Air New Zealand Air Points - Lounge in Vancouver

My first post on this site. Very informative web site!
I will be flying Auckland - Vancouver - Frankfurt business class combination AIRNZ and Lufthansa. I have used the Maple Leaf lounge in Vancouver before and have found it very ordinary. As far as I know that is the only Star Alliance lounge in that Airport (not counting anything behind the Canada-US security clearance)?? Any thoughts of other options for the few hours I have to spend in Vancouver?

How many hours? You could head into the city.

The skytrain to downtown is 26 minutes and CA$2.50 or $3.25 depending on the time of day. Once there, there are hundreds of restaurants and the usual cultural and shopping stuff you'd find in a mid-sized North American city...

You mean the Canada Line, not the Skytrain but anyway....

My chief complaint about the lounge is that whenever I have caught the YVR-AKL flight, they've removed all hot food offerings at 6pm just as NZ passengers arrive!

... My chief complaint about the lounge is that whenever I have caught the YVR-AKL flight, they've removed all hot food offerings at 6pm just as NZ passengers arrive!Well, do what I do and get there at 5pm. :p

You mean the Canada Line, not the Skytrain but anyway.

It looks to me like that the OP was (technically) correct - the Canada Line is the SkyTrain's newest link.

http://www.translink.ca/en/Rider-Info/Canada-Line.aspx

My first post on this site. Very informative web site!
I will be flying Auckland - Vancouver - Frankfurt business class combination AIRNZ and Lufthansa. I have used the Maple Leaf lounge in Vancouver before and have found it very ordinary. As far as I know that is the only Star Alliance lounge in that Airport (not counting anything behind the Canada-US security clearance)?? Any thoughts of other options for the few hours I have to spend in Vancouver?

Boy oh boy, will you even be disappointed when you eventually try a United Airlines RCC lounge then. That being said, in my opinion the International MLL is not as nice as the Transborder (i.e USA) or the domestic MLL. If you have the time for a quick trip downtown, that might be a nice diversion, as suggested by other FTers.

mpc1

BTW welcome to FT

My first post on this site. Very informative web site!
I will be flying Auckland - Vancouver - Frankfurt business class combination AIRNZ and Lufthansa. I have used the Maple Leaf lounge in Vancouver before and have found it very ordinary. As far as I know that is the only Star Alliance lounge in that Airport (not counting anything behind the Canada-US security clearance)?? Any thoughts of other options for the few hours I have to spend in Vancouver?

An official welcome to FlyerTalk !

You're flying all the way from AKL and you're not even stopping in YVR? But I guess you have been to YVR before by the sounds of it.

FRA Lufthansa lounges are even more ordinary than the MLL in Vancouver, so be aware of that!

You mean the Canada Line, not the Skytrain

As pointed out, it's the Canada Line of the Skytrain system (the others are the Millennium and the Expo Lines), but I could see the confusion as they have horribly inconsistent branding and a very abstract and unrecognizable logo (neither of which appear on Canada line stations/trains, probably because of the P3 involvement).

But no really, if you have time, head into town and have a great meal. If you're a fan, Vancouver has better asian food than many cities in asia...

Great suggestions. Thank you to all who responded. I have never been to the city, so will do so this time! Didn't know transport was that convenient.

It looks to me like that the OP was (technically) correct - the Canada Line is the SkyTrain's newest link.

http://www.translink.ca/en/Rider-Info/Canada-Line.aspx


yes - right you/OP are! Sorry about that! After being dragged out to Metropolis at Metrotown every weekend for a year, I've been so used to thinking of the Skytrain as the Millennium/Expo line.

As pointed out, it's the Canada Line of the Skytrain system (the others are the Millennium and the Expo Lines), but I could see the confusion as they have horribly inconsistent branding and a very abstract and unrecognizable logo (neither of which appear on Canada line stations/trains, probably because of the P3 involvement).

But no really, if you have time, head into town and have a great meal. If you're a fan, Vancouver has better asian food than many cities in asia...

Yes, sorry about that! You're right, they're darn confusing.

They are however a great way to get around, especially for the price. I have heard though there will be an add-fare of C$2(?) to the standard 3-Zone fare. Still much cheaper and efficient than the Vancouver Airporter bus service (which I think finishes at the end of this month) or a Taxi.

Great suggestions. Thank you to all who responded. I have never been to the city, so will do so this time! Didn't know transport was that convenient.

In the downtown core the place I'd probably head to for a meal is Denman St. You can transfer from the train at Vancouver City Centre to the route 5/6 - Robson/Davie bus will take you right there. There's a great variety in that area and none of the restaurants are the typical chains type ones.

"Didn't know transport was that convenient."

It wasn't--until a month ago--so enjoy what others have been waiting for!

So good to have the Sky Train to the airport because taking the airporter bus was really annoying. I second the vote to grab some food on denman st. Also i think that Vancouver has some of the best sushi and seafood around.

So good to have the Sky Train to the airport because taking the airporter bus was really annoying. I second the vote to grab some food on denman st. Also i think that Vancouver has some of the best sushi and seafood around.

If are wanting to try some Canadian "ethnic" food, you could always head over to Fritz's place at 718 Davie for Poutine

-Poutine "a mixture of French fries with fresh cheese curds, covered with a hot gravy."

If are wanting to try some Canadian "ethnic" food, you could always head over to Fritz's place at 718 Davie for Poutine

-Poutine "a mixture of French fries with fresh cheese curds, covered with a hot gravy."

I don't really have anything to add to this discussion but I wanted to say thank you for your post inspiring me to go to Fritz right now and have poutine. It's sublime.