Vancouver International Airport

Vancouver International Airport is the main airport serving its namesake city of Vancouver, located on Sea Island within the City of Richmond, which is south of Vancouver. As Canada's second busiest airport, it handled more than 26 million passengers in 2019, flying to many of Canada's west coast towns, big and small, as well as many major cities in eastern Canada. Internationally, the airport also sees multiple daily flights from Asia to serve the namesake city's largest minority population, from Oceania, thanks to its westerly location, and from Europe.

Understand
Vancouver International Airport (often also affectionally called as YVR, its three-letter IATA code), is south of downtown Vancouver on Sea Island and is part of the suburban city of Richmond. The island hosts the airport, a small neighbourhood, an outlet mall of opulent brands, and a nature conservation area with clean sandy beaches.

Even though its interior looks spartan with glasses and concrete ribs hanging above layers of metallic sheets, low ceilings at one pier and wooden pillars on the other, it also incorporates traditional First Nation artwork and miniatures of the British Columbia scenery, making it one of the most beautiful airports in the world. Added with the hospitality and wide availability of volunteers and amenities, it has earned the title Best North American Airport by Skytrax every year from 2010-2021, and has since 2022 sat in second place behind its regional rival Seattle-Tacoma International Airport. It is a hub for Canadian flag carrier Air Canada, as well as low-cost carrier WestJet.
 * Vancouver International Airport website

Terminals
The airport has three terminals:



Departures
Check-in at the Main Terminal is shared in a single row with the following order by direction of travel incoming to the airport: US Check-in, International check-in, and Canada check-in. Self check-in stations are available throughout the Main Terminal and the process of drop bags is relatively quick process with short lines.

There is a border pre-clearance facility for flights to the United States of America, where passengers get to complete the immigration and customs process in Canada before their flight, is open for flights up from 7AM to 6:30PM, after which all other flights depart from the same pier and use the same security check as other international flights, then go through immigration & customs upon landing in US soil. As there is no passport control at departure level, both domestic and international passengers can traverse each other's terminals; those who use the pre-clearance facility however do not enjoy the same privileges, as they have access only to this dedicated area.

Domestic flights are handled at Piers A, B, and C, while international flights are handled at Pier D, and US-bound flights with pre-clearance are served at pier E. Some gates also function as swing gates, meaning they can handle international and domestic departures, or international and US departures.

Like other airports in Canada and the United States of America, expect lengthy line ups to pass through security. At Vancouver International Airport, expect the line to range from  10 to 25 minutes on a normal day.

Arrivals
Arrivals are handled at Level 2 and can be accessed using the escalators or lifts at the transit area (Level 3). International arrivals to Canada, including those from the US, require clearing passport control and customs at the airport. Passengers scan their passports, have photos taken, and make customs declarations at multi-language self-serve computer kiosks before interacting with a border security agent.

If you are on a connecting flight, whether you need to claim your baggage or not depends on which country you are coming from and/or heading to.

It is not uncommon for it to take 30 minutes between when disembarking from a domestic flight begins and when baggage arrives at the baggage claim. If arriving from abroad, baggage may already be in the baggage claim by the time you clear customs.

Connections
Vancouver is a frequent connecting hub for domestic and international flights, and has a U.S. border pre-clearance facility.

To domestic flights
Connecting domestic flights within Canada do not require an exit to the arrival level; you can stay at the transit area.

If you are coming from an international flight, from the U.S. or outside the U.S., you must go through passport control at arrivals. On select flights, your luggage will be checked through to your final destination. And if you arrive before 6:30PM with Air Canada, you can head to the Canada Connections counter to recheck in your baggage and undergo security check, where you will later end up in Pier C. For all other flights, you must claim your baggage, head to the check-in level, and check in as usual.

To US-bound flights
Passengers arriving in Canada from an international flight by some airlines can go through the U.S. border pre-clearance facility at the transit level adjacent to Pier D without the need to head down to arrivals and claim luggage. For all other international flights, you must go through Canadian immigration and customs, claim your luggage, recheck in at the counter, and then undergo the U.S. border pre-clearance. If you fall within the latter case and are not eligible for visa-free entry to Canada, you must obtain a transit visa from your nearest Canadian diplomatic mission.

Passengers connecting from domestic flights can make use of the pre-clearance facility at the transit area adjacent to Pier D should there be no need to claim luggage and your flight departs between 7AM and 6:30PM. Outside these times, you must claim your luggage, recheck in, and go through the international security check; immigration and custom checks will be done upon landing.

