Hi all, welcome to the second last instalment of my 2012 Canada trip.

Well, some might say that I should be sick of daytrips and flying out of Montreal by now. But that’s not the case. I had always wanted to fly Porter Airlines when I was next in Canada – the last time I was here, Porter did not even exist. A number of A.netters have flown with Porter in the past and have posted great reports.

WBR’s report is here: Porter's New Terminal At YTZ (by WideBodyroga Mar 27 2010 in Trip Reports)

dc9northwest/Alex’s report: First Time To Canada: RO 733, KL M11, Porter DH4 (by dc9northwest Dec 26 2012 in Trip Reports)

and

KPWM Spotter at: Mr. Porter Flying Porter! EWR-YTZ On PD + DL Y/F (by KPWMSpotter Jun 18 2012 in Trip Reports)

As many know, flying into Toronto City Centre or as it’s more recently now known as Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport (after one of Canada’s celebrated WW1 flying aces), is a pretty unique and, if you’re on the correct side of the aircraft, fun experience. The views on approach and landing into Toronto are some of the most spectacular in North America, as the airport is located so close to the bustling downtown area of Toronto, Canada’s largest city. Even so, the airport’s name is a mouthful!



Living not far from LCY in the UK, I use that airport regularly (except when it comes to missing flights to ARN for A.net meets), YTZ shares close parallels with its London counterpart and I was keen to experience a flight in and out of Toronto City while I was in Canada. I guess the main difference between the two airports is that unlike YTZ, LCY has regular jet services operating from it, as well as the special BA flight to JFK. The routes flown out of YTZ are all with props, and destinations are, by North American standards, regional only.

The airport has a lot of history and was completed in 1939 although it has always struggled to be operated profitably.

Fast forward to 1990, which was when Air Ontario started flying regional services to Ottawa and Montreal. In 1994, the airport was renamed Toronto City Centre Airport. I read somewhere that in the late 90s, US Airways Express experimented with a short lived service to Syracuse and White Plains – does anyone have any more information about that service and what equipment was used?

I was last in Toronto in 2003 and at the time, YTZ had a single commercial flight - Air Canada Jazz Dash 8 flights to Ottawa.

ARISE PORTER AIRLINES

Of course, after then, from 2006 onwards, Porter Airlines appeared on the scene and have made YTZ their home. Flights from YTZ started to Ottawa, but these have been quickly supplemented by a number of destinations in Canada and the US - from Chicago and Thunder Bay, to Boston, New York and St John’s. Porter’s current network (source: Porter Airlines website):



Porter has, in the short time it has existed, developed a very fresh, smart and clever branding, which has managed to support with a reputation for providing excellent customer service and a premium flying experience for its passengers. I’ve yet to read a report about Porter that is filled with horror stories.

Porter’s unique look (source: Porter Airlines)



The Porter logo – Mr Porter, a rather cheeky racoon, is everywhere. He features on just about everything. I was reading that the logo and branding was actually developed in London (that’s London UK, not London Ontario) by a well known branding team here. I love it. I think he’s great.


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A recent special report from the Globe and Mail (“Canada’s Airports”, Dec 11 2012) quotes the airport’s CEO stating that YTZ has become Canada’s 9th largest airport, and is a key contributor to Toronto’s economic vitality. He also goes on to say that the airport’s continuing evolution is in perfect step with Toronto’s urban density growth. The news seems bright for YTZ, at least at the moment, and that is in no small part due to the success of Porter.

Given the above, it seemed like a perfect opportunity to sample Porter Airlines for myself, and to see whether their good reputation is justified.

My flights would be sampled on the busy Montreal – Toronto service – where Porter have up to 16 flights each weekday between the two cities.

Porter also have an impressive frequency of daily flights to New York which Mr Porter is proudly promoting!



At the time I was considering booking, Porter announced a sale which offered some pretty good deals on mid week flights so for approximately CAD$220 including taxes I was able to get there and back with about 10 hours to roam around in Toronto. This would also give me time to catch up with an old University friend for lunch.

Booking on Porter’s excellent website (www.flyporter.com) was easy and I was able to select seats in advance. This would be key as I was hoping they were on the correct side of the airport for views of Toronto and the airport when we arrived.

MORE MONTREAL

I have a few more days to explore Montreal before doing my daytrip to Toronto. I could have stayed overnight or for a couple of days there but as I had been to Toronto before, my preference was to spend more time in Montreal on this trip.

