Airfare to Vancouver from Pittsburgh

Frwinkley

DIS Veteran
Joined
Jan 10, 2016
We will be spending a few days in Vancouver prior to an Alaskan cruise in mid June.

Airfare is currently about $670 per person. Yes, there are cheaper options (2 stops, red-eye, etc.)

I am currently looking at Air Canada; early a.m. flight from Pittsburgh, with a 12:30 departure from Vancouver following the cruise.

Anybody have any experience with such an itinerary?

Just wondering if I should wait a bit or take the plunge now.
 
Did you try Hopper? It’s an app where you enter your desired routing and dates and they tell you if the current price is the lowest it can be. Looking at Google flights, it looks like you can get flights a bit cheaper, but many factors specific to you are not taken into account.

Also, try calling DCL and check their prices. They let you pick your flights, unlike before, and they are sometimes cheaper than the airlines.
 
When you fly a Canadian airline your connection will be in Canada. This means your connection time will need to allow for clearing customs over the connection. You clear Canadian customs on your first landing in Canada and clear US customs on your last departure from Canada. If you fly a US airline your connection will be in the US so you will clear Canadian customs on arrival and US customs on your departure in Vancouver so your connection times can be sorter. If I cannot get a direct flight I usually take a US airline to avoid clearing customs on the connection.

Another option would be flying into SEA and taking the train to Vancouver. You might be able to get a direct flight to SEA.
 


Most likely we will be flying Air Canada with a connection in Toronto.

I’m assuming I will also go through customs in Vancouver prior to heading for Toronto (in addition to clearing customs once off the ship).

We toyed with the idea of flying in and out of Seattle, but it doesn’t really work. Train only operates twice per day to Vancouver, once in the early morning and again in the evening.
 
Most likely we will be flying Air Canada with a connection in Toronto.

I’m assuming I will also go through customs in Vancouver prior to heading for Toronto (in addition to clearing customs once off the ship).

We toyed with the idea of flying in and out of Seattle, but it doesn’t really work. Train only operates twice per day to Vancouver, once in the early morning and again in the evening.

More than likely you'll actually clear customs into Canada in Vancouver and then clear US Customs in Toronto prior to boarding that flight. There's no need to clear customs in Vancouver prior to boarding the plane as that flight won't leave the country.
 
I live in Vancouver and avoid flying AC, I’ve been held up too many times transferring in Toronto, and worse landing in Toronto only to look at the board to see my connecting flight canceled. I’d look at US airlines. I use Alaska a lot but don’t know if they fly into Pittsburg. United?
 


Alaska does have a non-stop flight to and from Seattle to Pittsburgh.

I may consider flying into Vancouver, but than flying home from Seattle.
 
Alaska does have a non-stop flight to and from Seattle to Pittsburgh.

I may consider flying into Vancouver, but than flying home from Seattle.
You'd probably save a bunch of $$$ flying to seattle and renting a car, or taking the train up to Vancouver. Air Canada is $$$.
 
Another option is to do the trip with multiple airlines. See what you can find with a US based carrier for Pittsburgh to Toronto and then do Toronto to Vancouver on a discount airline like FlairAir or Air Transat. Flair is showing prices around $350cDN for June for YYZ to YVR return.
 
Alaska does have a non-stop flight to and from Seattle to Pittsburgh.

I may consider flying into Vancouver, but than flying home from Seattle.
That would work. I always fly Alaska. Unlike other airlines they don’t cancel flights weeks ahead of your travel and re-assign you on another flight.
As another poster suggested you could fly into SeaTac and either rent a car to drive the 3 hrs to Vancouver, take a charter bus, or train up from Seattle to Vancouver, but after a long flight and being up possibly quite early to catch your flight you may not feel much like doing that.

I would advise against using multiple airlines. I only did that once and my luggage never made the connection.
 

GET A DISNEY VACATION QUOTE

Dreams Unlimited Travel is committed to providing you with the very best vacation planning experience possible. Our Vacation Planners are experts and will share their honest advice to help you have a magical vacation.

Let us help you with your next Disney Vacation!










Top