Passengers from the U.S. connecting to other U.S. flights must undergo immigration and customs before connecting.

To international non US-bound flights
As there is no border control at departure, passengers coming from Canada or another international non-US flight departing between 7AM and 2AM can stay at the transit area as your luggage will be checked through to your final destination. If you are arriving between 2AM and 7AM however, you must clear passport control, claim luggage, and check in, which means entering Canadian territory. As such, you must obtain a transit visa if you are not eligible for visa-free entry.

Connecting from a US flight requires a detour to clear customs at Level 4, although you do not need to claim luggage.

Destinations
Due to the large East Asian population in the metropolitan area, the airport is especially well connected to the Far Eastern countries of Japan, South Korea, China, and the Philippines, with Hong Kong-bound departures being the most frequent thanks to its huge diaspora. Flights from Europe and India are also increasingly common. Vancouver is also the only city in Canada connected to Oceania due to being closer than its bigger sister, Toronto. For Canadians seeking the sun, Vancouver offers multiple daily flights to Hawaii. U.S. legacy carriers also offer daily departures from their respective hubs to this city.

Domestic flights to Toronto depart at least hourly from dawn to dusk, in addition to frequent connections bound for other large Canadian cities like Montreal, Edmonton, and Calgary. Because of British Columbia's vast area and difficulty of accessibility by road for many settlements, the airport also sees schedules operated by small aircraft and seaplanes bringing mail, vital supplies, and workforce to other parts of the province, especially the northern coast and interior, the Thompson & Okanagan valley, and Vancouver Island. The only blank spots in the airport's connections to the rest of Canada would be the Atlantic coast and Northern Canada, for which a connection at Toronto or Montreal is required except when there are seasonal non-stop flights (to Halifax only; there are seasonal non-stop flights to Moncton (NB), Charlottetown (PEI), and St. John's (NL) from Calgary or Edmonton).

Direct flights from within British Columbia

 * From Castlegar (West Kootenays) - 1.25 hours
 * From Cranbrook (East Kootenays) - 1.25 hours
 * From Fort St. John (Peace Country and Northern Rockies) - 1.75 hours
 * From Kamloops (Thompson) - 50 minutes
 * From Kelowna (Okanagan) - 1 hour
 * From Nanaimo (Central Vancouver Island) - 30 minutes
 * From Prince George (Nechako) - 1.25 hours
 * From Prince Rupert (North Coast) - 1.75 hours
 * From Sandspit (Haida Gwaii) - 1.5 hours
 * From Tofino (Central Vancouver Island) - 45 minutes
 * From Victoria (South Vancouver Island) - 30 minutes

Direct flights from elsewhere in Canada

 * From Calgary (Alberta) - 1.25 hours
 * From Edmonton (Alberta) - 1.25 hours
 * From Halifax (Nova Scotia) - 6.5 hours (direct flights are uncommon, expect to connect through Calgary, Toronto, or Montreal).
 * From Montreal (Quebec) - 5.5 to 5.75 hours
 * From Ottawa (Ontario) - 5.25 hours
 * From Regina (Saskatchewan) - 2.25 hours
 * From Saskatoon (Saskatchewan) - 2.5 hours
 * From Toronto (Ontario) - 5 hours
 * From Whitehorse (Yukon) - 2.25 to 2.5 hours
 * From Winnipeg (Manitoba) - 3 hours
 * From Yellowknife (Northwest Territories) - 2.75 hours

Direct flights from the United States of America

 * From Atlanta (Georgia) - 5.75 hours
 * From Boston (Massachusetts) (summer only) - 6 hours
 * From Chicago (Illinois) - 4 to 4.25 hours
 * From Dallas-Fort Worth (Texas) - 4.25 hours
 * From Denver (Colorado) - 3 hours
 * From Honolulu (Hawaii) - 5.75 hours
 * From Houston (Texas) - 5 hours
 * From Las Vegas (Nevada) - 2.75 hours
 * From Los Angeles (California) - 3 hours
 * From Minneapolis (Minnesota) - 3.8 hours
 * From New York City (New York) - 5.75 hours
 * From Phoenix (Arizona) - 3.25 hours
 * From Portland (Oregon) - 1.25 hours
 * From Seattle (Washington) - 1 hour
 * From San Francisco (California) - 2.25 to 2.5 hours