Having just experienced the Olympics in London a couple of months prior, I decide to go and have a look at the Olympic stadium here in Montreal, where there 1976 games were held. Many know that financially, those Olympics were a disaster for Montreal and it’s taken several decades to pay down the debt that the city incurred in hosting the games. London is not likely to follow the same road thankfully but who knows.

I take the Metro heading in the direction of Honore-Beaugrand from Peel to the station nearest to the stadium, Pie IX (“Pee-Neuf”). Operated by Société de transport de Montréal or STM, the Metro is an excellent way of moving around the city. In the week I was there, I used it multiple times and at different times of the day and night. It was never overcrowded, announcements were clear and it was clean. It was also reasonably priced - hear that London Underground? The Metro is also very similar to Paris’ in terms of the trains used. If you’re familiar with the Paris Metro, navigating Montreal’s will be easy peasy.



I soon arrive at the Olympic stadium located in the the Hochelaga-Maisonneuve district. The stadium is nicknamed "The Big O", a reference to both its name and to the doughnut-shape of the permanent component of the stadium's roof; "The Big Owe" name has also been used to reference the astronomical cost of the stadium and the 1976 Olympics as a whole.

The tower incorporated into the base of the stadium, called the Montreal Tower, is the tallest inclined tower in the world at 175 metres (574 ft). There is a viewing lookout at the top so I decide to head up for a peek.



What’s astounding is that the stadium wasn’t even finished in time before the start of the games in 1976 due to problems with the unusual design of the stadium (for its time) and strikes by workers. I can’t imagine the worldwide condemnation London would have received had the main stadium been incomplete.



When construction on the stadium's tower resumed after the 1976 Olympics, a multi-story observatory was added to the plan, accessible via a funicular that travels 266 metres along the curved tower's spine. The funicular cabin ascends from base of the tower to upper deck in less than 2 minutes at a rate of 2.8 metres/s, with space for 76 persons per trip and a capacity of 500 persons per hour. The cabin is designed to remain level throughout its trip, while providing a panoramic view to its passengers.

I buy an (overpriced) ticket and head up for some views of the city.

Looking toward the downtown area



Over toward the St Lawrence River



Closer up view of downtown Montreal



I wander around for a bit - the place wasn’t too busy but then again, it was mid week. There seems to be a fair amount of renovation work going on so perhaps the whole site is up for a makeover. It certainly screams “made in the 1970s”.

I then head across, again by Metro, to the Parc Jean Drapeau (named after a former mayor of Montreal)


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The park comprises two islands, Saint Helen's Island and the artificial island Île Notre-Dame. They were the site of the Expo 67 World's Fair. Île Notre-Dame was constructed for the exposition.

The park is huge. This is the biosphere.



I pass the St Lawrence, with downtown Montreal across the way, and then the Jacques Cartier Bridge


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My ultimate destination is Fort de l'Île Sainte-Hélène (Stewart Museum) as I have always been interested in the history of the French in North America (as I am about the Dutch in New Amsterdam, more laterly known as New York).

The museum is contained within the remnants of the Fort



The exhibits are excellent - I end up spending a couple of hours soaking up all the history and information like a total history geek.


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On the way home, I head back via the Old Port area and wander around some of the streets I had previously not managed to get to.


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Montreal City Hall



I get a snap of this building again, but this time in the day.



That evening, I decide to head back to the Parc Jean Drapeau for the views of Montreal from the other side of the river at night. It’s very pretty as the sun goes down and you get a great vista of the city from this perspective.


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PORTER DAY ARRIVES

September 2012
Porter Airlines PD408
Montreal Trudeau (YUL) - Billy Bishop Toronto City (YTZ)
Dash 8 – 400
Registration: C-GLQR
Seat: 15D
Flight time: approximately 1 hour

I wake up having had a sleepless night due to some pretty selfish neighbours at the hotel who insisted on banging doors and visiting each other’s rooms constantly until about 3am. I stumble out the door and down to the nearest 747 Bus Shuttle service to YUL, which takes no time at all, given the relatively early hour.



PD408 is due to depart on time. The competition has 3 flights to YTZ. Good to see the Air Creebec logo again too!



The day is dawning to be a perfect one for flying, with brilliant sunshine outside filling the terminal area when I arrive.



I head to a SSK to print out my boarding pass and without further ado, and with no luggage, I join the queue for security.


