As some Canadian airlines try to cut costs and lower ticket prices, Porter Airlines caters to a more premium economy experience.
The Toronto-based airline has made a series of announcements over the past two weeks in preparation for the delivery of 30 aircraft ordered in August last year.
Currently, the airline operates 29 aircraft focused on Eastern Canada and Northeastern US
Starting February 7, Porter will fly from Toronto Pearson to Vancouver, Ottawa and Montreal, starting at $225 for a round trip.
The airline also has plans for daily flights to Calgary and Edmonton starting in mid-February from Pearson for $262.
Read more:
Porter to begin flying out of Toronto Pearson, including Vancouver route
Read more
-
![]()
Porter to begin flying out of Toronto Pearson, including Vancouver route
Porter’s flights from Ottawa International Airport will also expand as the airline announced new routes to New York City, Boston, Quebec City and Thunder Bay starting March 26.
“It was a natural extension of our existing business and one that is really focused on providing the best economic product in the market,” Porter CEO Michael Deluce said in a phone interview.
Earlier this month, the airline made another announcement about its economy class offerings, making Porter the only airline to offer no middle seat for its economy passengers, Deluce said.
The CEO also boasted about the free beer and wine options served in glassware and the free Wi-Fi and premium complimentary snacks that will be added soon.
He said that over the past 20 years, many of Canada’s airlines have taken away items previously offered to economy passengers, and now with the entry of ultra-low-cost carriers, there has been a “race to the bottom.”
“They do nothing to make the economy or travel more enjoyable.”
Read more:
Porter Airlines orders 20 more Embraer E195-E2 jets
Now Porter plans to enter the segment of the market he believes has been neglected to offer an “elevated economy experience” throughout Canada.
While the airline has announced a number of new destinations, particularly in Western Canada, Deluce said the announcements won’t stop anytime soon as the airline hopes to expand to all major destinations in Canada and the US by 2024.
In that time, the airline plans to take delivery of 50 new aircraft to further expand routes and flight frequency with high-quality economy flights on a wider scale at a time when many other airlines have cut back.
“Our goal is to actually make economy air travel enjoyable again,” Deluce said.
© 2022 The Canadian Press