Direct flights from elsewhere in North America

 * From Cancún (Mexico) - 6.5 hours
 * From Mexico City (Mexico) - 5.75 to 6.25 hours
 * From Puerto Vallarta (Mexico) (winter only) - 4.75 hours

Direct flights from Asia

 * From Bangkok (Thailand) (winter only) - 13.25 hours
 * From Hong Kong (China) - 11.75 hours
 * From Manila (Philippines) - 12.25 hours
 * From New Delhi (India) - 14.5 hours
 * From Osaka (Japan) (summer only) - 9 hours
 * From Shanghai (China) - 10.5 hours
 * From Seoul (South Korea) - 9.75-10 hours
 * From Singapore (Singapore) - 14.75 hours
 * From Taipei (Taiwan) - 10.75 hours
 * From Tokyo (Japan) - 8.5 to 9 hours

Direct flights from Europe

 * From Amsterdam (Netherlands) - 9.5 hours
 * From Dublin (Ireland) - 9 hours
 * From Frankfurt (Germany) - 10 hours
 * From Istanbul (Turkey) - 12.25 hours
 * From London (United Kingdom) - 9.5 to 10 hours
 * From Paris (France) - 10.25 hours
 * From Reykjavík (Iceland) - 7.75 hours

Direct flights from Oceania

 * From Auckland (New Zealand) - 13.5 hours
 * From Nadi (Fiji) - 11 hours
 * From Sydney (Australia) - 14.5 hours

Canadian seaplane airlines operating to Vancouver, and arrive and depart from piers located on the Fraser River about 300 metres south of the South Terminal:

 * Flights to Vancouver International Airport from Maple Bay (near Duncan) (50 minutes), Nanaimo harbour (20 minutes), Salt Spring Island (25 minutes), Sechelt (20 minutes), Victoria harbour (30 minutes). Some the airline's flights from coastal communities land in downtown Vancouver at Vancouver harbour. See Vancouver for flights to Vancouver harbour.
 * Flights to Vancouver International Airport from Nanaimo, Salt Spring Island, and several of the other Southern Gulf Islands. Some the airline's flights from coastal communities land in downtown Vancouver at Vancouver harbour. See Vancouver for flights to Vancouver harbour.
 * Flights to Vancouver International Airport from Nanaimo, Salt Spring Island, and several of the other Southern Gulf Islands. Some the airline's flights from coastal communities land in downtown Vancouver at Vancouver harbour. See Vancouver for flights to Vancouver harbour.
 * Flights to Vancouver International Airport from Nanaimo, Salt Spring Island, and several of the other Southern Gulf Islands. Some the airline's flights from coastal communities land in downtown Vancouver at Vancouver harbour. See Vancouver for flights to Vancouver harbour.

Inter-terminal shuttle
A complimentary shuttle, called the South Terminal Courtesy Shuttle, connects the South Terminal with the Main Terminal every 30 minutes. The trip takes around 15 minutes each way. Trips depart the Main Terminal from 5:25AM to 7:55PM, with Main Terminal stops outside of the domestic terminal's departures area and outside of the international terminal's US departures area.

From outside the airport, bus number 412 travels to Bay 6 at the Bridgeport Canada Line station. However, the route is only serviced in the morning hours from Monday to Saturday.

By public transit


Passengers can pay for fares using Compass Cards ($6 refundable deposit), Compass Tickets, or tap-to-pay using contactless credit cards (only American Express, Mastercard or Visa) or mobile wallets. Passengers using Compass Cards and Compass Tickets pay discounted fares. Passengers can transfer for up to 90 minutes, except if taking West Coast Express, in which case they can transfer for up to 120 minutes. On bus and HandyDART, passengers can also pay in cash, but in that case will not receive change and are not eligible for transfers. Zone based fares apply between Monday and Friday for trips starting before 6:30 pm, if travel involves SkyTrain or SeaBus. Outside of those hours or for travel on only bus or HandyDART, a single zone rate applies. If traveling by West Coast Express, a higher cost zone based fare system applies regardless of time of travel. Children 12 and under can ride for free. People aged 13 to 18, and 65 and older pay discounted concession fares.

Canada Line
SkyTrain's Canada Line operates a route between the airport, and Vancouver's neighbourhoods of downtown, Yaletown-False Creek, Mount Pleasant, South Vancouver, as well as in the city of Richmond. Travel time from the airport is about 15 minutes to Richmond Centre (Richmond's downtown) and 25 minutes to Waterfront Station in downtown Vancouver. Trains from Vancouver alternate between traveling to YVR Airport station and Richmond Brighouse station, but share the same route between Waterfront station and Bridgeport station.

