Flying Porter Out of Pearson Airport is Everything I Hoped It Would Be
I flew one of the airline's new fleet out of Pearson Airport and every other Canadian airlines should take note.
KANATA, Ont. β Greetings from just outside of Ottawa where the weather has been above average. Iβm used to exiting Canadian Tire Centre with a bit of a headache as the February cold and wind snap around your head like nothing else. The good news is it was seven degrees Celsius and no wind. Itβs delightful.
Speaking of cold and wind, a couple of weeks ago, I took my very first Porter Airlines flight out of Pearson Airport. The airlines recently unveiled a new jet service across North America. I had very high expectations as the Dash-8 experience to shorter destinations out of Toronto Island Airport has been pretty good. But this was outstanding.
There is no first class on Porter planes. Instead, you can pay for a seat with more legroom near the front of the plane. I donβt roll like that and always try to keep my costs down, so I was near the back. But man, I loved it.
NO MIDDLE SEATS
I cannot begin to tell you how great this is for longer flights. The 2-by-2 configuration made each seat feel slightly bigger. I was initially booked for an aisle seat. I wasnβt able to move it to a window during online check-in but had no issues doing it when I went to the gate before boarding.
FREE SNACKS, BEER AND WINE
This is a staple on all Porter Flights out of Toronto Island Airport and this holds for flights leaving to and from Pearson. Nothing new here.
FREE HIGH-SPEED WIFI
This, right here, is the big separator among the other airline choices in Canada. Air Canada and WestJet charge high amounts for basic internet on a plane and the speeds can be quite unreliable. Itβs usually why I prefer using US airlines like Delta whenever I can (Delta has the best airplane Wi-Fi south of the border). But Porter provides streamable high-speed Wi-Fi that is completely free. I was able to get some work done and watch some sports on the entire flight.
NOT PERFECT
To maximize space, the seat backs donβt have a proper stowaway area. That led to an agent asking me to put my laptop under the seat in front of me during takeoff. That was a bit challenging as laptops can fly from seat to seat. I had to press my foot on the laptop case in order to make sure it didnβt get away from me.
Another issue is making me take the earphones and headphones off during the flight announcement. While I understand that safety is paramount, this shouldnβt be necessary. This hasnβt happened to me since I first started travelling for work regularly in 2011.
TERRIBLE POINTS PROGRAM, BUT THEREβS A WORKAROUND
The VIPorter Program is terrible. Thereβs no ifs or buts about it. I actually had some points expire recently due to two years of inactivity. Even though I booked within the two years (the flight was after the window). Iβve never accumulated enough points to redeem a flight. There is no credit card or other partner program where you can attain VIPorter points. It just sucks.
The good news is they recently struck partnerships with Alaska Airlines and Air Transat. Alaskaβs points program is quite great. For an upcoming flight I have with Porter, I was able to book it through Alaska Airlines and get miles.
Alaska is also part of the Oneworld alliance, giving you flexibility with more airlines partners. You can also accumulate Alaska miles on the MBNA Rewards World Elite Mastercard. They are set to launch a 1:1 rewards point conversion to Alaska Miles and restaurant and groceries earn at a rate of 5 reward points per dollar.
The Leafs have one big Western trip remaining and then the road is very light between now and the rest of the regular season. Iβve got some extreme couponing tips Iβve used for the upcoming trip through St. Louis, Phoenix, Las Vegas and Denver. I look forward to sharing those with you then.