A Review of Porter Airlines

This week I needed to travel to Moncton for work and when offered the option of flying Air Canada or Porter, I chose Porter. I haven’t flown Porter Airlines in quite some time and thought I would give them another chance.

The small airline is still fairly new to the aviation industry. And was integral to the change of domestic travel within Canada. While Canadian airlines still have a long way to go compared to its European counterparts, we’re getting there slowly but surely. It’s astonishing how little Canadians travel within their own country – but that’s a post for another time.

Out of Toronto you can travel internationally (New York, Boston, Chicago, Washington, Myrtle Beach, Charleston, and Chicago) and domestically (Stephenville, St. John’s, Halifax, Moncton, Quebec City, Montreal, Ottawa, Mont Tremblant, Sudbury, Timmins, Thunder Bay, Sault Ste, Marie and Windsor).

The main hub for Porter Airlines is the Billy Bishop Airport located very conveniently close to Downtown Toronto (1km). The airport is walkable from most places in Toronto,
including my house which was very convenient.

It’s also important to note, to give yourself a 20-25 minute buffer incase you miss the ferry (yes you have to take a ferry to get to the airport)** update – they’ve opening a wonderful new tunnel underneath the airport**. I arrived at the airport 10 minutes before boarding. This is no lie. I missed the ferry before by seconds and had to wait close to 20 minutes for the next one. Yet, as I strolled through security quickly I got to the gate with 5 minutes to spare.

For an industry that is very regulated, strict and harsh, there’s something about Porter Airlines that make it seem laid back. They take your luggage as you’re walking onto the tarmac to take your plane, casually asking what destination is your final one (Moncton flights stop in Ottawa). As you walk up the small steps you are greeted by a pleasant flight attendant and told which side your seat is on.

The planes are very small. Two people per side, with a very small aisle. Because boarding is very quick, you’re ready for take off in no time. No here’s the thing, I’m not a good flyer (click here to read more) and so for me take offs and landings in these planes are terrifying. You can feel every little air pocket, bit of turbulence and hiccup. Yet, it’s easy to deal with because the flights with Porter are usually no longer than 2 hours.

For cost, customer service and overall impression Porter Airlines is great. I would recommend them to anyone travelling on short haul flights. Plus you get free alcohol!