Gulp! Airfare Alaska

[Numtini]

We took the train from Portland to Seattle and it goes on to Vancouver. Reliable, comfortable, and cheap.

 

[Mainsail Minnie]

Yikes. We have a cruise booked for June 2020, and checked the airfare from Phl to Vancouver. I am seeing with Air Canada around $900 a person. Is Air Canada the best airline for this route? Also, we would have to fly in the day before. So, looking for hotel ideas.

Gosh, this is an expensive trip! Haven't even looked at excursions. I'll need CPR by the time I'm done

Yes, DCL Alaska cruises are expensive, from the inflated DCL cruise cost to the airfare to the pricey Vancouver hotels. We loved ours, though. It was worth it.

We got reasonably priced airline tickets from Texas to Vancouver via WestJet, which is sort of like Canada's version of Southwest. We bought them a year in advance.

I didn't even want to think about the hassle of flying into Seattle and taking a bus or train to Vancouver. The two flights each way were quite enough travel for us, just to get there and back. Also, Vancouver is a beautiful city that we got to enjoy during our pre and post criuse day.

 

[mischameesh]

Neighbouring airports is always a good suggestion!
I am Canadian, so maybe not a huge help, but for example, I fly to Vancouver area a lot and I fly from London to Abbotsford, which is just outside of Vancouver. Flying Swoop (WestJet's budget airline) is super cheap - starting at $79 right now for base flights for that one. Adding in seat selection and bags adds on a bit, but still cheap!

 

[RockyMtns]

We flew out of Denver and never found a deal into Vancouver in 2018. We started researching Seattle options and decided to fly into Seattle two nights before the cruise. We rented a car and drove it into Vancouver - be prepared for a long border delay. We stayed at the Pan Pacific and returned the car right there. As others have mentioned, the Pan was expensive but it gave us the option of being at the port and doing the Flyover Canada attraction and a fun dinner the night before the cruise. We found a great deal using miles the day after our cruise returned (not the same day). So, we decided to rent another car and go to the Aquarium. We then got a cheaper hotel option at the airport, returned the car, and took the shuttle to the airport the next morning. It is a lot of transportation, but we also got to see more of Vancouver this way. Good luck!

 

[dclpluto]

i put some dates in June no where near 900 dollars from Philly. I asked op for exact dates so we can see haven’t heard back.

 

[Dizney73]

I was pricing flights to Vancouver from Philly and EWR and found that flying out of EWR was much cheaper. We prefer direct flights and I also wanted to visit Mt. Rainier so we booked direct with Air Canada from EWR to Vancouver 2 nights prior to cruise. I booked the EXchange hotel and it was more reasonable than surrounding hotels with AAA. After the cruise we are taking the 5:45 pm train from Vancouver to Seattle where I booked the Embassy Suites right across from the King Street Station. That was pricier but will be very convenient when arriving so late at night. After 2 nights at Rainier we have a direct flight from SeaTac to EWR with United. We paid $2000 for 4 direct flights.