. We were near the front of the line and still waited well >30min while only one
scanner was put to use and the staff and supervisor refused to respond to any questions regarding the
situation or to any requests to inform the airline of the situation so that passengers would not miss their
connecting flights. I want to wholeheartedly recommend this airport to others as everything else was
excellent, but as long as the airport security acts with incompetence and lack of communication, I cannot
recommend this airport.
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VANCOUVER AIRPORT customer review : 8 November 2012 by Andy Reeves (UK) |
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Rating : 5/10 |  |
Queuing |  |
Cleanliness |  |
Facilities |  |
Recommended |  |
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The Customs line was long. There were several UK and Asian flights at one time. The result was over 300
people in the customs hall and only three people to process them. The agents were curt and rude. There is a
covert charge added to all tickets here called an airport improvement fee which used to be collected in cash
at the gate but its now added to the fare. It's clear to see where the money has gone, plush carpets and
waterfalls are all very pleasant but I would have preferred the money to be spent on more staff to man the
counters. Pretty airport if you really care about these things.
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VANCOUVER AIRPORT customer review : 11 September 2012 by Serge Grynkewich (Philippines) |
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Rating : 5/10 |  |
Queuing |  |
Cleanliness |  |
Facilities |  |
Recommended |  |
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My review focuses on two matters: Transit passenger handling at immigration and Staff knowledge of the
airport and its facilities. I arrived in Vancouver at around 9pm to transit for a transpacific flight at around
2.45am the following morning. On the Air Canada flight, I advised the steward that I was transiting and he
advised me that I did not need to complete a customs and immigration form. On arrival, the transit lane was
closed and I was advised to proceed through the normal channel and to advise the immigration officer that I
was transiting. I did so. The immigration officer (courteously) advised that I did need to complete the
paperwork, which I did. When I was called back to immigration it was by another officer who, when I told her
I was in transit, gave me a pink card and told me the paperwork was not necessary. Someone in immigration
is confused, as am I. After all was done at immigration, I proceeded to the lady who had directed me to
immigration in the first place. She advised me to proceed up to the next level. When I asked her for the
location of the Cathay Pacific business class lounge, she advised me that it was upstairs but that I should
proceed to gate 64. To make a long story short, no one was at gate 64 as the flight was still 5 hours away.
I asked several people, including a janitor, a Customs and Border Officer, and a shop attendant where the
lounge was. Only the shop attendant could direct me correctly. Amazingly, the Customs and Border Officer -
though very courteous - laughed as he told me that he was responsible for security but had never been there.
Vancouver has a beautiful airport - as do most Canadian cities. However, Canadian authorities should see to
the education of those working in their airports. It's disconcerting when security officials admit that they
don't know the place they're assigned to secure!
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VANCOUVER AIRPORT customer review : 4 September 2012 by David Passmore (UK) |
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Rating : 3/10 |  |
Queuing |  |
Cleanliness |  |
Facilities |  |
Recommended |  |
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Maybe I picked a bad day, but on arrival from LHR on a BA flight, on entering the immigration hall, it was
akin to queuing for a ride at Disneyland. People were being herded like animals at a cattle market and this
experience made Heathrow look efficient! When I did get to the Officer who processed my entry, I would
suggest he spends a few weeks at charm school. An awful experience which was appeased by the efficient
transportation options into the city.
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VANCOUVER AIRPORT customer review : 29 August 2012 by J Curwen (UK) |
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Rating : 10/10 |  |
Queuing |  |
Cleanliness |  |
Facilities |  |
Recommended |  |
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Flew in from LHR with Virgin. What a pleasant airport this is. Terminal staff friendly. Very clean and modern. I
loved the water features on the way to immigration. I was one of the last off our flight and I do not know if
any other flights had arrived at about the same time but the line for immigration was short and moved
quickly. Within minutes I was on my way downtown via Canada Line skytrain (airport - downtown about 25
mins) I have read a lot of reviews about horrendous queues at US airports and maybe I was just lucky but I
am glad I flew into such a nice airport serving a great city.
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VANCOUVER AIRPORT customer review : 26 June 2012 by Bill Hansen (Japan) |
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Rating : 9/10 |  |
Queuing |  |
Cleanliness |  |
Facilities |  |
Recommended |  |
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4.5 hour transfer from SFO to NRT. Facilities clean and convenient, effort to make the airport a pleasant place
is clearly visible. Big screen was showing Euro 2012 game, which is quite a plus at an international facility.
The only improvement point is a relative lack of food choices, especially since passengers are stuck in
separate service zones (int'l, US, and domestic). Otherwise a good experience.
