Flights to Vancouver?

therecklessone

Been quoted just under €700 for return flights ex Dublin via Toronto to Vancouver for September of next year, with Air Canada.

Seems the most reasonable deal (especially as I don't have to travel east before travelling west on the way out), should I take the plunge now or wait and see if any special offers appear in the coming months?

I tend not to travel during the extended summer, so I'm not sure what exactly counts as a good deal!

Ta.

p.s. any opinions on Air Canada?

oceansapart

Seems a fair enough deal for a scheduled airline, if you would rather save yourself the connection flyglobespan.com have a direct flight for the €750 mark , but they are a charter and had pretty dismal performance this year ... I'd go with the Air Canada option.

MikeTheMan

Air Canda use a shabby old Boeing 767 between Toronto-Pearson and Dublin. Tend to offer an overall bad service. Like the poster mentioned above, avoid GlobeSpan at all cost. They are a disaster and left passengers stranded in New York and Boston last year. Their aircraft are even worse than AC.

Try BA via Heathrow for a superior service and decent level of comfort or if you insist on no travelling east, then try Continental via Newark or Delta via New York JFK or Atlanta.

JæKæ

MikeTheMan wrote: »

Air Canda use a shabby old Boeing 767 between Toronto-Pearson and Dublin. Tend to offer an overall bad service. Like the poster mentioned above, avoid GlobeSpan at all cost. They are a disaster and left passengers stranded in New York and Boston last year. Their aircraft are even worse than AC.

Try BA via Heathrow for a superior service and decent level of comfort or if you insist on no travelling east, then try Continental via Newark or Delta via New York JFK or Atlanta.

Yep-Air Canada are a terrible standard for a long haul flight.
Don't rule out Zoom either. They go direct from Belfast to Vancouver. Get a train up from Dublin.
Go to http://www.flyzoom.com and check the prices for your dates. Personally I'd rather do the ****ty bit at the start. Waiting around in Toronto would be no fun.

mikedragon32

I wouldn't cross the road with Air Canada. Did Dub-LHR-Vancouver last summer. Terrible. Also did Toronto-Dub on the way back. Worse.

Their aircraft are outdated and uncomfortable. Even Aer Lingus is a better service across the atlantic.

Try flying Dub - Chicago on Aer Lingus and United to Vancouver. Much better option and quite possibly cheaper.

therecklessone

Thanks for all the help so far, I'll ditch Air Canada so...:D

The attraction of flying ex-Dublin for me is I live a 10 minute drive away from the airport, so arriving home off a lon haul flight I know I don't have long to wait for my bed.

If I do go with Zoom, I'll be paying the extra £20 to preselect seats out and back, anyone any idea where's good on a Zoom 767-300? I'd prefer a seat on either side of the cabin (in the two seat sections)

therecklessone

p.s. now looking at American Airlines via Chicago to Seattle and then driving up.

Any thoughts?

JæKæ

Sounds decent-how long are you planning on staying?
You could stay in Seattle for a night or two-it's a cool spot. If not, the drive is only 4.5 hours by car (allow around 1 hr for border crossing), outside peak hours. Planning on renting a car?

therecklessone

JæKæ wrote: »

Sounds decent-how long are you planning on staying?
You could stay in Seattle for a night or two-it's a cool spot. If not, the drive is only 4.5 hours by car (allow around 1 hr for border crossing), outside peak hours. Planning on renting a car?

Nearly three weeks in total, will definitely hire a car regardless of where I fly into.

BuffyBot

Zoom's standard cabin won't be any great shakes no matter where you sit

Check out flying with AA, Delta, Continental etc as an alternative if you want to the long haul section last.

Otherwise Air France via Paris often have fairly good deals

highlydebased

Just checked Air France/KLM. Around the 800 euro mark for September. Via Amsterdam with Aer Lingus and KLM

tywy

You can't drop a car from Seattle across the border so you'd have to look at getting the bus which I think is around the $40 mark if I remember correctly...

Sundy

Dublin to vancouver is not a good route no matter what way you go. The Air Canada vis toronto is the best is terms of ease of travel. Toronto is an ok airport plus you can snack on Tim Hortons while your there, better than the crap you would get in Heathrow. The only snag is aircananda and its planes, their old and shabby and they only have one big tv which you probably wont be abel to see and if you can the sound is always crappy. If your goin this route maybe have a look at flyin west jet from toronto to vancouver, it wont be cheaper but the experience will be better. But just remember theres a good chance your dublin flight will be delayed so you might miss the westjet one, where as aircanada will transfer you and to luagage to another flight no problem.

Flyin BA through heathrow is the other option. BA are great to fly with but you have to go through heathrow. The last time i did this i missed both my flights out and back due to security congestion.

My frien came out to vancouver on flyglobespan this year from belfast. He said it was like long haul ryanair. Bring some of your own food and be happy to get to vancouver whenever you get there.

Oh and enjoy vancouver, its the nicest city on earth.. I think anyway!

mikedragon32

BBC had an item on Watchdog a few weeks ago about Flyglobespan ditching passengers bound for Vancouver in Calgary. It's happened a couple of times.

Add to that the passengers stranded in NY earlier this year because the plane required maintenance and you've got a pretty shabby situation.

OP, by not flying east first, you're really cutting down your options. In June while we were flying Air Canada, some friends flew BA and others Lufthansa. Both arrived a lot fresher and less hassled than us and while we paid maybe €100 less I think it would have been worth it to get there in their condition!

Vancouver isn't the nicest city in the world (Perth ftw), but you'll love the west coast vibe. Very welcoming and laid back.

BuffyBot

Mmm, avoid FlyGlobespan at all costs

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2055103656

therecklessone

Settled on BA in the end, with Aer Lingus to/from Heathrow.

Got a little help from a mate, so paid €730 all in.

Nice.

JæKæ

Well worth the extra €30 for BA. One of the best airlines

flywheel

was doing a fair bit of Canadian travel last year, flew 30+ Air Canada flights, internal, Canada - US and Canada - UK... never had any major problems and had some of the planes were v. nice kitted out with seat back ent. and the staff were always sound

didn't rate BA Heathrow - Vancouver flight any bette than flying with AC...

did a last minute trip with www.canadianaffair.com too Vancouver to Manchester (Rail/Sail on HSS back to Dublin) then Gatwick to Vancouver for a pretty amazing price - they bascially just re-sell My Tavel (now Thomas Cook) and AirTransat so it is cheap but cheerful (altho baggage allowance isn't great)

enjoy Vancouver, it is one of the best cities in the world - not sure how anyone couldn't see that if you are hiring a car for your trip be careful of car crime downtown and parking tickets! and look at getting a road trip into the rockies if you can...