7631 replies to this topic

[spanky123]

How does YVR south terminal work, exactly? Is it a standalone operation?

 

It is a separate terminal not connected to the main YVR terminal. It is about a 10-15 drive between the two locations. Harbour Air and a handful of other smaller carriers use that terminal.

 

If you want to transit between the two terminals you can either take a cab or use the free shuttle. The shuttle drops you off at the main YVR departures entrance. 

 

It is very convenient if you want to leave from downtown Victoria and visit the Richmond area but you have to allow time for the shuttle and clearing security if you are connecting out of YVR. 

Edited by spanky123, 24 January 2023 - 10:55 AM.

[Victoria Watcher]

Oh cause no one needs to deal with a ferry? How should we run it differently?

We should probably just wait for autonomous VTOL that’ll be quicker.

[Nparker]

It is a separate terminal not connected to the main YVR terminal...If you want to transit between the two terminals you can either take a cab or use the free shuttle. The shuttle drops you off at the main YVR departures entrance...

I used the South Terminal for the first time last fall when I flew on Pacific Coastal Airlines, YYJ-YVR. The shuttle to the main terminal is convenient and the driver even helped us with our luggage.

[Matt R.]

South terminal is great. Hop on the bus or Uber to Bridgeport and on to the sky train to wherever. Little cheaper than flying into Coal Harbour, and the restaurant there is great.

[Nparker]

...the restaurant there is great.

This one? https://mjg.ca/flying-beaver/

[Matt R.]

That is the only one yes. Been there half a dozen times, always good and always hopping busy.

[Mike K.]

No. 50 passenger planes didn't work between San Fransisco and Victoria, and that's with the benefit of a significant connecting hub there.
Going three times as far means burning a lot more fuel.
And there isn't really an aircraft that fits 100 passengers that would have the legs for such a route. A220 is in the 140 passenger range. The E195 is in the 130 passenger range.
Any of the point to point demand can pass over Vancouver, Seattle, Calgary, Montreal or Toronto.
If you're talking cruise you need significantly more demand than a handful of aircraft can provide. And that's extremely seasonal.

All fair, but you’ll have to re-read what I wrote. I’m not saying just run those routes, I think it needs some cooperation.

There’s no reason we can’t have boutique cruises leaving Victoria or Nanaimo with 250 passengers.

[Nparker]

...There’s no reason we can’t have boutique cruises leaving Victoria or Nanaimo with 250 passengers.

Back in 2019 Cunard was looking at some Victoria-as-departure-port cruises for the 2020 season.

This is a FIRST for Victorians - a round-trip sailing to Alaska aboard Cunard Line's Queen Elizabeth®. Your team at Expedia® CruisShipCenters® will unveil the first ever round-trip sailings from Victoria! Choose from 4 dates in July 2020 ranging in length from 9 - 11 night itineraries.

 

Immerse yourself in Queen Elizabeth's evocative art deco elegance. Cunard's newest Queen exudes style and has an especially refined feel. Enjoy her famous traditional afternoon tea promptly at 3:30 pm every day while you sail by fantastic glaciers. Queen Elizabeth invites you to an uncrowded world where spacious decks set the perfect backdrop for you to savor a flawless Cunard experience - prepare yourself for a truly remarkable voyage.

"Something" happened the following year that prevented this.

[E2V]

You have to be careful when using the South Terminal to make a connection in YVR.

Just this morning used Harbour Air to help with my daughter’s trip to Japan. She departed Victoria Harbour at 8:00 intending an 8:30 arrival. Lot’s of time we thought for a JAL flight at 12:45. The flight encountered weather and returned. Flight cancelled, next one at 11, but no guarantees of course. I went back and picked her up, we headed for YYJ, too late for the 9:45 Jazz but just in time for the 10:35 Westjet Encore. She had to wait for bags in YVR then go back through security but made her flight. (with no time to spare). It seems the 7:00 AM ferry would have been the most relaxed option.

[Matt R.]

Oh don’t ever trust floatplanes, October to July.

[Ismo07]

Oh don’t ever trust floatplanes, October to July.

 

Even ferries are sketchy really.. Go the day before grab a hotel..  Feel comfy...

[vortoozo]

Even ferries are sketchy really.. Go the day before grab a hotel..  Feel comfy...

 

There has to be a significant savings for that to make sense. Booking the connection out of YYJ is usually worth the extra $ to have to avoid all that extra time & the cost of ferries/transportation/hotel.

[vortoozo]

All fair, but you’ll have to re-read what I wrote. I’m not saying just run those routes, I think it needs some cooperation.

There’s no reason we can’t have boutique cruises leaving Victoria or Nanaimo with 250 passengers.

 

Why would the cruise company take the risk and not book from one of their more traditional departure ports?

[Mike K.]

Because it’s a Vancouver Island-centric cruise operator and operation, that ties in to a Vancouver Island-centric airline and transport operation.

We’re dreadfully under-served on this island for infrastructure of every kind. The highways lack investment. Transit is weak outside of the inner core. The airport is under-serviced. Travel up-Island is relegated to the personal vehicle, and all that with a very captive population, living in a place the world recognizes as unique and should be visited.

[lanforod]

Yes, Harbour Air to South terminal is cool. Its not a viable, year round solution to this problem. Is capacity a problem with landing directly at YVR for quick hops? Can we not do that and minimize the security requirements of 'real' flights?

 

Can someone sell Wilson's 4 Viking 19 seaters so they can do a rotational bus-air service.

Edited by lanforod, 24 January 2023 - 02:13 PM.

[Nparker]

You have to be careful when using the South Terminal to make a connection in YVR...

True. Neither time I used it this past fall was I making a direct connection to another flight.

[Missed Approach]

YYJ's annual stats are in, a touch lower than VV predicted for 2022.

 

https://www.victoria...ector_Stats.pdf

 

Also on the stats and facts page on the VAA website, movements and cargo dropped hard in Dec. With the loss of AirLink cargo flight from Calgary 6 days a week was a big hit.

Edited by Missed Approach, 24 January 2023 - 02:38 PM.

[Ismo07]

There has to be a significant savings for that to make sense. Booking the connection out of YYJ is usually worth the extra $ to have to avoid all that extra time & the cost of ferries/transportation/hotel.

 

It's significant savings to make your flight in most cases...  I'm talking about a major trip...  Some leave early out of Vancouver so there is a need to go the day before.

[Mike K.]

1,490,023 passengers for the year, compared to 673,748 in 2022.

[Matt R.]

Even ferries are sketchy really.. Go the day before grab a hotel.. Feel comfy...

Not like floatplanes unless you need that crofton Vesuvius route, lol. People are suggesting now they just cut the sailings down to one watch, so at least it’s reliable.