Porter Airlines is one of those quiet success stories. The airline has grown immensely since its humble beginnings just over six years ago from their Toronto Island hub base, to become an airline of choice for travelers to numerous key Canadian destinations. Since their maiden flight on October 23, 2006 to Ottawa, the airline now carries over a million passengers annually to nearly 20 destinations and continues to win praise and accolades from both passengers and travel industry peers.
What helped propel Porter to the top of their league is the astute attention to customer service. For those flying out of Toronto, the joy of travel on Porter begins before reaching the airport. Passengers can easily catch local transit to Union Station where a free shuttle takes them to the airport. Once at the airport, a short ferry ride conveys you to the Porter terminal, allowing you to become part of history on the shortest ferry ride in the world according to the Guinness Book of World Records. However, construction on a pedestrian tunnel linking the island terminal to the mainland is projected to be completed in spring 2014.
Once in Porter’s special digs service excellence begins before the flight even takes off, as passengers have access to one of two airport lounges, where they can enjoy complimentary beverages, snacks, newspapers, wifi, and business center facilities. Lounges are available in both Ottawa and Newark airports. After boarding, the stylish cabin crew makes certain your flight goes as pleasantly as possible. The Bombardier Dash-8 Q400 aircraft is outfitted with leather back seating in a two-and-two seat configuration on each side, and an overly generous seat pitch. The aircraft was modified to incorporate only 70 seats as opposed to the standard 78 for this aircraft and in-flight service includes complimentary beverages and snacks. Door side luggage service expedites the boarding and disembarking process at each end of your journey.
Expansion has been rapid from the start, with Porter picking up destinations that have either been underserviced, like those in the northern region of Ontario or ones that are serviced by multiple carriers such as their recently launched Washington D.C. route to Dulles International Airport. As well, they have tapped into important seasonal niche markets in skiing, like Mont-Tremblant and Vermont as well as coastal destinations, such as Myrtle Beach. One of the greatest perks to using their alternative airport locations is less congestion, meaning quicker point-to-point travel times. It’s now possible on Porter to get from downtown Toronto to Times Square in under three hours.
The airline recently announced their further expansion into the leisure market with a dedicated vacation division called Porter Escapes. Packages combine flights, with hotel accommodations, car rental, and travel insurance. Working with tourism partners in each destination, the next phase for Porter Escapes will include theater, spa, adventure and other package themes that meet individual tastes. As an FYI, their VIP Porter program is free to join and rewards frequent flyers with free flights and other incentives, including giveaways, promotional offers, and contests. Future proposed routes from Toronto include Cincinnati, Cleveland, Detroit, Pittsburgh, and Philadelphia.
In a time when travel is often more troubling than tempting, it’s great to have a carrier like Porter Airlines bringing the fun back to flying. Porter operates numerous flights a day out of its hub at Billy Bishop Airport in Toronto to Ottawa, Montreal, Quebec City, Moncton, Halifax, St. John’s, Thunder Bay, Sault Ste. Marie, Sudbury, Timmins, Windsor, New York (Newark), Chicago (Midway), Boston, Washington (Dulles) and has seasonal flights to Mt. Tremblant, Que., Myrtle Beach, S.C., and Burlington, Vt.