Vancouver Airport

Excellent transit as usual at Vancouver airport. I had separate airline bookings so I had to exit the secure area and check in again, and the process was quick and easy. The food is great, but as of June 2016 the international departures section was getting work done on its restaurants, so the selection was below what it usually is.

✅ Verified Review | Flying back to UK had a flight delay of 3 and a half hours, there was nowhere to get a beer or glass of wine. The bar was closed for refurbishment. A big international airport in a big city like Vancouver with one bar beggars belief. Surely if a facility is going to be closed for some time alternative arrangements could be made.

Vancouver may be shiny and clean, but it is dysfunctional, and filled with workers who are unsure of what to do. The security lines are long and slow. We were in transit for more than 2 hours, and still almost missed our connecting flight. As one of the flagship airports in Canada, YVR, you need to pull your socks up.

Vancouver is in the top 5 worst airport experiences. Began with the arrival at the international terminal. The traffic router at the curb wanted to deny the bus unloading access. After suitable remonstration the driver prevailed. In the airport we moved our luggage to an American Airlines kiosk for check-in. A helpful agent assisted in tagging the bags and securing the boarding passes. That's when the fun started. She directed us to the baggage check-in counter. To our total amazement, the clerks there were simply weighing the baggage and ensuring the tags were properly affixed and matched the boarding pass. Then they simply directed us to get in the line behind the counter and haul our own bags somewhere further on. They did not accept the bags and load them onto a belt to a baggage handling area. We have never encountered such a system. So we got into a serpentine line that through a series of temporary barriers had a few hundred fellow travelers. Apparently 3 out of 4 baggage belts were not operating and we had to take them to the one that was operating. Security took a while once we had finally surrendered our bags to the conveyor (and they did arrive with us at our final destination). Then we had the US Customs and Border Patrol process with all of its redundancy, but that's not Vancouver Airport's problem. Finally we were enroute to the gate. The terminal has some odd numbering schemes for gates that require rapt attention to ensure, despite being on a relatively linear setup, that you are proceeding to the correct one. A very long walk with only a couple of short mobile walkways. They do have plugins for charging devices, some food vendors and the typical airport shops. Still, an unusual layout not particularly helpful for first time visitors. If I can avoid it, I'll never go through Vancouver airport again.

Vancouver Airport is busy but check-in and security lines are smooth. Airport has large shopping facilities to cater for a large contingency of Chinese shoppers. Resting space is adequate and I used the Plaza Premium lounge. Easy transportation to airport via the train from downtown. It was a smooth departure.

This airport is clean, bright and very welcoming with the traditional first nations art installed everywhere through the arrival and departure terminals. You feel like taking pictures everywhere to save these wonderful sculptures and artworks as souvenirs of your travels. The signage is perfect, and I had no queue at all getting to the immigration.

Clean and easy airport, with some traditional sculptures to welcome you to this part of the world. Strong and efficient Wi-Fi, and many shops, cafés and bars to spend extra time in if you have some. The observation area is a good place to watch the planes or wait for friend/family members flight to take off or land. Once you are in the security zone, you will find many comfortable benches and some power outlets to charge your electronic device.

It took over an hour to drive through just to pay and exit parking lot. This is the worst parking lot experience I have encountered. One attendent on for 40-50 cars in a line - get an automated system. The airports charge an arm and a leg to use this airport.

YVR is a modern and beautiful airport. As a new Vancouver resident, I tend to fly domestic and international on a regular basis and have experienced the airport more frequently than vast majority of others. 1) Domestic flights are conveniently set up with security often taking no longer than 5 to 10 minutes. I hold a Nexus card to which I almost never take advantage of in YVR contrary to other North American hubs. I often arrive at the airport 30 to 40 minutes prior to departure and find my seat with paperless check-in/boarding pass with 15 minutes to spare. 2) Flying to the US is rarely a problem. On one occasion, I found the line up to take more than 30 minutes in standard line ups. Again, having a Nexus card makes my US experience far easier than most. 3) WIFI is free of charge making it easy for international connectors to take advantage of connecting with the world while awaiting their next connection. 4) Facilities are clean and staff generally helpful. Seldom have I found myself subject to inappropriate conditions or rude personnel. 5) Connection via "skytrain" to downtown Vancouver is a breeze. If you're heading to the airport from the city, the cost is about 4 to 5 dollars one way. Should you be leaving the airport to the city, it costs you 9 which I find extremely affordable. Especially when compared internationally to those in Europe where paying 15 to 20 euros are standard practice. All in all, this airport is far above average, especially for a North American hub. This isn't Hong Kong, or Tokyo. It will not blow you away with shopping opportunities or 5 star fine dining. But frankly, if you're at the airport to shop or eat luxurious meals, then you're really not the average traveler. For 90 percent of people, this is a 9/10 airport with good service and quick turnaround times.

Vancouver is a nice and open airport, but I wish there were more food vendors in the airport. There's not that much variety in the selection (both pre and post security.) I do love how close the airport is to the new outlet mall and the fact that the Canada Line runs to the airport.