Now this is what you call the perfect antidote to jetlag.
From my Interim Bureau at Fairmont Vancouver Airport I have a gloriously panoramic view of Vancouver International Airport’s north runway set against the majestic backdrop of the North Star mountains.
So what was the first flight I saw land after I looked out over my new surroundings? Air New Zealand, of course. We Flying Kiwis get everywhere.
I’m here in the British Columbian city to discover more about an airport rated number one in North America, 13th in the world and the only one in the top 25 by Skytrax in its 2025 rankings.
Although operated separately, the Fairmont offers an immediate indicator of the excellence of the wider Vancouver International Airport (YVR) ecosystem.
By definition of its location and my four-night sojourn, I rank as one of the hotel’s longer-stay guests and – horridly persistent jet-lag aside – I have enjoyed every moment here.
Fairmont Vancouver Airport is highly recommended at every level, from the wonderful friendliness of the staff to the quality of the cuisine and thoughtful touches such as a telescope set up in certain rooms to observe the airport goings on outside (of which there are many) – even complemented by a plane spotter’s guide.
The website that never sleeps is all set for business
Travel retail might embrace the whole world but it is also a tight community. Who should I bump into getting off my Cathay Airways flight from Hong Kong but Plaza Premium Group’s (PPG) dynamic Chief Transformation Officer Mei Mei Song? PPG has an excellent operation at YVR (more of that in a forthcoming Blog).
Over the course of my stay I have been meeting airport management and business partners across the ecosystem, all kindly organised by YVR Director Passenger Retail Experience Benedict (Ben) Ma. Ben’s job title says much about how YVR approaches the task of serving its 26 million passenger base.
Selfie time with (centre) YVR Manager, Commercial Services John Hadley and YVR Director Passenger Retail Experience Benedict (Ben) Ma at White Spot, a fabulous downtown full-service restaurant, lounge and bar brought to the airport in April
‘Experience’, in fact, has been a word I have heard time and again from Ben and his colleagues. And it’s not just talk. Right across the YVR estate there is compelling evidence of avid consumer-centricity at every level, from operational excellence to the focus on accessibility, inclusion, sustainability, sense of place (drawing on the inter-related themes of land, sea and sky) and innovative technology.
YVR takes its responsibilities to people and planet ultra seriously. Its 2025-2027 Environmental Sustainability Plan details the urgency with which the company is addressing climate change, protecting archaeological and cultural resources and minimising waste. I am pictured with Manager Climate and Environment Brenden McBain after a fascinating conversation to be featured in our forthcoming series on YVR. Time for take-off aboard Harbour Air on a breathtaking flight over the glory that is Vancouver. From left I am pictured with YVR Director Passenger Retail Experience Benedict (Ben) Ma; World Duty Free Canada Director, Retail Operations Marilyn Bolomey; and YVR Senior Marketing Specialist Sponsorships and Advertising Amanda Michaels.
On Monday I had breakfast with Eric Pateman, whose job title (CXO – Chief Experience Officer, Vice President Passenger Experience) reflects YVR’s impressively committed drive to redefine what hospitality looks like in an airport environment.
Eric Pateman: It’s all about the guest experience
Eric’s background is not that of your typical airport leader. He is one of the world’s leading culinary brand and marketing strategists; the author of multiple culinary tourism and brand strategies for countries (including Canada and New Zealand) and regions; an acclaimed chef; and an Honoured Fellow of The Royal Canadian Geographical Society’s College of Fellows (RCGD).
Given the RCGS’s values are determination to build, courage to explore and steadfast love of country, Eric embraces a mindset that augurs well for the YVR passenger experience.
In coming weeks I’ll bring you a series of articles that underline why and how YVR has gained such a lofty ranking among the world’s premier gateways.
That status has been emphatically underlined by the new 2,800sq m World Duty Free (Avolta) offerthat I had the pleasure of being guided through by dynamic World Duty Free Canada Director, Retail Operations Marilyn Bolomey and members of her team. I will bring you a full report and picture gallery soon.
