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Flight Delays and Cancellations FAQ

Learn more about what Porter will do to assist you with your travel plans in the event of a flight delay or cancellation.

Popular questions

Yes, we will rebook you on the next available Porter flight at no cost. If you’ve provided a valid email address and/or mobile number on your reservation, we will also send you a notification with your new flight details via email and/or text message.

If your flight is cancelled or delayed, Porter will send you a flight notification to the contact details provided on your booking. Please ensure that your email address and mobile number are correct and current.

Information about changes to your flight's status will be made available within 30 minutes of the time we are notified of the change. Updates will be provided through our online Flight Status tool, local airport Flight Information Displays and through the Porter Call Centre.

For last minute delays or cancellations, we will also offer updates at the boarding gate area and on board.

Your eligibility for a refund depends on the following circumstances:

  • If you decide to no longer travel either because your original flight was cancelled or you are delayed three hours or more, you may cancel one or all of your unused flight segments with no penalty and receive a Porter travel credit, or when the delay/cancellation is due to a situation within Porter’s control, request a refund issued to the original form of payment.
  • If you are delayed for more than 48 hours from your original departure time, you will be offered the choice of rebooking, or a refund to the original method of payment, regardless of the reason for the flight disruption.
  • When your transborder flight is affected by a flight disruption or other qualifying significant change, and you choose not to travel, you will be entitled to:
    • a full refund of the unflown portion of your itinerary, and/or
    • a refund of fees paid for an ancillary service you did not receive, such as a checked bag or upgraded seat.

These are the qualifying significant changes that would result in a refund:

  • Your flight:
    • was cancelled (regardless of the reason) and you choose not to travel on the alternative flight we offer.
    • was delayed by 6 hours or more and you choose not to travel on the delayed or alternative flight.
    • has a different arrival airport from the original itinerary and you choose not to travel on the alternative flight.
  • Your alternative flight offered by Porter has more connection points than your original itinerary and you choose not to travel on the alternative flight offered.
  • You are a passenger with a disability and the connecting airport on your rebooked itinerary has changed from your original itinerary (different point of origin, destination or different connecting stops).
  • You were moved from a PorterReserve seat to PorterClassic seat by Porter on your alternative flight, and you choose not to travel on the alternative flight offered. (If you choose to travel on the alternative flight, you will be refunded the difference in seat fare).

The online rebooking tool allows you to search for an alternate flight to your destination or to cancel your remaining flight(s) free of charge in case of a flight cancellation.

You first access your booking at flyporter.com through My Bookings using your confirmation number and last name. You then select Change/Cancel Flight from the travel options to view your available flight options.

Any passenger whose flight has been cancelled is eligible to use the online rebooking tool with the exception of group bookings of 5 or more passengers, interline bookings and reservations that contain the following service requests:

  • Attendant
  • Extra seat
  • Law enforcement officer
  • Unaccompanied minor.

These types of reservations need to be rebooked through the Call Centre.

Porter does not waive fees due to impending bad weather, unless a travel advisory notice has been posted on our website that specifically states that fees will be waived for flights to a particular destination.

We do not cancel flights in order to cut costs. Scheduled flights are not just about moving passengers. An entire network depends on the aircraft and the flight crew being at the right place at the right time. The aircraft may be scheduled to continue on an onward journey to a different destination and the crew may have another flight to operate or a layover followed by a flight back. So a decision to cancel a flight is not made without first considering the effect the cancellation will have on passengers and the operation of the entire network.

Yes, you can change your return flight to one that is equivalent to the length of the time you missed. Please visit My Bookings and select Change/Cancel Flight from the travel options to view the flight options available within the complimentary change window. With the exception of flights booked in Basic, changes outside this window can be made without incurring change fees. However, any fare difference will apply.

For vacation packages booked via Porter Escapes or if you booked your flights via a third-party, please contact a Porter Escapes travel planner at 1-888-619-8622 or your travel agency directly.

Although your flight is showing as delayed, we suggest that you plan to arrive at the airport for the original scheduled departure time. It’s possible that the departure time could get moved up if the weather conditions improve or a different aircraft is substituted, and the flight is not able to wait for passengers who are not there.

We realize this may seem confusing and cause frustration, but there may be unsafe flying conditions anywhere along the aircraft’s flight path that would cause Porter to cancel a flight. Also, there are some types of weather conditions that are not visible like wind gusts or lightning activity. Safety is always our first priority.

