Porter Airlines major expansion plans are coming to closer to fruition with the delivery of their Embraer E195-E2 jet in the coming weeks. With the introduction of this new aircraft type Porter will be enhancing the overall travel experience from the airport to onboard their flights. Porter is already well known for providing a better economy class product than most North American airlines and that will be further enhanced with Free WiFi, fresh meals, enhanced legroom and a new all-inclusive economy experience.
The new E195-E2 Jet
Porter’s new E195-E2 aircraft will have a 132-seat, all-economy configuration, offering a number of legroom options. This includes 36″ seat pitch in the first four rows that will be known as PorterReserve (also the name of their new top fare class), followed by PorterStretch which will have 20 seats that offer a minimum of 34 inches of seat pitch. The rest of the economy cabin will have a 30″ seat pitch.
Free WiFi
All passengers flying with Porter on the new E195 jets will enjoy free WiFi. Porter states this free WiFi will allow for a full web experience including the ability to stream content from platforms like YouTube, Netflix and so on.
Fresh Meals
The existing in-flight service which provides complimentary beer and wine served in glassware, along with a selection of premium snacks will continue to be offered by Porter. On top of this, on flights over 2.5 hours the airline will now feature a meal service. The meals will be included for those flying on the new PorterReserve fare while all other economy fares will be able to purchase the meals.
New Fare Classes
As mentioned above, Porter will be introducing new fare classes, PorterReserve and PorterClassic. Here are the details as provided by Porter:
Porter will soon expand its fare options to support its broader product offering. Its four existing fare options will be aligned with PorterClassic and two new fares are being introduced with the PorterReserve experience. Fares details will be available at the same time as the first E195-E2 routes are announced.
PorterReserve
Our new, all-inclusive economy experience called PorterReserve is unlike anything offered today in North America. This experience has all the perks included – dedicated airport check-in, early boarding, enhanced legroom, fresh meals on longer flights, Porter’s signature beer, wine and premium snacks, cocktails, two checked bags and the ability to change flights without a fee. All this at a price lower than you’d think.
PorterClassic
Our traditional elevated economy experience is now called PorterClassic. As always, you get complimentary beer and wine served in glassware, premium snacks, and no middle seats on all planes. On flights over 2.5 hours, passengers may also purchase the individual fresh meals and cocktails available in PorterReserve. While you may not always want or need all the bells and whistles, there is also the option to select additional perks such as extra legroom, extra baggage and travel flexibility.
Route Network
As previously announced by Porter when they first placed the order for their new jets they stated plans to fly across Canada, the U.S., Mexico and Caribbean. What we do know so far is the first ones will be based in Toronto and in today’s press release they make mention that first routes will be announced later this month.
The aircraft will initially be deployed from Toronto Pearson International Airport, with Halifax, Montreal and Ottawa also seeing new service with the E195-E2 over time. The first of up to 100 new aircraft are scheduled to be delivered to Porter this year and initial routes will be announced in December.
Wrapping it up
Overall this is great news from Porter as the lead up to their network expansion with their new Embraear jets. Introducing free WiFi is an awesome move on their part and should hopefully make other Canadian airlines follow suit. Adding the option for more legroom seats will be a welcome addition for those looking for more room on the upcoming longer flights. And as Andrew on our Facebook group mentioned, perhaps the next big step for the airline will be adding a co-brand credit card as more people catch wind of Porter outside of Ontario and join the VIPorter program.
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