Porter Airlines have fast become my favourite airline in Canada. They offer great rates, free Wi-Fi and beer on board, and no middle seats on any of their aircraft. In the last few years, they’ve been fast expanding their reach, shaking up markets that had long been exclusively catered to by Canada’s two major airlines – Air Canada or WestJet.
At the end of 2024, Porter launched direct flights between Palm Springs – the home of Coachella – and Toronto. This gave Canadians the choice of three airlines between Canada and the popular desert destination. So how does the airline’s service compare on this route? A couple of weeks ago I flew with them to find out.
Airline: Porter Airlines
Route: Palm Springs (PSP) to Toronto Pearson (YYZ)
Flight Number: PD 634
Aircraft: Embrarer 195-E2
Ticket Type: PorterClassic
Seat: 25B (2-2 Layout, Aisle Seat)
Duration: 4 hours 12 minutes
On time? Departed on time, arrived 20 minutes early
Departing from Palm Springs International Airport (PSP)
With no less than three airlines flying between Canada and Palm Springs, there’s now plenty of competition on that route. So it can be an affordable alternative to flying into Los Angeles (LAX). And it also means that more Canadians are flying to the destination than ever before.
And the team at PSP Airport know it – placing up banners in the terminal to celebrate their neighbours.
My direct flight to Toronto, Canada had a fantastic 2.20pm departure time, meaning the morning could be spent exploring the city before heading to the airport. After checking out from my hotel, I had a late breakfast at Elmer’s restaurant, which is one of my favourite diners in the US.
Its original Portland location opened back in 1960, and they have an incredible menu. I recommend the stuffed hash browns!
From there, it was less than 10 minutes to get to Palm Springs International Airport.
Checking In and Boarding
With a carry on only, it was a quick run through security at Palm Springs Airport. I got there two hours before my flight, and was through to the beautiful outdoor terminal in less than 15 minutes.
On this flight, I noticed a change in my experience with Porter, too.
In the past, their online check-in would only be possible if you had a US or Canadian passport. However this time, with my Australian passport, I was able to check in online. So I didn’t have to check in at the counter as in the past. And then they just called me up at the gate for a passport check before we boarded.
Boarding started about 25 minutes before we were due to depart, but it was not a full flight – and these aren’t massive planes – so boarding was efficient, and we left on time. They board from the back of the plane to the front, which helps as well. Not enough airlines do this – and then they wonder why there’s a backlog of people in the jet bridge!?
In Flight Experience: Seats, Views and Wi-Fi
It wasn’t a full flight so I ended up with a pair of seats to myself, and enjoyed some fantastic views out my window.
Make sure to take advantage of it; you never know what you might be flying over.
Unlike other airlines where they only offer one plug between a pair of seats, here they have two AC plugs sitting in front of you. Meaning no one on the flight will go without a charge.
And given their fantastic, and completely free wi-fi on board (if you’re a VIPorter customer), you’re going to want the power. It will work on just about any device, and was fast and reliable for the majority of the flight. I was even streaming off Netflix at one point.
If you’re not a VIPorter customer (and there’s no reason not to be), you’ll only get 30 minutes of free usage.
Each seat has its own light, cabin crew service bell and an air vent above it. And in spite of being a smaller plane, there was plenty of room for bags above seats and below.
Seat recline is minimal, but the legroom is good. My only gripe was that the cushion that was my seat bottom wouldn’t stay still. But I just moved to the seat next to me which seemed to be better affixed.
Meal Service
About 20 minutes after take off they commenced the in-flight service. First, to offer paid meals, cocktails and snacks, followed by complimentary snacks and drinks.
This initial service was the only one where main meals could be purchased, but snacks could still be purchased on the second service, which came about an hour before landing. Pre-recorded announcements talk through it all in detail.
While PorterReserve passengers get a free meal (and more on them in a moment), for everyone else is about $15 for a main meal. Other paid snacks like ramen noodles or a tagliatelle pasta with mushrooms are $5.99 and $7.49, respectively. But several snacks – chickpeas, cookies or almonds – were offered complimentary (and they didn’t mind me taking a couple), and non-alcoholic drinks, plus beer and wine are all free. Cocktails are the only ones that come with a cost. Though PorterReserve get them for free as well.
Is it worth an upgrade to PorterReserve?
The first four rows of their Embrarer aircraft are reserved for Porter’s Business Class option “PorterReserve”. I’ve had the pleasure of flying in this class a couple of times – usually through a surprise upgrade – and I always appreciate it. The cost is sometimes not much more than a “Classic” ticket, and comes with extra checked bag allowance, a dedicated line at the airport, free meals and cocktails (that regular passengers would have to pay for), and no fees for flight changes. There’s also extra legroom and the benefit of being at the pointy end of the cabin.
If the price is right, you should absolutely jump on the option.
Find more details about this option HERE.
Also as an aside – keep in mind that when you buy a ticket with a Canadian airline, to or from Canada, they are required to offer a 24 hour grace period for cancellations. So if you ever make a mistake, you can cancel, get a refund, and re-book. That said, I’m still waiting for a refund from Porter for one such instance almost a month ago – so it’s not necessarily immediate.
Arriving at Toronto’s Pearson International (YYZ)
Porter lands at Terminal 3 at Toronto’s Pearson International Airport. You’ll be going through customs on arrival, and picking up any bags – but these days it all tends to be pretty speedy. I know there was some bad press about YYZ for a while – especially during and immediately post-pandemic. But my experiences have been positive in the last 12 months.
The app ArriveCAN remains a way to save time on arrival, as it allows you to fill out arrival documentation in advance and move through the “Express” queue. So I do recommend that.
And don’t forget if you don’t have a US or Canadian passport, you’ll more than likely need to apply for an ESTA Visa in the US and the eTA in Canada. So be sure to have all of that sorted before your trip. And Google can be a minefield for fake Visa links, so make sure you’re going through the official channels. Here’s the link for the eTA in Canada, in case you need it.
Final Verdict
Since I last reviewed Porter in 2024, on a flight to Las Vegas, the airline have only improved the experience. They have not just become my preferred airline in Canada, but in North America as a whole. The staff are friendly and attentive, there are no middle seats. The free wi-fi and wine or beer are all fantastic. Collectively, this all leads to a consistently a positive experience.
Fly them anytime you can. They are returning the quality of travel to a higher standard and we love to see it.
FIVE STARS (OUT OF FIVE)
To book your next flight with Porter Airlines, head to their official website.
The author flew at his own expense. All prices in CAD.