As the airport is in Zone 2 of the transportation agency's fare zone alongside Richmond, a ride to or from Vancouver will cost $4.25 and $3 to or from Richmond if paid by cash; with a Compass Card it costs only $3.45 and $2.40, respectively (as of 2021). A concession price is also available for seniors and children from ages 5 to 18, in addition to a day pass for unlimited travel within all zones by bus and trains that costs $10.50. A surcharge of $5 will be levied when you start the ride from the three stations on Sea Island: YVR-Airport, Sea Island Centre, and Templeton. A ride within the island however is free, but you still need to produce a ticket from the vending machines or tap your Compass card.

During overnight hours, the Canada Line does not operate and is replaced by bus route N10, which travels to downtown Vancouver and Richmond Centre (Richmond's downtown).

By taxi
Taxis and wheelchair-accessible vehicles are available at taxi stands located on Level 2 of the Domestic and International Arrivals Area. Passengers line up outside under a covered area and take the first available waiting taxi. Passengers do not choose which taxi company they will ride with, as the various taxis from different companies form into a single line. As the taxi drivers may not normally pick up passengers within the city that you are going to, they rely on GPS to navigate to your destination.

Rates from the airport are zone-based depending on the address, ranging from $20 to North Richmond up to $41 for northeast Vancouver. Rides to areas further than Richmond and Vancouver and to the airport are metered $3.25 flag fall and $1.84 per additional kilometer (as of 2021).

By ride hailing
Head to level 2 of the International and Domestic Arrivals for pick up. Drop-off can also be done like other cars at Departures Level 3. The only authorized providers to pick up and drop off passengers at the airport:



By car
A ride by car to downtown Vancouver, Burnaby, and New Westminster should take 20 minutes in non-rush hour. Meanwhile it only takes 5 minutes to Richmond, 10 minutes to Delta, and 15 minutes to Surrey. However, as Vancouver's traffic can be horrendous during the rush hour, expect the travel times to double during the normal morning and evening commute times.

Access to the airport is from Granville St from the north, Bridgeport Rd from the east, or No. 2 Road from the South. For travel from the airport, continue straight for SW Marine Dr or Granville St for access to Vancouver or to the east, or take the exit on the right to Sea Island Way for Richmond and Highway 99 for New Westminster, Delta and Surrey. For access to the Richmond suburbs in the south and at Sea Island, turn right to Templeton St. at the traffic light, and then left to Miller St., and finally right to Russ Baker Highway where it leads to No. 2 Road.

Parking
While there is plenty of parking within the airport grounds, they are all separated quite a distance from each other. The Parkade near the Main Terminal Building costs $5 per half hour, $10 per hour, $36.75 daily, and $204.75 per week (as of 2021), but only allows car under 6 foot 6 inches high.



There is also a parking area for passengers using the South Terminal across the terminal building for $3.50 per hour or $10.50 daily, payable at the doorway to the building. Floatplane passengers can use a dedicated parking lot on the north side of Inglis Drive (across from the floatplane terminal), on the west side of Bell Irving Road for $4.25 hourly or $12.50 daily or an overflow lot adjacent to the South terminal building for $3.75 hourly or $10.25 daily (as of 2021).

All the parking spots have spots for disabled parking and chargers for electric cars. If you want to pick someone up and need to wait, there is a free cellphone lot near the jetSet parking lot. You must not park or even leave your car at the pick up and drop off line at the terminal building, as these are heavily enforced by the police.

Rental car
Reservations for rental cars can be taken care of at the respective company's counters at the building. These are also accessible using the walkway outside the US and Canada check-in areas. Car rental at the airport is available from:



By bicycle
In what is perhaps a rare twist for airports, the grounds are also accessible by bike as part of the Sea Island trail, and even has dedicated lanes and parking racks at the terminal buildings. Even the airport employees do come here by bike and enjoy a dedicated parking space. The bridge crossings also have bicycle lanes or shoulders designated for bicyclists, however they require a good amount of skill to navigate through, especially in the latter case due to the large amount of traffic.

Within the Main Terminal, the parking racks can be found at Level 2 of the International Terminal Arrivals, the South Terminal Building, or Templeton and Sea Island Skytrain stations. Your bike can also be carried into the trains.

