a plane on the runway

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.

a boy standing on a sidewalk

a child standing in a parking lot with cars

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.

a parking lot with cars parked on the side

a sign on a building

a blue sign in a airport

a sign on a wall

a child with a suitcase in an airport

There is no lounge or PorterReseve passengers and LAX currently does not have a single PriortyPass lounge.

people sitting at tables in a room with people waiting for their flight

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…

a sign on a wall

a plane boarding at an airport

The captain struck up a conversation with Augustine and invited him to see the cockpit, which delighted him.

men in the cockpit of an airplane

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:

rows of seats in an airplane

a row of seats in an airplane

the inside of an airplane

a row of seats in an airplane

the inside of an airplane

seats in an airplane with round windows

a seat with a seat and a seat with a seat and a seat

a row of seats in an airplane

a close up of a plug

a seat in a plane

a close up of a seat

PorterClassic:

rows of seats in an airplane

an airplane with rows of seats

a person standing in an airplane

a man standing in a row of seats

There are no seatback screens. Overhead bins are a bit smaller than larger Airbus and Boeing aircraft:

a plane with seats and windows

Individual air vents are available (plus reading lights).

a black rectangular object with a black circle on it

a close up of a sign

Mood lighting was turned on toward the end of the flight:

a row of seats in an airplane

an airplane with rows of seats

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.

a woman standing in an airplane

a woman in a uniform serving a man in an airplane

Food + Drink

PorterReserve is billed as an “all-inclusive economy experience.”

a blue and white sign on a grey surface

a white card with black text

First, Alexandra offered ginger shots (aimed at boosting immunity) to each PorterReserve passenger…strong but potent!

a bottle of ginger defence on a plane

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.

a bottle and glass of liquid next to a napkin

a hand holding a bottle of liquid

Lunch was served, with choices offered on a printed menu.

a book on a table

a menu with black text

a white sign with black text

Meals were served in biodegradable boxes.

a brown box with white text on it

a close up of a cardboard box

a box with a napkin and a napkin inside

a glass with liquid in it next to a white towel
Cloth napkins

a tray with food and a drink in it

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).

food in a container on a tray

a bread in a plastic wrap

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

food in a tray on a tray

a bowl of rice and vegetables

a food in a container on a tray

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?!)

a tray of food on a table

I concluded the meal with an excellent cup of coffee from Balzac’s, an Ontario coffee chain founded by Diana Olsen.

a coffee cup and a packet of candy on a plane

If you’re traveling in PorterClassic, you can buy the meals served in PorterReserve via the PorterCafé:

a white sign with blue writing on it

a menu of a beverage company

an open book with food in it

a menu of a meal

a menu of a meal

an open book with a menu

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.

a tray of snacks on an airplane

a tray of snacks on an airplane

a glass of water and cookies on a table

a bag of nuts on a table

a package of shortbread cookies on a tray

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.

a seat on an airplane

a sink and toilet in a bathroom

a sink with a soap dispenser and a bottle of liquid on the top

a bottle of liquid on a counter

a door handle with a key board

a close up of a device

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.

a cartoon of a panda sitting in a chair

a screenshot of a phone

a screenshot of a phone

Streaming IFE including movies, TV shows, and music…which kept Augustine occupied during the doldrums the flight.

a person sitting in an airplane with headphones on

…and the in-flight magazine:

a child reading a book on an airplane

….and the views out the window:

an airplane on the tarmac
We raced this Air Canada plane to YYZ

an airplane wing and a beach

aerial view of a large body of water and a city

an airplane wing and the sky

an airplane wing and a landscape

an airplane wing in the sky

…and his book:

a child sitting in an airplane reading a book

a man and boy taking a selfie

a man and child sitting in an airplane

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.

an airplane at an airport

people walking in a hallway

a sign on a escalator

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.

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