I don’t therefore have any interaction with Porter checkin staff at YUL. Having done this already on Monday with Air Creebec, it feels a bit déjà vu. Security is pretty swift on this Thursday morning and I am back to facing two large lines for coffee at Starbucks and Tim Hortons. Again bypassing these, I head for the newsagency and pick up some breakfast supplies.

The weather outside is gorgeous so rather than sit around, I go for another wander around the concourse and get some pictures of aircraft getting ready for their first (or second) flights of the day.

Cold start for this Air Canada A321



Air Canada A320



Air Creebec is also here again with both Dash 8s at their respective stands getting ready for flights north. They look superb in the early morning sunshine.



An old friend



American’s morning 738 flight is departing



A heavenly gaggle of Dash 8s with the earlier Porter flight at the gate getting ready to go


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Air Canada Express also on its way to YTZ from Gate 2 - Marc (MSS658), you’ll recognise this for sure!



Great weather for flying today for this Air Canada EM190



The previous flight to Toronto is boarded and the gate area remains quiet for a bit. That is, until my flight arrives.



Pulling into the gate. This aircraft was delivered new to Porter in 2009 and like all the rest of the fleet, is decked out with 70 Y seats.



Waiting for the inbound passengers to arrive before the aircraft is cleaned and our flight is called.



The boarding call for PD408 is made and I make my way down the jetway after the friendly gate agent checks boarding passes. Porter uses jetways for its Dash 8s - perhaps one of the few operators to do so. A small removable board covers the end of the jetway for passengers to walk over directly into the cabin. I am met at the door by a stunningly tall and fair haired flight attendant. She is greeting everyone with a cheery hello. She is immaculately dressed, as is he colleague.

The cabin feels light and airy and I like the colour combination of the seats.



Here’s 15D



Distinctly Dash 8 view


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The flight ends up being nearly 100% full and I have a seat mate, who spends most of the flight snoozing. Following a manual safety demonstration, we’re on our way to the runway. We also get a welcome message from the cockpit which seems to be a rarity in Canada. Thanks Porter - an excellent first impression.



Good bye YUL on this sunny day.



Take off is powerful - for a prop.


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Urban sprawl, the Montreal way


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It truly is a gorgeous day for flying today.



The suburbs and houses are soon replaced by large green fields



and lakes



Seat pitch is comfortable for this short hop.



Porter serves complementary food and drinks on its flights. We get a breakfast box, appropriately branded with Mr Porter.



which consists of some fruit and a muffin, along with coffee or tea and a small refresher towel



We cruise at 22,000 ft.



and at one point, it looks like we pass over Kingston, ON?


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There is another announcement from the cockpit just before we start our descent. We follow the shoreline of Lake Ontario pretty much all the way into YTZ.



The outskirts of Toronto come into view out of my window as we get lower.



We fly over and past the Toronto Islands. It looks like we will pass the downtown area and then double back for our arrival.


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Hello Toronto



Then the gear comes down



And there’s the airport down below



Like in Montreal, the weather in Toronto is lovely. Perfect flying conditions.



We make some gentle turns over Lake Ontario



Before lining up for arrival



Over the threshold



We land smoothly and it’s only a short taxi to our stand.


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There’s a couple of other Porter Dash 8s on the ground when we arrive.



The crew thank us for flying Porter and we disembark. I get one last pic of our aircraft before heading into the terminal.



I head for signs directing me to the ferry to Toronto. The terminal and arrivals here is very nice.



On the way to the ferry, I pass the long term Dash 7 residents.



As many people know, the ferry is very quick. Currently a foot tunnel is being constructed which will allow passengers to approach the terminal without the need for the ferry. A shame, because the ferry ride from YTZ to the shore is one of the most distinct things about flying into this airport.



Porter offer a complementary bus service to downtown Toronto, which not surprisingly, has Mr Porter all over it and Porter’s destinations.



Like Halifax



TIME IN TORONTO

I spend a couple of hours wandering around, remembering places I had been to back in 2003. Some interesting architecture - Toronto has changed a lot since I was last year and there seem to be a whole raft of new high rises in the downtown area.



After meeting my friend for lunch, I decide to head off to the Toronto Islands as I really loved it there back in 2003. The views are also pretty spectacular.



A Porter Dash 8 takes off in front of Toronto’s skyline.


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The Toronto Islands are a beautiful retreat from the bustling city



with lots of birdlife - Canada geese of course



and freedom to walk on the grass!



YTZ can be seen in part - 2 Porter Dash 8s on the ground.



Quintessentially Canadian?


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END OF PART ONE