British Columbian products are impressively to the fore at this superbly designed, merchandised and ranged World Duty Free store. Here Marilyn Bolomey shows me the beautifully presented high-quality local wine offering, led by some gems from the Okanagan Valley.Passengers exit from central security into an expansive decompression zone complete with giant FID screen, allowing them to de-stress and orientate before entering the walkthrough store
The store’s commendable emphasis on Canadian products is clear from the get-go with Peller Estates, famed particularly for its Icewine, commanding a striking presence near the entrance
Marilyn Bolomey with Michelle Avelena, Owner of the fabulously tasty Northern Bars. The company is on a mission to popularise The Nanaimo Bar as Canada’s most beloved classic treat to the world. The storefront for Northern Bars Canada is on Granville Island, the unceded traditional territories of the Coast Salish peoples of the Musqueam, Squamish and Tsleil-Waututh Nations. YVR, located on Sea Island, is the unceded and traditional territory of the Musqueam.What a fabulous concept, turning waste into resource by transforming used chopsticks into an array of crafted products
Beauty, although following the same path to gates, stands separately from the liquor, tobacco, food & confectionery, destination and wellness storeJo Malone London Beauty Advisor Bill Hsiang demonstrates the expert art of layering different fagrancesSales Associate, Beauty Lannie Panguelo proves a dab hand at OrigamiVivien Wang is a brilliantly talented local artist, showcasing her skills by personalising Jo Malone purchasesAnd here is the exquisite end resultTwo nice shots with World Duty Free Product and Business Development Manager Xin Liu, who guided me expertly around the stores before my departure. Xin recently had the title of Product Manager, Beauty added to his responsibilities, such is his all-round expertise.The wonderfully helpful Rosanna Chen offered to personalise men’s fragrance YSL Y for me. But what should my inscription be?In fact, the choice was easy. Given my provenance and unrelenting travel schedule, there could only be one name.My fellow globetrotter, Mr. Bones from Kiehl’s, continues to keep pace with me though he is showing similar signs of jetlag. You have got to love those glasses.
My enduring impression of YVR though will be its commitment to community. Read this excerpt from the YVR mission statement, as impressively articulated a view of what an airport really should stand for as any you will encounter.
“YVR is a platform through which our community connects and thrives. We open B.C. to the world by connecting the flow of ideas, experiences, investment, people and goods. We are a living wage employer, an enabler for B.C. business and economic development, a skills incubator for aviation and technology, a local marketplace for made-in-B.C. products and a driver of local businesses.
“We are also a place to work, eat, play, gather, learn and share. We are a place of welcome, interaction and identity for our community. Our airport is located on Sea Island, the unceded traditional territory of the Musqueam people.
“Sea Island has a profound and ancient connection for the Musqueam people. We recognise our opportunity and responsibility to work with Musqueam as we create value for the region. Our purpose is to serve the community and economy that supports it.”
There you have it. And those key words – welcome, interaction and identify – are played out here every day of the year to impressively holistic effect.
More, much more, to follow, but for now here are some of my favourite memories (with more to follow soon) of an airport that triumphantly demonstrates a dual and enduring commitment to passengers and community. ✈
What a beautiful sight as dusk descends over YVRChronic jetlag has ensured ‘the website that never sleeps’ lived up to its moniker over recent days. But who’s complaining when you can work over dinner from the outstanding Globe @ YVR with such a commanding external vista?I enjoyed the opportunity to visit several of YVR’s fine food & beverage outlets, including Paragon Tea Room, which offers a delicously diverse array of matcha, oolong, and fruit-infused teas. There’s a focus on wellness and on customer engagement, including every matcha bowl being whisked to order using ceremonial-grade powder and bamboo tools.I am pictured from left with Paragon Tea Room leaders Andy Song, Michelle Cheung (Founder) and Nelson Poon alongsideVR Director Passenger Retail Experience Benedict MaI also had the privilege of dining at the outstanding Plaza Premium First lounge with Plaza Premium Group Regional Director Western CanadaPeter Dhillon and Chef Debu from Kolkata, a true culinary talent
Airports as artports: YVR boasts a world-leading indigenous art line-up featuring well over 200 memorable pieces. Look out for my fascinating interview with Curator and Art Program Manager Rita Beiks in coming weeks. Pictured above is Flight (Spindle Whorl) by Susan Point, a renowned Musqueam artist. The Story of Fog Woman and Raven by Dempsey Bob, a distinguished Tahltan and Tlingit artist of the Wolf Clan, tells the story of how the annual salmon run originated to benefit the people of the northern coast of British Columbia and the southern coast of Alaska. Carved from a red cedar log, Raven perches on the side of the pool, beak uplifted, smiling and well fed. Fog Woman, carved from a block of laminated yellow cedar, kneels at the head of a stream, which flows metaphorically toward river and ocean {Source: YVR}The Spirit of Haida Gwaii: The Jade Canoe (bronze cast, jade green patina) is an unforgettable work by Bill Reid, often described as the Heart of the Airport. The sculpture was inspired by 19th-century miniature canoes carved in argillite, a soft sedimentary rock that is found near Skidegate on Haida Gwaii, an archipelago off British Columbia’s west coast.
