@movernie
February 2023 is a very special month for Porter Airlines (Porter) as they have reached a milestone by flying its planes out of Toronto Pearson International Airport (Toronto Pearson) for the company’s very first time. As some of you may have travelled with Porter before that it started back in 2006 and they provided regional flights flying out of Billy Bishop Airport (Downtown Toronto). I had travelled with Porter many times to destinations such as Halifax, Nova Scotia; Montreal, Quebec or New York City, New York. Overall, I enjoyed the overall service and the convenience of Porter located at the heart of Downtown Toronto.
Fast forward to 2023, Porter has purchased a bigger new jet called “Embraer E195-E2” which Porter claimed the new jet is bigger, faster and more fuel efficient. On February 1, 2023, Porter had already had its inaugural flights from Toronto Pearson to Ottawa, Ontario and Montreal, Quebec. Now, customers have a choice of flying to Ottawa and Montreal from Billy Bishop (Downtown Toronto) or Toronto Pearson (Mississauga). These are 2 options for its customers to choose from.
Today is February 7, 2023 is another major milestone for Porter as they are launching a new route flying from Toronto Pearson to Vancouver International Airport (YVR). Porter has never flown to Vancouver before so this is a first. And…..for your information, I am going on this inaugural flight. I am super excited as this marks the 1st time ever in my life for boarding an inaugural flight.
Inaugural Flight FUN Facts:
– Porter Airlines first time having its flight flying from Toronto Pearson to Vancouver Airport.
– This direct flight departs from Terminal 3 (Toronto Pearson)
– Departure Time: 10:15 AM ET
– Duration: 5 hrs & 19 mins
– Arrival Time: 12:35 PM PT (YVR – Main Terminal)
– Porter purchased the new Embraer E195-E2 jets which is bigger, faster and more fuel efficient
– Porter now offers 2 categories of flight options: Porter Reserve and Porter Classic
(You can click here to read up what’s included & excluded for each category).
Here is a breakdown of my inaugural flight experience with Porter Airlines (Toronto Pearson to Vancouver Airport):
Taking UP Express from Union Station to Terminal 3 – Toronto Pearson
Since I live in Downtown Toronto, I have decided to take the UP Express Train at Union Station. With Presto, UP Express is $9.20 CDN including tax and it comes every 30 minutes. It takes about 25 minutes from Union Station to Toronto Pearson Terminal 1.
Inside the UP Express train, I could see Porter advertisements everywhere along the entire train. They were advertising the various inaugural flights, free WIFI plus its new hashtag #ActuallyEnjoyEconomy.
Departure Counter – Terminal 3 (Toronto Pearson)
Since I need to get to Terminal 3 at Toronto Pearson, I took a complimentary short shuttle train ride from Terminal 1 to Terminal 3. Then I took an escalator down to the Departure area. To my surprise, Porter got a prime time counter location. The counters were literally located near the escalator where I took the short shuttle train ride and it’s at the middle section of the entire terminal.
I also noticed all the big Porter advertisement all around Terminal 3.
I didn’t really have to go to the counter as I have already checked-in online plus I didn’t need to check in my bags, but since this was an inaugural flight, I wanted to check out the area. The friendly Porter crew greeted me and asked me if I need anything. I asked the staff where will I be granted the $150 CDN travel voucher that Porter said they will provide. So, they explained to me that the travel voucher will be handed out prior to boarding the plane. Since I was already at the counter, I requested for a hardcopy printed boarding pass.
Since this was a domestic flight flying from a Canadian city to another Canadian city, no passport was required. Instead, a Canadian government issued document was sufficed. So, I showed the Porter staff with my Ontario driver’s license.
Getting pass the security check point was super quick for me coz I have no checked bags, just a carry-on with a backpack. Plus, I used the American Express scan code that allowed me to bypass the regular line. Since I was flying within Canada, there was no need to get pass the U.S. Customs, which also made the process much quicker as well.
At the Gate: B39
Since this was Porter’s inaugural flight, there was a special celebration at gate B39. They had a backdrop for photo opportunities. Michael Deluce, President & CEO of Porter Airlines was present. He took photos with many passengers who recognized him plus Michael was on board of this inaugural flight with us to Vancouver.
Furthermore, there were many more Porter staff and flight attendants on hand to take photos with the passengers plus assisting them.
Passengers who were on this inaugural flight got a chance to choose a key from a pile of them on the key rack with only one key that could unlock the mini suitcase for a chance to win a pair of flight tix with a choice of the destination where Porter will fly to. I tried my luck but I didn’t win. Eventually, a lucky winner won the flight tix. Congrats!
Furthermore, hot beverages such as coffee and tea were served, along with Porter famous shortbread cookies. They were super delicious. What a great way to start the journey.
These racoon swizzle stix were super cute. So cute that I decided to keep them after use.
MoVernie FUN FACT: Raccoon (aka Mr. Porter) is Porter Airlines mascot and logo. You will see this familiar face on newsletters, on the plane and on all parts of various advertisements.
