Alaska & Porter Airlines: A New Journey Together
Cast your minds back to late 2023—a year not just an arbitrary passage of time, but when our friends at Alaska Airlines shook hands with Porter Airlines over a nice cup of transcontinental ambitions. Ah, partnerships, the lifeline of modern air travel. Full reciprocity for earning miles has finally landed, and I’d like to enlighten you on what this means for your future excursions, courtesy of a heads-up from Isaac.
Mutual Mile Earning: A Game of Give-and-Take
Our transcontinental lovebirds, Alaska and Porter, aren’t just swapping recipes here. They’re tossing baggage and more into the mix—each tapping into the other’s regional strengths. Alaska gets cozy with Porter’s stronghold in Eastern Canada, while Porter waves to Alaska’s West Coast followers. The result? A buffet of flight choices across North America.
Way back in late ’23, it all started with an interline agreement, which is airline-speak for, “you can book us together on the same ticket, mate!” Voilà, one traveler’s delight. Roll forward to today, and the synchronicity has evolved, allowing you to collect miles no matter which airline’s site you choose to grace with your presence.
This means yes, you, dear traveler, can hoard Alaska Mileage Plan points on any booked Porter flight. Not too shabby. Porter’s VIPorter scheme isn’t left out either; rack up rewards on Alaska journeys to your heart’s content. That said, venerate the Mileage Plan—it might just be more worthwhile.
- Book via Alaska’s site: PorterClassic fares earn you 100% elite miles. PorterReserve fares? Think bigger with 150%.
- Choose partner sites: Lower stakes here—50% for PorterClassic, and 100% for PorterReserve.
Here’s the kicker that’s kicked more feet than a ballroom dancer: Porter’s flights are kinder on your wallet when booked directly. Turning a flight from Miami to Toronto into an ordeal of choices: Pay $135 for PorterClassic and $269 for PorterReserve on Porter’s site.
Flip over to Alaskan shores, and the same jaunt digests $162 and $302 from your bank’s belly, respectively. Because, surprise, surprise—Porter sells some fares only directly. Anything remotely extravagant requires Alaska’s touch.
The Alaska Advantage: Spending a Little More
Why bother with Alaska’s chubbier price points? For starters, better mileage rates. Then there’s Alaska Wallet funds, a neat little invention for those frequent wallet flingers—you can spend or accrue cancellation cash when bookings go haywire. So, those who view expenses as stepping stones might feel Alaska’s worth a punt.
Now, cast an eager eye towards late 2024. We were promised Alaska Mileage Plan redemptions on Porter. Still waiting, chaps? Hopefully, the airlines are ironing that out. Across the airwaves, whispers of tighter bond akin to elite status reciprocation flirt with our imagination.
Porter has moved away from its De Havilland roots and sprouted wings into the jet age. With Embraer E195-E2s, your Porter experience now extends beyond Toronto Billy Bishop to an array of North American delights, including lush Alaskan gateways like Los Angeles and San Francisco.
The Verdict on the Alaska-Porter Entente
In a word? Super. Porter, a frequent flyer darling, gets a stake in deep airline allegiance courtesy of Alaska. Curious about Porter yourself? Me too. But their lack of big-name dance partners always kept my interest at bay. Enter Alaska—a big step with big meaning.
Commercial cooperation, though? A damp napkin, with potential—better than being left out in a cold Canadian wind. With Air Canada and WestJet cozying up to US giants like United and Delta, Alaska and Porter’s union seems a natural transplantation towards the familiarly disjointed oneworld network.
Could Porter’s horizon feature brighter possibilities? If they continue this growth spurt, Porter might just dawn itself with oneworld hues, or forge that ever-eluding American alliance. Just a hunch, a glimmer of potential in the cloudy skies of commerce.
Closing Thoughts and Future Skies
So, the curtain lifts on the Alaska-Porter play, starring interline agreements and bags of reciprocal miles as the humble beginning. Time will solidify the mileage redeems and possibly elevate elite treatments. With the competitive dance of North American skies ever-spiraling, who’s to say this partnership isn’t the prologue to oneworld bonding?
What are your musings on this growing alliance between Alaska and Porter?