Cheap Flights from Los Angeles International (LAX) to Vancouver (YVR)

Los Angeles may be the place where dreams are born, but even a die-hard Angelino sometimes dreams of trading palm trees and Hollywood glitz for mountain pines and glittering snow. When that happens, it’s time to follow the 1081-mile flight route from LAX to Vancouver. With Skyscanner’s search engine, finding the right airline to take you on the 2 hour and 8 minute average flight is a dream.

1,084 miles, average time 2 hours 8 minutes

Airlines with Flights from LAX to Vancouver

Five airlines offer direct daily flights from Los Angeles International to Vancouver. Knowing which terminal yours departs from in advance is an enormous timesaver.

• Air Canada and Alaska leave from Terminal 6.
• WestJet leaves from Terminal 2.
• Delta leaves from Terminal 3.
• American leaves from Terminals 4 and 5.

Vancouver has a Main and South Terminal. The Main Terminal is divided into Domestic and International Terminals. All flights from LAX arrive at the International Terminal.

Coping with LAX

The secret to keeping your cool at LAX is to arrive early, take care of checking in and getting a boarding pass, go through security and then use your spare time to unwind from the stress of it all. For international flights, including to Vancouver, the Transportation Security Administration advises arriving 3 hours before your scheduled departure.

With 9 separate terminals, LAX poses an accessibility problem for anyone carrying luggage. The solution lies in the free Airline Connections, or A Line, shuttle buses that constantly loop around the terminals' lower levels and pick up passengers under the blue Shuttle and Shuttle Connections signs. A sidewalk also connects all the adjacent terminals, spaced about a 20-minute walk apart.

Killing Time before Your Flight

Stay connected before boarding with the free Wi-Fi available in all the terminals; if you’re into gaming, an ultrafast connection is available for a fee. Or, if you’re flying on a weekend and experiencing a lengthy delay, there’s that flying-saucer lookalike in the middle of the airport known as the Theme Building. Take its elevator to the observation deck for an above-it-all view of all 9 terminals and beyond. Down-to-earth diversions include the terminals’ many restaurants, bars and shops where you can de-stress until boarding.

ID Requirements

Although Canadian law allows U.S. citizens to enter the country with a passport, passport card or NEXUS Card, U.S. law requires them to have a passport to return home. So bring yours with you as your ID.

What to Expect in Vancouver

Vancouver International takes most of the guesswork out of what to expect with its online Passenger Guides for each airline. They offer step-by-step instructions on what to do from the minute you deplane until you’re back in the outside world.

Vancouver and LA share a time zone, but their climate zones are very different. Los Angeles may get snow once in a century, but Vancouver gets enough of it to supply a thriving ski resort scene. Summer heat drives thousands of Angelinos to the beach while Vancouver summers are brief, pleasant and blessed with enough clouds cover to keep the average daily high below 75F.

Prices in Vancouver are as pleasant as the weather, with restaurant meals running between 25 and 27 percent lower than comparable ones in LA. Even transportation is cheaper, with taxi fare lower by 15 to 22 percent.