Porter Airlines

Wow. Having never flown Porter, I dreaded the thought of a two-​leg flight from Montréal to Washington. At 6’6″, flying smaller commuter planes is not usually fun. porter was quite the pleasant surprise. This was one of the more comfortable, least stressful trips I have had in a while, with a few pleasant surprises.
First, the planes were new and comfortable. We were able to get front row bulkhead seats, and they had more legroom than bulkhead seats on full-​sized American Airlines flights. And while we had to gate check our bags, there was no charge and the luggage appeared as soon as we stepped off each leg of the trip.
The flight attendant was pleasant and professional. How nice (and sadly unusual) to fly with employees who don’t hate the company.
When we completed our first leg and were exiting in Toronto, the employee at the gate desk, without prompting, helped us cut through having to walk around to re-​enter the gate area.
The biggest surprise was the pleasant atmosphere in the Toronto gate area. It was filed with comfortable chairs, tables and, while there was food for sale, they also had complimentary sodas, water, coffee and cookies. Wow. The American Admirals Club doesn’t even have that, and it costs hundreds per year.
Can’t wait to fly again.

They are fast and put
Me on the flight home sooner no charge for change flights so I don’t miss my kids sporting event
You guys are the best

Porter’s Montréal staff are still amazing. They are the only thing that seems to have survived the butchering of the company.
In other Porter news, though:
Porter has rolled back virtually every single attribute that earned them my admiration — and loyalty — from their start.
They have begun to nickel-​and-​dime customers, charging $ 25+tax for a 1^st checked bag within Canada.
They have stopped serving boxed meals during meal time.
Their PREVIOUS customer service excellence has disappeared.
Their 45% off sales are BETTER than their 50−60% off sales, which calls into question their integrity in advertisement.
In the last 3 trips, I have had issued that required interaction with their customer service in Toronto, and have left with a feeling each time that the agents are saying just about anything, without regard for truth. They just want to get out of trouble, so to speak. Honesty no longer matters.
Same thing for their Twitter and social media staff, who are (presumably following orders) but completely ignoring customer complaints and responding with irrelevant and insignificant comments that have nothing to do with the issue being raised.
Along with all of the new fees and cutbacks in service (huh?), they no longer have any agent on the mainland side of the Toronto Island Airport.
So, to sum up, they are charging more money, giving customers less, and everything we loved is gone.
Porter used to be geniuses at achieving competitive advantage. Now they have become just another airline, no better than Air Canada. Yikes.

Awesome experience. Price point was great. They offered a free checked bag and wine and a snack on the flight. Who could ask for anything more.

If you want to travel to Toronto or Montréal, porter is DEFINIETLY the way to go! Just make sure to sign up for their newsletters, and you will get e-​nmails about when they have sales. Don’t feel rushed to grab onto their sales, since every time it’s their «biggest sale of the year», which happens every few weeks. You get free wine and a snack, and the porter lounge in Toronto is really nice. Only annoying thing is that all flights have a layover in Toronto, but it’s usually a quick layover, and you get free nuts, cookies, soda and espresso!

These guys have a great thing going.
From their base at the Billy Bishop Airport in Toronto they offer great service and a great product.
Their lounge in Toronto (at the island airport) is comfortable and offers plenty of seating while you wait for your flight. There is well kept self serve café offering snacks and hot and cold beverages.
There are plenty of staff around to answer questions and keep things running smoothly.
The boarding process is quick and painless and their Dash-​8 Q400 aeroplanes are immaculately groomed.
Onboard service is quick, friendly and free. There isn’t much in the way of food (just some light snacks), but the complimentary bar service is a nice touch.
Any time I’m back east, I’ll definitely use them again.

Warning to US travellers
Do not buy a ticket on Porter‘s website for travel within Canada.
Porter – unlike West Jet – levies American airport taxes on such flights if you indicate you are a US citizen.
This can add 10 dollars or more to a ticket.
There is no excuse for Porter levying US taxes on a ticket from Montréal to Toronto