I'm flying from YYC to ORK (via LHR) next year (at the end of a Canada holiday), and was looking at flight times w/Air Canada.

While there's a direct YYC-LHR flight, the timing of a flight via YVR is actually a little more convenient. I'm assuming my layover in YVR will just be a gate change - no Canadian customs or immigration to deal with, and since I'll be in J, I might even have time for a flying visit to the MLL in YVR. I would also get slightly longer in the air enjoying all that AC hospitality.

I arrive home in ORK at the same time regardless. So any downside apart from starting my journey home by going an hour in the wrong direction?