Expect delays if you’re getting out of town this long weekend

Regardless of whether you’re travelling by water or air, Lower Mainlanders are being warned of long-weekend delays as many pack up and head out of town for one last summer getaway.

Both BC Ferries and Vancouver International Airport (YVR) say delays are a real possibility. This is also as both continue to deal with ongoing staffing issues.

Deborah Marshall with BC Ferries says if you want to get on a boat this weekend, you will likely be waiting around if you haven’t made a booking.

“We can expect some sailing waits at peak times if you’re travelling without a reservation. So travelling Saturday afternoon or Sunday morning might be good suggestions for somebody travelling without a reservation,” she explained.

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Over the past few months, BC Ferries has been forced to cancel some sailings because of higher-than-normal-absenteeism levels.

“We are having some people phone in sick, some people are still experiencing COVID-19, so we are having some challenges that way. I know that our staff, they’re also working overtime and we really appreciate that because that helps us backfill some of those positions,” Marshall added.

She says BC Ferries is in good shape for the long weekend but admits that could change very quickly.

“We are fully staffed for the long weekend but if we do have last-minute people calling in sick, we might have some challenges. If we do have any service interruptions, we would let our customers know as soon as possible.”

BC Ferries is expecting to transport 450,000 passengers and close to 170,000 vehicles over the next few days.

Long weekend airport delays

Meanwhile, YVR says about 66,000 passengers will be moving through the airport this weekend.

It’s hoping there isn’t a repeat of what happened last Sunday. On Aug. 28, a bunch of security screeners did not show up to work, with reports suggesting they called in sick over a dispute about wages with their employer.

The lack of staff and increased demand in travel led to long lines snaking through the terminal as many waited hours to get through security.

The airport apologized for the waits.

“We are working with the Canadian Air Transport Security Authority (CATSA) to ensure travellers move through security screening efficiently. Monday, August 29 and Sunday, September 4 are likely to be the busiest travel days with 66,858 and 67,221 passengers, respectively. To put this in perspective, YVR welcomed an average of 32,458 passengers daily this time last year (2021) and 73,404 pre-pandemic (2019),” YVR said in a statement to CityNews.

The airport authority is reminding travellers to show up early — two hours if you’re flying within the country and at least three hours if you’re heading stateside or overseas.

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