travel westjet privileges

Your Complete Guide to WestJet Rewards (spring 2024)

Let’s talk about WestJet Rewards, one of the main travel loyalty programs in Canada.

In Canada, we have access to several frequent flyer programs that give you the ability to book flights with a wide variety of airlines. 

In an earlier post, we spoke about Aeroplan, and how Canadians can maximize their Aeroplan points. 

But Air Canada/Aeroplan isn’t the only frequent flyer program in Canada. While WestJet is not the first thing that comes to mind when Canadians think of air travel, it is an international airline that can provide Canadians with immense value

WestJet Rewards is the loyalty program offered by WestJet. The program allows members to earn points on their flights, vacation packages, car rentals, and other purchases, which can then be redeemed for flights, hotel stays, car rentals, and other rewards. Overall, WestJet Rewards is designed to reward customers for their loyalty to the airline and provide them with exclusive perks and benefits.

What is the best way to earn WestJet Rewards? Where can you redeem WestJet Rewards points? Is it better to fly or not fly with WestJet? These are all questions that I will answer in this blog post.

Here are 9 things to know about the WestJet Rewards program

1. you earn westjet dollars by flying with westjet.

• 2. You Can Earn WestJet Dollars by Flying with WestJet's Partner Airlines

3. You Can Earn Free WestJet Rewards with the RBC WestJet World Elite Mastercard

4. rbc avion points can be converted to westjet dollars, 5. 1 westjet dollar = 1$ off westjet purchases.

• 6. Owners of the WestJet World Elite Mastercard Can Take Advantage of WestJet's Companion Voucher

7. Owners of the WestJet World Elite Mastercard Can Take Advantage of Free Checked Bags

• 8. WestJet Rewards Offers Discounted Fights in the form of “Member Exclusive Fares”
• 9. Elite Status: WestJet Rewards Has 4 Loyalty Tiers

WestJet Rewards Competitive Analysis

A. do westjet rewards expire, b. what can i use my westjet dollars be used for, c. where can i fly westjet.

• 4 Tips to Help You on Your Travels

Stay up to Date on the Latest Travel Deals

Westjet rewards overview, earning westjet rewards.

If you ever fly with WestJet, you’ll be able to earn WestJet dollars.

The amount you earn is based on your WestJet elite status (more on that below)

2. You Can Earn WestJet Dollars by Flying with WestJet’s Partner Airlines

You can earn WestJet dollars on flights booked through Delta, Quintas, Air France & KLM Airlines. The earnings rate for each airline are as follows: 

View more info here

WestJet dollars are awarded on Delta Air Lines-marketed and operated flights (including Delta Connection flights) based on distance flown, plus class of service

Silver, Gold, and Platinum members are eligible for additional WestJet dollars earned on partner-marketed flights.

• Silver members earn 50% more WestJet dollars
• Gold members earn 75% more WestJet dollars
• Platinum members earn 100% more WestJet dollars

Additional WestJet dollars awarded to Silver, Gold, and Platinum members are on top of the amounts indicated below and are awarded concurrently with the flight transaction.

Air France 

WestJet dollars are awarded on Air France-marketed flights operated by Air France or a subsidiary, based on distance flown plus class of service

KLM Royal Dutch Airlines

WestJet dollars are awarded on KLM-marketed flights, operated by KLM or a subsidiary, based on distance flown plus class of service.

Read >>> your complete guide to Air France/KLM Flying Blue

Quintas Airlines

WestJet dollars are awarded on Qantas-marketed flights, operated by Qantas or WestJet, based on distance flown plus class of service.

For more information on WestJet’s partner airlines, you can visit this page

If you’ve ever used Aeroplan in the past, you’re probably familiar with the process of earning Aeroplan miles through their branded credit cards. Naturally, WestJet has a similar offering. 

If you regularly fly with WestJet or intend on taking a trip with WestJet over the next year, the WestJet World Elite Mastercard is a great tool you can leverage to reduce the cost of your flight.

