NEW YORK'It was like the chicest school trip ever. Seventy friends and family of Porter Airlines head Robert Deluce were invited to fly on the airline's maiden voyage to New York last Saturday.

The elite group included interior designers Brian Gluckstein and Sarah Richardson, Paul and Gina Godfrey, former provincial minister Greg Sorbara, and several society circuit regulars.

Never had the lumbering ferry to the City Centre Airport seen so many Vuitton overnight bags and Herm??s purses.

But that will probably change. This week Porter began seven daily weekday flights to Newark Liberty International Airport, in addition to regular weekend service.

"We may have to add more weekend flights," remarked Deluce as he welcomed his VIP friends with blood orange bellinis at the Soho Grand hotel, where he was putting them up for the night. "Porter has seen a lot more leisure travellers than we expected."

Porter's winter run to Mont Tremblant has been particularly popular with skiers, and summer service to Halifax has been expanded to year-round.

Part of Porter's appeal is the ability to bypass the traffic and aggravating lineups that come with travel to and from Pearson airport.

Some in Saturday's group agreed that Toronto to New York door to door can't be done through Pearson in less than five hours.

But one Porter guest clocked the inaugural journey at less than four hours. It might have been even quicker had one woman not delayed the flight by returning home to Rosedale to get her passport.

Porter also promises convenience on return trips since its 70-seat Bombardier Q400 turboprops can take off and land on shorter runways.

"At Newark we'll be using cross runway 1129 which is very limited for larger jet aircraft but ample room for the Q400," says Porter executive vice-president Michael Deluce. So, at peak times when competitors must queue up for 45 minutes or more, Porter can head straight to the shorter runway. "In some cases we'll be on the ground in Toronto while the Air Canada flight is still in line for takeoff."

There are other perks, too, from the airline whose motto is "flying refined."

In the chic Porter lounge, the cappuccinos and biscotti are free. And the check-in staff actually smile.

"If this were Air Canada they'd be scowling," one guest smirked.

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