Porter Airlines and Alaska Airlines have announced a partnership that takes advantage of Porter’s presence within Eastern Canada and Alaska’s strong network in the Western US.
As of December 13, 2023, the partnership is live, allowing travellers to book combined Porter–Alaska itineraries.
New Porter Airlines and Alaska Airlines Partnership
Porter Airlines and Alaska Airlines have aligned in a new partnership connecting the east and west sides of Canada and the US, providing more flight options and service from coast-to-coast.
Porter Airlines, headquartered in Toronto, flies to 32 destinations and is focused on Eastern Canada. The airline offers an elevated economy class experience by offering free snacks and free wine and beer on all their flights, and due to their fleet’s 2-2 seating configuration, passengers can enjoy increased comfort on their flight since there’s no middle seat.
Alaska Airlines, despite its name, has its headquarters in SeaTac, Washington (within the Seattle metropolitan area).
The airline’s network is based primarily on the West Coast of the US, and, with their regional partners, they fly to over 120 destinations across the US, Canada, Belize, Costa Rica, Mexico, the Bahamas, and Guatemala.
What Can We Look Forward To with the Porter–Alaska Partnership?
With this new partnership, everyday travellers and loyal frequent flyers are both set to gain in notable ways.
With Porter starting flights from Toronto to Los Angeles on January 16, 2024, and to San Francisco on January 25, 2024, travellers will be able to take advantage of increased connections to two major Alaska hubs in these cities.
From these airports, Porter passengers will be able to connect with Alaska flights to locations in western Mexico, such as Guadalajara, Cabo San Lucas, and Puerto Vallarta, as well as to Guatemala City and Honolulu.
Travellers can also connect to 18 western US airports, including Portland, San Diego, Seattle, and Phoenix.
In early 2024, we can expect to see more connecting flights come online. In particular, travellers will be able to take advantage of connections through the two airlines’ shared Canadian airports in Calgary, Edmonton, Vancouver, Victoria, and Kelowna.
In addition to increased flight options thanks to the new connecting itineraries, members of both airlines’ loyalty programs stand to gain from this partnership.
Alaska Mileage Plan members can start earning Alaska miles on Porter flights beginning in January 2024; then, later in the year, VIPorter and Mileage Plus members will both be able to earn their loyalty currency of choice when they fly with either airline.
This reciprocal agreement is great to see as Alaska miles can be quite difficult to earn in Canada, since there is no longer a co-branded credit card available after the MBNA closed its co-branded Mastercard product for new applications in September 2023.
Alaska miles are considered quite valuable as they offer the opportunity to snag some very attractive sweet spots.
For example, through the Mileage Plus program, you could fly business class on Japan Airlines (JAL) from Seattle (SEA) to Tokyo (NRT) for 60,000 Alaska miles.
The airlines are also set to introduce access to award redemptions for both VIPorter and Mileage Plan members on each other’s airline, with the promise of enhanced availability through the partnership.
For Canadians based on the East Coast, this means that it’ll soon be possible to redeem Alaska miles for travel out of your home city on Porter’s network, before connecting to another Alaska partner for an international itinerary – say, booking Porter from Toronto to New York before connecting to Japan Airlines business class across the Pacific.
Conclusion
Porter Airlines and Alaska Airlines have joined together in a new partnership, which is set to increase flight options from coast-to-coast in Canada and the US.
This partnership connects Porter’s network in Eastern Canada with Alaska’s West Coast-focused portfolio of routes, opening access in both directions.
The partnership will also introduce the opportunity to earn and redeem your chosen loyalty currency on either airline, so VIPorter or Alaska Mileage Plan members can expect additional value here beginning in 2024.