The $119 annual fee is offset by the following benefits: 

• 300 WSJ after your first purchase
• 300 WSJ upon spending $5,000 in the first 3 months
• Total of 700 WestJet Dollars
• 1.5% return in WestJet Dollars (with 3% return at Petro Canada gas stations) 
• 2% return in WestJet Dollars when purchasing from WestJet Vacations
• Emergency Medical Travel Insurance – up to $5,000,000
• Car rental damage insurance 
• Hotel burglary  insurance – up to $2,500
• Trip interruption insurance – up to $5,000
• A Free checked bag on WestJet flights
• Additional 20% in Petro Points on purchases made at Petro Canada
• Boingo Wi-Fi on West Jet Fligts

The $700 sign-up bonus is virtually a $700 WestJet gift card, so it’s easily worth the $119 sign-up fee.

If you currently own another RBC credit card and would like to transfer to the WestJet World Elite Mastercard, you can perform a credit card switch on the RBC banking page, or by calling their credit card hotline. Switching from one RBC credit card to another DOES NOT impact your credit score. 

While the WestJet World Elite Mastercard is a great way to earn hundreds of WestJet dollars, it’s certainly not the only way to earn WJD. 

For those who are collecting Avion Points, those points can be converted to WestJet dollars at a 1000-1 ratio with the occasional 30% bonus.

Read >>> Your Complete Guide to Avion Points

You can transfer your Avion points to West Jet Dollars here

RBC currently offers several credit cards that allow you to earn RBC Rewards or Avion Points. The best card to get for getting Avion points is the RBC Avion Visa Infinite

Sign up here

The $120 annual fee is offset by the following perks & benefits:

• 35,000 Avion points upon approval
• 20,000 Avion points upon spending $5,000 in the first 6 months
• 1.25 Avion points per dollar spent on travel
• 1 Avion point everywhere else
• Emergency Medical Travel Insurance
• Trip Interruption insurance – up to $5,000
• Cancellation Insurance – up to $25,000
• Flight delay insurance – up to $500
• Mobile device insurance – up to $1,500
• Special discounts throughout the year

The RBC Visa Infinite is a great way to earn transferrable Avion points, and the lack of a high spending threshold can be great for those who don’t spend much on the card. Canadians will have to make a personal decision as to whether or not the $120 annual fee is worth spending after year 1.

If you are interested in maximizing your WestJest dollars, you can flip between the RBC Visa Infinite Avion and the RBC WestJet World Elite Mastercard every 9 months, continuously receiving a modified signup bonus each time.

Read >>> View our full review here

Redeeming Your WestJet Dollars

One of the drawbacks to travel programs is that determining the monetary value of your points tends to be a complicated process. 1 Aeroplan mile is different from an Air Mile and different from an Asia Mile. 

WestJet dollars are easy to understand. When you earn 1 WestJet dollar, you can apply that and save $1 off a WestJet flight. You can also use your WJD on WestJet vacation packages.

For example, if you have 100 WestJet dollars and are looking to book a $1,000 flight, the flight now becomes $900. 

WestJet Dollars can only be applied to the base fare, not taxes & fees.

Maximizing Your WestJet Experience

6. owners of the westjet world elite mastercard can take advantage of westjet’s companion voucher .

Owners of the WestJet World Elite MasterCard can further dive into savings by  leveraging an annual companion voucher . 

The companion voucher is quite a simple concept. Passenger 1 pays full price for the fare, and their companion can travel with them at a reduced rate.

The rates are as follows:

• $119 for round-trip travel in Canada and the continental U.S.
• $399 for round-trip travel to/from the rest of the WestJet network
• Taxes, fees, and charges apply

For example, if you and your partner are flying round trip from Toronto to Vancouver and the base fare is $700, you would be able to claim the companion voucher AND your $450 WestJet Rewards dollars to drastically reduce the cost of your flight. 

As you can see, the companion voucher can provide a great deal of savings. Cardholders get 1 companion fare per year, so choose your flight wisely. 

How to Use Your Companion Voucher

In addition to a companion voucher and $450 in WestJet dollars, owners of the WestJet World Elite Mastercard also receive a first checked bag free promotion for not only themselves but their entire traveling party as well. 

This could equate to hundreds of dollars of savings if you’re traveling with a large group 

8. WestJet Rewards Offers Discounted Fights in the form of “Member Exclusive Fares” 

For cardholders of the WestJet World Elite Mastercard, you will be eligible to purchase WestJet  Member Exclusive Fares. 

