We kicked off our trip with a flight from Los Angeles to Toronto on Porter Airlines in PorterReserve class onboard a brand new Embraer E195-E2 aircraft. In short, Porter is the upscale JetBlue of Canada and is a pleasure to fly and an important player in keeping Air Canada competitive.
Porter Airlines E195-E2 PorterReserve Class Review (LAX-YYZ)
PorterReserve is not business class, but is located in the front of the aircraft and features more legroom than a standard economy class seat, plus extra amenities like free meals and premium drinks onboard.
For my flight, a standard (PorterClassic) seat cost $143 and a premium (PorterResreve) seat cost $409. I almost feel like Porter is so great in regular economy class that the upgrade becomes nice but unnecessary, but the extra space and service is quite nice.
I noticed that WestJet is selling tickets between LA and Toronto for as cheap as $69, which keeps fares quite competitive, but you will typically pay more on Porter than on WestJet or Air Canada.
Check-In
We dropped our car off at Mark’s house and walked to the airport from Westchester, stopping every time an aircraft flew overhead.
Porter flies out of Terminal 6 at LAX the check-in line was deserted (about 70 minutes before departure). We were traveling only with hand luggage and headed upstairs to wait in the gate area.
There is no lounge or PorterReseve passengers and LAX currently does not have a single PriortyPass lounge.
Boarding
Boarding commenced about 30 minutes prior to departure. There must have been some hold-up on the jetbridge because Augustine and I got down to the aircraft and had a couple of minutes onboard before anyone else came on…
The captain struck up a conversation with Augustine and invited him to see the cockpit, which delighted him.
Porter Airlines 664
Los Angeles (LAX) – Toronto (YYZ)
Thursday, February 8
Depart: 2:45 PM
Arrive: 10:32 PM
Duration: 04hr, 47min
Distance: 2,175 miles
Aircraft: Embraer E195-E2
Seat: 3B (PorterReserve Class)
Meanwhile, I took some photos before settling into my seat in 3D (Augustine got the window seat, 3A).
Seat
The entire plane has power outlets at each seat, complimentary wi-fi from ViaSat, and complimentary snacks and drinks (served in glassware)…everyone gets a premium experience onboard. And the meals and drinks served in PorterReserve can be purchased in economy class as well.
But there is a difference in seat pitch between PorterReserve (let’s call it preimum economy) and PorterClassic (economy). Seats are 18.3 inches wide with 36 inches of pitch in PorterReserve (rows 1-4) and 30-34 inches in PorterClassic (rows 5-7 have the for extra inches of legroom and exit rows 13 and 14 have 36 inches of legroom). That’s the big difference. All seats recline, but PorterReserve seats recline six inches while PorterClassic seats recline two inches.
PorterReserve:
PorterClassic:
There are no seatback screens. Overhead bins are a bit smaller than larger Airbus and Boeing aircraft:
Individual air vents are available (plus reading lights).
Mood lighting was turned on toward the end of the flight:
Service
Flight attendants were extremely pleasant, particularly Alexandra, pictured below, who worked the PorterReserve cabin. She was friendly and very attentive…it was a lovely combination that reminded me of how much great service can improve a flight. Her colleagues Karen and Kaitlyn also appeared from time to time in the front cabin and everyone was very pleasant.
Food + Drink
PorterReserve is billed as an “all-inclusive economy experience.”
First, Alexandra offered ginger shots (aimed at boosting immunity) to each PorterReserve passenger…strong but potent!
I ordered an Old Fashioned from Tumbler & Rocks (an Alberta-based cocktail maker) and it was served with a cool swizzle stick. The cocktail itself was just fine and a nice onboard option, but I transitioned to water for the rest of the flight.
Lunch was served, with choices offered on a printed menu.
Meals were served in biodegradable boxes.
Everyone received the same appetizer: two slices of sun-dried tomato bread (not great) and Korean cauliflower
with ginger dressing and gochujang red chilli sauce (very good).
I chose the mango chicken dish, which was served cold, but fresh and delicious.
Mango chicken
with jasmine coconut rice, mango salsa, sesame seeds and vegetables
Augustine had ham and croissant sandwiches, which he liked (after I pulled the brie off).
Croissant sandwich duo
with ham and brie from a local bakery
(I wonder which “local” bakery…the Gate Gourmet bakery?!)
I concluded the meal with an excellent cup of coffee from Balzac’s, an Ontario coffee chain founded by Diana Olsen.
