Man argues seaplane is cheaper than ferry to Victoria because time is money
A CEO from Victoria, BC, is making a splash online by arguing that taking a seaplane to Vancouver is actually cheaper than taking the ferry.
Rob Fraser, founder of Outway Socks, tweeted on April 17 that his flight to Vancouver was cancelled and it cost him $10,000 to take the ferry instead,
To be clear, it didn’t cost him $10,000 in real money. But Fraser explained he values his time at $5,000 per hour, and the two extra hours the ferry takes cost him $10,000 total — even though the ferry is actually the cheaper transport option.
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Daily Hive Urbanized checked one-way fares from Victoria to Vancouver on April 26 to get an idea of cost. A one-way walk-on fare from from Victoria to Vancouver is just under $20, while bringing a vehicle costs $60 to $100 depending on time of day. For the same day, a flight with Harbour Air costs $178 to $360, depending on time.
“I know some people will read this and think I’m an idiot,” Fraser said. “But time is everything. You don’t get it back. How much would you pay for more time at the end of your life?”
My flight to Vancouver was cancelled and it cost me $10,000 to take the ferry instead.
Hold up… $10k for a 90 min ferry?! 🤯
Well, sort of.
To ferry from Victoria to Vancouver costs $160 and 3 hours 15 minutes of my time. ⛴️
To take a sea plane costs me $220 and 1 hour 15…
— Rob Fraser (@robbfraser) April 18, 2023
The internet had some thoughts on Fraser’s valuation. Nik Sharma playfully asked how much one sitting on the toilet cost Fraser, while Kevin Eastwood argued a ferry trip is a beautiful opportunity to sail the Salish Sea.
Depends on the meal
— Rob Fraser (@robbfraser) April 18, 2023
Fair point, thanks for the comment.
— Rob Fraser (@robbfraser) April 18, 2023
We have some other questions too, including how Fraser plans to get around once he’s at his destination — since taking the ferry means you can bring your car.
We’ve also been thinking of doing his calculation with our own travels. But, unfortunately, we may end up concluding we don’t make enough money and need to walk everywhere.
So, what do you think is “cheaper,” the ferry or the seaplane? Let us know in the comments.
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