2012
6
December
The Official Guide For Canadians Flying Out Of U.S. Airports (from Vancouver & area)
6
December
This guide will attempt to organize everything someone living in the Vancouver area might want to know about flying out of U.S. airports.
If you see anything in this guide that looks incorrect, out of date, or could just simply be improved with better info, please don't hesitate to contact me and I'll fix / update it.
Flying out of Bellingham, Washington (BLI)
How long of a drive is it?
Bellingham airport is one hour from Vancouver (80 km each way). map link
Don't forget to account for border-crossing times in each direction. You can find estimated wait times online.
estimated wait times at U.S. border
estimated wait times at Canadian border
Tips:
- If you travel to the States a lot you may wish to get a NEXUS card for $50 (US) for 5 years and eliminate the line ups at borders and airports. [Info on how to apply for NEXUS]
Are there good deals to be had?
Good deals out of Bellingham are typically found on 2 airlines, Alaska Air and Allegiant Air. (Although there has been the occasional deal on Delta). There's also Frontier Airlines which flys to various U.S. cities (Chicago, Dallas, Denver, etc).
A lot of people used to fly out of Bellingham for cheap flights to Las Vegas. But now Swoop has cheap flights from Abbotsford.
Allegiant can also have good prices from BLI to cities in California and Arizona, but these same cities are now routinely well priced from Vancouver as well.
Internationally, deals out of Bellingham are less likely to be much cheaper, or can involve more complicated and lengthier routes than flying out of YVR. It's a smaller airport, and it's strengths are serving the U.S. destinations listed above.
Also, when comparing costs, be aware that Allegiant charges extra for absolutely everything, including even carry-on luggage now.
These days, I would say that BLI is no longer an attractive airport to fly out of for most Vancouver residents.
How much would I have to save for it to be worth the drive?
This is a tricky question, because the answer is different for everyone, based on the variables involved. But costs you should consider factoring into your comparison (besides the roundtrip flight price) include:
- extra fuel costs (how fuel efficient is your vehicle?)
- baggage costs
- parking your vehicle at the airport
- cost of hotel if it requires an overnight stay
- how much your time is worth
- extra vehicle depreciation
I've created an Excel spreadsheet to help calculate what the true savings are when flying out of Bellingham:
click here to download the spreadsheet in Excel format
or
try the U.S. Airports Savings Calculator via Google Docs
screenshot: (click to enlarge)
Go to the YVR vs BLI worksheet and enter in a few variables to calculate what your true savings would be. Using common averages, I've found that if the flight from Bellingham is about $100/person less than the flight from Vancouver, the average person is only breaking even.
In my opinion, when the flight from Bellingham is at least $200 less per person than the flight from Vancouver, it becomes worth the drive. This is based on my calculations using average factors, and 2 people in a vehicle. You can see the example in the spreadsheet that was used to draw this conclusion.
How much is parking?
Parking is currently $9 to $10/day, according to the Bellingham Airport website.
You can also park at WikiWiki Park N Shuttle for $8/day.
There is also a company called Designated Park & Ride which offers parking for $5/day, but it looks like you would also need to pay for a taxi ride of $8 each way, and reservations are required.
Is there any public transportation from Vancouver to Bellingham airport?
QuickCoach
BoltBus
Amtrak Train or Bus
Links
Flying out of Seattle, Washington (SEA)
How long of a drive is it?
According to Google Maps, Seattle airport is 2 hours and 40 minutes from Vancouver (250 km each way). map link
Don't forget to account for border-crossing times in each direction. You can find estimated wait times online.
estimated wait times at U.S. border
estimated wait times at Canadian border
Tips:
- If you travel to the States a lot you may wish to get a NEXUS card for $50 (US) for 5 years and eliminate the line ups at borders and airports. [Info on how to apply for NEXUS]
Are there good deals to be had?
Seattle is a major U.S. airport, with practically every airline you can think of. There have been some truly amazing deals out of Seattle in the past, notably to international destinations.
strengths:
Being a relatively large U.S. airport, with so many airlines serving it, the chances of a great deal out of SEA are high. It's usually a question of whether the price differential is great enough to warrant the nearly 3 hour drive each way.
weaknesses:
The 3 hour drive each way!
How much would I have to save for it to be worth the drive?
This is a tricky question, because the answer is different for everyone, based on the variables involved. But costs you should consider factoring into your comparison (besides the roundtrip flight price) include:
- extra fuel costs (how fuel efficient is your vehicle?)
