Boutique Air ✈ Pilatus PC-12 ✈ BOS-BTV ✈ BWI-AOO

Background: In 2017 I enjoyed my first flights through the Essential Air Program, whereby the US Government subsidizes airlines to serve small or rural airports otherwise without commercial service. I had flown Boston MA to Plattsburgh NY with PenAir on a Saab 340, and I had flown Baltimore MD to Lancaster PA round-trip with Southern Airways Express on Cessna 208 light aircraft.

In the years since, both of those routes stopped being offered, but I was able to fly on two new routes, which interestingly enough, are themselves no longer offered: First up, last November I flew Boston MA to Burlington VT. This July I flew Baltimore MD to Altoona PA round-trip. The airline was Boutique Air, who served the routes with Pilatus PC-12 turboprop aircraft.

Please enjoy the reports on my flights with Boutique Air, and I look forward to your comments.

BOS-BTV
Boutique Air 4B 801
Departure: 11:55 (actual 11:55)
Arrival: 13:05 (actual 13:05)
Actual Block Time: 1h10
Actual Flight Time: 1h2
Pilatus PC-12/47

It was time to visit a friend in Burlington so I set about determining my route to get there. PHL-BTV is available on American Eagle regional jets, and EWR-BTV is available on United Express regional jets (and occasionally United mainline), but when I tried to look for something more interesting, I came across BOS-BTV on Boutique Air. Boutique Air offers the opportunity to "fly private for the cost of commercial" on Pilatus PC-12 pressurized single-engine turboprop planes. In fact the PC-12 is supposedly the best-selling pressurized single-engine turbine-powered aircraft in the world. For BOS-BTV the price was $169.

To get to Boston for my Boutique Air flight, I flew the 6AM Delta flight from PHL to BOS, operated by Republic on N201JQ, an E175. That flight had my second-lowest load ever: only 7 passengers. It was quite a good experience, and for only $50! And we arrived fifteen minutes early, giving me 4h45 to connect to Boutique across separate tickets and through different terminals.

I had arrived to Terminal A, so after breakfast in Terminal A, I walked over to find Boutique in Terminal B. The walk was well-signed and straightforward, and there were even plenty of signs directing me to Boutique Air, whose check-in counter was right in the middle of all the United check-in counters. After a short wait, a pair of check-in agents appeared at 10:30, and invited me over to check-in. The laptop they were using had seen better days and was unable to print boarding passes. The agent also refused to enter my United MileagePlus number, insisting that only "large airlines" award frequent flyer miles, not small airlines like Boutique Air. He may have been right that Boutique Air does not have a frequent flyer program, but you can indeed earn UA miles flying with them. I ended up submitting a mileage request to UA after the flight, and in fact upon entering my Boutique Air-issued 184 ticket into United's system, it automatically populated all the flight info, including flight date, flight number, and so on, and I earned UA miles at 50% of the flight distance, in other words, a total of 91 miles. The check-in agent did enter my weight and the weight of my carry-on bag, but then directed me to use my phone to check-in online. TSA Precheck did come through, so I proceeded to the Precheck security area, where I found a short and quickly-moving line. I was airside by 10:50. Boarding was set for 11:35 and departure for 11:55. The flight was looking to be on-time.

My plane today was N814WA, a Pilatus PC-12/47 which began flying in 2007 and which was operated by various airlines before joining Boutique in 2018, and which was involved in an incident in 2021 when the emergency exit door opened during take-off. The plane had begun the day flying Massena NY to Boston MA. Then it had flown Boston back to Massena, and then Massena back to Boston. All flights had been on-time, and N814WA arrived to BOS Gate B28 at 11:22 to now operate my flight to Burlington.

Arriving to BOS for my flight to BTV:



Parked in BOS:



For size comparison as a JetBlue E190 rides past:



Seeing my plane arrive for my flight, I was very excited to have found this flight and to fly on my smallest commercial prop plane yet. The same two agents from the check-in appeared at the gate after directing the incoming plane to park and handling the checked baggage. They checked the seats near the gate to ensure all six passengers were present. Then they invited the six of us to board at 11:40. The agents accompanied us down the elevator and out to the waiting plane to meet the captain who checked our boarding passes and requested the last row of seats be left vacant for weight and balance.

The cabin:



My seat:



The first row faced backwards and shared the legroom with the second row, which faced forwards. The third and fourth rows faced forward was well. I took a seat in the third row, call it 3A. It was a pretty tight seat, I'd say 29 inches of pitch, with a lapbelt/shoulder belt combination, like in a car. The cool experience outweighed the tight space by far...so far so good. And we were on-time with great weather; I couldn't have asked for better for this flight today.

Once all six of us were seated, the captain came aboard to welcome us to Boutique Air flight 801 to Vermont and to give us the safety briefing. He also advised that the aircraft is pressurized in flight, and that we would be cruising at 17,000 feet up to Vermont. I think that might make this my highest prop plane flight. The captain also said that water and pretzels would be available during the flight, once the seatbelt sign was switched off. Then he proceeded to shut the door and go to the cockpit for his preflight checks. Interestingly he was the only pilot, making this my first commercial flight with only one person on the flight deck.

