Best Vancouver to Delhi Flights | Vancouver To Delhi Flights

Vancouver’s large Punjabi population means that is a huge market for Vancouver to Delhi flights.  Many of the Indians who reside in metro Vancouver are from the province of Punjab so India travelers prefer to use New Delhi as their main gateway.  The city of Vancouver has two main airports but almost all travel is done via the Vancouver International Airport (YVR), based in Richmond, British Columbia.

The airport is centrally located in the lower mainland which is easily accessible by the major municipalities like Surrey, Burnaby and New Westminster.  Surrey is home to a significant portion of the Indian community in Vancouver and continues to grow.

Many of the Indians in British Columbia maintain strong ties to their original homeland through family and business which creates strong demand for travel between the two cities.  There are many options for cheap travel between Vancouver and Delhi, below is a list of potential flights.

The list and details contained here are most of the airlines currently flying to India from Vancouver.  It includes information about schedules and cities.  As this information changes constantly, it is extremely important to check with your Bains Travel agent to get the most up-date details.

Air Canada (AC)

Air Canada is Canada’s largest airline in terms of fleet size and number of passengers it carries.  It also offers the only direct service from Vancouver to Delhi.  The Vancouver to Delhi service is extremely popular as it is only about 14 hours of total flying time.  It is much shorter than the competition.

When Air Canada decided to start the service in 2016 it proved to be a huge seller from day one.  To start the ball rolling Air Canada offered fares as low as $999 round-trip including all taxes and fees.  The very low price for Delhi was a great marketing tactic as customers were able to see the convenience that this service offered.  The flight was able to occur because of the addition of the fuel-efficient Boeing 787 Dreamliner.  In the past, any aircraft available was too large which meant the financial risk was too great for an airline such as Air Canada to provide direct service from Vancouver to Delhi.

Over the past few years Air Canada has proved that the service does work and they have continually increased the number of flights to where they are providing daily year-round service.

As the Air Canada direct service is incredibly popular be prepared to pay a little more.  Because it has shrunk the distance between the two counties people can now take shorter trips that may be as little as 5 days, this new type of passenger who may have avoided India in the past is willing to pay a premium for the great schedule.

If you are looking to use the Air Canada direct service to Delhi especially around Christmas and New Year’s make sure you book as early as possible.  If you are looking for cheaper flights to India but still want to use Air Canada you have the option of stopping to find the lowest fare.  Air Canada is part of the Star Alliance group which means you can fly through other cities like San Francisco, London or Frankfurt.  In addition, we may be able to find you the lowest class in one direction on the direct flight but you may have to stop on one side to find cheap India flights.

Overall Air Canada is an extremely popular option and the expectation is that their popularity will only continue to grow as the number of passengers between Vancouver and India increase.

British Airways (BA)

British Airways has been a fixture in the Vancouver market for many decades.  With their high level of service and many flights to India they have always been a popular route.  Currently they provide service through their hub city of London.  British Airways operates mainly out terminal 5 at Heathrow airport, with the vast majority of their flights operating out of this single terminal it provides great connections and seamless operations.

British Airways operates to multiple Indian destinations including New Delhi (DEL), Mumbai formally Bombay (BOM), Bangalore (BLR), Chennai (MAA), Hyderabad (HYD) and Kolkata (CCU).  With a large number of cities available for direct flights out of London and daily service out of Vancouver British Airways has always been a Vancouver favorite for India flights.

As British Airways has always been a great supporter of India, they have always been very good at all of the extra’s that the Indian community relies on, such as Indian or Asian vegetarian meals, wheelchair service and Punjabi and Hindi speaking staff.  Their attention to detail has always put their service close to the top when providing service to India.

Out of Vancouver because of their high level of competition they are not always the cheapest option to India as the Chinese carriers usually keep their prices the lowest but British Airways does have an excellent combination of a low price and amazing service.  In addition, many Indians have family in the United Kingdom so flying with BA to India you can stop on the way to see family and friends for a few days which also breaks up your trip and allows you to stretch your legs.