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VANCOUVER AIRPORT customer review : 21 April 2012 by K Nguyen (Canada) |
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Rating : 9/10 |  |
Queuing |  |
Cleanliness |  |
Facilities |  |
Recommended |  |
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Recently flew from Chicago to Vancouver and was surprised to see that immigration was less then 10 minutes
even though 2 flights from Asia had just arrived and baggage was out right away. Do I see some
improvement in this airport or is this a one time thing?
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VANCOUVER AIRPORT customer review : 18 April 2012 by P Cubbon (Canada) |
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Rating : 9/10 |  |
Queuing |  |
Cleanliness |  |
Facilities |  |
Recommended |  |
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Local resident - use 3 to 5 times per year. Very happy with the airport - it is a welcome place to return
through and a pleasant place to leave from. In the context of the norms of all airport processing. Free wifi
has long been a YVR staple. Water and sculpture features add a strong sense of identity, and make this a
nicer place to be than any standard hub. US pre-departure immigration clearance (yes, from within the
Vancouver airport in Canada) can be a longer wait, and not so friendly.
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VANCOUVER AIRPORT customer review : 15 April 2012 by S Bloom (USA) |
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Rating : 8/10 |  |
Queuing |  |
Cleanliness |  |
Facilities |  |
Recommended |  |
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Flying from O'Hare through YVR connecting to SYD. I found YVR very nice, clean and a pleasure to be
stranded for 6 hours. Everyone very friendly and helpful. I had the option of the train to downtown Vancouver
or relax at the airport. Food court ok, duty free shopping nice. Clean and open space. Shopping ok.
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VANCOUVER AIRPORT customer review : 2 April 2012 by Daniel Glesby (Canada) |
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Rating : 6/10 |  |
Queuing |  |
Cleanliness |  |
Facilities |  |
Recommended |  |
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Arrived from PHX on Westjet. I was expecting a long walk from the gate to baggage claim, and I was right.
At least the scenery was pleasant to look at. Baggage claim was confusing, but did manage to figure it out.
Finding the domestic connection bag drop off was tricky, I had to ask someone as signage was poor. I
thought Toronto Pearson was a long walk, but this was easily twice the distance for an airport half the size
to the Westjet gates. I was surprised. Overall I would avoid this airport when arriving from the US.
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VANCOUVER AIRPORT customer review : 25 January 2012 by Trevor Harris (Australia) |
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Rating : 9/10 |  |
Queuing |  |
Cleanliness |  |
Facilities |  |
Recommended |  |
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Great airport all around! Open, airy with great decor. Lots of shops, restaurants and services throughout all
terminals. (Although some do shut early). Customs and immigration is average but quick for Canadians using
the Kiosk. Information signage is frequent and clear. Electronic information signage changes language
frequently to help international visitors.
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VANCOUVER AIRPORT customer review : 27 October 2011 by B Mayer (Canada) |
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Rating : 10/10 |  |
Queuing |  |
Cleanliness |  |
Facilities |  |
Recommended |  |
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All terminals and washrooms clean. Food choices are great and so are the shops. The interior design is
fantastic, with ponds and totem poles around the terminals and a large waterfall with a wood carving in the
middle. Signs are placed accordingly and are helpful and easy to read. Security can be a drag, especially
going to international destinations. Overall a great airport to fly in and out of.
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VANCOUVER AIRPORT customer review : 4 October 2011 by J Beecee (Canada)
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Customer Rating : 5/5 |
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Travel through this airport monthly on average: international, within Canada, US. Overall: Signage is excellent.
Aesthetics are lovely: public art, natural effects like waterfalls and mini-aquarium, soothing colours, everything in
good shape for such a busy airport. Food is a weakness: some choice before security. Departure: Not much food
choice airside for international or domestic passengers, US area is a bit better. Duty free skewed towards people
who can spend an awful lot of money, otherwise it's 5 shops selling the same things. Queues for check-in can be
hateful if you're not a gold traveller. System for US pre-clearance continues to improve. There definitely should be
a separate security queue for business travellers. And my most recent security experience was inept and the
woman unpleasant - but that's the first time ever at YVR. Not bad for 20+ years in hindsight. Arrival-wise, nearly
perfect. Great ambience, signage and efficient queuing. New computer clearance for Canadians excellent.
Sometimes the walk from a plane to Canada Customs can seem extremely long. More (and faster) moving
sidewalks and escalators would be great. And the Canada Line makes it all even better for us city folks and those
whose hotels are 1-2 blocks from a station.