The engine started up on-stand right on time, and at 11:55 we made a u-turn on-stand to pull away. We headed to Runway 9 for takeoff at 12:01, after business jet N7RX and ahead of Cape Air. The pilot had left the curtain open so I could watch him advance the throttle for takeoff. It was a very short roll, but didn't seem particularly powerful or fast, neither of which was a surprise I suppose. The aircraft was not particularly loud; then again, the engine was up front as opposed to beside the cabin on the wings. There was a lot of white nose, though, from the air conditioner behind me.

After takeoff:



Wingtip detail:



It had been a smooth takeoff, and now it was smooth in flight. For this flight, as for most prop plane flights, there would be no listening to music, rather just enjoying the noise and the views. I sat back to relax and enjoy the flight. There were very few clouds the first half of the flight, so there was nothing obstructing the view of the ground.

Once the seatbelt sign went off, a passenger from Row 2 distributed snacks, including mini bottles of water, mini cans of Sprite, and snack-size bags of pretzels. I went with a water. The flight was now almost thirty minutes over, so about half over. The flight continued smoothly and uneventfully.

We flew north of the airport, then turned around to land on Runway 15. I could look out the windshield to see us line up with the runway for landing. Then I felt the gear go down. I could even see a plane on the ground holding short of the runway for us to arrive. Once we got a little closer I could see it was a United Express regional jet. We came in for the smoothest landing ever, as smooth as glass at 13:03. We parked outside Gate 13 at 13:05, and I thanked the captain for a unique flight as I left the plane.

Parked in BTV:



This had been a very cool way to get to Burlington. First the $50, lightly loaded Delta Connection flight to Boston, and then the fun Boutique Air prop plane flight to Burlington. I always like to find a unique flight opportunity. And while researching Boutique Air prior to my flight today, I had also learned that they offer flights from BWI-AOO. I made it a point to take that trip, too, and those flights are presented in the next posts.

BWI-AOO
Boutique Air 4B 847
Departure: 18:55 (actual 18:31)
Arrival: 19:40 (actual 19:12)
Actual Block Time: 0h41
Actual Flight Time: 0h37
Pilatus PC-12/45

Just over eight months after my Boutique Air flight from BOS-BTV, it was time for my next Boutique Air experience, round-trip BWI-AOO. By this point BOS-BTV was no longer offered. I was excited for this flight, since I had previously flown a random short-distance flight similar to this one, on the Essential Air Program five years ago: Southern Airways Express round-trip BWI-LNC, on a Cessna C208 light aircraft, a route which no longer exists. Like when I flew BOS-BTV, the Altoona flights were also scheduled to operate with a Pilatus PC-12.

At 14:10 I received a text message from Boutique Air advising that the BWI check-in counter would be open from 17:00 to 18:00, and boarding would be from Gate D36 at 18:25. So far Boutique was much better than Southern Airways Express, which had had numerous delays. I arrived to BWI Terminal D to find the Boutique Air check-in, and it was not surprising at all to find no line. I was checked in; though I had no checked bag, I was advised that they do take checked bags, and they're free of charge, too. My boarding pass was printed on standard 8-1/2x11 printer paper, just like if you print it at home, the first time I've gotten such a boarding pass at an airport. I had booked my flights on the Boutique Air website, and during booking I had entered my UA MileagePlus number. I again earned miles for half the distance, or 59 miles each way. I was directed to Terminal D/E security, where I found a decent line for Precheck, which took fifteen minutes. I was airside by 17:25. Boarding was set for 18:25 and departure for 18:55.

Like when I had flown BWI-LNS, I was again looking forward to a quite pointless adventure, driving from Atlantic City NJ to BWI to fly to Altoona PA with the Essential Air Program on Boutique Air for only $29. This time I couldn't get any travel companions to go with me, but that's their loss! I was also looking forward to a new route on the fun Boutique Air prop planes, especially since the Burlington route no longer exists. So far I was enjoying the lovely, low-stress experience that I've come to expect from these small flights.

I got to my gate to find that my aircraft had just arrived. Gate D36 was adjacent to my prior Southern Airways Express gate, and there were markings left on the wall from the removal of the Southern Airways Express signage. There were surprisingly many passengers already waiting, I assume for my flight.

Boutique Air BWI Terminal D:







My aircraft today was N7YR, a Pilatus PC-12/45 which began flying in 2006, and which was operated by various airlines before starting with Boutique in 2018.

Parked in BWI:



Checked bags were loaded through a hatch on the starboard side of the plane, and placed behind the seats in the tail. Some passengers had originated in ORD on American, and were now connecting to AOO on Boutique Air, but their checked bags hadn't arrived. However the passengers had checked the American app, which showed that their bags had, in fact, made it to BWI. They approached the agent who was used to this situation, where the bags were accidentally sent to American's baggage office, instead of Boutique's flight. He immediately got on the phone to rectify the situation and ensure the bags made it on the flight. Before boarding the agent reported that their bags had been found; they had been misrouted to baggage claim, but were now in possession of Boutique for our flight.

