Toronto Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport | ?m | ?s | Ports Toronto | Arup

TOareaFan said:
I flew to Ottawa return with Porter last week....cost (taxes all-in) for this same day return trip (booked on fairly short notice but using the "firm" fare which is their cheapest) was $755....so not much has changed in all these years ;)

Was, by no means, my first Porter flight but it was the first one where I had a legitimate customer service "beef".....ironically, was also the first time I have been randomly selected for one of their post travel email surveys!

I didn't let them off the hook for the complaint but did use the small free form area to let them know that it was, in my experience, not the Porter "norm".

Porter does nothing special....what is remarkable is that air travel has gotten to the point that their "looking after basics" approach is being greeted as something really special!
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Just curious, what was the issue? Not sure if I can shed some light on what may have happened (it has been 2.5 years since I worked there, and things have changed there), but most of my friends work there still so I can maybe pass it along or find out why your problem happened depending on what it is.
 
jn_12 said:
Just curious, what was the issue? Not sure if I can shed some light on what may have happened (it has been 2.5 years since I worked there, and things have changed there), but most of my friends work there still so I can maybe pass it along or find out why your problem happened depending on what it is.
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I think (it was a while ago now)...my main issue was that I booked a "firm" ticket at around 2 p.m. one day to fly out at 10 a.m. the next day for a meeting that was scheduled to be at noon in Ottawa........by 3 p.m. on the day of booking I received an email that the 10 a.m. flight that I was booked on was cancelled and that I was now booked on a firm fare on the 11 a.m......making me late for noon meeting .....made all the worse when the 11 a.m. was not wheels up until about 11:30...making me very late for the noon meeting.......never getting an explanation for, either, the cancellation nor the delay on the day of travel.

I am a seasoned enough traveller to know that "stuff" happens.....but if your advertising/marketing is about a different travel experience than your main competitor, then it really should be different. No amount of free espresso, biscotti and wifif made this a good day.

Like I said, not my normal Porter experience but if that had been my first flight with them....not sure I would be back (IYKWIM).
 
I'm surprised they didn't give you the option of flying out on an earlier flight. The only thing that I can think of for why they didn't was that the earlier flights were full (even if they weren't originally full, they would have been filled by passengers on your flight who paid Freedom and Flexible fares). Usually the option is given to passengers if there is space available.

As to why it got canceled, my best guess is that a plane went out of service. That's really the only reason they would know 24 hours ahead of time that a flight needed to be canceled. Really, they should have told you that. As for the delay on the flight, if they didn't announce why the flight was delayed, that's just poor service and inexcusable. Delay announcements are tough to make (far easier than cancellations though) and my guess is a rookie CSR didn't want to make the announcement. How they managed to avoid it without getting pestered by passengers I have no clue. Next time, if you have an issue and you aren't getting an answer from a CSR, ask to speak to a "Lead" and that will help.
 
Agreement Will Be "Win-Win" for City and Airport Users

TORONTO, July 11, 2011 /CNW/ - The Toronto Port Authority's (TPA) Board of Directors has given the green light to an agreement going before City of Toronto Council this week, that would see the TPA's proposed pedestrian tunnel to the Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport accommodate the City's own infrastructure upgrade to water mains to the Toronto Islands. The TPA first proposed a combination of the two projects to former Mayor Miller in June 2009.

"The agreement tabled allows for a straight-line route for our proposed pedestrian tunnel, which is more convenient for mobility-impaired passengers and will save travellers $2.5 million in unnecessary construction costs," TPA Board Chairman Mark McQueen said. "By joining our project, the City estimates that it will save taxpayers $10 million on its own Island watermain and sewage project, and avoid duplication of costly and disruptive construction work in downtown Toronto."

The City was planning a major infrastructure project under the Western Channel, that would parallel the TPA's proposed pedestrian tunnel. Recognizing the pressing budget pressures faced by the City, the Toronto Port Authority has waived 100 per cent of the standard commercial fees charged for such carriage, which represents more than $5 million of additional savings to the City over the next 20 years.

http://www.newswire.ca/en/releases/archive/July2011/11/c4631.html

Airport tunnel deal reached

TORONTO - City staff have hammered out a deal with the Toronto Port Authority for the pedestrian tunnel to the island airport.

