Welcome back to Flight Deck, where we review airlines, lounges and airports from around the world (and close to home). Today we are looking at Porter Airlines*. Porter began offering flights out of Toronto Pearson in mid-2022. I have flown Porter Airlines out of Billy Bishop Airport in downtown Toronto numerous times. My flight to Orlando was the first time that I was taking the airline out of Toronto Pearson. Part of the reason that they launched out of Canada’s largest airport is so that they can offer longer haul flights than the Dash 8 that they use out of Billy Bishop allows.
I flew on a Porter Airlines Embraer E195-E2 jet to Orlando. It is a quiet, narrow-body, twin-engine jet aircraft. There are two seats on either side of the aisle – part of Porter’s no middle seat promise.
Porter Airlines – The Good
Check-In At Pearson and Orlando International Airport
The check-in both at Toronto Pearson Airport and Orlando International Airport was relatively painless. A lot depends on luck and timing. I left at 10am on a Saturday morning and there was not very much passenger traffic at the airport. I checked in online and it was a very simple process. For reference, Porter Airlines leaves out of Terminal 3 at Toronto Pearson and you go through US customs while in Canada.
Timely
We left Toronto almost on time and we arrived about 20 minutes late. That is pretty fair in today’s travel world.
The Seat
The seats are leather with adjustable head rests and are comfortable. There are power outlets at every seat and there is a foldable seat tray that is slightly larger than average. I personally love that there are no middle seats – if you know, you know. There was also more than average storage under the seat which gave me ample room for my back pack which holds my laptop and other extras.
Leg Room
There was more legroom on the flight both in the Porter Classic seats and the Porter Reserve. I’m not tall (5’3.5) but I even find that I don’t have enough legroom in economy on other airlines.
Porter Classic Versus Porter Reserve
I flew Classic on the way down to Orlando and Reserve on the way home to Toronto. Both were excellent. Both offer free WiFi which is a great perk and signing on was easy – they provide directions on a handy card that you find in your seat back. I don’t drink and fly, but if you do, you get free wine and beer for both Classic and Reserve plus soft drinks or water if you want something without alcohol. You can pay for seat selection with Porter Classic, although the planes are small, so it really comes down to whether you want the emergency row for more legroom or not.
You pay for food (other than premium snacks) if you fly Porter Classic and it’s including with Porter Reserve. This is all about preference. What I really love is that they source their snacks and beverages (where possible) from Canadian businesses including wineries. A real positive especially with the possible impending tariffs coming – it shows real Canadian pride.
Information
You can get notifications sent straight to your phone – it makes it easy to stay up to date with flight delays and cancellations.
Cleanliness
I always find Porter’s planes to be clean as well as the bathrooms.
In-Flight Service
I always find Porter’s flight attendants to be friendly – I have never had a complaint.
Porter Airlines – The Bad
For this particular flight, I had zero complaints. If I have to nit pick, I waited a really long time in Orlando for my bag, but I think that has more to do with how busy the airport is versus Porter’s service.
Porter Airlines – The Final Verdict
The flight was smooth, left almost on-time and I had friendly service in both directions. With better legroom and more comfortable seats, I decided to take Porter Airlines to Florida again on a personal trip.
*My trip to Orlando, including my flight was provided free of charge. Porter Airlines did not receive approval over this article. All opinions are strictly my own.