Member Exclusive Fares  offer discounts to cardholders anywhere from 10% to upwards of 35% off the basic fare. 

I will mention here that the  Member Exclusive Fares  program went through a facelift during the summer of 2020, and the initial reaction has been mixed at best. This is because the  Member Exclusive Fare  cost is often of equal cost to the basic WestJet fare. 

Here’s hoping this perk can be tweaked in 2024, and travellers are provided with further cost savings. 

9. Elite Status: WestJet Rewards Has 4 Loyalty Tiers 

As is the case with most airlines, there is a loyalty program associated with WestJet as well. 

There are 4 tiers in the WestJet program  

 Teal is the baseline membership, which you achieve by simply singing up for the program

Silver members receive the following benefits:

• Complimentary upgrade at the gate 
• Complimentary upgrade prior to check in
• 4 advance seat selection vouchers 
• 4 member lounge passes
• 2 Guest lounge passes
• 1st and 2nd checked bags free
• Zone 2 boarding 
• Priority check-in

Gold members receive the following benefits:

• Complimentary upgrade prior to check-in
• Early access to purchase an upgrade
• 6 advance seat selection vouchers 
• Unlimited member lounge passes
• Zone 1 boarding 
• Priority support number
• Priority security screening at select airports

Platinum members receive the following benefits:

• Unlimited advance seat selection + 6 guest vouchers 
• 1st, 2nd & 3rd checked bags free

WestJet Elite Status Comparison

Westjet vs aeroplan .

I’m sure many of you are wondering how WestJet compares to  Aeroplan . 

One of the big disadvantages for WestJet when comparing it to Aeroplan is that you can only earn a large chunk of WestJet dollars through the WestJet World Elite Mastercard or RBC Avion. Whereas, you can earn Aeroplan points through Aeroplan branded CIBC & TD Visa cards, AND through American Express credit cards. 

There are a lot more opportunities to earn a large chunk of points with Aeroplan. 

You also can redeem Aeroplan points with several global airlines.

The WestJet rewards program is best used when planning a vacation 9 months out. You can earn the $450 in WestJet dollars through the World Elite Mastercard, and leverage the companion voucher to decrease the cost of the total fare. To further reduce costs, you can also leverage a member-exclusive fare.

Once you’ve taken your WestJet vacation, it would be in your best financial interest to focus on other rewards programs that have higher signup bonuses, and that are more lucrative. Then, you can circle back to the WestJet earning cycle in 18-24 months.

Aeroplan vs WestJet Rewards Valuation:

While Aeroplan gets a lot of buzz amongst Canadian travelers, the WestJet rewards program should not be overlooked. 

By signing up for the WestJet World Elite Mastercard, and by leveraging the annual companion voucher and WestJet  Member Exclusive Fares , you can easily save up to $1,000 on your dream vacation. 

WestJet Rewards FAQ

WestJet dollars do not expire

WestJet Rewards can be used for the base fare for WestJet flights, and towards WestJet Vacation packages. They CAN’T be used for taxes & fees.

You can fly WestJet to several international destinations.

In Canada, WestJet’s main hub is Calgary Alberta. Calgary, located in the picturesque province of Alberta, Canada, is a city with a unique blend of urban sophistication and natural beauty, making it a compelling destination for visitors. Known for its friendly locals, Calgary offers a welcoming atmosphere that adds to the overall positive experience.

The city is particularly famous for hosting the Calgary Stampede, a world-renowned annual rodeo and exhibition that showcases the region’s cowboy culture. Beyond the Stampede, Calgary boasts a vibrant arts and culture scene, with numerous galleries, theaters, and museums to explore. The city’s skyline is dominated by the iconic Calgary Tower, providing breathtaking views of the surrounding Rocky Mountains.

