VANCOUVER ISLAND WINDTALK

A BC Ferries Coast Card allows you to take advantage of assured boarding which basically means that you can pay extra to skip the line and get on any ferry you want.

Here's more info: http://www.bcferries.com/fares/coastcard/

Hate these - a double standard for the rich, entrenched in the public highway system

for the rich... our ferries are highly subsidized but I guess some have to complain about anything.

when the Social Credit gov't 'nationalized' the ferries from the aweful private enterprise Black Ball line that used to run things, they made them a part of the highway system and guaranteed that they would always provide a public service. Our taxes hugely subsidize the ashpalt highways too, but you aren't complaint about that.

Its my understanding that the main ferry routes - Nanaimo and Victoria - make a substantial profit, which goes to helping out the minor routes.

The fact that I have to wait for 3 sailings when the people who can afford an extra $30 or so per ticket it get to drive right on, ain't fair. Then once you are on there is a nice restaurant for the rich, and a grubby degraded White Spot for the masses.

It is creating a class society and I don't like it.

you just have to think of the premium ticket as the "normal" level of service, and the regular rate folk lining up for the equivalent of flying "stand by"...at least thats how BC ferries wants it

Morley I am with you. I have a real problem with the special lounge provided to those with extra cash. It is definitely creating a class society based on individual wealth and it makes my skin crawl. However, I do have to admit that I am enough of a hypocrite that I have made use of the reservation system so all my idealism falls by the wayside when I consider having to wait for 4 hours with children on a hot summer day . . . especially on the Horseshoe Bay run where you are stuck on the side of the highway without escape (or washroom). But, it isn't really fair. Perhaps all passengers should be required to reserve in advance, first-come/first-serve, no one waiting, no one left behind.

How long have airplanes had first class and economy class? Trains have it too. Heck, so do cruiseships. Have you taken a ferry abroad? Ours are cheap in comparison. I'm not rich but I'm a little slow and when I tried to make a reservation, the ferries were booked. I don't want to have to go to the line up at 3 pm and after a 3 sailing wait drive the road to Nitinat in the dark. I will gladly pay $30 to have an assured boarding and be able to drive that crazy road in the light.

Well, the airlines and the other things you mentioned aren't considered part of the provincial, government-owned highway system.

SGH, I was thinking of the buffet restaraunt, not so much the pay lounge - If I recall, the cost of lounge entry was $5 or something, and it included coffee, a pastry, and a newspaper which would cost as much if bought individually - seems like fair value, but I start to frown at that too.

When I'm travelling on business, I will often buy the reservation - which is bad enough. But these 'drive on anytime no reservation' $800 tickets are really over the top.

They are $80... it looks like the weather could be crappy this weekend

http://www.islandnet.com/~rkashino/nitforcast.htm

Yeah, but you buy a book of 10. Who can afford that? (if you are running a kite school and commuting from the Continent it would be a smart business expense though)

i took a ferry from java to bali that was significantly cheaper than a bc ferry. of course here you have perks like lifejackets..
when the titanic sank werent the lifeboats filled with the first class passengers first? now decide if its worth upgrading to the buffet or not.

Bali and Indonesia are 3rd world countries and the ferry ride is less than 30 minutes... hardly a comparison.

Also, if you click the link in my original post you will see that the Assured Boarding program is no longer a book of 10 tickets but a plastic card that you swipe and you can choose to re-charge your card as you wish.

the reserve system is an improvement from my point of view. with a impatient/screemin' 2 yr old it is no fun to wait for multiple sailings. I respect others views on class issues, but for me it's working.

the privately run Coho has reserves now too, which has been a big help for gorge trips, oddly cheaper than our pseudo-public system of BC Ferries.

assured loading is also used for business. we as a company have assured loading tickets to ensure no extensive wait times encountered by employees traveling from the island to the mainland. it is cheaper for us to pay the extra money than to pay someone to wait around.

maybe they should build a bridge and then no one would have to wait....and then we would all be rich b/c our house prices would sky rocket...it would be so sweet to be a 'burb of vancouver....we could even drop the island out of the name vancouver island....
i agree it is a pain to wait for the ferry and paying more not to wait sucks, but if you are that bothered about ferrires and cost associated with said ferries then don't live on an island. i mean really an extra $30 (or what ever it is) once in a while is not that big of a deal is it? if you want to live on one of the most beautiful places in the world you are going to have to put up with some pain.