VANCOUVER AIRPORT customer review : 8 September 2011 by A Dow (Thailand)
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Customer Rating : 4/5 |
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A nice airport with open access and beverage/eating places both landside and airside. Quite a pleasant place
overall, everything seems friendly in a Canadian/Vancouver kind of way. One serious thing that needs to be
addressed is the early closing of the restaurants/bars on the airside of the terminal. They close at 9pm - which
means no food or even a drink to be found while waiting for your mid-late evening flight.
VANCOUVER AIRPORT customer review : 2 September 2011 by T Harvey (UAE)
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Customer Rating : 5/5 |
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One of the most relaxing and pleasant international airports I've been to. Great facilities, clean, efficient check-in
areas, customs and security checks. Once airside, the various trees, small river and aquarium give it a real
Canadian outdoors feel to the place which is great for small children to play and for parents to relax. Good choice
of shops and restaurants.
VANCOUVER AIRPORT customer review : 9 August 2011 by A Merchant (UK)
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Customer Rating : 5/5 |
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In international arrivals, you are greeted by a beautiful waterfall and massive totem poles, evoking British
Columbia's natural beauty and history. It gives you something to look at while you queue for passport control. The
lines, though long and twisty, move very quickly and are manned to keep the flow going. Passport control staff are
polite and work efficiently. Baggage claim is on the other side so there isn't far to walk. Following the ground
transportation signs, you can get a free shuttle to your hotel (if it is near the airport) or take the SkyTrain to
downtown, which takes around 25 mins. Departing Vancouver is made easy by the many self check-in machines
located at SkyTrain stops as well as the airport. Airline ground staff are on hand to help with any queries. The
security checkpoint was very quick and staff were efficient and polite. There were plenty of places to shop and eat
after security and the free wi-fi (like at other Canadian airports) was great.
VANCOUVER AIRPORT customer review : 9 August 2011 by T Smith (Canada)
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Customer Rating : 5/5 |
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| Cleanliness |
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Great overall airport experience. I very much enjoyed the First Nations art display. The effective signage made the
airport easy to navigate.
VANCOUVER AIRPORT customer review : 8 August 2011 by Frank Mauz (USA)
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Customer Rating : 5/5 |
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| Queuing |
| Cleanliness |
| Facilities |
Many improvements since the last time I was there in 2003. Fast, efficient and friendly customs.
convenient Canada Line rail link to downtown. Short walk to rental car area - no need to ride shuttle bus.
Vending machine has $5 umbrellas. Spacious with clear signage and great variety of fairly priced shops and
restaurants. New observation area with many interesting displays. Informative airport newspaper, Sky Talk.
VANCOUVER AIRPORT customer review : 28 July 2011 by G Vlcek (Australia)
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Customer Rating : 5/5 |
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| Queuing |
| Cleanliness |
| Facilities |
This airport is well designed, everything is well signed and easy to find, the staff are very friendly and helpful.
Queuing times at arrival (for Canadian Customs and Immigration) were reasonable. However, if you are travelling
into the US then you undergo US customs and immigration at YVR and the queuing times were awful and staff not
friendly. There needs to be a way for passengers to have something to drink while waiting in this queue for up to
an hour.
VANCOUVER AIRPORT customer review : 26 July 2011 by A Jacobsen (Canada)
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Customer Rating : 4/5 |
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Arriving from Incheon. The overall experience for me was excellent - fast tracked through immigration and
customs inspection, but the situation for a number of my fellow passengers was not so warm and welcoming. I
know the difference before and after the installation of the CBSA and their officers at YVR. I was detained briefly
once while departing YVR. At the baggage claim carousel I saw one family and one elderly gentleman (all Koreans)
ambushed by CBSA officers and subjected to raised voice interrogations. The subjects' collective English skills were
limited. They were repeatedly cut off, there is no need to speak to elderly travellers and families with children in
that way. It accomplishes nothing but to leave a very negative impression of Canada.
VANCOUVER AIRPORT customer review : 6 July 2011 by CJ Hudg (Canada)
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Customer Rating : 2/5 |
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Bright and open airport which is nice when you are waiting for a connection. Decent food and shops. I have to visit
this airport numerous times during the year. My main complaint is the lack of signs to help you get you where you
need to go. Of course the airport has some but they are infrequent and poorly designed (They are dark, small
print, hidden behind posts, and on strange angles - all of these slow you down when you are in a hurry to make
your flight. When you arrive in the International Terminal and pick up your luggage there are 2 exits and 2 different
places to check in luggage. If you go to the wrong exit there is no means to get back to the other line. The lines to
process through customs and immigration are extremely long between 10:30 am and 3:00 pm. Security screening was quick
but they have had layoffs and it is now slower with fewer lines open. The bathrooms stink and are unclean.