Nature enthusiasts will appreciate the proximity to outdoor adventures, including Banff National Park and Kananaskis Country, offering hiking, skiing, and stunning landscapes. With a variety of dining options, shopping districts, and diverse entertainment choices, Calgary proves to be a well-rounded destination for travelers seeking a mix of urban amenities and natural wonders

You can view the various tourism options Calgary has to offer here

4 Tips to Help You on Your Travels 

• If you think you’ll be taking a trip on a WestJet flight in the next 12 months, sign up for the WestJet World Elite Mastercard. 
• If you have an RBC credit card, you can transfer RBC rewards points to WestJet dollars. Look out for transfer bonuses throughout the year. 
• Link up your RBC credit card to Petro Canada, and save 3 cents per litre at the pump. 
• Sign up for WestJet’s promotional emails. You can create a “deals” section within your inbox if you’d prefer to compartmentalize your incoming emails.

Disclaimer: this post may contain affiliate links, meaning we get a small commission if you make a purchase through our links, at no cost to you. For more information, please visit our discl aimer page

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Understanding WestJet Rewards – A Comprehensive Guide – Part 1

Hi PointsNerd Nation!

My name is Brian and I’ve been a long time reader and fan of PointsNerd. When I saw the call for writers a couple of weeks ago, I thought I would throw my hat in the ring in hopes that I might be able to help some fellow Canadians with their Travel Hacking goals.

I’ll admit that I’m probably not a sophisticated as Jayce and Chao when it comes to finding how to squeeze every last penny out of a point, but I do know the WestJet program pretty well and I personally think that it’s an overlooked program that more people should know more about.

WestJet Rewards Program

The WestJet Rewards Program is WestJet’s loyalty program and it was designed with simplicity in mind. I’ll briefly talk about the status tiers and then move onto understanding WestJet Dollars (WSD) in Part 1. In Part 2, I’ll talk about using WSD and the benefits it provides and then touch on WestJet’s new offering, Member Exclusive Fares. In Part 3, I’ll talk about the WestJet World Elite MasterCard and how you can leverage it as a spend multiplier for WestJet flights so that you can quickly earn WSD.

Currently, WestJet has 3 tiers of loyalty; Teal, Silver, and Gold. Status is determined by spend on WestJet marketed flights meaning that flights on partner airlines (Delta, American, KLM, Air France, and Qantas) that are not designed as a WestJet flight (eg. WS3772), do not count for status qualification purposes.

So what do you get for qualifying for the different status levels? With Teal, you don’t receive anything except the ability to earn WestJet Dollars (at a rate of 1% on the base fare ). When you reach Silver and Gold, you start to see some real benefits.

As a WestJet Silver Member, you earn WSD at a rate of 3% on the base fare of all your WestJet flights. Additionally, you receive the following flight benefits.

The First Checked Bag benefit is a good one if you travel with bags. I personally do not but I’m sure there are plenty of people that still do. If you do check a lot of bags, you can get around the cost of baggage by having the RBC WestJet MasterCard and I’ll talk more about that in Part 3.

With the Airport Lounge Vouchers, you are able to use them at WestJet Lounges. WestJet currently uses lounges managed by 3rd party providers and to be honest, they can be either very good (Plaza Premium Lounges) or a bit on the mediocre side. For a full list of the lounges available, visit https://www.westjet.com/en-ca/book-trip/business-travel/airport-lounges . While lounge access is a nice perk, you can access these same lounges with either the American Express Platinum Personal or the Platinum Business card through the Priority Pass benefit.

There have been some strong rumblings that WestJet will launch their own flagship lounges in various Canadian cities and if I were a betting man, I would guess it would coincide with the launch of the new 787s. I would expect that once these lounges are launched, Priority Pass will not get you in, much like the Maple Leaf Lounges with Air Canada.

The Advanced Seat Selection Vouchers are a decent benefit but may not move the needle for some. I definitely used up my certificates as a Gold Member but once I use them up, it’s not devastating not to have them.

As a WestJet Gold Member, probably the best benefit is earning WSD at a rate of 5% on the base fare on all your WestJet marketed flights. This is the benefit that I leverage the most with my WestJet Gold Status and when combined with the WestJet World Elite MasterCard, really helps to accelerate your earning potential with the program.

As far as flight rewards go, you receive 2 checked bags for free, 10 Lounge Vouchers, and the same 4 advanced seat selection vouchers that you see at the Silver Level.

Some additional benefits include Zone 1 Boarding (WestJet has 3 zones), Priority Screening at some airports, a Priority Support Phone Number to avoid waiting on hold, and front-of-the-line service at some airports.