If you’re traveling in PorterClassic, you can buy the meals served in PorterReserve via the PorterCafé:
Later on in the light (and at several different points) we were offered snacks and drink refills. All the snacks were “premium” in that they were healthier than mass-market chips or candy and all were from Canadian companies, which is a great way to market domestic products and give a national identity to the carrier.
Lavatory
There is one lavatory in the front of the aircraft for PorterReserve passengers and one in the rear or PorterClassic. The restroom was clean and fairly spacious.
IFE
While there are no seatback screens, high-speed Wi-Fi internet via Viasat kept me quite productive for the journey and it was free.
Streaming IFE including movies, TV shows, and music…which kept Augustine occupied during the doldrums the flight.
…and the in-flight magazine:
….and the views out the window:
…and his book:
CONCLUSION
We landed ahead of schedule at Toronto Pearson, pulling into the transborder area. From there, immigration was quick and painless (we were directed into a special family line due to Augustine) and we were soon on our way to our hotel.
My Porter E195-E2 flight in “PorterReserve” class from Los Angeles (LAX) to Toronto (YYZ) was truly a great experience, reminding me of what a difference a kind and engaging crew and a high-quality menu can make on a flight.
I laud Porter for bringing dignity back to the economy class experience. Drinking out of a glass in economy class is practically unheard of these days…offering premium snacks and drinks from Canadian companies on a complimentary basis plus gourmet meals for purchase is a nice change of pace from the status quo. If you fly up front in PorterReserve, meals and drinks are included and your seat will have more legroom and recline.
Yeah, the Canadians always like to add a touch of class to their flights. Seems better than Air Canada who have been flying that route for decades now. Anything new is always a bit better. I must try them out from SFO- YUL, to Montreal, my hometown.
is it one free drink or unlimited? The little note implies just 1. thanks
I only had one but I was offered a refill…I think it is unlimited in PorterReserve.
I know on my flights in the back between Ottawa and Edmonton, alcohol and snacks were offered twice . I bought last minute ticket both directions this trip and they were more than $500 cheaper than Air Canada. Added bonus, as a veteran I get three free checked bags with suitable ID. I politely complained about issues with my first flight with them and received a $100 credit voucher I used this trip eastbound.
What went wrong?
Luv the swizzle stick….brings back memories of the old Tiki lounges and some of their concoctions!!
It’s too bad Porter is so much more expensive compared to AC and Westjet even for their lower tier especially as their cheapest tier have no carry on bags and assigned seating which is included on AC for example
AC also has free alcohol and premium snacks for economy and Aeroplan as well as a good IFE. Porter needs to step it up or adjust their pricing
I agree that Porter better match Air Canada because people love it but won’t pay that much of a premium.
Porter partners with Alaska. If you are an Alaska Lounge member, you are allowed to go to the lounge when flying Porter Airlines at SFO, LAX, LAS, PHX, IAD. (AS lounge and partner lounge locations, not AA lounges).
PD and AS has earn and burn agreements in place. Hopefully oneworld is next.
This is a great point. Thanks, Isaac.
I Love Porter Airlines when flying across the border. You really described the experience well. I wish for them the best and a great future flying. Fly Porter Airlines! Thanks for the article Matthew!
Maybe I missed it, but was the flight full? What was the approximate load factor, would you guess? Curious. Looks like a nice trip.
We recently were bumped off a flight from Westjet and were put on a Porter Flight. Felt like a bait and switch by the 3rd party booking company.
The stress quickly faded away when we arrived at the Porter Gate and were greeted by staff that were actually pleased to see us and went out of their way to move us closer to the front of the plane as our flight connection time in Toronto had been shortened. We made the connection.
Ironically we could have booked initially with Porter at a cheaper price, but chose Westjet as their time slot allowed us a better connection time.
Everything about the flight was excellent as reported in your article. Great job Porter.
I will seek out Porter Airlines for any flights that I can in the future.
The other lesson learned was that I will never use a 3rd party on line booking site to reserve airline tickets again. It was my first time and there is no accountability. Silver lining was discovering Porter.
“rows 5-7 have the for extra inches of legroom”
Huh?
The croissants are from Nadège, which is a local bakery, no quotation marks necessary.
I was told the meals are NOT double-catered in YYZ.
Wow. That is a LONG time in a regional jet. LAX to YYZ in the 195 must be close to maximum range, especially with any weight restrictions or if there was weather that required a diversion. I don’t know if I could do 5 hours in that seat. At least the Delta regional flights on the Embraers have a proper first-class seat, which would make the 5 hours a lot more tolerable. With the collapse of West Jet, it would be nice if Delta partnered with Porter. It’s so difficult getting to Eastern Canada from the US if you’re a Delta loyalist.