I’ve found my new favourite airline and it’s Canadian! Porter Airlines is a cut above the rest (make that a few cuts).
On a recent trip to New York City, I got to fly Porter Airlines' snappy, new “state-of-the-art Bombardier Q400,” a leather-seat equipped, quiet plane with more leg room than most carriers.
I left from downtown Toronto, zipped across a small stretch of water via ferry to the Toronto Island Airport and walked into one of the nicest, most accommodating airport lounges I’ve ever seen. Bottles of water, coffee, tea, Tamari-flavoured almond and cookie packets, and juice were all there for that taking (at no extra charge) along with the day’s daily newspapers. Lining one wall, computers were at the ready in case you needed to check your emails.
Folks, this was like flying first class- without being outrageously priced. I grabbed a cup of Earl Grey tea, some stem ginger Walker’s cookies and parked myself in front of a computer terminal to catch up on some correspondence. I was delighted. Our flight was on time and the air hostesses wore the chicest bill-box hats with their uniforms. It all reminded me a bit of a documentary I had watched about an airline in the 1960s where flying was a luxury, not a cattle call.
Our short flight to Newark was capped off with a little lunch box and an actual glass (not plastic cup) of either juice, wine or beer (Stella was on offer) gratis! A half a sandwich, crackers, cheese and a cookie rounded off the menu- an unexpected treat given most carriers today offer a meagre pack of mixed nuts and call it a day.
I’ll be flying Porter again- and for the convenience of arriving and departing from downtown Toronto coupled with exceptional customer service- the tickets are worth every cent!
