Quote:
Originally Posted by morgin
Can anyone who has done the Calgary to Hawaii via Vancouver connection recently chime in on how it went? We have a trip coming up and it’s been a few years since I’ve had to do that connection and I suspect it’s changed a bit post renovations at the Van airport.
Our flight from Calgary lands at 9:10, and flight to Maui leaves at 10:30. Presuming everything is on time, and assuming our luggage gets checked all the way through, I suspect we can make it but it seems tight. Last time I recall sprinting across the airport with a baby and all our baby gear and just barely making it. Kids are older now and less “stuff”, but still likely will have a car seat we are bringing on the plane for our youngest (2.5) to sit in.
Worth making a YYC express appointment for the security line at US connections? How long does it typically take to get to the connection point from a domestic WestJet arrival gate?
Anyone used the mobile passport control app offered by US Homeland to expedite preclearance? Worth using it?
Any other tips on making sure we make the connection?
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In case anyone stumbles across this:
1) Our flight in from Calgary was late, per usual, so we didn’t deplane until 9:35. Not ideal. I asked if they ever do the “people with connections can get off first” and the flight attendants said no, not really anymore. Even when the connection starts boarding at 9:50.
2) The walk is about 10 mins, give or take. If you hustle, it’s a few mins faster. If you have kids who need to pee en route, a bit slower.
3) Use the MPC app and use the YVR express (if it’s available to you). They cut YVR Express off 90 mins before international flights out of E gates so if you have a short connection, you can’t use it. MPC is good though.
4) even without the appointment, it took 5 minutes to go through security and immigration/customs. Very efficient and easy.
5) After getting through by 9:50, we had time to grab snacks while they did pre-boarding.
All in all, huge praise to the Vancouver airport team on the renovations and improvements they’ve made. This was night and day compared to the last time I did it. They seem well staffed and it felt like there were a lot more of those moving walkways to speed the whole thing up.