Porter Airlines yesterday began operating daily flights from Quebec City to both Halifax and Toronto City Centre aboard Q400s. Porter also noted that its Toronto City Centre-Newark service, launched three months ago, is "80% ahead of revenue projections" and includes 35% of passengers originating at EWR. The carrier plans to double its fleet to 12 Q400s by year end and will operate 20 aircraft by 2010.
I just flew Porter for the first time down to EWR for a business meeting in NYC. I have a place in downtown Toronto and I can walk to the Porter shuttle stop at the Royal York Hotel. The ferry is stupid but it's not their fault.
Check in and the departure lounge are great. The departure lounge is as good as the AC Maple Leaf Club in Pearson or one of the new UA Red Carpet Clubs in the US. The flight was about half full. We were the only flight at US Customs in EWR.
Return flight 9am next morning: no lines in EWR international terminal; I was alone in the security line. Easy flight. 10 minutes to clear customs in TCCA. Then that stupid ferry and a crowded Porter shuttle back to York and Front. I had a 9:15am flight from EWR and I was home in downtown Toronto by noon.
The roundtrip fare was under $400. This would have been equivalent to a $280 fare out of YYZ because I would have had to pay $120 for 2 limo rides plus the extra cost for 4+ hours of extra time required to fly in and out of YYZ.
I do a lot of business-related traveling between Toronto and BOS so I'll be buying Porter passes as soon as Porter starts BOS service. I'm a pretty loyal United flyer (645,000 flight miles so far) but Porter is so nice and YYZ is such a hassle that I don't care about losing the Star Alliance miles for these short-haul flights.
Just bought tkts from YQB to YYZ today. We will be using VIA to get from Toronto to St. Catharines so Porter works like a charm We have a little under 2 hrs to get from the aircraft to our train so just about perfect.
I am a little weary about Porter being new to YQB and what would happen if they pull out or not have a flight the day we booked but their agents assured me that Porter would take care of us so what the heck....bring on the wine
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"Midway International Airport welcomes Toronto airline Nov. 12
TORONTO, Oct. 1 /CNW/ - Porter Airlines is preparing for arrival at
Chicago Midway International Airport from its Toronto City Centre Airport
(TCCA) base, with the first flights departing Nov. 12. Porter is the only
carrier offering service between these two convenient airports. The full
schedule includes six roundtrip flights every weekday, plus two Saturday and
three Sunday."
Hmm, I wonder if those revenue projections included a profit? Of course, sicne they're a private company, we'll never know.
They must be doing something right and things must be going really well for them. They just launched New York, announced Chicago plus firmed up two more orders for Q400's.
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Check-In
What is the total travel time from the Royal York stop to the check-in desks at YTZ? I have 6:15pm flight (check-in closes at 5:30pm to EWR.) Is 5:00pm cutting it? Should I make it 4:45pm? 4:30pm?
What is the total travel time from the Royal York stop to the check-in desks at YTZ? I have 6:15pm flight (check-in closes at 5:30pm to EWR.) Is 5:00pm cutting it? Should I make it 4:45pm? 4:30pm?
Cheers,
You'd be cutting it very close due to rush hour but should make it. 4:45 would be safer.
the past two years were good years, lets see how long it lasts when the going gets tough.
Huh? In which alternate universe exactly have the past two years been good for airlines?
Point taken on the economy though, if PD is counting on business travel to New York and Chicago to make a big difference that may not happen, unless one of the the Canadian Big 5 banks uses the current turmoil to acquire even more US assets...and of course the silver lining in that cloud is cheaper oil.
Posting from the Airport Marriott on PD's dime as they have canceled my flight home tonight due to mechanical problems. Looks like they've had a goat rodeo of a day going by the flight status page. They popped for a hotel room, $25 meal vouchers and 200/pax MCO
As a regular flyer used to what other airlines do for pax in IROPS I'm reasonably pleased but the once a year flyers in line where plenty pissed.
We have a little under 2 hrs to get from the aircraft to our train so just about perfect.
Hyatt excels in customer service
