Flying to Vancouver.... Help needed

browneyedbazzi

I regularly fly back to Canada to visit family and almost always book through Canadian Affair as suggested above - you get direct flights (or sometimes a stop in Edmonton en route for Vancouver depending on the season) and it is much cheaper than the scheduled airlines. They are charter flights so you pay for extras like headphones for films, drinks etc but I tend to pack my own snacks and drinks (bought from boots airside) to save the extortionate on board prices.

If you're tall I'd also highly recommend paying the few extra £ to pre-book exit row seats because the flights are a bit cramped!

Also, regarding buying a one way ticket - this option may not be popular with the good folks at immigration. Check how long you are entitled to stay in the country and get a return ticket that is within the limits.

Debbie_A_3

browneyedbazzi wrote: »

Also, regarding buying a one way ticket - this option may not be popular with the good folks at immigration. Check how long you are entitled to stay in the country and get a return ticket that is within the limits.

This is an important point. Unless you have a return ticket they will not let you on the plane to Canada. I have seen people refused in the line ahead of me at check in for a flight to Canada for this very reason.

As for cheap flights to Vancouver, Canadian Affair are generally very competitive with anyone else flying to Vancouver or Seattle.

If you want to have a rummage around the scheduled airlines have a look at fly.com (go though topcashback and you will get 5p just for looking), expedia, opodo, etc. Try routing to Seattle and Vancouver. Seattle is generally cheaper, but is it worth the hassle of going though US immigration and organising onward transport?

If you are staying on Vancouver Island, try routing the search into Victoria (YYJ). There are sometimes good deals via Seattle.

travellerboy

Debbie_A wrote: »

As for cheap flights to Vancouver, Canadian Affair are generally very competitive with anyone else flying to Vancouver or Seattle.

.

Just bear in mind that Canadian Affair is another name for THOMSON. God forbid, your life in their hands..............

trying_to_fly

Thank you to everyone who has helped...
I went to Canadian affair site and they won't let me check the year 2011 in the selection box the option is only for 2002?
Looks like they are the best pricing though. Thank you

EDIT : It was my computer clock! :$ My bad

trying_to_fly

travellerboy wrote: »

Just bear in mind that Canadian Affair is another name for THOMSON. God forbid, your life in their hands..............

Never flown with either... Why are they bad?

thegirlintheattic

Thompson is fine, some of their passengers are a bit on the chav side but apart from that they are fine.

travellerboy

trying_to_fly wrote: »

Never flown with either... Why are they bad?

The main problem with flying Thomson is that there is no backup, they operate the route with the absolute minimum, with no cover for plane mishaps. Only last week a friend suffered over 22hr delay stranded in an airport due to a problem with the aircon. Their planes are very old, lease-hired without the backup you would expect of a proper Air Line, hence delays are very common and all too frequent.

Best advise is choose a more reliable provider and avoid the hassle, but if you believe the little cost saving is worthwhile get a good Travel Insurance, because you will probably need it.

agrinnall

OP, what nobody has really addressed is your desire to have a ticket where you can alter the return date. I doubt whether any of the cheaper options mentioned will allow this, and you may find it difficult to be sure that you're getting the required flexibility by booking online. I would get yourself to an independent travel agent and ask them what they can find for you that meets your requirements.

claire16c

As you are not coming back for 6 months I would not book with canadian affair.

And I would not fly through the US - why go through the hassle of changing flights and going through US immigration if you dont need to? I have no idea why anyone would tell you that would be best when you could just fly direct! I did this myself this year to get to Toronto but it was only because I was using airmiles and could not get a direct flight at the time. And it was very stressful making sure I did not miss my 2nd flight.

The reason I say to not use Canadian Affair is because they have a policy of unloading people off the plane when the plane is overbooked, by taking off the people who are going to Canada for the longest time first. Other airlines would do it depending on who checked in first, first come first serve on an overbooked flight. But Canadian Affair assume that if you are flying out for a long time you can afford to be bumped off and wont care...

My sister discovered this when flying to Canada to stay with her boyfriend. She got to Heathrow (and thank god my parents were with her) to be told she was no longer on the flight because it was full and other people were going to Canada for shorter amounts of time than her (she was going for 3 weeks !) and so it was fairer to chuck her off. So they basically told her to come back the next day and expected her to agree to it! My Dad ended up getting in an argument with them, and explained that her boyfriend did not have a mobile phone and would be turning up at Toronto airport in x hours and would have no idea where my sister would be when she didnt arrive as there was no way of contacting him. They then finally agreed to let her on!

So yeah shes never booked with them again, always flies Air Canada or BA. You can sometimes get flexible tickets with them too. Booking one way tickets can sometimes cost more than a return.

You could also try going to somewhere like STA travel or Travelbag etc to help you book flexible ticket.

moneywasternomore!

BA semi-flexible to Toronto (5 Dec to 4 Jun 12) coming in at £585.83. Changes cost £100. Could then fly WestJet to Vancouver for $250. Not as cheap as Canadian Affair perhaps, but a better experience?

http://www.britishairways.com/travel/fx/public/en_gb?eId=111011&timestamp=0824123203&source=original&source=continue