There are two additional benefits that I didn’t mention above and that’s because they deserve a bit of special attention. The first is a life-saver for me – No Fees for Same Day Changes. This is really important to me because I travel for business a lot and when I finish a meeting a bit early, I know that I can easily catch an earlier flight if I can make it to the airport on time. The added flexibility at no cost is something that I cherish because WestJet has great flight schedules that work very well with my travel patterns.

The next benefit was a bit of a puzzle to me until it was explained to me by a WestJetter – Early Access to Plus. This benefit is actually pretty great because it saves me a ton of money and gives me access to Plus seats. For those that don’t know, WestJet Plus is a quasi-premium economy where it’s your standard WestJet 3-3 configuration but the middle seat is blocked out, meaning you have a lot more room. This is true of WestJet’s 737 fleet but on the 767’s, there is a true 2-2 Premium Economy setup. The other benefit of Plus is that you have access to unlimited food and drink while on board. While you might feel weird asking for food over and over again, you won’t get denied additional food by the Flight Attendants.

Plus seats at the time of booking can be fairly expensive. Take for example a one-way ticket from Winnipeg (my hometown – LET’S GO JETS!!!) to Toronto. In the Econo fare (regular economy), you would be paying $455,83 and in Plus, you would pay $594.83, a $139.00 difference for a 2:20 flight.

Typically my company isn’t willing to pay that difference but I like sitting up front as much as the next guy. To get around this, as a Gold Member, I have access to Plus 48 hours ahead of departure. During this time, WestJet knows that it is unlikely to sell a full-fare Plus seat, so they open up availability of those seats to Gold Member 48 hours before so they can obtain a Last Minute Upgrade (LMU) for a fraction of the cost of paying for it ahead of time. The upgrade cost depends on the length of the flight but upgrades to Plus can start for as little as $20.

Everyone flying with WestJet is offered this option at check-in 24 hours before departure but Gold’s get an extra window of an additional 24 hours to snap up these seats. I have been told that this is an experiment that will last until May 31, 2018, but I’m expecting that it will be a popular benefit amongst Gold Members so I’m predicting it will stay.

WestJet Dollars (WSD)

I’ll be honest. WestJet Dollars don’t offer the potential to redeem for the same extreme value as something like Aeroplan’s Mini-Round-the-World award but on the positive side, you definitely don’t face the same headaches as you see in other programs.

Ultimately which program you choose will depend on how much you value your time. I have redeemed for mini-RTWs before and I can attest to spending countless hours trying to line everything up so that the all the flight worked. I remember many frustrating phone calls to Aeroplan after spending 10+ hours getting everything perfect only to find out that the itinerary wasn’t valid because I didn’t know about a minor rule associated with the program. I’m sure many of you have faced the same issue and to be frank, I’ve lost patience for it.

I’m a HUGE fan of WestJet Dollars because for better or for worse, you know exactly what you are getting for your redemptions. 1 WSD is equal to $1 off your base fare on ANY AVAILABLE FLIGHT ! This means that if you can find a fare online with WestJet, you can use your WSD towards that flight.

You really don’t need to worry about rules, routing, segments or any of that other nonsense with WestJet Rewards. If the flight shows up on WestJet.com, you are able to use your WSD towards redemption, though you do need to redeem at least 15 WSD.

While Aeroplan definitely has more international destinations available for redemptions, when you consider the fact that it’s not exactly easy to find award seats and that Aeroplan will charge HUGE YQ Surcharges on a lot of partners, it all kind of evens out. Let’s not forget that WestJet will be taking on ten 787s in 2019 with an option to lease a further 10 from Boeing, meaning that WestJet will soon become a full-fledged national carrier with international destinations. Westjet has already filed a request to fly into China and Japan, with lots of talk about other destinations in Central America and Oceana (Australia and New Zealand).

With WestJet expanding internationally, I would not be surprised if they continue to bring on additional airline partners to supplement their already established relationships with Delta, Air France, KLM, and Qantas, which means more international destinations available for redemptions.

For some, the WestJet Rewards program isn’t as “sexy” as the Aeroplan program but take it from someone that has vast experience in both. The ease of the WestJet program and the ability redeem for any available seat trumps a lot of the “benefits” of the Aeroplan program.