- baggage costs
- parking your vehicle at the airport
- cost of hotel if it requires an overnight stay
- how much your time is worth
- extra vehicle depreciation
I've created an Excel spreadsheet to help calculate what the true savings are when flying out of Seattle:
click here to download the spreadsheet in Excel format
or
try the U.S. Airports Savings Calculator via Google Docs
screenshot: (click to enlarge)
If you've downloaded the Excel file, please note that you will need to switch to the YVR vs SEA worksheet at the bottom of Excel.
Go to the YVR vs SEA worksheet and enter in a few variables to calculate what your true savings would be. Using common averages, I've found that if the flight from Seattle is about $250/person less than the flight from Vancouver, the average person is only breaking even.
In my opinion, when the flight from Seattle is at least $350 less per person than the flight from Vancouver, it becomes worth the drive. This is based on my calculations using average factors, and 2 people in a vehicle. You can see the example in the spreadsheet that was used to draw this conclusion.
How much is parking?
Parking is currently around $13/day, $75/week at Park N Fly Seattle.
At SeaTac Park the rates are $11/day, or $70/week
If you stay at a hotel near Seattle airport, parking your car is often free while you travel.
Is there any public transportation from Vancouver to Seattle airport?
Bolt Bus
Amtrak Train or Bus
Quick Coach
Some great advice from YVR Deals member Karen about transportation between Vancouver and Seattle, who has done this trip many times:
Driving/Rideshare: fastest, comfy, often cheaper, all depending on driver/car
Bolt Bus: My pick, wifi, fast, reliable, friendly, cheaper
Quick Shuttle: direct to airport, expensive, less reliable, slow to leave
Greyhound: Set price, slower, sometimes wifi, less reliable
Amtrak Train: Nicest, comfiest, can walk around, great views, food for sale, slowest, expensive
Plane: never done it, most expensive, least time sitting but probably travel time similar to driving by the time to you go through security.
Links
Getting To U.S. Airports from Victoria
To Seattle
The most direct option from Victoria to Seattle is the Victoria Clipper - passengers only - $99 roundtrip.
Otherwise, and probably best only if you have a car -- ferry to Port Angeles and then drive to Seattle, or the Swartz Bay - Tsawwassen BC Ferries route (more sailings, but then the Peace Arch border crossing instead of the very fast Port Angeles check)
To Bellingham
There are no really great ways to get to Bellingham quickly and easily.
There USED to be a ferry service between Sidney and Anacortes (which is closer to Bellingham). But the Sidney-Anacortes ferry route is not expected to return until 2030. The ferry service was year round, but in the summer there were more regular sailings.
You can take a shuttle to YVR from the bus station downtown, and then another "quick shuttle" service from YVR to Bellingham airport. But the wait times can really start to add up.
See Something Wrong?
If you see anything in this guide that looks incorrect, out of date, or could just simply be improved with better info, please don't hesitate to contact me and I'll fix / update it.
2012
29
November
All-Inclusive deal: Iberostar Punta Cana (Dominican) - $955/person after taxes & fees
29
November
2012
27
November
Crazy unadvertised Delta deals are back! Chicago included this time - from $323 roundtrip after taxes
27
November
2012
22
November
All-Inclusive package deal: Sunset Plaza Beach Resort - $947/person after taxes & fees
22
November
2012
15
November
Delta starts a fare war from Vancouver to New York, Washington D.C., Atlanta, Memphis, Salt Lake City - from $330 roundtrip after taxes, affecting flights up to October 2013!
15
November
2012
5
November
The Ultimate All Inclusive Deal Finder v2.0 is now live! Feedback wanted!
5
November
You might remember back in May I asked for your feedback on a test version of a tool I was building, called the Ultimate All Inclusive Deal Finder
Read more
2012
25
October
Bellingham to Honolulu, Hawaii - $198 roundtrip after taxes!
25
October
2012
9
October
Seattle to Orlando, Florida - $164 roundtrip after taxes
9
October
2012
25
September
Kids can fly to Calgary for Thanksgiving for $181 roundtrip after taxes
25
September
2012
25
September
Don't fall for the '$128 for 2 roundtrip flights' OneStopTravel scam
25
September
Over the past little while, I've had a lot of people ask me about a deal they've seen pop up on a variety of those 'daily deal' type sites (you know the ones, the Groupon-esque clones that were all the rage last year, and initially had some legitimately great deals but have now all turned into a wasteland of spa treatments and massages you can never get an appointment for).
Read more
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