Is it cheaper to send someone to Victoria or Nanaimo and back in a day, or to pay for a hotel? The honest answer is that it depends on your fares, your transfers and how you value staff time. This worksheet helps you compare with your own figures. We don't publish example prices, because fares change by date, fare type and booking time, and a comparison is only useful if every option uses the same assumptions.
Step 1: List the scenarios
Compare like with like: same traveller, same meeting, same date.
- Scenario A: same-day return (e.g. harbour seaplane both ways)
- Scenario B: same-day return by a different mode (e.g. ferry)
- Scenario C: travel the evening before, stay overnight, return after the meeting
Step 2: Fill in the worksheet
| Cost line | Scenario A | Scenario B | Scenario C |
|---|---|---|---|
| Outbound fare | |||
| Return fare | |||
| Fare type (and change rules) | |||
| Transfer: office to departure terminal (taxi, transit) | |||
| Transfer: arrival to meeting, and back | |||
| Parking at the departure point | |||
| Meals and incidentals | |||
| Hotel | — | — | |
| Direct cost subtotal | |||
| Total travel time (door to door, both ways) | |||
| Paid staff time spent travelling (hours × hourly cost) | |||
| Productive time while travelling (hours you can work) | |||
| Adjusted total |
Use quotes from each operator's website for the same date and fare conditions, and note the date you checked.
Step 3: Decide how to value travel time
This is a company policy decision, not a calculation we can make for you. Common approaches:
- Full cost: count all travel hours at the employee's loaded hourly cost.
- Net of productive time: subtract hours the traveller can reasonably work, such as on a ferry with a table and connectivity.
- Out-of-hours rule: count travel outside normal working hours differently, in line with your employment policies and applicable law.
Be consistent across scenarios and document the assumption.
Step 4: Price the risk of change
A cheaper non-changeable fare can cost more if the meeting moves. For Harbour Air, as listed in its help centre on November 9, 2026:
| Fare | Changes | Cancellation |
|---|---|---|
| Flex | Up to 1 hour before, fare difference applies | Refund to original payment up to 1 hour before |
| Comfort | Same day up to 1 hour before, $50 fee | Credit up to 24 hours before, minus $25 |
| Value | Same day up to 1 hour before, $75 fee | Credit up to 72 hours before, minus $50 |
| Light | Not changeable | Non-refundable |
If your meetings often move, estimate how often and add the expected change cost to each scenario. Other operators' change rules differ; check each.
Step 5: Add a disruption allowance
Weather can delay or cancel coastal travel. If a missed meeting has a real cost, an overnight may be the cheaper option overall. See weather changes and flexible coastal travel.
When is a day return cheaper?
Often when:
- the meeting is in the middle of the day near the arrival point
- the traveller's time is valued highly and the trip is downtown to downtown
- fares are booked with enough flexibility to cope with changes
An overnight tends to make more sense when the meeting is early, there are several appointments, or the cost of missing the meeting is high. Your worksheet will show which applies.
Which program fits our company?
Harbour Air publishes two business programs:
- Harbour Air Business: free and self-serve, for businesses registered and operating in BC, with no minimum spend to join. Harbour Air describes credits on base fares in three tiers (3% by default, 6% from $5,000 annual spend, 10% from $15,000), plus Club credits, Aeroplan points on eligible flights and an admin portal with downloadable travel reports. Travel agencies, government entities and companies with bespoke agreements aren't eligible.
- Harbour Air Corporate: for larger organizations seeking custom pricing, reporting and account management through the corporate sales team.
Harbour Air's program pages don't describe invoicing terms; ask the operator directly if you need invoicing or centralized billing. Other operators run their own programs; compare eligibility and terms.
Program eligibility and enrolment. Harbour Air Business · Harbour Air Connect (Business and Corporate) · Booking conditions (opens harbourair.com)
Related planning
FAQs
When is a day return cheaper? When the meeting timing and location suit it and you've counted transfers and staff time. Use the worksheet to compare.
How should staff travel time be valued? That's a company policy decision; apply the same method to every scenario.
Which program fits our company? Smaller BC-registered businesses can look at Harbour Air Business; larger organizations may prefer a corporate arrangement. Check eligibility with the operator.