Lufthansa (LH)

Lufthansa is the main carrier of the Germany with hub cities in both Munich and Frankfurt.  In addition, Lufthansa owns the European airlines Swiss & Austrian air which gives them even more options for flights to India.  When flying to India, Lufthansa is a great as they have a large variety of arrival destinations and great partnerships in the industry.  Lufthansa has been flying to Vancouver for a very long time so they have a large following in the city for flights to India.

Currently the total flying time to Delhi from Vancouver on Lufthansa is about 23 hours, this includes a 5 hour stop in Frankfurt.  Pricing on Lufthansa is coordinated with Air Canada as they are part of revenue sharing agreement.  In addition, with both Swiss Air and Austrian Airlines as part of the Star Alliance group you can easily route through Vienna or Zurich.

Lufthansa flies to a long list of destination within India as they are as they are one of Europe’s largest carriers.  Currently they fly to New Delhi (DEL), Mumbai formally Bombay (BOM), Bangalore (BLR), Chennai (MAA), Hyderabad (HYD) and Pune (PNQ).  While Lufthansa is very competitive on flights to India, they are usually not the cheapest carrier to India as they share pricing with Air Canada’s direct flight.  Although they work very closely with Air Canada, they do provide two free pieces of checked luggage while Air Canada only provides one.

China Eastern Airlines (MU)

China Eastern Airlines is the main carrier out of Shanghai, China.  Shanghai being the financial center of China makes China Eastern an important player in the Vancouver market.  China Eastern along with the rest of the Chinese mainland carriers are extremely competitive so they provide cheap flights to India.  China Eastern offers extremely low prices to India throughout the year.  While the language barrier can be an issue, when travelling in family groups there can be significant savings on Vancouver to Delhi flights.  There have been times in the past few years where the price to India has been as low as $700 including all taxes.  If you are travelling in a family of 5 or 6 that could save you thousands of dollars over the competition on India flights.

Currently the flying time from Vancouver to India on China Eastern is about 30 hours, another reason why the Vancouver to Delhi price is so cheap.  This includes a layover of 14 hours, while this is a long stop China Eastern does offer a free day room hotel so you can have nap or stretch your legs.  There have been some issues with immigration recently so this offer is not always available but when it is another freebie added in to an already cheap India flight.

If you are looking for the lowest price flights from Vancouver to India, China Eastern is definitely a very good option, just remember to avoid parts of January and February during Chinese New Year as the prices do go up in this period.

Air China (CA)

Air China is the national carrier of China with their operations being based out of Beijing, the capital.  Air China offers very cheap rates on their Vancouver to Delhi flights.  Air China provides daily service from Vancouver to Beijing and service from Beijing to Delhi almost every day.  If you are looking for a cheap price on flights from Vancouver to Delhi, Air China is another great option.

Right now, flights to India from Vancouver on Air China are about 23 hours in length including a 4-hour layover in Beijing.  This will give you enough time to catch your next flight while still giving you a short rest at the airport.  Air China is very competitive with China Eastern and China Southern on the Vancouver to Delhi route so they also try to keep their India prices extremely cheap.  Many times, you are able to get a price well under $1000 but you need to be careful to avoid Chinese New Year.

If you are looking to get to India from Vancouver without spending too much money Air China is one of the best options.  They almost always have an excellent low fare from Vancouver to India.

China Southern (CZ)

The last of the mainland Chinese carriers coming to Vancouver and having service to India is China Southern Airlines.  China Southern Airline’s hub city is Guangzhou which is a manufacturing hub close to Hong Kong.  As China Southern is the newest of the three mainland carriers coming to Vancouver and having a less well-known hub city, they offer some of the best pricing on the Vancouver to Delhi route.

