Originally Posted by
eggsbenedict
It really is odd how Porter treats Porter Reserve. On paper it makes sense as a $50-$100 upgrade (somewhat similar to the Flex > Comfort upgrade on AC). But it's generally priced much higher than that, and treated as even a scarcer resource in the frequent flyer program, with one measly upgrade per $2000-$3000 spent.
As a frequent YVR-YYZ flyer I'd fly Porter Y over AC/WS Y any day. But AC offers me the ability to fly 50%+ of my flights in PY/J via eUpgrade and the occasional splurge award flight along the lines of Ethiad F by engaging with their reward program, whereas Porter offers me two measly upgrade certificates to Porter Reserve. If they didn't pretend PR was so valuable it wouldn't be quite so disappointing a program.
You can't really compare to AC J.
It's more comparable to PE than anything, at much less cost.
I regularly fly YYC-YYZ and YYC-YUL. On AC I wouldnt even be 25K after 10 flights, but I'd be at least at the 3rd tier with Porter and based on history have been in reserve 3-4 times out of those 10 flights. Porters program is designed more for the flyers who aren't doing 40-50-60+ segments.