The "Porter" Experience

[Embraer190]

Is the "Porter" experience really as good as it seems? I've never flown Porter before, but I've heard some good things. Anyone taken Porter and have any feedback?

Thanks,
EMJ190

[gustind]

Same price as other carriers. Get delayed like other carriers. Real perk is free Stella, food, and great service.

[Just another canuck]

Pilatus Porter... f'n sweet bird!!!!

[...]

hmmmm...Porter....the last time a Canadian had to take a boat to go to work was when we were still shipping beaver pelts down the Hudson as a Voyageur via canoe.





At least you don't have to Portage the meal/booze cart down the aisle...

[Changes in Latitudes]

hmmmm...Porter....the last time a Canadian had to take a boat to go to work was when we were still shipping beaver pelts down the Hudson as a Voyageur via canoe.

F them and F their 10 k bond.

Doc...you feel me?


Porter is an outstanding company to fly on, friendly people but highly professional. No complaints, they bring back little bits and pieces of "real school" airline service that I yearn for so much.

[JBI]

I flew on Porter as a passenger for the first time over the Christmas Holidays. I was happy with their service and would fly on them again. Although overall it was a positive experience, there were still certain troubles that would affect all airlines, and there were a couple of minor things that directly relate to Porter that I maybe actually would have preferred AC or WestJet for.

My flight was from Halifax to City Centre. Because of weather, the plane arrived in Halifax late, so we boarded late. Once onboard the crew had a problem with the de-icing system. It took a bit of time to get that solved, once we did, we got de-iced and then were on our way.

I think Halifax-City Centre is Porter's longest segment and you could start to feel the speed difference between the Dash-8 and jets. There was a strong headwind, so overall the flight took 3 hours which is the longest I've ever had it take. Having no inflight entertainment system made the flight go longer - I did have a book and an ipod though, so it was all good. Minor pet peeve for me was when they asked if I wanted a window or an aisle, I asked for window and I got the window seat in aisle 10, which is directly under the wing spar and doesn't really have a window (not a huge deal and I've had something similar happen on AC).

Perhaps my biggest complaint, but even then, it's not a huge one, was when we arrived at City Centre a total of 3 hours late, we arrived at the exact same time as a flight from Ottawa. Usually Porter flights do not have a lot of checked baggage, however, over Christmas most people had checked bags. The current baggage room at the Island's terminal is ridiculously small and having two full planes arrive at the same time with lots of bags made for a very crowded room and it took a long time for everyone to get their baggage. I think that that's something that they are fixing in the new terminal they are building.

It's a little annoying that you then have to take the ferry, but the shuttle service to Union station was nice.

The flight back was great. I got a window seat and no one beside me. The flight was quick and left on time. On both flights they served drinks and a snack, but not a meal or sandwiches. When we got to Halifax there was a mix up with which carosel the baggage was supposed to be on and there were no Porter reps present, but things got sorted out.

On both flights the flight attendants were friendly and the uniforms were stylish. All employees that I talked to were friendly and not yet jaded by the industry. The lounge that Porter has at City Centre is great - hang out, grab a free pop and bottle of water, check your e-mail and sit in a comfy chair - definitely beats Pearson. As well, and perhaps it was just my flight, there seemed to be some pretty good looking people on Porter both as crew and passengers. Not that it makes any real difference, but hey, scenery is nice sometimes.

I would fly on Porter again, it was a pleasant experience, but they're not immune to the general problems that can befall any airline in Canada.

(ya, I felt like writing a story)

[optimus]

Flew down to NYC in November.

It was great. Very fast, very convenient (I live in the east end).

No real hustle/busltle like at Pearson. I've heard that flying into Newark can be deadly if you get behind a intl. 747 and you have to clear customs, but we were the only ones going through.

Nice touch on the free booze etc.

Everyone who flies should he hoping these guys stay around, putting a lot of pressure on the majors vis a vis pricing.

[Embraer190]

Wow, sounds excellent. Thanks for the feedback guys.

[flyincanuck]

Overall good, but there were some cons

Cons:
- the ferry
- friggin cold at FL250
- you have to take your checked luggage through security and load it onto a belt in YTZ
- no in flight entertainment (cept for the porter scenery)
- TINY luggage claim in YTZ - 2 planes arrived at the same time and it was nearly impossible to get your bag. Waiting room for the ferry was beyond full.

Pros:
- quiet plane
- great YTZ lounge (Apple computers, fridge with beverages, espresso machine, etc)
- great in-flight service (booze, etc)
- professional and good looking crew

The only other glitch we encountered is that we weren't awarded the seats we pre-booked (and paid for). We told the check-in rep in Halifax and she couldn't have cared less. The response we were given was "well the seats are already taken.". (!) It would be nice to see Porter faces at the out-stations (not contracted serviceair employees) - I think that will make a big difference.

All in all a good trip, but I think they'll have some serious real-estate challenges down the road operating out of YTZ. Especially if more than one plane comes in at the same time.