Porter Airlines Dash 8-400 Seat Selection Guide (2026)
Quick Verdict
Aircraft: De Havilland Dash 8-400 — 78 seats, one cabin, 29 aircraft
Layout: 2-2, A B | C D, rows 1–20 — row 1 is 1A and 1B only — no middle seats
Version lottery: No — one cabin plan, and the 2026 seat refit keeps it
Best seats: 4A, 4D, 6A, 6D, 8A, 8D, 10A, 10D, 13A, 13D, 15A, 15D — the twelve green seats, all windows
Best legroom: 1A, 1B, 2C and 2D — the four PorterReserve bulkhead seats
Seats to avoid: 2A and 2B if you are paying for legroom · row 20 — no recline, galley behind · 11A, 11D, 16A, 16D — window behind the seat
Lavatory: one, at the front · galley at the back
Onboard: complimentary beer, wine and snacks · Wi-Fi: not on the Dash 8 · no seatback screens
The trap: two PorterReserve seats without the legroom
Porter sells the first two rows of the Dash 8-400 as PorterReserve, and describes those seats as having more legroom than the rest of the cabin. That is true of four of them.
The forward right service door takes the space where 1C and 1D would be, so row 1 is only two seats, 1A and 1B, and the right-hand side of the cabin starts at 2C and 2D. Those four seats — 1A, 1B, 2C and 2D — each face a bulkhead with open floor ahead. That is the PorterReserve legroom.
2A and 2B sit directly behind 1A and 1B, and the cabin plan draws them at exactly the same spacing as every other row on the aircraft, rows 3 to 20 included. Whatever else the fare includes, the seat in front of you is a seat, not a wall.
| Seat | Legroom | Trade-offs |
|---|---|---|
| 1A | Bulkhead, open floor ahead | No underseat storage; tray table in the armrest; window set behind the seat |
| 1B | Bulkhead, open floor ahead | No underseat storage; tray table in the armrest |
| 2C | Bulkhead, open floor ahead | No underseat storage; tray table in the armrest |
| 2D | Bulkhead, open floor ahead | No underseat storage; tray table in the armrest; a plugged window beside it |
| 2A, 2B | Standard — same as rows 3–20 | Sold with PorterReserve, spaced like economy |
2C is the cleanest of the four legroom seats: no misaligned glass, no plugged window, an aisle on one side. All four bulkhead seats rate yellow because a bag has to go in the overhead bin for take-off and landing, which on a Dash 8 is not large.
The window pattern
Almost every seat on the Dash 8-400 is next to a window — with a 2-2 layout, half the cabin is window seats. What separates them is whether the glass lines up with where you are sitting, and on Porter’s aircraft that follows a clear pattern.
The window seats in rows 4, 6, 8, 10, 13 and 15 are the twelve seats rated green on the whole aircraft. Every other rated window seat is average or worse. If you want the view, book an even row from 4 to 10, or 13 or 15.
1A, 11A, 11D, 16A and 16D have the window set behind the seat, so you lean back to see out, and 5D rates poor as well. Rows 11 to 14 sit beneath the high-mounted wing, and on a turboprop that puts you closest to the propellers.
Front lavatory, back galley
The Dash 8-400 puts its only lavatory at the front of the cabin, ahead of row 1, and the galley at the back. That reverses the usual narrowbody logic: the last rows do not have a lavatory queue beside them.
They are still not good seats. Rows 19 and 20 have the galley directly behind, with the noise and light that comes with it, and row 20 does not recline because there is a wall behind it. All eight seats rate yellow.
The 2026 seat refit
Porter is replacing the seats across the Dash 8-400 fleet with Expliseat TiSeat 2V seats — a lightweight carbon-fibre and titanium design — with new cushions, tray tables and device holders, plus LED lighting and new carpet. The first refitted aircraft is already flying and the fleet is due to be finished in the fall of 2026.
The layout does not change. The aircraft stays at 78 seats in the same rows, so every seat number in this guide applies to refitted and unrefitted aircraft alike.
Service on board
Porter serves complimentary beer, wine and snacks to every passenger, including on the Dash 8. There is no seatback entertainment, and Porter lists free Wi-Fi on its Embraer E195-E2 fleet, not on the Dash 8 — plan to be offline. If Wi-Fi matters, check whether your flight is on the E195-E2.
Quick-pick summary
| Travelling as | Book | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Legroom first | 2C, then 1B | Bulkhead legroom with the fewest trade-offs |
| Window | 4A, 6A, 8A or 10A (or the D seat) | Rated green and ahead of the wing |
| A couple | 4A + 4B or 6C + 6D | A whole side of the row, and a green window |
| PorterReserve buyer | 1A, 1B, 2C or 2D — never 2A or 2B | Only these four have the legroom |
| Avoid | Rows 19–20, 11A, 11D, 16A, 16D | Galley and no recline; windows out of line |
Frequently asked questions
What is the best seat on the Porter Dash 8-400?
For legroom, 2C: a bulkhead seat with open floor in front and no window problem. For the view, any window seat in rows 4, 6, 8 or 10 — those are among the twelve seats on the aircraft rated green.
Do all PorterReserve seats have extra legroom?
No. PorterReserve covers rows 1 and 2, which is six seats. 1A, 1B, 2C and 2D face a bulkhead and have the legroom. 2A and 2B sit behind row 1 at the same spacing as the rest of the cabin.
Why does row 1 only have two seats?
The forward right-hand service door takes the space. Row 1 is 1A and 1B on the left, and the right side of the cabin starts at 2C and 2D.
Where is the lavatory on the Porter Dash 8-400?
At the front, ahead of row 1. There is only one. The back of the cabin has the galley instead.
Does the Porter Dash 8-400 have Wi-Fi?
Porter lists free Wi-Fi on its Embraer E195-E2 aircraft, not on the Dash 8. There are no seatback screens either.
Are Porter’s new Dash 8 seats a different layout?
No. The Expliseat seats replace the old ones row for row. The aircraft stays at 78 seats and the seat map in this guide applies to all 29 aircraft.