Vancouver Airport

My frustration with the airport is with customs and security. I am not sure if the airport has any controls over staffing of the aforementioned services but that is my complaint. We were delayed out of Scottsdale and so I was concerned about missing my connection to Victoria. I bolted out of the airplane and briskly walked down to customs. Lo and behold a service person was there to hand me a bright yellow card for my connection. Brilliant - I thought, finally the airport gets it. I walked around the corner to a queue of over 100 people with only one customs fellow handling us. It would have been quicker to use the self service customs checkers which by the way are a great idea. Finally the woman handing out the cards realized that there was a problem and magically three other customs personnel appeared. Where were they before? I got through the line with 40 minutes to go and madly made my way up to another level. Bang - right into another queue which was handling the security and screening. Only one lane was open so again more frustration and panic with the connection. Surely there must be more staff available because when I looked behind me, there were at least 60 or 70 people trying to make their connections. Got through OK and I sprinted down to C gate and made my plane with ten minutes to spare. We were delayed for 15 minutes waiting for other passengers to board because presumably they were in the security line. This is not the first time this has happened and I have missed connections before because of inadequate staffing. YVR - I am not interested in the West Coast feel with Bill Reid sculptures and seagulls flying around - staff the airport properly so we the passenger can make our connections in a timely manner.

Arrived on CX838 from Hong Kong as usual on my return to Canada. Must have been a busy time of the year as passport check lines were long and I had to wait for over 30 minutes. The main issue is the baggage handling. After spending 45 minutes in the lines, I got through to see that my luggage hasn't been dispensed yet which is disappointing. This is not the first time this has happened to me. Pretty much every trip, I end up waiting for at least an hour. But overall, staff were really nice and welcoming. Looking forward to using the service again in December.

Flying from and into Vancouver (YVR) is so smooth, relaxing and predictable compared to other North American airports. There is a relaxed mood throughout the entire airport, nature features and relaxing sitting areas with great views of the sea and mountains by Vancouver. The airport itself has been well designed with a West Coast and first nations Canadian theme which is unique and makes this airport special compared to other bland/indistinguishable airports around the world.

Although this airport is undoubtedly one of the most beautiful, it is also one of the most difficult for a person with a disability. I travel alone, and therefore need some help. I always request a wheelchair when making flight reservations, but when I arrive at the airport, and approach the airline staff they usually have to scurry around to actually find a wheelchair. Then the problem arises as to who will push it. Now I have travelled extensively in Europe, and every year to Puerto Vallarta, and there is always immediate help. Why do we not have dedicated staff for just this type of problem? I am more than willing to tip, as I am sure other travelers would be. Now returning from a trip. Another nightmare. Have been taken by wheelchair from the plane, I was deposited at baggage claim and left there. One very nice lady went looking for a skycap, and finally, several minutes later, returned with one. He loaded my bags, and then went running off returning some time later, with another passenger and bags. He then proceeded to push my chair, and pull the cart loaded with bags - no easy task. It appears there was no one else to help. There is not much point, in my opinion, to keep upgrading shopping, food selection, beautiful artwork etc, without first accommodating people who actually need more assistance. Not everyone can rush around and do everything for themselves, but believe me we all wish we could.

I quite frequently travel to and from Vancouver International Airport. I have used all three sections of the airport (international, US and domestic departures). Although my favourite is international departures, I am very pleased with the airport as a whole. There is a common theme and pattern within the infrastructure and the overall decor and design makes for a peaceful and serene experience. Queues for check-in in all three terminals is well organised and generally short. Security is relatively fast and efficient as well. Past security the airport allows for easy movement thanks to wide halls and clear signage. The shopping boasts a collection of boutiques from independent outlets to high-end global brands. The airport has extensive clean seating areas and restaurants fitted with televisions and electrical power outlets. Boarding is also a relatively stress-free task due to clear lanes, space for movement and equally clear signage. In terms of staff, I'd say the quality of service is good overall. Immigration is what immigration is - usually long and tedious, despite the large number of border agents on duty. E-Passport gates are only available to citizens and permanent residents. Baggage claim is generally fast for international but for domestic flights it has been slow all three times. Overall a great airport and deserving of its rank amongst the world's best.

Vancouver Airport is an airport that I visit frequently, primarily because I fly back and fourth between Hong Kong and Vancouver during the school breaks. I'm a huge fan of this airport. It's pretty, it's quite convenient to access and it's pretty hard to get lost in here. Immigration lines can look absolutely horrifying if you can't pass through their computerized channel, but you generally get processed in less than 20 minutes, so that's not too bad. The airport is clean, well-decorated and has reasonably good options for food outlets. Airport staff are friendly, even if they're with customs and immigration, which is something that people don't normally expect. There's plenty of spaces for you to hang out at the terminal, you aren't somewhat forced to wait by the gate, which is a good thing. Crowd control is good reasonably good, however check-in lines for international flights are notoriously long, lines can wind up blocking other lines for different airlines, so it's good that Vancouver has so many counters around such that they could stagger the counters enough so the lines don't overlap. The free public WiFi is a really nice touch!

What a pity Vancouver Airport Immigration go out of their way to spoil the hospitality offered by the rest of the country. All the counters have Welcome to Canada sign above them. I would say this is not the case. When I finally reached the desk after queuing behind 1000s of other pax (no fast track for business customers), I was brusquely asked what I was doing for 3 days, where was I staying, was I on my own. The departure was equally as irritating having my house keys pulled out at the scanning machine. Thank goodness they weren't confiscated. My boarding card was inspected 3 times and hand X-rayed. Rest of the airport okay, Air Canada Maple Lounge hot, crowded, no showers and poor selection of food.

Arrived on CX838 from Hong Kong at 1.25pm, went through passport check which was fast and efficient as usual. When I reached baggage claim, things started to turn around. Took 30 minutes for the first bag to come out and ended up waiting for an hour to collect all my bags. Other than that, amazing airport with strong wifi with strong coverage and many convenient places to eat.

My father and I had an amazing experience in YVR airport - one of the best airports we have been to! As proud Canadian citizens, we passed through the immigration quickly even though we had to declare some chocolate that we bought from Tokyo International airport. All our checked luggages came in the carousel within half a minute. I was completely amazed by the efficiency of Vancouver airport! We arrived on Canada day, so there were Canada pins put out for people to take, and the statues were excellent. We had a bit of a hard time finding the car rental place though, and the staff in the airport were helpful yet some were expressionless. When we arrived again in YVR from YYJ, our luggage was the only one so we got it as soon as we got there. And departing YVR was great as well. We checked in for the United Airlines flight to San Francisco, and since we took Business Class we had Priority check in, which saved a whole load of time as the Economy queue was huge. The US border security was fast and really smooth (we were on Business Class tickets and we cannot find the Business lane so we queued in the Economy lane), and the security personnel were extremely friendly opposed to the army like situation in SFO when exiting the US. I highly recommend this airport and I could not have asked for a better experience in YVR.

Outstanding airport! Clean, well maintained, pleasant staff. Good dining options and free wifi all around. Nice art and prices that aren't too high on food and beverages.