--- title: Porter Airlines email marketing trains customers to wait for a sale fare image: https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/hs-fs/file-1601716413-jpg/blog-files/6a00d83451f23a69e20167692b8e10970b-320wi.jpg --- [Skip to main content](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/blog/2012/08/porter-airlines-email-marketing-trains-customers-to-wait-for-a-sale-fare.html#maincontent) [ «  View All Posts ](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/blog) # Porter Airlines email marketing trains customers to wait for a sale fare August 9th, 2012 1 min read By [David Meerman Scott](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/blog/author/david-meerman-scott) ![](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/hs-fs/file-1601716413-jpg/blog-files/6a00d83451f23a69e20167692b8e10970b-320wi.jpg?width=320&height=255&name=6a00d83451f23a69e20167692b8e10970b-320wi.jpg) [![Porter sale](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/hs-fs/file-1601716413-jpg/blog-files/6a00d83451f23a69e20167692b8e10970b-320wi.jpg "Porter sale")](http://freshspot.typepad.com/.a/6a00d83451f23a69e20167692b8e10970b-pi)Last month I travelled to Toronto to speak at the Microsoft Worldwide Partner Conference and flew via [Porter Airlines](https://www.flyporter.com/Flight/Tickets?culture=en-CA) from Boston. The Porter Airlines flight and service was excellent. I particularly loved flying into [Toronto City Airport](http://www.torontoport.com/airport.aspx), which is located on an island right downtown. The travel time from the airport to downtown is significantly less than from the main international airport located outside Toronto. **I'd definitely fly Porter Airlines again. But, next time I would only book a fare that was on sale. ** After I booked, I signed up for their email offers. I expected to be educated about Porter and the destinations they fly. I was not. Instead, on a regular basis, all they’ve been sending me are fare sales. I must have gotten a dozen offers in the several months I've been on their email list. It sort of annoyed me that I paid more for my flight than I should have. I couldn't switch because the fare sale emails say: "New bookings only". I get what they are doing. They want to fill seats and it is a lazy marketers drug to run sales on a regular basis. It sort of reminds me of how some companies use Groupon, which I wrote about in this post: [The dark side of Groupon](https://www.webinknow.com/2011/06/the-dark-side-of-groupon.html). Offering frequent fare sales trains customers to wait for a better price on Porter Airlines. It also annoys customers like me who (stupidly) paid too much. **Porter Airlines can do email marketing better** I keep waiting to see emails from Porter Airlines talking about their other destinations. Why not tell me about Moncton? Maybe I'd like to go but I don't know anything about it. Or maybe Porter could provide ideas on why I should return to Toronto with my family. Or they could introduce their people "This is Captain Smith." But they don't do anything like this. It's all about the sale. Your email marketing should be used to build a long-term relationship with your customers. You should educate and entertain them. *There's a lot more to email marketing than pimping a sale price. * [![Porter sale 2](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/hs-fs/file-1601716428-jpg/blog-files/6a00d83451f23a69e201774406a599970d-500wi.jpg "Porter sale 2")](http://freshspot.typepad.com/.a/6a00d83451f23a69e201774406a599970d-pi) [ David Meerman Scott ](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/blog/author/david-meerman-scott) David Meerman Scott is a business growth strategist, advisor to clever entrepreneurs who are building emerging companies, and the international bestselling author of a dozen books published in 30 languages. David’s high-energy keynote presentations, masterclasses, and virtual events educate, energize, and inspire. Connect: [mailto:david@freshspot.com](mailto:david@freshspot.com) Topics: [ Worst Practices ](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/blog/topic/worst-practices) [ Case Studies ](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/blog/topic/case-studies) [ Advertising ](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/blog/topic/advertising) Don't forget to share this post: ## Related Articles [![](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Pirated%20books.jpg?width=1500&height=1000&name=Pirated%20books.jpg) ### Move Fast and Steal Things: Meta Pirated 53 of My Books and Stories to Train Their AI March 26th, 2025|1 min read ](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/blog/move-fast-and-steal-things-meta-pirated-53-of-my-books-and-stories-to-train-their-ai) [![](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Toyota%20website.jpg?width=1253&height=822&name=Toyota%20website.jpg) ### Automaker Website Frustrations Push Buyers Elsewhere December 10th, 2024|1 min read ](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/blog/automaker-website-frustrations-push-buyers-elsewhere) [![](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Do%20not%20play%20Yamaha.jpg?width=1500&height=1125&name=Do%20not%20play%20Yamaha.jpg) ### Please Do Not Play Without Permission November 12th, 2024|1 min read ](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/blog/please-do-not-play-without-permission) [![](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Teen%20and%20Young%20Adult%20AI.jpg?width=1338&height=886&name=Teen%20and%20Young%20Adult%20AI.jpg) ### Generative AI Not Understood By Young People… Educators Are To Blame July 9th, 2024|1 min read ](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/blog/generative-ai-not-understood-by-young-people-educators-are-to-blame) [![](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Crush%20Apple%20video.jpg?width=1500&height=845&name=Crush%20Apple%20video.jpg) ### Apple’s Soul Crushing, Creator Destroying Metaphor for what AI is Doing to Society May 8th, 2024|1 min read ](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/blog/apples-soul-crushing-creator-destroying-metaphor-for-what-ai-is-doing-to-society) [![](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/hs-fs/hubfs/shutterstock_126631127.jpg?width=1500&height=999&name=shutterstock_126631127.jpg) ### Customer Testimonials Are Not Effective Storytelling March 26th, 2024|1 min read ](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/blog/customer-testimonials-are-not-effective-storytelling) [![](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/hs-fs/hubfs/we%20annoy%20our%20clients.jpg?width=1000&height=670&name=we%20annoy%20our%20clients.jpg) ### We Annoy Our Customers March 5th, 2024|1 min read ](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/blog/we-annoy-our-customers) [![](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/hs-fs/hubfs/shutterstock_272153462%20copy.jpg?width=1000&height=628&name=shutterstock_272153462%20copy.jpg) ### Legal Caution vs. PR Clarity: University Presidents' Legal Advisors Muddled Congressional Testimonies December 19th, 2023|1 min read ](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/blog/legal-caution-vs.-pr-clarity-university-presidents-legal-advisors-muddled-congressional-testimonies-on-antisemitism) [![Man holding a tablet computer with tip options](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/hs-fs/hubfs/shutterstock_2328873613.jpg?width=1500&height=1000&name=shutterstock_2328873613.jpg) ### Just Because You Can Doesn’t Mean You Should October 19th, 2023|1 min read ](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/blog/just-because-you-can-doesnt-mean-you-should) [![](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/hs-fs/hubfs/max%20logo%20win.jpg?width=925&height=621&name=max%20logo%20win.jpg) ### Max Mayhem: Warner Bros. 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