Background and Booking
For my trip from Toronto to New York, I decided to try a new airline! I flew on the Porter Airlines PorterReserve product aboard the Embraer E195 from Toronto (YYZ) to New York (LGA).
For those who aren’t familiar, Porter Airlines is a Toronto-based Canadian carrier that has been working to elevate the economy travel experience since 2006. They are known for having no middle seats on their aircraft, complimentary beer and wine, and free Wi-Fi for all passengers. Not exactly, but it gives me similar vibes to a JetBlue.
I found their branding cute, for instance, their mascot is a raccoon (who looks a bit mischievous), and the in-flight magazine is called “re: porter”.
I booked this flight with Alaska Atmos points, and a standard economy ticket was 4.5k points, while PorterReserve (their premium economy product) was 6k points. I decided to splurge and try out the premium economy product. Taxes and fees came out to about $64 USD per passenger.
PorterReserve comes with 2 checked bags, early boarding, dedicated check-in desks, and meals on flights over 2.5 hours.
Flight Details
Porter Airlines Flight 605
Toronto (YYZ) to New York (LGA)
Aircraft (age): Embraer 195-E2
Scheduled Duration: 1 hour 35 minutes
Seat/Cabin: 3B/PorterReserve (Premium Economy)
Status: On Time
Date of Flight: April 2026
At the Airport
At the check-in area, I tried scanning my passport, but it said to see an agent (probably since it was an international flight).
There was a specific priority lane for PorterReserve passengers, but the wait time seemed to be the same between the two. I opted to go to the Priority line, and unfortunately, the workers in the line were slow and just chatting among themselves, which didn’t give the best first impression.
Porter Airlines operates out of Terminal 3 at Toronto Pearson International Airport, and I was able to visit the Plaza Premium Lounge in the US Transborder section of the terminal. It was a basic lounge, and if you’d like to read more, you can do so here.
PorterReserve Seat on the Embraer E195-E2
On the E195-E2, PorterReserve takes up rows 1-4. They offer 36 inches of pitch, versus 30 inches in standard economy. Six extra inches of pitch is quite generous.
The plane was on the newer side, having been delivered only in December of 2023.
The Flight
Boarding was scheduled 30 minutes before our scheduled departure, but commenced about 10 minutes late. Shortly after reaching cruising altitude, the snack and beverage service was served.
Snack choices included chickpeas, almonds, and a shortbread cookie. I particularly enjoyed the shortbread cookie the most!
Seems like for the short flights under 2.5 hours, with no meal served, the PorterReserve difference is the extra legroom, premium alcohol, priority boarding, and checked bag allowance.
There aren’t any seatback screens, but they do offer free, fast Wi-Fi, powered by Viasat, which was nice. All you have to do is watch an ad if you are a VIPorter member, or all guests can watch an ad every 30 minutes for Wi-Fi access. Power outlets are also available, which was good for charging my phone.
There is 1 lavatory in the front, and 1 in the back. Totally fine for a short hop like New York to Toronto, but for the Los Angeles to Toronto route, my parents mentioned the lines for the lavatories were quite long.
We ended up touching down a few minutes behind schedule and got to the gate 15 minutes late.
The Verdict
Overall, my first time on Porter Airlines aboard the E195 was great for a short hop. And, PorterReserve is a great way to treat yourself a little bit more when the price is right. But, even their standard economy feels like a cut above, so I’d be curious to try that product next time.
Have you flown on Porter Airlines? How was your experience? Comment below!
Cheers,
Ty
Have any questions? Comment below or email me at takeofftotravel@gmail.com. You can also view all my other posts here! Thanks for stopping by!
