Porter Airlines is a newer face on the Canadian travel scene. They have
been flying out of the Billy Bishop Airport in downtown Toronto since
2002, concentrating on the Toronto, Ottawa, and Montreal corridor
primarily, but have expanded their network to include Burlington,
Chicago, Boston, New York and Washington DC in the United States since
their inception. Canadian destinations include Thunder Bay, Timmins,
Sault Ste. Marie, Sudbury, Windsor, Mont Tremblant, Quebec City,
Moncton, Halifax, and St. John’s. They also fly to Myrtle Beach
seasonally. Their fleet is Bombardier Q400 turboprop aircraft, seating
seventy passengers comfortably.
On a Porter flight, there is plenty of legroom, and leather seats are
two on each side of the aisle, making boarding and exiting easier.
Service on the ground includes free checked baggage, lounges equipped
with wi-fi and computers for accessing the internet. Complimentary
cappuccino, juice, water and snacks are available for passengers waiting
to board. On board, passengers are given box lunches and complimentary
beer or wine with the meal. The cabins are quiet and spacious, and have a
high-tech Noise and Vibration Suppression system to make the ride quiet
and smooth. Their motto is “flying refined” and they have put a lot of
thought and continuing effort into making air travel easy and fun.
Flying out of a smaller airport takes a lot of the stress out of the
boarding experience. There are not the lines to check baggage, no long
lines at security, and passing through customs is a breeze. Porter runs
shuttles to the Billy Bishop Airport on Toronto Island that connects to a
ferry to get you there, saving time on a long ride to Pearson
International Airport.
Porter Airlines often runs seat sales, with 30% - 50% off base fares.
Sign up for an e-newsletter to stay informed about these sales. If you
can book your short-haul flight on one of these specials, you will be
happy at the money you’ve saved. Porter Airlines also offers a
frequent-flyer rewards program, which adds a point for every flight you
take with them, and can be redeemed for a free flight after only 7500
points, or five flights booked at the most expensive fare, or twenty
flights at the lowest fare.
US Airways serves many of the same destinations from Canada as Porter
Airlines. With their partners, US Airways can book your flight anywhere
in the world, as well as short-haul destinations in the eastern part of
North America. They fly from Halifax, Montreal, Quebec City, Ottawa,
Toronto, Calgary, Edmonton and Vancouver, connecting to cities in the US
for flights anywhere.
A good place to find flights on Porter or US Airways is an online
discount travel site. You will be able to compare fares, schedules, and
layover times, and find the flight that meets your needs. Many discount
travel sites also offer price drop protection, or low-fare guarantees,
so you can be assured that you are getting the best value for your money
and you will have a wonderful flight experience.
