I appreciate the views of aviation professionals and even those who represent the interests of airports, they are of course important finacial enterprises but what really turns out wicks up when Seattle boasts that is the gateway for Whistler (where I live) is that it actually isn't.
And that is the point.
Sitting in Europe and contemplating a ski holiday, offered access to Whistler through Seattle I would plump for Colorado via Denver or somewhere else I don't have to sit on a coach for seven hours after a ten hour flight.
Sure, I resent Seattle being easier than YVR. And just how much easier? Well, I am in Vietnam at the moment. We flew from Seattle. We drove for six hours, stayed a night in hotel, twice, once each way, and still came out a good couple of hundred ahead on the travel cost.
I'd rather drive less, I'd rather spend my night in Vancouver, I prefer YVR as an airport but I saved a bundle and got two "free" nights in Seattle. It should be easy. Book your flight from your nearest major airport, but thousands, many, many thousands of people like us are flying from Bellingam or Seattle and even more are taking their holidays elsewhere and saving a bundle because of the cost etc and limited access through YVR.
Cutting our own throats, really.