When it was time for boarding, the agent asked if we were all ready to go, and invited us to walk outside to our waiting plane. The first officer checked boarding passes and advised that we could sit wherever we like. I took seat 3C. The load was 8/8 with two pilots this time.

During boarding:



The cabin:



My seat:



All passengers were on board before the stated boarding time. The first officer came aboard, first to welcome us to Boutique flight 847 to Altoona, then to offer snacks and drinks - they're free! I took a water and cheez-it's. He then made the safety briefing, mentioning that he expected a bumpy ride, and highlighting the airsickness bags. Hopefully not - my previous Boutique Air flight was smooth, unlike my BWI-LNS flights on Southern Airways Express, which were my bumpiest ever. He then checked to ensure we were all properly buckled in, and headed to the cockpit. We had ten people onboard, eight passengers and two pilots, plus several checked bags in the back.

We pulled off stand at 18:31. We headed directly to Runway 15L where we tookoff with no wait at 18:34. There was not too much pushback into the seat actually, and less speed than I'd expected, but it was an extremely smooth liftoff.

After takeoff, the Baltimore Key Bridge:



Raystown Lake in Pennsylvania:



Despite the PC-12 being a pressurized plane, we flew quite low under the clouds. It was a smooth flight, with decent noise, but not bad, and not much vibration. It was comfortable overall, with nice views from flying so low, despite the ability to fly much higher. It was very warm onboard; it was a 90-degree sunny summer day, and the air conditioning had not been running on the ground. In the air, mine was the only seat without an overhead vent.

After flying past the Raystown Lake, the gear went down, illuminating three green indicator lights in the cockpit. We were soon aligned with the runway; I could just manage to see it out the front window. We came in for an extremely smooth landing at 19:11. We parked at Altoona Blair County Airport at 19:12.

Parked in AOO:



Altoona Blair County Airport:



This had been a fun flight; so short, but comfortable and smooth. It was again a unique experience, and I highly recommend it, particularly considering the super-low government-subsidized price of only $29. And I really liked the on-time performance, having left early and arrived early - exactly how a flight like this should be. And Altoona should be happy to have had this flight, because now I was there to spend my tourist dollars.

AOO-BWI
Boutique Air 4B 842
Departure: 08:25 (actual 08:10)
Arrival: 09:10 (actual 08:44)
Actual Block Time: 0h34
Actual Flight Time: 0h30
Pilatus PC-12/47

After a weekend around the Altoona area, it was time to fly back. I arrived to the airport for an in-person check-in; my weight was taken and my backpack weighed. All of the 8-1/2x11 boarding passes for today's five passengers were already printed and waiting to be given out. I was advised that security would open around 08:00. I think I was the first one here, and I had check-in Sequence 1. There had been no text message updates this time, but the experience was smooth so far. Boarding was set for 08:10 and departure for 08:25. Other passengers arrived shortly, with final destination Orlando.

Altoona Blair County Airport:





The TSA agent came to invite us to go through security, which was as painless as expected at such a small airport. My plane was already waiting outside, and it was N814WA - a nice surprise to have the same plane today as I had had last year when I flew Boston to Burlington! Repeating a registration number does not happen often. One of the Orlando-bound passengers had accidentally put their full-size liquids in their carry-on instead of their checked bag, but the TSA pulled them out and then proceeded to go to the airline check-in counter to have them put into their checked bags. I always love seeing the great service at small airports.

Parked in AOO:



The Boutique Air agent first took full-size carry-on bags to put them in the checked bag area of the plane (to return planeside upon arrival in Baltimore), then came in to invite us to board. We were onboard by 08:05; the engine was started while the pilot greeted us, welcoming us to flight 842 to Baltimore. He expected a bumpy ride down low to Baltimore, and a 30-minute flight. There were two pilots again, so I'm not sure why I had only had one back when I flew to Burlington. My seat was 3A; I had hoped to fly in backward-facing seats, but they were already taken, so I decided to choose the exact same seat I had had last time I was on N814WA. The air conditioning was on and strong. Our load was 5/8 and two crew.



We pulled away at 08:10. Takeoff was at 08:12, and it was decently fast this time, again with a very smooth roll and liftoff. It was again a relaxing flight, very smooth like last time. I enjoyed the countryside views of rural Pennsylvania and Maryland.

Departing AOO:



20 minutes later I started seeing more and more buildings of suburban Baltimore and then I felt the gear go down. It felt just a little windy on final descent as I looked out the windshield to see us lining up with Runway 15L. Landing was at 08:42 and we parked outside Gate D36 at 08:44. I recognized the same ground agent as on my outbound flight.

Parked in BWI:



I had enjoyed my three flights with Boutique Air, first last November, BOS-BTV, and then in July, round-trip BWI-AOO. It is fun to get these unique flight opportunities, to either make a trip more interesting, as in the case of Burlington, or to be the basis for the trip, as in the case of Altoona. Sadly these routes are now discontinued, but some new options in the region include PHL-AOO and PHL-PBG, both operated by Contour Airlines. I hope I can arrange to get on one of those flights.

I love this little airline. Especially the rear facing seats. I used to fly on them a lot from Johnstown to Baltimore.

Cool and unique trip report, thanks!