Councillors will have to sign off on the deal at some point during this week's city council meeting.

Released late Monday, the deal would give the port authority rights to a portion of the city-owned dockwall along the Western Gap allowing the tunnel to be built along a "straight-line route" from the shore of the city to the Billy Bishop Airport.

The city would use the tunnel construction to accommodate its own infrastructure upgrade to water mains feeding the Toronto Islands — a move that staff predict could save $10 million.

If approved, the city would lease the former Canada Malting site at 450 Lake Shore Blvd. W. to the TPA and allow a taxi staging area there while the tunnel is being built.

The TPA has agreed to spend $250,000 towards relocating the airport's terminal building. The city says it is not interested in taking ownership of the national historic site but talks are ongoing with Downsview Park to become its new owner, according to the report.

Councillors are also being asked to revise the controversial 2003 decision that sunk the bridge to the island airport. Staff recommend the decision, banning a fixed link to the airport, be revised to allow the proposed pedestrian tunnel.

The TPA's board of directors have already given the green light to the agreement, according to a news release.

TPA board chairman Mark McQueen stated the straight-line route will save travellers $2.5 million in "unnecessary" construction costs.

http://www.torontosun.com/2011/07/12/airport-tunnel-deal-reached
 
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A second item of good news/common sense today? Something strange is going on. Almost like a miracle day.
 
I'm going to miss the ferry. It doesn't really inconvenience anybody and it's kind of fun. You can still arrive 30 minutes before your flight and make it comfortably.
 
The question that comes to my mind: who'll have the shortest ferry in the world then?
 
Mapleson said:
The question that comes to my mind: who'll have the shortest ferry in the world then?
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Toronto. The ferry will still exist for hauling vehicles back and forth across the channel.

I don't believe ferry service will be reduced either; so no cost savings to be had from the tunnel.
 
unimaginative2 said:
I'm going to miss the ferry. It doesn't really inconvenience anybody and it's kind of fun. You can still arrive 30 minutes before your flight and make it comfortably.
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I fly Porter once a week and will not miss the ferry one bit. It's frustrating if you just missed it to wait for it to go over, unload, load up and come back. All the time realizing you could just walk over in a minute if there were a bridge. Glad they're building a tunnel! Miller was such a joke trying to block the airport and then blocking a pedestrian link. Glad Ford is making things happen.
 
hawc said:
All the time realizing you could just walk over in a minute if there were a bridge.
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FYI, the cancelled bridge was a draw bridge which would have a default mode of "open" (boat priority) and a cycle time of about 10 to 15 minutes.

ORNG (medical transport) was actually arguing against it because it could increase their response time over the ferry. Incidentally, they've left (are leaving) the island airport due to runway congestion.
 
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unimaginative2 said:
I'm going to miss the ferry. It doesn't really inconvenience anybody and it's kind of fun. You can still arrive 30 minutes before your flight and make it comfortably.
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As Porter gets more popular and bigger it really does inconvenience people. The last time i took Porter i couldn't get on the ferry because it was past it's limit. If Air Canada adds more flight and Continental starts flying from there too then a bridge/tunnel is definitely needed.
 
hawc said:
Miller was such a joke trying to block the airport and then blocking a pedestrian link. Glad Ford is making things happen.
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In the real world, unlike in Bizarro world where you live, Ford doesn't make anything happen and raises a stink about anything that doesn't involve cars. He voted against community programs that EVERY other person on council voted for, including his brother. He's essentially cancelled any improved transit on Sheppard or Finch. Not to mention paying $400k to remove the Jarvis bike lanes. (Not him alone, but he definitely helped that)
Things in Toronto are happening in spite of Ford.
 
Sorry for the rudeness but when you deride David Miller while saying Rob Ford "gets things done", on a very civic-minded forum, you can't really expect a serious response. Feel free to elaborate on your statements and prove me wrong though.

(Not saying I agree with Miller's 2003 airport stance, but it didn't exactly define his mayoralty)
 
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