Porter Airlines on Friday flew a group of media folks on a test flight out of Toronto Pearson to show off their new jets and premium service.
I was invited to take the flight but I was flying home from New York City and couldn’t make it. I was, however, able to find a segment from reporter Richard Southern on CityNews.
Speaking to Southern on camera, Porter CEO Michael Deluce said he enjoyed a salmon poke lunch on board the test flight.
“The entire platform is about disrupting economy travel,” Deluce said. “There’s long been a lot of dissatisfaction about economy travel in Canada and the U.S., and Porter will be making economy travel more enjoyable for everyone, and really elevating the economy experience.”
Southern said the food was “tasty.” Service was good, the plane was very comfortable, and there were power ports at each seat.
Porter says all its new, 132-seat, Embraer E195-E2 jets have free Wi-Fi (Porter is the first Canadian airline to offer this service), and that passengers will be offered a wine or beer in a real glass.
There are just two seats on each side of the aisle, which means no middle seats on Porter flights.
“Porter will be the only carrier that offers no middle seats to its economy customers,” Deluce told PAX news.
Porter will begin commercial service on Feb. 1, and has already announced flights between Toronto Pearson and Ottawa, Montreal, Calgary, Halifax, Edmonton and Vancouver. They’re expected to soon announce flights to the western United States, as well as the Caribbean.
Porter made a name for itself with great service on Dash 8 turboprop planes out of Toronto Island/City Centre Airport, flying to destinations such as Newark/New York, Chicago, Halifax, Montreal and Ottawa. The purchase of dozens of Embraer jets and a move to Toronto Pearson (Deluce says they’ll keep their service at the island airport) changes the business model substantially.
Porter’s expansion also comes at a time when several new airlines are flying the crowded skies, including Flair, Canada Jetlines and Lynx Air, which flew its first international route on Friday, January 27 (Toronto Pearson to Orlando).
WestJet has said it will reduce flights in Eastern Canada, while Air Canada has trimmed some Western Canada routes. That could help Porter gain some business, but Montreal-based aviation expert John Gradek told The Globe and Mail that Canada can’t support this many airlines.
“My guess is that we’ll probably lose a carrier by the end of the year. Not sure which one,” he said.
