Porter Airline Review: A+

On my latest trip to Chicago I flew with Porter Airlines for the first time. Porter is in downtown Toronto so it's quite convenient for people who live in that area. I live a lot closer to Pearson airport, but I found a seat sale at Porter, so had to book it quick!

picture source

I took the subway to Union Station, then took the free shuttle to the ferry, crossed a tiny bit of water, and found myself at airport.

It took me less than 10 minutes (so fast) to get my boarding pass and cross through security to their fabulous lounge! Free juice/water/pop/coffee plus snacks! Free Apple computers/wifi for anyone to use! Comfy couches and chairs to lounge on. It was a beautiful thing.

picture sourceHere's the yummy cafe au lait I sipped on while browsing the internet.

My plane left on time and got in early (both ways) which is always a good thing. The planes used at Porter are quite small in size so I found the turbulence to be a bit more than usual, but nothing too crazy. The planes also have propellers so it was pretty noisy!

My lovely view - no wonder it was so noisy!

On the flight you are offered free booze! Sweet! On the way there I had snacks to choose from but on the way back they gave this little box of goodness. It was pretty tiny but considering the flight to Chicago is only an hour and a half, getting any food service is surprising!
I love airplane food and have only encountered one disgusting airplane meal in my life. I don't know what everyone complains about. Airplane food rocks.
Would I fly Porter again? DEFINITELY!

Pros:
-no paying for parking ($15/day is the cheapest at Pearson)
-awesome lounge and free everything
-quick boarding, quick everything
-not busy so you get your own seat/row
-you have to be at the airport only an hour early for international flights, as compared to the recommended 2+ hours at other airports

Cons:
-taking a suitcase on the subway is a bit annoying
-flights that aren't full enough often seem to get canceled

A+ for Porter!