Following enthusiastic consumer response to its expanded Florida service last year, Porter Airlines is doubling down on its offerings to Sunshine State travellers. The airline’s new winter schedule offers as many as 126 weekly departures across 14 routes from Toronto, Ottawa, Montreal and Halifax to destinations including Fort Lauderdale, Fort Myers, Miami, Orlando, Tampa and the newly added destination of West Palm Beach.
Two entirely new routes include service from Halifax Stanfield International Airport to Orlando and Tampa, and service from Montreal-Trudeau International Airport to Fort Lauderdale and Fort Myers, with Porter offering the only direct service between Montreal and Fort Myers.
With the expanded schedule, Porter has now moved up to second place among Canadian carriers offering air service to Florida, behind Air Canada, based on anticipated total flights between December 2024 and March 2025.
The new routes and increased frequency of offerings to Florida are part of a multi-year seasonal shift strategy that’s seeing the airline recalibrate its schedule away from colder Canadian cities in winter and toward more southern leisure destinations. Porter has already established a beachhead on the north-south axis, flying twice daily out of Toronto to Los Angeles and Las Vegas as well as a daily flight to San Francisco. A Toronto to Phoenix route is scheduled to launch in October.
“One of the great advantages of jet capability for Porter, compared to the regional product, is the ability to transition from summer east-west flying across Canada in good weather months,” says Andrew Pierce, vice-president of network planning and reporting. “We can shift the capacity of the airline to serve not just Florida but even more markets in the southwest and then into the Caribbean.”
Pierce notes that approval for Porter’s winter 2023 U.S. flights came later than expected in late August, limiting the ability of travellers to book in advance.
“When the flights started up in November, we were very happy with the strong demand and how quickly it materialized,” he says.
John Gradek, faculty lecturer at McGill University and aviation industry expert, notes that Canadian travellers hold a powerful sway over Canadian airlines.
“They’re telling the airline they like Porter and the Porter brand — now offer us some more sun destinations, so we can continue to fly Porter,” he says. “Porter’s success will depend on how well it can continue to negotiate the territory between the premium products offered by WestJet and Air Canada, and the low-cost leisure market with airlines like Flair and Sunwing. ”
Porter has a history of successfully negotiating the niche between business and economy with its “elevated economy” offerings. The Florida flights continue that tradition by offering free premium snacks, wine, beer and Wi-Fi along with the airline’s reputation for customer care.
Porter is supporting the more frequent longer-service Florida flights with a fleet of new Embraer E195-E2 jet aircraft, many arriving before year’s end. The E2 aircraft is configured to provide 132 two-by-two seats with no middle seating, and features natural leather upholstery and power outlets at every seat. The E2 also offers the lowest fuel consumption per seat and per trip among 120- to 150-seat aircraft.
Pierce says that the new jets provide Porter with long-haul capability that competes with larger aircraft, and an ability to operate more economically on underserved routes.
“The Embraers give us the advantage of operating in markets where there’s no service from larger aircraft,” he says. “We only need to market out 132 seats to be viable and the lower operating cost of the aircraft allows us to offer a step up in on-board service and experience that other carriers either can’t or choose not to match in economy.”
Porter routes will also continue to concentrate on an air-only product, rather than offering partner destinations such as hotels and leisure activities. Over the long term, the airline is looking to joint-venture partner Air Transat — and its large presence in markets such as the Caribbean — to offer travel packages to consumers looking for that experience.
“Porter customers are primarily looking for flights only,” Pierce says. “But they’re not simply thinking that they want to connect to Florida. What resonates with them is taking their families on direct service to Florida destinations from multiple Canadian hubs — and doing it efficiently while enjoying the on-board experience.”