Porter keeps expanding, but still no Florida. Any chance they’ll fly there in this lifetime?
The Sunshine State seems like an obvious choice for Toronto’s boutique airline. Last year, 6,378 flights departed from Pearson for Florida’s three main cities, making it the second most popular travel destination for Canadians (next to New York). However, the airline’s selection process isn’t strictly governed by demand, as the roster of new Porter routes proves (no offence, Sudbury). The ideal Porter destination meets two criteria. First, it must be a city that can support multiple flights per day. Florida passes this test with flying coconuts. Second, it should be no further than two hours of travel time (about 900 kilometres) from Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport. Porter’s fleet of Bombardier Q400 aircraft can seat only 70 passengers each. The expense of travelling to Miami takes a big bite out of the potential profits. So far, Porter has made only one exception to the two-hour rule: it launched non-stop weekend flights to Myrtle Beach this winter because no other Canadian airline offers the same service. In other words, sun seekers looking to sip free Steamwhistle en route to a palm tree paradise would be wise to keep Carolina on their minds.
• Question from Jonas Hendrickson, Yorkville
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But can these planes really do 3 hours to florida? I often wonder and would love for them to include Florida. After extensive travelling over the years and seeing air travel decreased to the lowest level in a lifetime,rude airport screeners,flight attendants who used 9/11 as an excuse to think they are all that now, Porter is such a welcome change.
Oh! a 6 min wlk from my home helps too versus that wretched drive to Pearson!
I agree with the wretched drive to pearson add georgia warm short trips