China Southern being the newest of three big Chinese carriers to come to Vancouver they also wanted to get their share of the India business so they also have extremely low-priced air tickets to India.  There have been times where they have offered prices as low as $650 including all taxes round trip!

Once again to get the best prices on China Southern Airlines it is best to avoid Chinese New Year and book early because their cheap flights to India sell out quickly.

Cathay Pacific (CX)

Cathay Pacific is the main carrier out of Hong Kong, China which serves many cities India.  While they do not always have a cheap flight to India, they fly to many cities which makes them a convenient option.  Right now, they fly to of New Delhi (DEL), Mumbai formally Bombay (BOM), Chennai (MAA), Hyderabad (HYD) and Kolkata (CCU).  In addition, Cathay Pacific has multiple flights to Vancouver and to Delhi which gives greater flexibility with schedules.  The shortest travel time for Vancouver to Delhi flights on Cathay Pacific is 22 hours with a 1 hour stop in Hong Kong.  The airport in Hong Kong is very efficient so you can make that very short connection.

Cathay Pacific provides a very high level of service which means the flights are not always the cheapest option to India.  However, there are times when they have too many available seats because of the high frequency of flights to India, that is when you can secure a great fare.  Cathay Pacific has always been a very popular option out of Vancouver as they have been coming here for a very long time but their market share has decreased in recent years due to the arrival the mainland Chinese carriers who offer a cheaper flight to Delhi.

China Airlines (CI)

China Airlines is the main hub carrier of Taipei, Taiwan.  The airline has been coming to Vancouver for many years because of the large Taiwanese community in Vancouver.  China Airlines also has flights to India but they do not have daily service.  Currently they fly three times per week from Taipei to Delhi.  The airline is very popular from Vancouver because they offer cheap flights to India and they have a high-level product and service.

While their prices are not as low as some of the mainland Chinese carriers to India, they do have great prices.  Currently the flight time to India on China Airlines is 22 ½ hours.  While they do have cheap prices to India you need to book early in order to secure them because they do not fly to India every day.  In addition, if you need to make changes you need stick with them as they are not part of any joint venture agreement.

The service on China Airlines is comparable to that of Cathay Pacific but they tend to offer lower prices on the Delhi flights.  If you are looking for a cheap fare from Vancouver to Delhi or are looking for high quality service to India, China Airlines should definitely be on your list.

Korean Airlines (KE)

Korean Airlines is one of the major carriers using Seoul as their hub airport.  Korean Airlines provides a very high-level product and direct service to Vancouver and to India from Seoul.  Currently they fly to both Bombay (Mumbai) and New Delhi.  Although they do fly to both cities, they have never been very competitive on their India flights as the service is relatively new for them and they have ample traffic from Korea itself.  Because of their success in the market there are rumors that they will be adding additional flights to Delhi.  If they do add more capacity there will be more opportunity for Korean Airlines to provide cheap flights to India.

If they are able to add that extra capacity to India and lower their price it would be strongly encouraged for travelers to try Korean Airlines as their service is impeccable.  Right now, if you want to try their service on India flights you will have a long layover in Korea.  The long layover could be an opportunity to visit the great city of Seoul.  In addition, the airport and city have combined to offer free and highly discounted tours as they heavily promote Seoul as a stopover destination.

United Airlines (UA)

Another option that has recently been added to the Vancouver list is United Airlines who is now providing direct service to India out of their hub in San Francisco.  United Airlines is also part of the joint venture agreement with Air Canada and the Lufthansa group which means that pricing is controlled by Air Canada and you have maximum flexibility with schedules between all of the carriers.

An example of that great schedule might look like using the direct service out of the Vancouver on your outbound a flight and then using the United Airlines direct service to San Francisco connecting to Vancouver in order to get the lowest pricing on your India flight.

In addition, if you need to make a change there are a very large amount of routing options that could get you home for a good price.  If the direct flights to North America were very full you could look at routing through Europe on Lufthansa, Swiss or Austrian Airways, the options are really endless.

