Deal alert: Half-priced round-trip fares to Vancouver as low as $220

Although you may not be considering Canada as a typical getaway destination this time of year, western Canada is quite lovely in both the spring and fall, and half-priced fares to Vancouver through much of next year make for an extensive deal.

Today's deal is for flights departing from various U.S. cities to Vancouver (YVR) through October 2022.

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Deal basics

Airlines: Alaska, Air Canada, Delta, United and WestJet.
Routes: DCA/JKF/IAD/LAS/LAX/LGA/PDX/PHX/PSP/SFO and others to YVR.
Cost: Starting at $219 round-trip for select routes.
Dates: December 2021-October 2022, with the best availability in the spring.

This deal was sent out by Thrifty Traveler via its Premium subscription, which emails members cheap flights, award flight sales and business-class deals for $7.99 monthly or $49.99 annually.

Sample flights

The deal includes round-trip flights, some of which are nonstop, from primarily coastal U.S. cities — although there are a few departing from the Midwest — to Vancouver:

• Portland, Oregon (PDX), starting at $220.
• Las Vegas (LAS) and Palm Springs, California (PSP), starting at $266, nonstop.
• Phoenix (PHX), starting at $267, nonstop.
• San Francisco (SFO), starting at $279, nonstop.
• Los Angeles (LAX), starting at $288, nonstop.
• Santa Ana, California (SNA), starting at $316, nonstop.
• Minneapolis (MSP), starting at $333, nonstop.
• New York (JFK), starting at $337.
• Washington, D.C. (DCA), starting at $341.
• New York (LGA) and Washington, D.C. (IAD), starting at $347.

To search for fares within this deal, go to Google Flights and enter your departure city and Vancouver as your destination, with your desired dates of travel. If this search isn't plentiful, check to see if there are any departing flights from nearby cities.

As I mentioned, this deal features flights through next October, but you'll find the majority of deals for use March-May, including the below nonstop from Minneapolis (MSP) in mid-April for just over $330.

Related: Second Cities: Destinations to add onto a trip to Vancouver

You'll note the ticket is earmarked for both Delta and WestJet, but booking directly through Delta for their basic economy class saves you about $50. This fare type includes one free carry-on, but you would have to upgrade to choose your seat and change your flight as Delta's basic economy is no longer eligible for free changes and cancellation for a voucher as of Dec. 31. Delta charges $60 for all checked baggage, regardless of fare type.

If you live in Portland, check out this nonstop flight in late March for just $220 on Air Canada, which includes free changes and one carry-on in its standard (main cabin) class.

Related: US land border opening to fully vaccinated travelers from Canada and Mexico in November

Like Delta, expect to pay $60 for your first checked bag.

Related: Greyhound resuming US-Canada service on Nov. 8

In order to ensure you can change or cancel your flight if need be, note that generally speaking, you will need to buy a main cabin ticket as such benefits are not included in most basic economy fares. Also note that if you were to book an Air Canada flight and ended up canceling, you would receive a voucher for future use. We recommend contacting the airline directly to verify whether the voucher is only valid for Air Canada flights or can be used on another Star Alliance partner as it varies by airline.

Maximize your purchase

Use a card that earns bonus points on airfare purchases, such as The Platinum Card® from American Express (5x on airfare booked directly with the airline or through American Express Travel on up to $500,000 on these purchases per calendar year), Citi Prestige® Card (5x on airfare), Citi Premier® Card, Chase Sapphire Reserve (3x on airfare), American Express® Gold Card (3x on airfare booked directly with the airline or through Amex Travel) or the Chase Sapphire Preferred Card (2x on travel).

The information for the Citi Prestige Card has been collected independently by The Points Guy. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.

Bottom line

As British Columbia's most famous seaport city, Vancouver is among the continent's most ethnically diverse, with picture-perfect nature opportunities galore. Try hiking the Grouse Grind or Lynn Canyon or visit the city's parks, including Capilano Suspension Bridge Park and Stanley Park, which Tripadvisor named the world's best park in 2014.

As of this fall, Canada is open to vaccinated travelers who present a negative COVID-19 PCR test result taken within 72 hours prior to arrival. A negative COVID-19 test (PCR or antigen) is also required for entry back to the U.S.

Visitors to Canada must also provide further travel information via ArriveCan, either online or through an app.

Related: Flying in Canada? You’ll have to be fully vaccinated even if you’re traveling domestically