Vancouver, Inside and Out

Our adventure started at LAX Terminal 2 early in the morning with check-in and a visit to the recently expanded Maple Leaf Premium Lounge.

It was very comfortable and we were well attended until our Airbus aircraft left for the approximately 3 hour flight to Vancouver, B.C.

Our home for the next two nights was the Fairmont Vancouver Airport Hotel, voted the best airport hotel by several organizations.

It is attached to the main Vancouver Airport Terminal and in every respect is a very high quality hotel offering. It is just a part of Vancouver International Airport.

The next day was the heavy lifting, where we were granted a behind-the-scenes tour and special access to the airport and to some of the planes. Eye retina scanning, special badges and miles of restricted hallways and tunnels were amazing to see. It’s not what the traveler normally encounters.

Travelers take for granted that airports will work as advertised. There is a lot of effort to keep that happening and we saw it. A special treat was a late afternoon visit to a massive Air Canada hanger and a B777-300ER which was undergoing maintenance.

We had unlimited access. We crawled over the aircraft from the cockpit all the way back to the usually hidden 8-person crew rest bunk beds.

We walked under the plane and stood next to the huge engines and tires. The wings were a beauty in metal sculpture.

Contact Hilton Smith to begin planning your custom Canada vacation package today!