Get around
As there are no passport controls for departures, passengers flying on domestic and international flights (without U.S. border preclearance) can walk between piers to access concessions at both areas. However do take note of the walking times. A walk from the end of Pier D to Pier A for example can take at least 20 minutes, even after using the travelator!

For passengers with flights requiring the United States' border preclearance, you are limited to the establishments offered at the areas after the clearance, with no option to access other parts of the terminal, as you are considered to have already entered the U.S.

Transfer to or from the South Terminal can only be done landside after one has claimed luggage at either terminal, using the courtesy shuttle that leaves every 30 minutes. Allow yourself at least 15 minutes for the travel times.

Wait
While waiting for your flight, there are plenty of places to explore within Sea Island, including an outlet mall and nature reserves, should you cannot get enough of the wonderful nature around Vancouver.

Near airport
The airport is located in Richmond, which has plenty of options near the airport to keep you busy. Below are some of the nearest options to the airport.

See
On Sea Island, the same island as the airport, you can watch planes take off or land at Larry Berg Flight Path Park or head to a river side beach at McDonald Beach Park.

Do
Northwest of the airport is Iona Beach Regional Park, which has two jetties that you can walk along and an ocean facing beach.

Buy
Designer Outlet Vancouver is a large outlet mall located at Templeton SkyTrain station, only two stops from YVR-Airport station, and travel between these two stations is free. Western Canada's largest area of Asian shopping malls are a within a short walk of Aberdeen SkyTrain station, including Aberdeen Centre.

Artwork
Being one of the best designed airports in North America, a lot of art pieces from the First Nations, the first inhabitants of Canada, are incorporated throughout the terminal. Here are a few examples:
 * Do not miss the totem pole at the escalators between the domestic and international check-in areas, in which motives from the Haida tribes, symbolized by the Creator Raven at its top and a man at the bottom are combined in harmony with Celtic and Asian elements.
 * A lot of wood carvings are ready to greet you from your international flight. Opposite the escalators to the immigration are the two Musquam figures from the Salish tribe to welcome travelers. At both sides of the escalator are large woven fabric from sheep's wool with motives inspired by the Coast Salish tribe. Behind the escalator stands a spindle whorl carved with traditional images to gesture flight.
 * On your way to the international gates, you will pass through a greenery area with a river and rocks at its bed and passages acting as bridges, and various depictions of salmon, herring, and the chief of the sea named Orca, symbolizing the close relationship of the First Nation with the sea.

International Terminal
There are not a lot of good food options at the International Terminal. Take advantage of the ability to shift to the Domestic Terminal for better items.

Connect
There is free Wi-Fi throughout the establishment using the hotspot name @yvrairport.

Cope
Anytime you require assistance within the airport, approach one of the staff at the information counter or volunteers wearing a green jacket throughout the airport. Once at the transit area however, there is only one information counter within the domestic area, two at international, and none at the US area.

Luggage carts are free to use and are available at airport drop off areas and at baggage claim.

There is no smoking area within the terminal building, with the only remaining smoking areas located outside the check in area or the exits. While smoking cannabis is allowed, as is the case in all of Canada, do take care not to transport it internationally or even consume it before your flight, especially if you are obligated to go through the US border pre-clearance facility or flying to any country where severe penalties apply even for trace amounts.

For passengers travelling with children, there are playground areas and television at all the piers.

Airport facilities
While there is no designated rest zone at the terminal building, most of the benches do not have armrests, allowing one to snooze comfortably. If the benches are full, carpeted flooring especially at the transit area also works as a sleeping surface. Prepare earplugs and eye masks as the terminal is cleaned overnight and the lighting stays on 24 hours. Security personnel may come to you in the middle of your snooze and ask for your flight itinerary; this is to keep the homeless away.

The domestic area terminal closes at midnight and the U.S. flights area at 6:30PM, so the only place to sleep overnight are at the International Terminal area if you are already airside. The best sleeping area pre-security are at the mezzanine area of International check-in, near the baggage claim, and near the American Airlines and WestJet check-in desks. Ask the information counter or help desk of your airline for throwaway kits or sleeping mats for rent.

Near airport
There are numerous hotels nearby in Richmond and one hotel nearby in south Vancouver.

Nearby

 * The airport is within Richmond, which features large shopping areas with omnipresent East Asian establishments and eateries.
 * Vancouver proper is a short away from the airport. While waiting, why not explore the rich Asian culinary scenes, stop by at Granville Market and admire the view of the North Vancouver mountains?