U.S. bound out of the island on Porter - any info?

klr_guy

klr_guy

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My wife and Autistic son are taking a flight next week, and just curious if anyone familiar with the airport could share any info re: security/line-ups etc. compared to Pearson?

My son is fully verbal (too much so at times ;) ), and the mass majority of the time is just fine. Things that can set him off are delays/long lines/loud noises/any process that seems vague. Everything goes smoother if I can describe/set his expectations, so any info you could share would be appreciated.

We were told the smaller planes can be noisier, so he'll be prepped with his headphones/kindle/tablet.

Thanks
 
I've only flown turboprop once and got the seat right at the wing. The buzz felt like being in a dentist's chair for the whole flight. Maybe having a headache at the same time made me a bit too sensitive.

I don't know much about autism but parents of special needs kids are cut from a special cloth. Anyone can raise the others.
 
klr_guy said:
My wife and Autistic son are taking a flight next week, and just curious if anyone familiar with the airport could share any info re: security/line-ups etc. compared to Pearson?

My son is fully verbal (too much so at times ;) ), and the mass majority of the time is just fine. Things that can set him off are delays/long lines/loud noises/any process that seems vague. Everything goes smoother if I can describe/set his expectations, so any info you could share would be appreciated.

We were told the smaller planes can be noisier, so he'll be prepped with his headphones/kindle/tablet.

Thanks
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Porter is pretty good for getting through quick.

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I recently flew with Porter for the first time to the U.S. and aside from smaller planes being louder/bumper etc it was smooth sailing through the whole check in process. We checked in for our flight online the night before to make it easier when we got there.

The only thing we had to wait a little bit for was the ferry shuttle. It's a extremely short ride across to the island, but we had to wait a little bit for it...
 
Flown with Porter dozens of times.

Smooth and straight forward, you'll move quicker than at Pearson. You can do a check-in before you get on the Ferry if it's taking it's time (10 min intervals) so that you just drop your bags off when you get into the terminal.

Security and other line-ups are straight forward. Pay attention to the signs because one side is for flights to US and other is for Canadian destinations only.

Once you're through, it's nothing but lounge chairs, coffee, drinks and wifi until your plane arrives.
The flight itself will be a bit noisier than what you're used to, but you feel like you're in an Indiana Jones movie with the prop noise. Nothing a pair of headphones can't tune out. Staff is friendly and they'll accommodate just about any request.

Safe travels.
 
You will clear customs in the US on the way to the US not at the airport, that is a big difference from Pearson.

The line in the destination city to clear may be just as big as the typical one at Pearson BUT you do not have the stress of feeling like you are going to miss your flight.
 
Thanks everyone - good info to pass along.

And nfq - the "Indiana Jones" reference will definitely pique my son's interest - thanks for that.
 
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Porter's great. the centre island airport was awesome up until Air Canada and its passengers were allowed to go through there as well. It's still good comparing to Pearson because of less volume.

You may want to try to call Porter ahead of time and see if they can do special arrangements for you. Sometimes these are free of charge because it's done as a courtesy. Doesn't hurt to call them, let them know of you situation and see what kind of proposal they come up with. Porter's staff is really good that way.
 
Much faster and easier than flying from Pearson. There are some parts where you're waiting in lines for the ferry and stuff where no one tells you what's going on that could cause problems for him.
 
What's so hard about flying from Pearson guys? I have never had any issues.

If the island airport wasn't an island I could see its convenience but just the fact that you're stuck with a ferry and little parking space anywhere in the area kinda takes away the bonus of the small, quick airport over a huge one like Pearson.

I don't even find Pearson that slow any more with customs self-checkout and such.
 
DemonPig said:
What's so hard about flying from Pearson guys? I have never had any issues.

If the island airport wasn't an island I could see its convenience but just the fact that you're stuck with a ferry and little parking space anywhere in the area kinda takes away the bonus of the small, quick airport over a huge one like Pearson.

I don't even find Pearson that slow any more with customs self-checkout and such.
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Security line ups can be long. They're usually not too bad, though.

If you aren't able to TTC/cheaply cab to Porter, I'd say there's probably no point in using it over Pearson.
 
Union station is about the easiest place to get to from the GTA without a car. Then take the Porter shuttle bus from there.

I liked that within a space of about 24 hours, I was able to ride a train, bus, boat, plane, car, bicycle, and motorcycle. Just missing a submarine, really!

Agree with what everyone else said about the lineup; way better than Pearson.
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