Want to take a flight to Cancun tomorrow? With WestJet, all you have to do is look on the website for availability. With Aeroplan, you have to break out your slide rule, Excel spreadsheet, 3 extra-large coffees and a new wireless mouse because you probably shattered your last one when you tried to book your last Aeroplan redemption.

When you consider that the Aeroplan Program will be defunct in 2020, now might be a very opportune time invest your efforts into the WestJet Rewards program.

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Great article. I’m looking forward to learning about WJ because admittedly I don’t know much.

Are you able to use WJD and companion pass on the same itinerary?

You can definitely use your WSD and your Companion Pass on the same booking.

it seems you travel some for work already which is how you earn your WJD. What would you recommend as far as earning WJD points goes for someone who isnt travelling often?

Hi Rhinehart,

I’ll be covering off the different methods of how to earn WSD in the upcoming couple of WestJet posts. Essentially, it comes down to the World Elite MasterCard and crediting flights to WestJet. It’s amazing how quickly you can earn WSD if you have status and the credit card.

I have the WJ Elite Mastercard and it has come in handy and I have enjoyed its perks. Currently I find myself not flying with WJ as much and my annual fee is coming up in a few weeks. I am debating whether to cancel the card or not with me currently leaning towards canceling. My question is has anyone cancelled and then signed up 8+ months later and gotten the $250 WJ credit a 2nd time before?

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Member Exclusive fares

WestJet offers Member Exclusive (ME) fares which are discounted fares available just to WestJet Rewards members. The discounts vary since it uses a dynamic pricing model but they recently made more seats available which should appeal to some members.

The catch is that you must have enough WestJet dollars to pay for the entire balance. This is pretty problematic when you think about it. You only earn WestJet dollars when you book flights on WestJet or use one of the co-branded credit cards.

For example, if I wanted to claim a $600 flight, I would need $600 WestJet Dollars. To earn $600 WestJet Dollars, I would need to spend $40,000 on the WestJet RBC World Elite Mastercard.

I’m not saying that the card is bad. In fact, I think it comes with great benefits (more below). I’m just saying that ME fares currently offer very limited value since the discounts appear to be minimal and you need to pay the entire balance with your WestJet Dollars.

If you’re short, you can purchase WestJet dollars via points.com to top up your balance, but it costs $2 for $1 WestJet dollars. That’s clearly an awful return.

On a positive note, you can book premium and business class seats with ME fares. But again, the discount you get with ME fares seems to be quite minimal. Like really, sometimes the difference is just a few dollars. WestJet really needs to make some improvements here if they want to compete with Aeroplan or other airline loyalty programs.

• Two checked bags free
• 4 airport lounge vouchers
• 4 advance seat selection vouchers
• Priority check-in and bag drop
• Zone 2 boarding
• Canada-wide companion voucher (when $4,000 spend is reached)
• 10 airport lounge vouchers
• 6 advance seat selection vouchers
• Priority check-in and bag drop at select airports
• Priority security screening at select airports
• Early access to purchase upgrades to premium seating
• Zone 1 boarding
• Higher priority for complimentary upgrades to premium seats with the purchase of EconoFlex fares
• No fee for same-day flight changes at check-in
• Three free checked bags
• Unlimited advanced seat selection
• A dedicated support number
• Highest priority for complimentary upgrades to premium seats with the purchase of EconoFlex fares

I will say this, when you reach higher tier status with WestJet Rewards, the benefits you get are much better. I’ve had Gold status for a few years now so I’ve been able to take advantage of free advance seat selections. The priority check-in and boarding are also very convenient.

WestJet RBC World Elite Mastercard

• $119 annual fee
• 450 WestJet dollars when you spend $5,000 in the first 3 months
• Earn 2% back in WestJet dollars on WestJet flights or WestJet Vacations packages
• Earn 1.5% back on all other purchases
• Receive a round-trip companion voucher – every year – for any WestJet destination starting from $119 (plus taxes, fees, charges and other ATC)
• Get free first checked bags for the primary cardholder and up to 8 guests on the same reservation

You can earn more WestJet Rewards/Dollars by applying for the WestJet RBC World Elite Mastercard. Cardholders earn 1.5% in WestJet dollars on everyday purchases and 2% on WestJet flight and vacation purchases. That means you could earn up to 10% in cash-back in WestJet dollars as a Platinum tier member.

