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Porter Airlines Named Best Economy Class Airline

The USA Today Readers' Choice Awards ranked Porter first out of 20 international airlines for the third consecutive year.

Updated on Nov. 6, 2026 in Air Travel

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Porter Airlines was named the world's best economy-class airline in USA Today's Readers' Choice Awards, ranking first among 20 international carriers for a third straight year. AI Illustration. Upload story photo >

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Porter Airlines was selected as the world's Best Economy Class in the USA Today Readers' Choice Awards, ranking first out of 20 international airlines. It marks the third consecutive year the airline has received the award.

Why it matters

The award reflects reader voting on economy-class travel quality, a category that many air travelers encounter on routine trips. Porter's recognition highlights how a regional carrier has built a transcontinental network while competing on passenger experience.

Porter operates 56 Embraer E2 aircraft and 29 De Havilland Dash 8-400s across 33 destinations and 131 routes. The fleet includes aircraft ordered under an agreement for up to 100 Embraer E195-E2 jets.

The players

Porter Airlines

Porter Airlines is a Toronto-based carrier founded in 2006 that serves domestic Canadian routes along with destinations in the United States, Mexico, the Caribbean and Central America.

USA Today Readers' Choice Awards

The USA Today Readers' Choice Awards is an annual reader-voting program run by the USA Today newspaper that recognizes top travel brands and destinations.

The details

Porter's economy service includes no middle seats, free beer and wine served in glassware, and complimentary premium snacks on every flight. The awards nominees were submitted by a panel of experts before the reader vote.

Timeline

  1. Porter Airlines was founded in 2006.

  2. Porter launched its transcontinental network in 2023.

  3. Porter was named Best Economy Class on November 6, 2026.

Travel Outlook

Porter's growth over the next several years will bring its economy-class experience to more travelers across its expanding network. The third consecutive win places the airline among the most consistently recognized carriers in the annual USA Today Readers' Choice survey.

Travelers booking economy seats on Porter can expect no middle seats and complimentary snacks on every flight. Those planning routes across its 33 destinations should check current fares directly with the airline.

The takeaway

Economy-class comfort is increasingly a differentiator among airlines, and reader-voted awards offer one signal for comparing options. Checking recent winners can help travelers weigh value beyond the base fare.

Further reading

Explore more on Air Travel to compare economy-class options across carriers.

More information

Visit the Porter Airlines official website to review routes and economy-class service details.

Live Poll

Would you choose a higher-service economy airline over the cheapest fare?