YVR Check-in time for US flight
 

We are flying YVR-SLC on Monday and our flight time is 1:08pm. We are getting the bus down from Whistler and are currently booked on a 7am that should have us there at 10:30am which is obviously plenty (too much) time. I would like to take the 9am, arriving at 11:30am. We can check in online but will have bags to checks. Will this be cutting it too fine?

Don't forget US departure from most Canadian airports you need to schedule time to pre-clear US CBP.

Check in
Bags get tagged only
US CBP immigration and customs
Bags dropped after US customs on checked bag drop
CATSA security check
Onto departure gate.

Yep this is all true and was aware... I guess the risk is whether 60 minutes is enough for all that. Would be curious from those with experience going through this port

It would be tight and inadvisable. I have personally missed a flight from yvr on the us side due to the backlog going through pre clearance.

My advice would be to save the stress if rushing and worrying all the way through on the bus and take the earlier one.

Thanks - am thinking you are right. Any decent clubs in the US departure area? We are leaving on Delta

Good rule of thumb for transborder is to arrive 90 minutes before your flight - So the earlier bus cuts is pretty fine. Of course you could just breeze through, but you never know, particularly if there is an accident on the highway down, which is not uncommon.

The lounges in the transborder area are the Air Canada Maple Leaf Lounge (obviously not an option) and the Plaza Premium Lounge -

http://www.yvr.ca/en/shopping-dining...a-premium.aspx

This sequence is incorrect - At YVR it is:

- Check in
- Bag tags
- Bag drop & tag scan
- CATSA
- CBP
- On to gate

Has been that way since before the Olympics.

The later bus gives you 98 minutes, enough time. However, the more important the flight is, the more safeguards you should have. For example, Boeing once submitted a written bid by express delivery and their own employee flew there, ready to hand it at the guard desk.

Preclearance depends on other flights. On one evening flight, I had no wait, not even five seconds.

So the irony... Took the early bus and within 5 minutes of leaving Whistler got am email saying flight to SLC was delayed. With a tight connections knew we'd be stuck. So now we ended up rebooking and taking the evening Cathay red eye via JFK and passing our day at Vancouver!

Sorry to hear that!

Note that the Cathay redeye departs from international, not from transborder, and you will clear CBP in JFK, not in YVR.

Well it is a gorgeous day here in Vancouver (translate-it's not raining). And the Canucks are playing at home tonight. Use the opportunity to catch the game. You shouldn't have any trouble picking up tickets outside the arena.

Ok, I take it back. It just started raining :p

4.46pm - it is a gorgeous day here in vancouver
5.15pm It just started raining

I had to laugh at this - it pretty much sums up my experience at vancouver.