The base earn rate of 1.5% in WestJet dollars for every $1 spent is not bad, but many of the best cash back credit cards in Canada offer a better return and you’re getting actual cash. The strength of the WestJet RBC World Elite Mastercard is the annual companion voucher and free checked bags. The earn rate is secondary.

The WestJet RBC World Elite Mastercard  appeals to frequent and casual flyers with WestJet. The annual companion voucher alone is worth it as you normally wouldn’t get one until you reach Gold tier status.

The $119 annual fee may turn some people off, but considering you’ll get a healthy sign up bonus in WestJet dollars, there’s really nothing to complain about. As a cardholder, you and your travelling companions get your first bag checked free (up to 8 bags). Normally, a checked bag starts at $30 each way, so there can be a fair amount of savings. This is why the card is one of the best airline credit cards in Canada . If you prefer something with a lower annual fee, check out the WestJet RBC Mastercard .

WestJet RBC Mastercard

• $39 annual fee
• Earn 50 WestJet dollars after your first purchase
• Earn an additional 50 WestJet dollars when you spend $1,000 in the first 3 months
• Earn 1.5% back in WestJet dollars on WestJet flights or WestJet Vacations packages
• Earn 1% back in WestJet dollars on all other purchases
• Annual companion voucher

It depends on how you look at things. WestJet Rewards is designed for anyone who flies WestJet. If you’re a casual flyer, you’ll likely be happy to get anything, but the value proposition isn’t the best. It can only become lucrative if you have a co-branded credit card, and even then, you have a limited earn rate.

That said, most travellers who fly with WestJet won’t care. They likely put more value on service or availability. They may have been disappointed with Air Canada over the years and have switched, or they may just enjoy the free companion voucher that comes with the credit cards.

Now if you’re flying WestJet on a regular basis and have top status, there’s definitely some value since your earn rate is so high, but you also need to think about what you’re missing out on. By sticking to WestJet Rewards, you’re limiting yourself to one airline (although they’ve had partners before and they’re apparently coming back later). There’s no denying WestJet Rewards are easy to understand, but there’s no aspirational travel available.

Look at Aeroplan with Air Canada. They recently made changes so it’s more friendly to everyday travellers. They also have a huge network so you can use your points to fly anywhere in the world. More importantly, there are multiple ways to earn Aeroplan points so you can high value redemptions quickly. I personally favour Aeroplan over WestJet Rewards, but I collect points points/dollars since I fly both airlines regularly.

If you’re looking to earn points to get free business class flights around the world, you need to look somewhere else. For me personally, I still like WestJet Rewards because of that companion voucher that I get every year.

My WestJet Rewards review is positive, but I recognize its limitations. While most airlines use a points system that can be difficult to make an actual booking, WestJet Rewards has a simple cash back system that only requires $15 WestJet dollars to make a redemption. That said, frequent flyers and loyalty enthusiasts will not see much value in WestJet Rewards and will likely prefer to focus on other loyalty programs.

About Barry Choi

Barry Choi is a Toronto-based personal finance and travel expert who frequently makes media appearances. His blog Money We Have is one of Canada’s most trusted sources when it comes to money and travel. You can find him on Twitter: @barrychoi

77 Comments

Do you know if you are able to cancel a West Jet Card and then re apply to earn the bonuses for a second time? If so, is there a time period for doing so?

Thanks for the great posts!

As far as I know, the WestJet RBC World Elite MasterCard does not have a once per lifetime signup bonus so you should be able to reapply for this later if you want. Generally speaking, most cards require 6 months to pass before you can reapply.

That would put a hit on your credit that would make you cringe. Probably not recommended

[…] that Air Canada is pulling out of Aeroplan prompted this review of WestJet’s customer loyalty […]

The WJ rewards program is pretty good value, especially if they’re your preferred carrier. I looked in the RBC card, which has good benefits and pretty terrific travel insurance coverage with one gaping hole: baggage delay and loss. If your free checked bag goes missing while you’re traveling, you are (bleep) out of luck.

Hmmm seems odd that the free checked bag which is a benefit of being a cardholder is not covered by your baggage delay and loss insurance. I need to look into this.