Air France (AF)

One of the more recent entrants into the Vancouver market is Air France.  While Air France is new to the market their partner carrier KLM has been flying to Vancouver for decades.  Similar to the joint venture that Air Canada has KLM & Air France also partner over the Atlantic Ocean on their service.  Because of their partnership you can mix and match flights with the two carries.  Air France’s main hub is Paris, France with the total flying time to India being 20 ½ hours.

Air France is highly competitive in the Vancouver market on the trans-Atlantic route.  They offer very cheap pricing to India via Europe when compared to their competition of British Airways and Lufthansa.  One downside of using Air France is that only offer one piece of free checked luggage which can be an issue if on a long trip to India.  The upside of traveling on Air France is if you have the ability to stop you will get to see one of Europe’s most amazing cities.

Overall if you are looking for a great product combined with excellent pricing Air France needs to be at the top of your list.

KLM (KL)

KLM is the national carrier of the Netherlands with its hub being Vancouver.  KLM has been operating the Vancouver to Amsterdam flight for many years and they also have direct service from their hub city to India.  Currently the flight time to New Delhi from Vancouver is about 20 hours with a two hour stop in Amsterdam.  While Amsterdam is not a very large city by world standards the airline has punched above its weight by offering great connections to many cities all over the world.  The airline also is able to provide great pricing to India because of low taxes in their hub city.  Finally, with their Air France partnership they can also offer greater flexibility of connections via Paris.

KLM has very good fares to India but out of Vancouver it is difficult for them to offer extremely cheap prices to India as they are not as competitive as the mainland Chinese carriers.  While they are not always the best price, they offer great value with a high level of service and good connections.

Emirates (EK)

Emirates Airlines is the main carrier out of the Dubai and offer flights to a large number of cities in India. Out of Vancouver you must stop twice as they do not fly directly here.  You will need to connect via Seattle and Dubai for your flight to India.  While the extra connection does make a for a longer flight Emirates is a popular option as they provide an extremely high level of service and fly to many of the second-tier cities in India.  They total flight time to fly from Vancouver to Delhi on Emirates is about 24 hours.  The flight time is on the longer side but many people enjoy this route because many Indian like to stop in Dubai to enjoy their diverse shopping experience.

Pricing on Emirates is usually on the higher side as they look at themselves as a premium carrier.  When the first entered the market a few years ago they were very aggressive in order build their share of the market but as their popularity has grown their prices to India have gone up as well.  If you are looking for a premium product or you want to travel outside the major hub cities of India, Emirates is another great option.

Turkish Airlines (TK)

Turkish Airlines is the newest entrant into the India market from Vancouver.  They will be flying to Vancouver from their hub in Turkey in late 2020.  Currently the pricing from Turkish Airlines is very competitive as they are offering one of the cheapest prices from Vancouver to India.  As they are new and they want to make a name for themselves, using them over the next year or two before they establish themselves will be a great way to save money.

Turkish Airlines is known for a high level of service and they also have a very good connection with a total flying time of 21 ½ hours.  This includes a 4 hour stop in Istanbul which allows you to have some food and stretch your legs before your next flight to Delhi.

If you are looking to save some money on your India flight Turkish Airlines will be a great opportunity to try a new airline and potentially see a new city in the process.

There are a vast number of options and airlines to fly from Vancouver to India.  To make sure you get the cheapest price on your air ticket make sure you work with a Bains travel agent.  Don’t underestimate the value of working with someone who has the knowledge of this very specific market and who has access to fares you cannot find online.

As the options for flights from Canada to India are vast, it is very important that you work with an agent who understands your needs.  Bains Travel has been working with clients from all over Canada for 70+ years booking the best options for all India flights.  Contact us at 1.844.847.9703 to speak with one of our agents, or fill out the form below and one of our India Experts will get back to shortly!