Flights to Vancouver - morning or afternoon better?

[lcm23]

So we need to think about booking our flights to Vancouver next July for our Disney Cruise. There are 2 flights going out, one at 10.05am arriving Vancouver at 11.35am and the other at 4.15pm arriving Vancouver at 5.45pm. Prices very similar so not a sway. What we are torn between is:

A) just wanting to get up and off on the morning flight but then we will need to be up around 6am UK time, will arrive lunchtime in Canada so will have around 10hrs til bedtime so our day will be around 36hrs long (unless we have a power nap when we arrive but risk waking feeling rubbish).

B) having to hang around in the morning before heading to the airport but then arriving in Canada later in the day meaning less hours til bedtime and overall a shorter day.

I can't decide which will help us feel less rubbish and tired the following day as we just have that 1 day to explore Vancouver before boarding the cruise the day after.

Which would you choose?

[skalexander]

From the timings, I’m guessing one is Air Canada and one is BA. That being the case, I personally would choose Air Canada.

[MENTALMUM]

Only you can answer this as you know how your body copes with the time change, we have done manchester to vancouver via Heathrow, we took the later option due to the stopover at Heathrow and felt we lost the day. We would definitely take an earlier option if we do it again and just power through.

[DisneySarah]

We’ve usually taken a morning flight when going west because I prefer to have more time to sort out food etc. on arrival before we get too tired. If you land at 5:45 pm, you might be quite late for dinner once you get out of the airport and to your hotel, but if that doesn’t bother you, then I guess the later flight makes more sense because you can go, more or less, straight to bed.

[FloridaNuts93]

Personally would go for the earlier flight.

[CarolynU]

I’ve landed in Vancouver at all sorts of different times and to be honest I’ve usually adapted pretty easily whatever time I’ve arrived.
Usually adrenalin keeps you going. On balance I’d take getting up early and arriving early to hanging about all day in the uk and arriving later just to be nearer bedtime.
I find coming home much tougher!

[smithlane]

We have just arrived back from Vancouver on Sunday. We flew BA and unfortunately they only have one flight a day at the moment which was the 17.10 one.
Whilst it was nice not having to get up and rush around in the morning the day was really long, we live right by Heathrow so didn’t even need to travel far.
We landed at about 18.30 so early hours of the morning our body clocks time and by the time we had got out of the airport and picked up our hire car it was gone 8pm. I then had to drive into the city tired with it dark and pouring with rain.
Long story short, I would 100% take the earlier flight. Also if you do fly BA, it was one of the ancient 777’s which is definitely on its last legs (wings?!), seats broken and rubbish IFE with a tiny grainy screen.
They might well change them by next summer but maybe worth looking into just in case

[lcm23]

Thanks all. Think poss morning flight may be the way to go and fingers crossed we manage to sleep on the flight. Both flights are Air Canada.

[RuthieR]

We have done this route quite a few times (Sister and family live in Seattle so we fly Vancouver or Seattle) and I would choose to arrive earlier than later.

By the time you arrive, clear Immigration, get bags and car or other transport and get to where you are going it will be late afternoon. We usually get an early meal, pick up any shopping, relax in the hotel pool/spa and have an early night. 8 hrs time difference is difficult to cope with so early to bed, early to rise and up and out the next morning.

[megaflyer]

Going to West Coast (Seattle, SFO or LAX) I prefer the later flights as that leave time to have a quick meal and bed and bingo next day no jet lag - except is when driving to Palm Springs from LAX when I take the earlier one .

Flew Air Canada once and never again - would always take a UK carrier or US over Air Canada regardless of time