I'm due to be passing through YVR in the coming months and both times have a layover of 3 to 4 hours. These will be LHR -> YVR -> SEA and the reverse.

We have friends in Vancouver and the surrounding areas whom it might be nice to have a coffee or a beer with, but I was wondering about the logisitics. Will we be able to "get out" of the gate area to meet them at all or once we're through are we locked in as it were? I don't really want to compromise the trip at all by some contrived workaround of reclaiming bags, and rechecking them as I've flown enough to prefer an easy life over complicating things