My options are:

Canadian Affair
Virgin
Lufthansa
Air Canada

I think I have pretty much discounted Virgin as I miss practically half a day on the way there due to the time of the flight.

Which one would you go for? I will be travelling with a bike.

I did Canadian Affair when I went and did the west coast down to Mexico, it was £240 one way I took a bike and my BOB trailer. Cramped horrible and long but it was cheap so I had prepared myself. No pampering and the food was vile.

Vancouver airport was really relaxed and the Canadian immigration didnt say a word about return tickets or anything.

I’ve been with Canadian affair the last 6 years in a row, because they have been the cheapest. This year, they are all about the same.

I am comfortable with CA: It is what it is, and fairly comfortable, but I am interested to see how the others compare.

Not the Luftwaffe.

Take the Virgin flight the day before 🙂

Flown with Canadian Affair to Vancouver at it was on par for the price. No complimentary extras but then I didn’t expect it for that price. But the plane was clean and staff and service were fine.

Also flown with Air Canada from Vancouver to Toronto and that was a bit nicer. I had slightly more room and staff and food were a bit better. The ticket was bought as a gift so no idea what the price was but it was a better experience.

Vancouver airport was really relaxed and the Canadian immigration didnt say a word about return tickets or anything

Did you not have to give a contactable address while you were in the country? (hotel etc?)

I’ve flown Manchester – Calgary & back with Canadian Affair (or more specifically, Air Transat) – legroom fine, elbow room seriously lacking.

can’t remember too much about the food, good or bad so it must have been ok but nothing more.

The view of the glaciers as you fly over Greenland is impressive

As, above: I have been to Canada for the last 6 years in a row, so I am pretty well sold. I just need to know the best way of getting there.

Take the Virgin flight the day before

Not an option.

I can vouch for Air Canada, flew with them at the start of this year and they were fine. I didn’t have a bike with me though. When people moan about them (and they do moan) they are generally refering to the internal flights, which are apparently not always that good.

It looks like Air Canada is the winner so far. The only problem there is Gatwick is more local, but it’s more of an inconvenience, rather than a problem per se.

I wouldn’t go Canadian Affair/ Transat that far – their seats seem designed in such a way that after 5 hours it’s physically impossible to be comfortable. More seriously, their baggage allowance is pretty strict.

For that reason I’d suggest AC

Canadian affair, Thomas Cook, Trans airsat – all the same – never an issue in all the trips I’ve made which is over 20

I’ve flown with Air Transat to Calgary a couple of times and whilst the food wasn’t great (but not too bad) and booze wasn’t included (no realy hardship) the inflight entertainment was good and it was a very cheap flight. I flew with a snowboard bag with no issues although it may have cost a bit for an extra bag. I wouldn’t have any problems flying with them again.

No issues at all about where I was going to stay, I didnt know till I got to information and they recommended a hostel. Customs asked what I was doing in Canada told them 2 nights in a Hostel then over to Vancouver Island down to Victoria and catch the Ferry to Port Angeles. He said good luck and welcome to Canada.

whats wrong with lufthansa ?

use them alot with work – they are pretty good tbh , i cant fault them.

foods good , seats are good , ents are good.

Fly direct, via amdam or Frankfurt simply isn’t worth any potential savings. Last year Canadian affair were the earliest flight arrival with AC next and BA to a point where with delay, you might miss the last PCL bus!

whats wrong with lufthansa ?

1/2 a life-time of traveling into and around Germany just puts me off them, mainly ‘cos you’re usually surrounded by Germans and everyone has the maximum allowance of hand-luggage.

Ah ok – try turkish air to ashgabat – suddenly coach on any civalised airline seems good.

Lufthansa to nigeria was fine – they were very strict on han baggage.

We flew BA to Vancouver and was shocked how little room there was when seated in cattle class, we upgraded to come home, I couldn’t face the cramped conditions. We paid approx £800 each return but these were booked at last minute.

The new Canadian Affair/Transat economy cabin is excellent and a big step up on their old offer – inflight entertainment system is top notch, of course its partly down to luck if you get it but I’ve been on new model flights twice from gatwick in the last six months

I flew Canadian Affair Gatwick to Vancouver. Avoid the one that stops in Edmonton…by that point we just wanted to get there and not sit on the tarmac at Edmonton! It is only the second time I’ve flown and the first time long haul, but I was surprised how cramped it was. We’d booked twin seats in the tail so had a wider aisle to stretch into, it would have been truly miserable in the main cabin. The downside was the seat both ways were in various states of collapse, presumably as everyone sits at an angle to make use of the aisle, so the seat base was wonky.

Finally, Vancouver airport decided that the max luggage weight was less than on the way out, so both our bikes were over by a kg or so. A reasoned discussion and a tense few minutes later (she’d already sent our underweight normal bags off) and she ushered us through when the supervisor turned away.

Air Canada booked.