VANCOUVER AIRPORT customer review : 4 April 2010 by David Cheng (Hong Kong)
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Customer Rating : 5/5 |
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| Queuing |
| Cleanliness |
| Facilities |
Excellent airport, the terminal is very clean. The staff are friendly and helpful, a lot of
different shops. Although the queuing is a bit long, I have a great experience.
VANCOUVER AIRPORT customer review : 17 November 2010 by D Sterling (Canada)
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Customer Rating : 5/5 |
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| Queuing |
| Cleanliness |
| Facilities |
The airport is 5 star. Waterfalls, wide open sightlines, beautiful landscaping,
and many nice areas to sit and relax before or in transit flights. The only problem is that
if you are flying into the USA, once you have checked in - US immigration (you are doing your
customs and immigration here in Vancouver) will almost demand that you go directly through
their immigration. If your flying a short haul flight or an economy seating, then you are
forced to eat overpriced fast food inside the secured area. If however you could check in
and then you can go to the Fairmont Hotel dining (5 star dining) then for a few dollars more
you are dining with best food options. If you want to go to the Fairmont first, then do your
check in, you run the risk of not getting a good seat on the plane because you are one of the
last people to checkin.
VANCOUVER AIRPORT customer review : 25 October 2010 by K Nguyenen (Canada)
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Customer Rating : 4/5 |
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| Queuing |
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Departing flight from the international terminal. Long queues at the security checkpoint.
There were many food options while the airport was short of shopping. Arrivals was a breeze.
Immigration was fast but the officer asked endless questions. Customs were fast and the Canada
line is a great way to get to and from the airport.
VANCOUVER AIRPORT customer review : 16 September 2010 by David Leston (UK)
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Customer Rating : 4/5 |
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| Queuing |
| Cleanliness |
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Great airport, beautifully designed architecturally with a regular transit - Canada Line -
taking you into the heart of the city in about 25 minutes. Immigration was very thorough and I
was questioned at length about why I was visiting the country. I think they thought I was
going to try and stay! I had a connecting flight from the South Terminal, which is quite a
long way from the main terminal complex and you can only use the shuttle transit bus, if you
have arranged it prior to arrival. Leave yourself plenty of time for the transfer - it takes
quite a while.
VANCOUVER AIRPORT customer review : 27 August 2010 by M Doyle (Canada)
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Customer Rating : 2/5 |
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| Queuing |
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At first I was impressed to find the new Immigration kiosk system for Canadian residents.
Just a few minutes and I was off to pick up my baggage. However after getting the bags, as a
passenger with a connecting flight to another Canadian city, I experienced the most bizarre
line-up to clear customs. In all my years of landing in Vancouver and connecting to another
Canadian city I have never experienced such a horribly long line. In the past we walked out
and deposited our checked bags fairly quickly. After which, I assume, they were security
screened in the same manner that any baggage is. So, why are we suddenly required to line up
and wait while each passenger's bag is slowly screened? The more bizarre twist is that those
people who are exiting the airport are expeditiously moved through customs and sent out into
the country. Why are connecting passengers treated so differently? If, for example, a
passenger brought an illegal item in their baggage they are able to exit and be let loose in
Canada but if connecting to another city all their bags are searched and must be scanned in
their presence? Why must a connecting passenger be present for screening when someone who
checks in upstairs can simply drop off their bags? Simply because of this bottleneck due to
an extremely illogical and inefficient system, I will be trying to avoid this otherwise fine
airport in the future. After a 10 hour flight, the last thing I need is a pointless 2 hour
wait in line to have my baggage screened!
VANCOUVER AIRPORT customer review : 5 August 2010 by F Runcie (Canada)
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Customer Rating : 4/5 |
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| Queuing |
| Cleanliness |
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Since my last visit in December 2008, it has made huge improvements and gives visitors a good
first impression of Canada. Pleasing architecture and well-signposted. The Canada Line train
to downtown offers excellent service. One criticism: I had a 3.am departure to Beijing and the
bathroom had not been cleaned since late evening at the very latest. It had become a sty!
VANCOUVER AIRPORT customer review : 20 July 2010 by J Lightfoot (USA)
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Customer Rating : 4/5 |
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| Queuing |
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Great airport and Customs officers are professional and not unfriendly. Only concern was last
May when in transit from US to Japan. All the in transit passengers were required to go
through a full customs routine, including filling out the full customs declaration (how long
are you staying Canada, what are you bringing into Canada etc.). Plus there was only one
customs officer for all in transit passengers when I went through. Regular Customs for people
arriving in Canada is normally faster in my experience. Why this full process for people who
are not arriving in Canada? Most other airports I have traveled through do not customs screen
in transit passengers (eg. Hong Kong, Japan, etc).
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