Then, it’s time to lineup and board the new plane. For some reason, there was a 10-15 minute wait at the tunnel before we were allowed to board the plane, nevertheless, it was all good as we were all excited to board the inaugural flight.
Prior to boarding, at the counter when the staff checked our boarding passes and documents, we were handed with an envelope. Inside each envelope was a “Congratulations Letter” thanking us for our support and for flying Porter’s inaugural flight. Moreover, the $150 CDN travel voucher was in the envelope. It said that we can book the flight with the voucher until March 1, 2024 (that’s a good one year before it expires). Furthermore, there was a little key chain showing the date of this inaugural flight to Vancouver. These are nice perks that Porter gave out.
On the New Embraer E195-E2 Jet:
As I entered the entrance of the new Embraer E195-E2 jet, we were greeted by a friendly flight attendant. First thing that I noticed was how much longer this plane was as compared to the smaller Porter planes flying from Billy Bishop. This new jet no longer uses propeller. It has the big turbine engines on both sides of the wing.
However, this plane was not wide, it’s quite similar to the width as the propeller planes that Porter uses to fly out of Billy Bishop. It feels like the same propeller planes only twice the length. The layout was 2×2 configuration, where there were no middle seats, with the window/aisle combination. Porter claims this layout with no middle seat as another Porter Perks since many other airlines do have a middle seat (totaling 3 seats in a row). As we all agree, no one wants the middle seat.
I luv the fresh smell of the new plane. The seats smelled fresh. In fact, everything smelled amazing! There were overhead cabins to put in the carry-on. However, I noticed that if you put your standardize carry-on vertically to give more space for other passengers to put in their carry-on, there was a chance that the lid couldn’t close. So, it’s safer bet to put the carry-on sideways but that’s not super efficient as putting it sideways create less space to store more carry-ons. This was where I was a bit disappointed with the overhead design. Why can’t they build and extend the overhead a little bit longer so it guarantees the carry-on can fit vertically? SMH.
Each seat had a headrest with a Porter logo on it. I would say the seat was ok. It’s not wide enough with pretty small seat and I ain’t even over 6 feet tall, so you could imagine any tall person may feel a little bit cramped. However, with economy class, every airline have similar small seat anyways. Leg room was ok, there was enough space to put in my backpack or other personal items. Would I prefer more stretching room, of course, but it is what it is, for a 3-5 hour flight, this seat was doable and did its job. But of course, if you prefer more leg room, then you can pay up for the Porter Reserve class category.
I do have to say that…..after a 5-hour flight from Toronto to Vancouver, my back started to get a bit sored and legs starting to require some stretching. I would prefer the seat to have more lumbar support, but again, it’s doable but could be better.
In between each row, there were 2 power outlets to charge your laptops or smartphones. So, each passenger had its own power outlet.
Each person had its own light and fan which I like. In many other airlines, I hate it when all the ventilation and lights were located in one seat location relying the fan to be strong enough to blow some air con to my face from afar, I don’t like that. Kudos to Porter having each individual ventilation. I had my own control and ventilation separate from the other passenger’s control system.
In front of my seat was a seat pocket that included a “Re:Porter” travel magazine, the emergency escape visual card, the food & beverage menu. There was also instructions on how to connect its complimentary WIFI and in-flight entertainment to our devices. I guess the big drawback was the lack of TV screen on each individual seat and rely solely on your own laptops or smartphones for in-flight entertainment.
Porter Perks on These Flights:
– Complimentary WIFI + In-Flight Entertainment
– Complimentary Beer/Wine/Non-alcoholic beverages with glassware (not many airlines offer glassware)
– Complimentary Snacks
– Complimentary Meal (Porter Reserve)
– Meal for purchase (Porter Classic)
– No Middle Seat (2×2 window/aisle layout)
There are 2 classes of Porter options: Porter Reserve and Porter Classic
Porter Reserve:
You get more leg room seating at special designate rows on the plane. Complimentary meal included.
Click here for more details about what Porter Reserve includes.
Porter Classic:
Cheaper flight with standard seating with less leg room than Porter Reserve. Meal for purchase as meals are not complimentary.
Click here for more details about what Porter Classic includes.
Since this was an inaugural flight, we were informed that we would be able to try some of the Porter’s meal that usually would be available for purchase. So, it’s complimentary in this inaugural flight, however, it was quite disappointing that by the time it came to my row, which my seat was row 16, which was half-way from the last row of row 32. I was surprised they only had Raspberry chia smoothie bowl left. It was a bit of a headscratcher on this one as they announced over the speaker phone that they will offer complimentary meal for us to try. So, I thought perhaps they will have a variety of small samples for this particular flight for us to try. Since Porter was expecting to hand out meals for people to try for free, then why on earth there aren’t enough variety for the passengers to choose in the first place? SMH.
Anyhow, the smoothie bowl was super tasty and fresh but it was super small that I didn’t know if I would pay $7.99 CDN for it though.
But looking at the food options, I really dig them. They offer options such as soba noodles, salmon poke and croissant egg & cheese sandwiches. They steer away from the boring chicken wrap or ham sandwiches that other airlines offer. So, kudos to Porter for bringing some cool food options to its flights!
