This year, Porter Airlines has launched a number of new routes to the United States, including to destinations in Florida and California.
The Toronto-based airline has just announced its latest US destination, which clearly targets the leisure travel demographic.
As of March 5, 2024, Porter Airlines will launch a new route from Toronto Pearson (YYZ) to Las Vegas.
Porter Airlines Launches New Toronto–Las Vegas Route
Porter Airlines has announced that as of March 5, 2024, it will launch a new route that connects Toronto Pearson (YYZ) with Las Vegas (LAS).
As with all of the airline’s new destinations, the Las Vegas route will be served by Porter’s growing fleet of Embraer E195-E2 jets, which offer an all-economy cabin in a 2-2 configuration. Passengers can enjoy complimentary wine and beer served in glassware, as well as snacks and free Wi-Fi.
Porter’s first route to Nevada will operate daily from the outset, with flight times as follows:
- PD653 Toronto Pearson (YYZ) to Las Vegas (LAS), departing 1pm and arriving 3:04pm
- PD654 Las Vegas (LAS) to Toronto Pearson (YYZ), departing 4pm and arriving 11:16pm
The flights are loaded into Porter’s website, and can be booked with cash or VIPorter points throughout the schedule.
High Stakes on the Toronto–Las Vegas Route
Porter Airlines joins a handful of Canadian airlines that have existing service between Toronto Pearson (YYZ) and Las Vegas (LAS).
In fact, Porter will now compete against mainline carriers Air Canada and WestJet, as well as ultra-low-cost carriers, including Flair, Swoop, and Canada Jetlines.
While Porter doesn’t offer a business class and/or premium economy cabin, as is the case with Air Canada and WestJet, it certainly has a more compelling offering than any of the three other carriers.
When it comes to pricing, Porter’s press releases quotes round-trip Basic fares starting at around $346 (CAD). However, a more realistic number appears to be around $200 (CAD) outbound, and around $170 (CAD) inbound, for around $370 (CAD) round-trip.
While the flights haven’t been loaded into Google Flights quite yet, a quick search for round-trip pricing with other airlines suggests that Porter’s introductory flights are priced quite competitively.
As for the in-flight experience, I’d almost certainly prefer being guaranteed to not have a middle seat on a roughly five-hour flight by flying with Porter, versus paying roughly the same for an ultra-low-cost carrier.
We’ve been hearing a lot from Porter Airlines recently, and it likely won’t be long until there’s a new route announcement to another leisure destination in the US or the Caribbean.
Conclusion
Porter Airlines has announced that it will launch a new route from Toronto Pearson (YYZ) to Las Vegas (LAS) in March 2024. This route comes in addition to seven new routes in Florida and two in California that were announced this year alone.
Porter joins a handful of other Canadian airlines on this route, and appears to be offering introductory pricing that’s competitive with ultra-low-cost carriers and mainline carriers alike.
As the airline is set to continue taking delivery of new jets, it won’t be long until we hear the next route announcement.