When bad weather hits, large scale delays are often a result of various traffic management initiatives put in place by Air Traffic Control (ATC) in order to ensure safe operating conditions.

A Ground Delay Program (GDP) is an air traffic management procedure used by Air Traffic Control where aircraft are delayed at their departure airport in order to manage demand and capacity at their arrival airport. Flights are assigned departure times, which in turn regulate their arrival time at the impacted airport.

Ground Delay Program may be put in place for many different reasons. The most common is weather.

When ceilings are low and visibility is poor, Air Traffic Control will restrict or reduce the number of inbound aircraft due to the increased spacing requirement between aircraft and that cuts down the number of arrivals possible per hour.

Another example is the airport capacity being limited by winds on a beautiful, sunny day. If the wind velocity or gusts on approach exceed the crosswind limitation of most aircraft, then some runways may be unusable.

The Ground Stop is a way for Air Traffic Control to temporarily shut off the flow of arriving aircraft until limiting conditions improve or dissipate. These could include low ceilings and visibility, winds, thunderstorms or even de-icing. Airlines, including Porter, do not have any control over Ground Stop or Ground Delay programs, however we will make information about changes to your flight's status available within 30 minutes of the time we are notified of the change.

If de-icing is slowing down the operations, the number of aircraft permitted on the ground may also need to be limited. Once the aircraft is de-iced, it needs to takeoff promptly or the de-icing fluid loses its effectiveness and the aircraft needs to be de-iced all over again.

At airports such as Newark (EWR), Washington Dulles (IAD) or Chicago Midway (MDW), the departure corridor may become a problem due to bad weather on route and the aircraft often have to maneuver off of their normal routing in order to avoid thunderstorms. At these airports, if the Air Traffic Control cannot find a clear path for a departing aircraft, they will simply not allow any departures for a period of time.

Upon request, we can provide a statement of proof that your Porter flight was delayed or cancelled. You can obtain a confirmation letter by submitting your request online through our Confirmation Letter Request form.

Be sure to include the confirmation number, flight numbers, dates of travel, passengers names, phone contact and the email address where you would like the letter sent.

Standard processing time is about 2 to 3 weeks, provided that all required information is supplied.

If your flight is cancelled or delayed by more than 2 hours due to reasons within our control or required for safety and you incurred additional expenses because of this, you may be entitled to claim reimbursement for the following:

  • Hotel accommodation (where necessary, for out of town passengers).
  • Transportation between the hotel and the airport (where necessary).
  • Meals and refreshments, in the unlikely event vouchers are not available during a controllable delay or controllable for safety, to a maximum of $35 per day/per passenger (up to $8 for breakfast, $12 for lunch and $15 for dinner). Alcoholic beverages and tips/gratuities will be excluded.

Please note that only reasonable expenses will be refunded. If you choose to travel from a different departure point or to a different destination than your original booking, we will not cover any expenses for travel between these or any other consequential expenses (e.g. car rental, train tickets, parking costs etc.). For more information visit our Delayed, Diverted and Cancelled Flights page.

If you wish to make an expenses claim for items such as hotel accommodation, food, ground transportation or delayed baggage while you were delayed, please submit your claim online. Claims must be submitted by the passenger or their legal guardian, in order to ensure data privacy compliance. Compensation payments will be issued in the name of a travelling passenger only.

It takes about 10 minutes to complete the form. You will need:

  • Your confirmation number
  • The name and address of a passenger that you are claiming for (if you are their legal guardian)
  • Details of the delayed or cancelled flight(s) in your journey
  • Details of your expenses
  • Itemized receipts and other documents in support of your claim

Once you have submitted your claim, we will email you a confirmation. Our Customer Relations team will process your claim as soon as possible.

Under some circumstances, you are entitled to claim compensation for a delayed or cancelled flight. For more information and to check if you are eligible, visit our Flight Delay Compensation page.

We work hard to review and process all cases as quickly as we can. However, there are times when the volume of affected passengers increases and it may take a little longer to respond to all cases. We are sorry for this and would like to reassure you that each and every complaint or compensation request is carefully reviewed and normally, a full response and explanation will be given within 30 days or as soon as reasonably possible. Thank you for your support and understanding and once again please accept our apologies for the disruption you have faced.