Experiencing Porter
Porter Airlines flies from Toronto Island Airport (YTZ) between Chicago (Midway) (MDW), Boston (BOS), Halifax (YHZ), Myrtle Beach (MYR), Newark (EWR), Moncton (YQM), Mont Tremblant (YTM), Montreal (YUL), Ottawa (YOW), Quebec City (YQB), Thunder Bay (YQT), St. John's (YYT), Sault Ste. Marie (YAM), Windsor (YQG), and Sudbury (YSB). That's quite a few destinations they cover and in most locations there are many flights daily, as well as great last minute specials on pricing. Such as the amazing deal I got through Hotwire for a flight from Toronto to Montreal at $222.00 grand total including taxes.
At first I thought this whole process was going to be such a mission due to the fact that you have to battle downtown rush hour traffic, followed by taking a ferry across Lake Ontario just to get to the island airport. Turns out that Bathurst actually comes very quickly and you actually almost avoid all rush hour traffic (especially by staying on Lakeshore Boulevard). The ferry was one of the world's shortest ferry rides I've ever taken at 121 metres to and from the foot of Bathurst (about 3 minutes). There's a ferry that comes every 15 minutes making it very easy to get to the airport in time for your flight. Since this is Toronto and everything has a cost, I was totally shocked when I found out that the ferry is absolutely free for pedestrians and only $11 for vehicles (round trip).
I arrived just in time to see the brand new $50 million passenger terminal at the island airport. This area enhances passenger services to the next level, further improving the travel experience at this revitalized facility. The new lounge is triple previous capacity, and includes standard complimentary Porter amenities such as a business centre, modern lounge-style seating, beverages, snacks and free Wi-Fi. Porter Airlines offers you convenience, speed and seamless service in your short-haul air travel making the whole travelling experience not such a scary thing after all, and most importantly very easy.
How's this for a change? The next time you fly into Toronto, you can actually fly into Toronto. That's right; avoid the additional expense and unpredictability of trips to and from Pearson airport. Porter Airlines flies out of Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport many times daily, is just minutes from downtown, and there's even a free ferry running every 15 minutes to take you across. Flying directly into the heart of downtown Toronto also becomes very convenient for business and to get things done faster.
Porter Airlines has streamlined the entire travel process to give you the ultimate in convenience. For your flights into Toronto, start with an airport that's located at the foot of Bathurst St. It's just a short cab ride away. If you want to save the fare you can take the TTC or GO Transit to Union Station. Free shuttle buses run directly from the airport to the west end of The Fairmont Royal York Hotel (located at the north-east corner of Front Street and York Street, across from Union Station).
While waiting for my flight to be called at the airport, I couldn't help but notice how small the planes all were. Porter Operates with 70-seat Bombardier Dash 8 Q400 turboprops on all of their routes. These aircrafts are the quietest of their type flying today, due to new noise suppression technology. The Pratt & Whitney PW150A engines are also the most advanced available, producing almost twice as much take-off power than older turboprop engines. By using these quiet and efficient planes, Porter Airlines is able to fly into smaller downtown airports such as Toronto and Newark, which have shorter runways and more restrictive noise bylaws. I've been on small planes before where you feel like they are going to come right back down as soon as they takeoff, but this flight felt very safe with minimal turbulence and they even offer you a snack and refreshments on your short flight.
This was my first experience flying Porter and it definitely won't be my last. From the moment I got to the Toronto airport to check-in, I was pleased. The agent at the counter was friendly and helpful. She proceeded to inform me of my departure gate, where the lounge was along with all the amenities offered, and to help myself to anything I wanted in the lounge. Onboard the attendants were helpful and attentive, once in the air we were served a snack and refreshments of your choice, which I wasn't expecting at all (considering it's only about an hour flight from Toronto to Montreal). Everything from their simplicity of travel to the amenities offered in their lounge makes flying not such a difficult task. Porter has definitely won me over as a satisfied customer and especially if they keep offering such great deals on flying. Everything from their simplicity of travel, to the amenities offered both in their airport lounge and on flight makes flying not such a task but more of a pleasure.
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