Traveling on Porter BOS-YYZ in about a month. Normally would check-in online, carry-on only, go through security in terminal B or C, visit the Chase lounge, then head to E for boarding (Porter gates are usually in the shared terminal E/C area). Now traveling with my parents, and may need a wheelchair for my mom. By the book approach would result in having to go to Porter check-in counters in terminal E (which is quite far from the lounge), then wheelchair directly to the gate. Any advice on how to get a wheelchair to/from the lounge? Or at least from the lounge to the gate (C check-in is pretty close to the lounge)?
I have not used this service so can’t vouch for the company. There is a airport concierge service at BOS that sounds like they will meet your needs…YMMV
https://www.jodogoairportassist.com/boston-logan-airport-assistance-services
I have used them within the same terminal and they have taken me to the lounge and then gate. But I am not sure about this because you are traveling between terminals. Terminal e is connected airside if I am not mistaken though.
@pl15 Thanks. Yes, E is connected airside to the rest of the airport (excluding A). Not only that, but Porter usually operates from the gates located in the E/C connector, one level down from E departures. I guess E jet bridges are optimized for boarding widebody planes, and C is for 737/320 and smaller planes. The issue is that the current E security checkpoint is in the new wing (gates E13+), which is quite a hike to the lounge. In fact, Porter gates are closer to (and on the same level as) the C checkpoint than to the E one.
Our experience is generally that when you get a wheelchair at check-in but you want to go to the lounge, the assistant will take you to the lounge, drop you, you give them a time to return, and then they will come back later and get you.
In general also the lounge attendants can assist with fetching someone and/or making sure they show up.
Now, we've never done this with a chase lounge, only with airline lounges; the combination of "she can't walk today" plus "we're in Y" plus "there's a creditcard lounge we can use" just hasn't come up. It is possible you get more grace on a J ticket to/through an airline lounge since it's all "in the family" so to speak not to mention you're paying more. However i would tend to think the principle applies, e.g. that once you get an attendant assigned at check-in, the "system" will get you to the gate even with a stop at a lounge.
@bacos Thanks for the reply. We are flying PorterReserve, which is as J as it gets on that airline but still no lounge. Alaska award rates are awesome, only 6k points to YYZ on the E195-E2! I was hoping to have an attendant meet us at terminal C security, rather than terminal E where Porter has their check-in counters.
@bacos I figured. Oh well, we can always just go to the Air France lounge right next to the Porter gates via Priority Pass. It's a morning flight, during the hours when PP is accepted there. I think the wheelchair attendant will get us to the gate and leave us there with the wheelchair.
@sbs Have flown PorterReserve on YTZ-EWR on the Dash 8, which was fun. From what I've heard, the E195-E2 is far superior, and 6K is a sweet deal! Alaska's partnership with Porter is indeed awesome. Be sure to sign-up for Porter's emails because they send out discount codes for future flights (and have a really cute Mr. Porter racoon mascot). Best part, no middle seats on any of their aircraft. Safe travels! Hope everything goes well for mom!
An interim update - requesting a wheelchair makes the ticket ineligible for online check-in, at least with Porter Airlines. Have to go to the counter even if flying with carry-on only.
@sbs Makes sense. They need to properly connect you with the wheelchair service providers. (With most airlines, other 'special requests,' like, 'emotional service animals,' etc., also require in-person check-in, verification of documents, etc.) Safe travels!
BOS E departure: seamless experience, a wheelchair attendant came to the Porter check-in counter, got my mom to and through security, then to the Air France lounge, then from the lounge to the gate, and from the gate to the plane door. Timing: Porter counter only opens 2 hours before departure. 5 min wait for attendant. No wait at security, but it is a very long walk from Porter check-in to security and then back to the E6/7 gates. Not enough time to keep walking to the Chase lounge. Air France lounge is very basic, but fine for a quick snack and coffee. Attendant came back to get us from the lounge way too early, 1 hour before scheduled departure, 20 min before boarding started.
YYZ T3 arrival: Felt like being a relay baton. One attendant got us from the plane to the elevator, then a golf cart ride to another elevator, then another attendant from elevator to immigration, and finally the fourth person got us through immigration, luggage belt, customs, and to the curbside pick-up area. Timing: attendant with the wheelchair waiting at the jet bridge when the plane arrived. We got out early, were wheeled out of the way, but then had to wait anyway until everyone deplaned. Apparently the wheelchair attendant had to do some paperwork with the FA. Then wait a couple of minutes at each hand-off. Then wait at immigration as the attendant was juggling 2 wheelchair customers. And all of that at a very off-peak arrivals time. Must be really bad during peak times, unless they increase staffing levels or come up with a more efficient process.
@sbs Glad it all still worked out for you and yours! (And hope mom felt well-taken-care-of.) Wonder how the actual AF lounge at BOS compares to the expectations set by Ben's article about its 'makeover' from 2025 ( https://onemileatatime.com/news/air-france-lounge-boston-airport/)? Relay is a good metaphor for that experience at YYZ! Hope the rest of the trip went well!
@1990_ Ben's article is pretty spot on. The quotes in “French-style culinary experience” are absolutely necessary 🙂 We were there late morning, and the food display was just sad. Roasted hot dogs with potatoes, muesli, cold cuts, bread, wilted salad. No French cheeses, no croissants - these are pretty cheap in Costco, I am sure they could've afforded to add at least something French to the experience. It does look exactly like the renderings in Ben's article, which is a plus.
As a final update, we are back in Boston. Porter wheelchair assist at YYZ T3 departure was another relay experience, except this time we had to wait about 20 minutes after checking in for someone to actually show up, cutting it a bit close to departure even with priority access to US pre-clearance. BOS arrival was another hot mess. Lyft app can't schedule curbside accessible pickup. Wheelchair attendant tried to push two customers at once, except we needed to go to the central garage for regular Lyft pickup, and the other lady was expecting a friend to pick her up curbside but couldn't get them to answer the phone. The attendant suggested that he would leave us in the terminal waiting for this lady to be picked up. At that point I just asked to go self-service, so at least he let us keep the wheelchair and leave it at the app pickup area. I can only imagine what would happen to someone traveling solo. Finally, our arrival E3 gate is actually much closer to the B garage app pickup zone than to the central garage used for other terminals. Following official terminal E signage forces you to again go the entire length of the expanded terminal E twice, airside and then landside. I think the wheelchair guy was just clueless about the airport layout.
@sbs Oof. Sacré bleu... (on that 'weak' BOS AF lounge "breakfast")
Glad you made it back, safely, even with that additional 'relay' and close call. (I recall, whether T1 or T3, US Preclearance at YYZ can be odd; like, at one point, the airport agents (not US CBP agents) would not allow me to use the Global Entry security lines, unless I presented my physical GE card, even after showing them explicitly that GE doesn't require the physical card... oh well.)
Having dealt with the bus/AirTrain to rideshare situation at JFK for while (there are workarounds), I appreciate the extra effort getting to rideshares at BOS (was last there in December, and recall it can be a long, kinda confusing walk to the garage).
Sounds like everything worked for you and yours out in the end. Phew!