Vancouver-Salmon Arm Same-Day Travel
A Comparison of 3 travel options
A Tale from the “Heart of the Shuswap”
Imagine you’re managing a building materials manufacturing company with operations in both Vancouver and Salmon Arm, nestled in British Columbia's Okanagan region. A crucial need arises—a same-day business trip from your Vancouver office to your Salmon Arm factory. The available travel options? Driving, flying commercially, or flying privately on a PC-12. Let's break down the travel times and costs to see which option delivers the most value.
Travel TIME COMPARISON
Total Travel Time [in Hrs] is the entire duration from the departure airport to the final destination (in this case, Salmon Arm). It accounts for all necessary travel stages, including:
Time spent in-flight between the departure and destination airports.
An additional 1-hour allowance for check-in procedures and security clearance, where applicable for commercial flights.
Any ground transportation time, such as renting and driving a car from the arrival airport to the destination (for example, the 2-hour drive from Kelowna to Salmon Arm when direct flights are unavailable).
Driving: Navigating the Coquihalla Highway can be daunting. On a good day, you're looking at a 5-hour drive from Vancouver to Salmon Arm, passing through mountain passes that can be treacherous, especially in winter when snow storms often lead to icy roads and unpredictable conditions. During these months, driving could easily extend to 7 hours or more.
Flying Commercially: Flying commercially from Vancouver to Salmon Arm isn’t direct. You’ll first fly into Kelowna or Kamloops and then rent a car, adding a two-hour drive to your journey. Including check-in times and flight duration, this option typically takes 4-5 hours under ideal conditions. However, flight delays, cancellations, and the additional driving time can make commercial travel unreliable for same-day return.
Flying Privately (PC-12): With a private flight using the Pilatus PC-12, the direct travel time to Salmon Arm’s regional airport is just 1 hour. The direct nature of private travel means it’s significantly faster than either driving or flying commercially, and you can control the schedule to suit your business needs.
TRAVEL COST BREAKDOWN
Total Trip Cost [CAD] includes all direct expenses related to the journey, such as airfare or private aircraft fees, fuel, mileage reimbursement, per diem allowances, employee salaries for time spent travelling, and costs like car rentals. It does not include overnight stays or the opportunity cost of productive hours lost during travel.
While travel time is critical, cost efficiency is just as important. For this comparison, let’s consider a team of four key personnel, each with an annual salary of $150,000 CAD. Factoring in both time and direct costs reveals the following insights:
Driving: The costs for driving include mileage reimbursement at $0.70 CAD/km and per diem expenses for meals. Given that same-day return isn’t feasible for a drive this long, you’ll also need to cover overnight accommodation, inflating the total expense. Beyond the monetary cost, consider the loss of productivity during those 5-7 hours each way.
Flying Commercially: With commercial flights, you’re incurring the costs of airfare (which differs when bought 2 weeks, 1 week or just 2 days in advance), rental cars, and likely hotel stays, as same-day return may not be feasible due to flight schedules. Add in the time value of four high-earning individuals, and the costs quickly mount. Additionally, commercial travel often involves downtime during transit, further reducing productivity.
Flying Privately (PC-12): The PC-12’s pricing structure includes a monthly fee and an hourly aircraft utilization rate, which translates into an all-in cost of around $7,000 for the entire round trip, split between four people. Importantly, this option allows for a same-day return, meaning your team avoids hotel and meal expenses while staying productive.
Key Findings:
Time Savings: Direct flights save up to 3-4 hours per trip, which translates into valuable working hours regained for each team member.
Cost Efficiency: When factoring in salaries, travel costs, and potential overnight stays, the total cost difference between commercial and private travel is minimal, especially considering the productive hours gained.
Enhanced Productivity: In a private aircraft, personnel can conduct meetings, make strategic decisions, and work in a confidential setting without the distractions and delays of commercial travel.
“I have witnessed my clients become masters in optimizing the constraints of 24-hour days. They look at the acquisition of business aircraft as yet another tool in growing their capacity for doing more, not as a luxury experience.”
Why Choose AeroShares?
When time is money, the PC-12 is one of the most efficient travel solutions for business trips like the above example. Not only does it save precious hours, but it also ensures that your team stays focused rather than being bogged down by long drives or unpredictable commercial travel schedules.