There’s a new way for travelers to skip the sometimes long security lines at Vancouver International Airport.
The YVR Express service allows travelers to book an appointment for their security screening up to 72 hours before their flight, allowing them to move to the front of the queue once they arrive.
The appointments are expected to “reduce wait times for security checkpoints” while “creating a more predictable experience for both passengers and staff,” the airport said in a press release.
Over the summer, YVR saw massive lineups caused by a combination of staff shortages and an influx of travelers, many of whom were flying for the first time since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Officials said passenger traffic over the long Labor Day weekend approached pre-pandemic levels, with more than 67,000 commuters flowing through YVR on Sunday alone. The airport received around 77,000 passengers per day in 2019.
While the YVR Express service will likely be an attractive option for many travelers, it’s only available to those going to the US, at least for now.
In a statement, Robyn Mcvicker of the Vancouver Airport Authority said officials “aim to expand YVR Express to our domestic and international security checkpoints at the airport over the next months so that all travelers at YVR have more control over their journey.”
To book a screening appointment, travelers must enter their flight details and email address online. They are then given a QR code that they can use to claim their reservation within 15 minutes of their allotted time.
YVR officials acknowledged the delays and congestion that have frustrated travelers in recent months, but said the airport “has not experienced the level of operational disruption that has systematically affected the world’s major airports during summer”, despite a massive increase in demand.
Passenger traffic increased by about 170 percent from January to August, they said.