Atlantic Xpat

From where to where? Assuming by your handle you are flying LHR-YVR then it'll be a 777-300. Economy is cramped, In Flight Entertainment is OK compared to others and you probably will have Wifi - which you have to pay extra for of course. AC are no better nor worse than most mainstream carriers. If you haven't done so already, and are choosy about where you sit, pay the fee to select a seat. Otherwise you risk ending up on row 50something in the middle which isn't much fun.

dbd33

I commuted to Chicago by car, through the winter, rather than fly with them.

Phaedru5

One word. Westjet. Even better, get the RBC Westjet credit card and spend lots of money on it and then use the points for flights back to the UK (not 'home', BC is my home now).
I just booked 6 flights (2 people, inc transfers) plus a rental car while in england in peak time school summer holidays, used westjet points and spent about $1000 in total.
Furthermore you get a companion voucher each year whereby you book one flght and get another the same at a huge discount.
And I find the service with Westjet better than any other airline.
Also a big fan of Air Transat but they dont have such a good points scheme.

FromUKtoBC

Thanks everyone for your comments

Yes flying from LHR- Vancouver

FromUKtoBC

Where does Westjet go? not heard of them for UK flights

Have used Air Transat. On this occasion AC was best price

Former Lancastrian

They go to the UK more specifically London Gatwick from Vancouver.

https://www.westjet.com/en-ca/book-t...-flights/index

Phaedru5

Westjet were traditionally just within Canada, then branched out to the US and Mexico, and now travelling to Europe. We too used to use Air Transat. Westjet bought 4 old Quantas Airline planes to test the route across to Europe and obviously went well for them as they have ordered something like 30 Dreamliners to expand now. We fly into Gatwick currently when we use them.

zaph0d

The nice thing about Air Transat (and possibly Westjet) is that you can book a one-way for around half the cost of a return unlike BA or AC. This can give you quite a bit of flexibility which can save money and also be quite fun. e.g Fly in to London, fly out of Paris, Manchester or Amsterdam...

Paul_Shepherd

I have heard West Jet are very competitively priced, but appears they only fly into Gatwick? that the only UK airport they serve? I hate Gatwick its in such a stupid location for an airport...so inaccessible for majority of the UK.

dbd33

It's handy for the Costa Geriatrica, where my Mother lives, and EasyJet fly out of there .. I just booked a return flight to Geneva for C$100 .. so it suits me fine.

Paul_Shepherd

That is probably one rare example where it is of use...serving as a hub to the rest of Europe. Apart from that, its useless to anyone else in the UK....any advantage of a cheaper flight into there is eroded by further traveling costs and time wasted.

dbd33

Surely it's only markedly less convenient than Heathrow if you actually want to go to Watford or Hounslow, if you're going to, say, Harrow, it's about the same number of changes.

Bucks_Family

I've found the direct train links to Bristol, Birmingham or Manchester via Reading make Gatwick far more convenient than Heathrow. One can avoid going into London completely.

Atlantic Xpat

It's no more difficult to get from Gatwick to the parts of UK I need to go to than Heathrow. Both involve a slog around about half of the M25. Getting into London from Gatwick is more painful because it involves Southern Rail unless you want to go to Victoria on the Gatwick Express. On balance I prefer LHR Terminal 2 as a place to travel through than Gatwick, although Gatwick does at least, have shops one might actually use as opposed to Heathrow which is all Rolex and Gucci. But neither airport is bad enough to prevent me from flying through them if the price is right which is why we are (supposedly,) flying into Gatwick this summer as a family.

crofty82