One-Way Plane Ticket Home (From Vancouver)

[House On My Back]

At what point towards the end of the trail should I think about booking a one-way ticket back home out of Vancouver International Airport? Obviously, I don't know my exact finish date so does this create any troubles with reserving a one-way ticket without paying through the nose? After reaching the northern terminus, I intend to stay in Vancouver for a day or so and then hightail it back to Denver.

[HooKooDooKu]

Well, if you plan to book SouthWest, you could always book early and make changes when ever you better know your arrival date. Generally speaking, the earlier you book, the cheaper the ticket, and SouthWest doesn't charge a change fee. You only have to pay the difference between the ticket you previously purchased and the new ticket price. (Note: If prices have gone down, you don't get a refund, just a credit... but if you do rebook and prices have gone up, you can use that credit toward the new fee).

[AllDownhillFromHere]

Same general plan, I figure 2-3 weeks out, maybe give yourself 4-5 buffer days in Vancouver.

[gwschenk]

Same general plan, I figure 2-3 weeks out, maybe give yourself 4-5 buffer days in Vancouver.

Good idea. Maybe even spend some buffer days at Manning Park. The rates are reasonable and it's a wonderful place to hang out or explore.

[nsherry61]

Well, if you plan to book SouthWest, you could always book early and make changes when ever you better know your arrival date. . .
Not just SW, but most airlines offer somewhat higher priced tickets that can then the changed or canceled with no charger or very little charge. You just have to pay the extra bit up front. You might also look into flight cancellation/change insurance and the price for that.

Finally, if you're timing is uncertain, what's wrong with spending a week or more in Vancouver if you get off the trail early?

[ARambler]

Are you looking for "good" advice or what people have actually done? Have people really flown out on Southwest? Does paying the change fee for most airlines really avoid paying the higher fee of a last minute fare?

I have flown twice: Once from Vancouver and once from generally cheaper SEA with good bus in between and a second city to enjoy contingency days. I have not hiked into impending snow storms, and generally know my pace by Snoqualmie.
I have book from the Summit Inn.

[HooKooDooKu]

Finally, if you're timing is uncertain, what's wrong with spending a week or more in Vancouver if you get off the trail early?
Potentially cost...

When I did a JMT thru, I planned for 21 days and purchased SW tickets months in advance at a very good rate.
But I finished the JMT in only 17 days... which left me in a bit of a pinch... it was going to cost about as much to fly home early as it was going to cost in hotel rooms to wait until I could use the original ticket.

[imscotty]

You always have to weigh the cost of 'hanging around' in some city vs the cost of changing flights. On my PCT section hikes twice I flew home from Reno without purchasing the return flight early. I found that as long as I bought the flight three days ahead of time, I could still get a reasonably priced ticket. It helped that this was in August, who wants to be in Reno in August?

I don't know the Vancouver Market, but a little searching now might give you a feel for what the costs might be for waiting closer to the end of your hike to get your ticket.

[DownEaster]

There's information on airfares from a study:

According to the results of the study, the best time to book a domestic flight is 54 days (or seven and a half weeks) in advance.

According to the data, sometime around 225 days out (seven and a half months), on average, fares started to drop and by 104 days out (three and a half months) they had fallen to within $10 of their low point. From there they continued to drop, slowly but steadily, until reaching a low 54 days before departure. After 54 days, fares started to climb again, remaining within $10 of that low until 29 days out. Then, the increase began to accelerate and once you were within 14 days the fares really shot up dramatically.
So you do want to book more than 14 days in advance, and possibly booking a ticket with a day change allowance 54 days in advance would be the best way to go.

[Hikingjim]

if the prices on vancouver flights end up being outrageous or you're last minute, you can consider the option of taking the train or bus to seattle (3.5 - 4 hrs) and flying out of there. It's a 4 hour train

[Coffee]

Southwest one way fares tend to top out around $500. On a couple of occasions, I've booked a cheaper airfare and had to change it to a more expensive fare on Southwest at the last minute. You do pay the additional fare but no ridiculous "change fee". I once paid around $500 for a one way back from Reno (about $280 more than my reserved ticket) because I didn't want to stick around and wait. Mathematically, it would have been cheaper to stay for a couple of days in a Reno casino hotel but I can't stand that scene. Looking back at it, I should have just camped a couple of days in the mountains but I was ready for that particular trip to end.

[Venchka]

A bed in a Vancouver hostel in August starts at $40 CDN, + tax, HI membership, a bus ride to the airport, etc. Hotels can be obscenely expensive, but the day rate might be offset by a free airport shuttle.
I would absolutely investigate the train/flight option from Seattle.
Cheers!
Wayne

[AllDownhillFromHere]

You're also potentially benefitting from the dollar exchange in Canuckistan. Might be cheaper to stay in a hostel or something in Vancouver.

[AllDownhillFromHere]

Because I can't edit, here's another post. It also might be cheaper (and nicer) to book an AirBnB in Vancouver, and split it N ways with your Trail Family.

[Venchka]

Ah yes. AirBnB wasn’t an option when I stayed in Vancouver many moons ago. Good call.
Wayne

[HooKooDooKu]

Southwest one way fares tend to top out around $500. On a couple of occasions, I've booked a cheaper airfare and had to change it to a more expensive fare on Southwest at the last minute. You do pay the additional fare but no ridiculous "change fee". I once paid around $500 for a one way back from Reno (about $280 more than my reserved ticket) because I didn't want to stick around and wait. Mathematically, it would have been cheaper to stay for a couple of days in a Reno casino hotel but I can't stand that scene. Looking back at it, I should have just camped a couple of days in the mountains but I was ready for that particular trip to end.
Deja vu... that pretty much describes the end of my JMT mentioned above. Had to double check the poster name to make sure I didn't write this.

[handlebar]

Cheaper to fly from Seattle. In 08 there was a hostel at Manning Park and bus service from there to Vancouver and on to Seattle. Good hostel in Seattle.

[nsherry61]

15 years ago when I lived in Vancouver and did a lot of flying, we frequently drove to Seattle to save money on flights, but it was definitely a situation specific deal where occasionally it was worth it and often it wasn't. BUT, it is worth checking out.

More recently, I have discovered a new friend in a phone app called Hopper which has saved me several $100's in the last year on flights. In the case of Hopper, it helps significantly in picking the cheapest days during any time window to fly and then helps select the best time to buy tickets for those days, notifying you when prices are expected to go up or down, when they are likely at the lowest price, and then when they actually do go up and down. Hopper probably saves me an average of 30% on what I would be paying without Hopper's help.

[AllDownhillFromHere]

I suppose an enterprising thru with a good social network could book a whole house AirBnB, then sublet it to everyone as they get off the trail and wait for their flights.

[bamboo bob]

I took the train across Canada to Toronto then flew to Boston. The train ride let me decompress from the PCT before returning home. Also I got to be the on board celebrity thru-hiker which was an ego boost. Since when you get home people just say, huh?