To flush down the smoothie bowl, I drank a can of complimentary Steam Whistle beer. FYI – Beau’s Lug Tread beer is also provided by Porter.
The flight was overall steady and calm with some turbulence but that was to be expected. The plane sounded relatively quiet. It was cool that the passenger who sat beside me told me that we were just flying above the famous Rockies. You could see the snowcap on top of the mountains.
There were 2 washrooms on the plane, with one washroom at the very front of the plane near the entrance. And the 2nd washroom was located at the back of the plane. Both washrooms were typically small size but did its job with the toilet seat, garbage can, sink with soap. However, it was a bit odd at the mid-way point of the flight that the water ran out for the washroom from the back. I had to use hand sanitizer to clean my hands. Nevertheless, the washroom was clean, modern and bright.
An hour before landing, the Porter staff did a 2nd round of handing out complimentary beverages. You can get a beer/wine/non-alcoholic beverage plus snacks. This time, I ordered a white wine.
NOTE: They serve red wine and white wine from the well-known Jackson Triggs from the Okanagan Valley,, BC and Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario regions. So, Porter knows what a good wine to serve its customers.
After approximately a 5-hour flight, we had landed safely at Vancouver International Airport (YVR). As our plane pulled up to the airport terminal, a whole crew of Porter staff and the media were waving and welcoming us on the tarmac. That was quite a sight!
It didn’t take long before we got off the plane. As we approached closer to the gate, we saw the indigenous people welcoming us by singing and pounding its drums.
As we got out of the door and into the gate area, we were greeted by a big group of media waiting for the presentation by the Vancouver Airport Authority + Michael Deluce who was also boarded on this inaugural flight.
There was a DJ spinning music plus hot beverages and cookies were being served for the arrived passengers.
There was also an inaugural flight for passengers leaving from Vancouver Airport to Toronto Pearson, so it must be also an amazing journey for these passengers as well.
At the Vancouver Airport (YVR):
The Vancouver Airport Authority, the city council member and Michael Deluce greeted the passengers and made a presentation to the media on hand as they talked about the Porter expansion flying to Vancouer for the 1st time and it’s important for Porter to elevate the Economy Class experience giving its customers the opportunity to #AcutallyEnjoyEconomy.
MoVernie Final Verdict:
I have always liked Porter Airlines ever since they entered the air travel industry since day 1. I have always enjoyed the lounge at Billy Bishop as they offer complimentary snacks and coffee. I luv the convenience of just taking a short streetcar ride or its Porter free shuttle bus from Union Station to Billy Bishop. I appreciate the shorter lineup at the security check, less wait time at the custom check, and how short walking distance to get to the gate.
I luv how Porter is mostly always on time and its excellent service they provide for each passenger. They have always offered complimentary free beer/wine/non-alcoholic beverages and free snacks. I still remember Porter was the 1st airline that offered root chips and that’s how I know about root chips and I felt in luv with how tasty they were.
Overall, I am happy for Porter on its expansion to offer new destinations and new flights flying in-and-out of Toronto Pearson. I think it’s a win-win for passengers who now have 2 options of deciding where they want to fly in-and-out of Toronto, whether via Billy Bishop (Downtown Toronto) or via Toronto Pearson (Mississauga).
I enjoyed the inaugural flight from Toronto Pearson (YYZ) to Vancouver Airport (YVR). Porter Airlines have definitely provide another excellent option for passengers who wants to fly to Vancouver from Toronto with its bigger and more fuel efficient planes.
Moreover, the prices are super competitive as compared to other airlines. But Porter has elevated the “Economy Class” flying experience with its many complimentary perks. In the past, I know many passengers chose Porter mainly for its business trips. But now with more destinations and flight options that Porter offers, it is also a great option for family trips and personal leisure trips.
I do, however, would prefer to take Porter from Billy Bishop as I live in Downtown Toronto, so it’s quicker for me to get to Billy Bishop and it takes less travel time for me to get to Billy Bishop. However, I will definitely consider flying with Porter on flights that are only being offered at Toronto Pearson.
Porter is now pushing the envelope, disrupting the air travel industry in a good way, forcing other airlines to take notice. Porter has elevated their services while offering competitive pricings.
In summary, it’s a win-win situation for customers!
Congratulations to Porter Airlines and I hope to fly with Porter in the near future to new destinations, perhaps somewhere outside of Canada on its new planes flying out of Toronto Pearson again!
I highly recommend you to give Porter Airlines a try and experience for yourself!
Now let me enjoy my visit in Vancouver, BC. This marks my 4th time visiting this beautiful west coast city. I will meet up with some of my good friends as well as indulging some nice sushi, sashimi and seafood.
I will be flying back from Vancouver to Toronto in a few days with Porter once more. So stay tuned for my other MoVernie BLOG on my travel experience on my return flight!
Porter Airlines:
Website
Hubs: Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport & Toronto Pearson International Airport
Founded: February 2, 2006, Toronto, Canada
