Exciting news for snowbirds! Porter Airlines has expanded to international destinations this winter with flights from Toronto and other gateways to the Cayman Islands, Nassau, Costa Rica, Cancun and Puerto Vallarta, offering more options for snowbirds in addition to its U.S. snowbird destinations introduced last year.
In the U.S., Porter flies seasonally from Toronto to Miami, Tampa and West Palm Beach in Florida, as well as year-round to Ft. Lauderdale, Fort Myers and Orlando.
Southwestern U.S. destinations include Phoenix, AZ; Los Angeles and Palm Springs in California, as well as Las Vegas from Toronto.
All of these flights are on Porter’s popular Embraer jet aircraft with a 2 x 2 seat configuration - which means NO MIDDLE SEATS! A huge plus for economy travellers.
New from Hamilton Airport
And, Porter is expanding its seasonal flights to depart from Hamilton Airport – a great option for snowbirds living in southwestern Ontario, the Niagara peninsula and western parts of the Greater Toronto Area. Hamilton Airport offers an easy, uncrowded experience for snowbirds.
This winter, snowbirds can fly from Hamilton to Fort Lauderdale, Orlando, Puerto Vallarta and Cancun.
More flights from Canadian gateways
From Ottawa, Porter now flies to Orlando, Fort Lauderdale, Tampa, Fort Myers, Miami and Phoenix for the winter - and new this year, you can fly direct from Ottawa to Cancun, Puerto Vallarta, Nassau, Costa Rica and Grand Cayman.
From Montreal, Porter offers seasonal flights to Nassau, Fort Lauderdale and Fort Myers.
From Halifax, non-stop flights to Orlando start in November.
From Vancouver, Porter will offer flights to Phoenix, Arizona this winter.
You can find all of Porter’s destinations here.
Fly to Portugal and Spain with Porter & Air Transat
Porter has an agreement with Air Transat for European routes, an ideal option for the growing number of snowbirds who are now travelling to southern Europe for their winter stays.
Discover European snowbird destinations such as Spain and Portugal here.
Enjoy an Award-winning Economy Experience
Porter was recently named the world’s Best Economy Class by the USA Today Readers’ Choice Awards.
The USA Today Readers’ Choice Awards highlight the best of the best in a variety of categories, such as travel, food and drink, and things to do, with all nominees submitted by a panel of experts. Porter was ranked #1 out of 20 international airlines.
Porter has been popular with Canadians since launching in 2006 with its Dash 8-400 aircraft flying to various cities in Eastern Canada as well as in the Eastern United States. And in 2023, Porter undertook a significant expansion, flying Embraer 195-E2 jets to many points in North America. The airline now has 40 of these aircraft.
Porter is known for its great economy class amenities, including no middle seat on any flight, free beer and wine served in glassware, a selection of complimentary premium snacks, high-quality fresh meal options, plus free streaming Wi-Fi on the E195-E2 jets for all passengers.
Porter now flies coast to coast and to every province in Canada from its eastern hubs of Toronto, Ottawa and Montreal. This enables snowbirds to connect to Porter’s Florida flights from major Canadian gateways.
Or try PorterReserve for an upgraded experience
Porter offers PorterReserve, an all-inclusive economy experience at affordable prices. You’ll get the following included: 2 pieces of checked baggage, ability to change flights without penalty, food, drinks and premium seat selection with extra legroom at the front of the aircraft.
Also included are dedicated check-in, early boarding and expedited security at participating airports.
Pets can fly Porter too
Snowbirds, of course, bring their pets with them for their winter getaway, and Porter does permit small pets – house cats and small dogs - in the cabin in appropriate carriers. Only two pets can be accommodated on each flight, so it's important to book ahead. And only one pet per person.
You can find lots of information about the rules covering pet travel on Porter's website here.
The bottom line
Porter’s expansion to new international destinations in Mexico, Costa Rica and the Caribbean – in addition to their popular U.S. snowbird destinations - is great news for snowbirds.
And Porter’s direct flights aren't just from Toronto, but also from Hamilton, Ottawa, Montreal and Halifax, giving snowbirds many options for convenient flights to their favourite destinations.