I have been WJ gold for years. It’s not as great as you make it. They never upgrade you because their system does not have the capabilities for most routes. They barely have any lounges. – check the list. I’m sitting writing this a day after flying WJ where they could not even accommodate me sitting together with my spouse when we booked the same ticket together. Gold “agents” were not even able to fix this problem for a gold client. The good – cash vs points. Companion tickets. Free 1st luggage.

Interesting to hear your personal experience on the matter. I wonder if this is a consistent problem? The lack of lounges is definitely an issue, their partners are limited. It would be great if they were able to partner with all Priority Pass lounges in the future.

Not happy at all with the changes. Have been gold for years with platinum spend. Now there is unlimited access to lounges, however I only use the lounges when travelling personally with friends, now I am limited to 2 lounge passes for guests. I had 20 unused vouchers for the lounge, now I only have 2, they actually took away my vouchers for the new program. I only choose my seat when flying personally, again, they took away all of my seat selection vouches. I now have unlimited seat selection personally, but this doesn’t help me when I’m flying with others. If you are flying with others your status means nothing in regards to complementary upgrades as they will not upgrade you if the other passenger is not gold or platinum. I fly Westjet for work because it was a benefit for me personally, now I am researching Air Canada’s rewards. I think if you spend as much as I do on flights you should be happy with the rewards to some extent and I am not.

I can see your frustration. I think WestJet’s intent was to provide more access to their members and their families. For people who like you preferred to use their lounge and seat selection vouchers on friends, the changes negatively affect you.

Hmm they usually only have a issue moving someone to sit with there spouse when you don’t ask at the gate till the very last minute. I get upgraded on every flight that’s not fully booked

This is not entirely related to Westjet’s loyalty program. Bit I thought it was worth sharing a slightly different way to earn points.

In partnership with the federal Public Health Agency of Canada, multiple provincial governments, and other sponsors (e.g., charities), a new and FREE rewards App rewards you financially to improve your health. Talk about the ultimate nudge!

So in conjunction with other loyalty programs and card, the app helps you: –> keep track your daily steps taken, –> gives you monetary incentives to walk, –> sends you health tips and trivia along with points transferable to dollars via your Petro Canada card, Scene card, or Aeroplan card.

How do the rewards program and credit card work together? You make them sound like separate entities.

Yes, can you earn Silver/Gold status with your credit card spending? (On regular items, not just travel – when we signed up, I was led to believe this was so)

Your credit card spending does NOT apply to silver/gold status unless you’re making purchases on WestJet flights, WestJet vacation packages, or cars and hotels booked on westjet.com.

Hi William,

The credit card gets tied to your WestJet Rewards account. They’re technically separate, but they work together.

Annual fee is going to $119 starting Nov 2017, FYI …

Good to know, thanks!

The only problem is… you have to fly WestJet. Yuck.

One drawback to RBC Westjet card, is that for checked luggage fee to be waived, primary card holder has to travel. So if your spouse is not the primary card holder and they travel alone (without primary card holder), they have to pay the fee, even if you have two cards. ($149 per year I think for 2 cards). So one downside to the “free checked luggage”.

Does anyone know if I need to book my flight with Westjet directly for free baggage or can I use sites such as Expedia.ca? I frequently book WJ one way and need to use another airline for the return so this works for me.

If you use the WestJet RBC World Elite Mastercard to book your WestJet flights or have Silver status, then your first checked bag is free regardless of where you booked your ticket.

Can we earn points booking with west jet thru a travel agent also? Thanks

Yes you still earn WestJet dollars when booking through a travel agent as long as it’s a fare that can be booked by the public.

Pretty late to this conversation but here’s a question. If I have a companion voucher, and do not use it, will I get another voucher after that one expires? Specifically, I am interested in what is considered an “annual voucher”.

HI Suzanne,

Usually the companion vouchers are good for one year, so yes, if you don’t use yours, you would get a new one. Annual usually refers to annual date of when you signed up for your credit card.

Thanks for the quick response!

Be aware and very careful with your WestJet rewards system! I just found out that my account was canceled in 2014 due to the anti-spam legislation yet I have taken WestJet flights every year before and after this date and given them my account number. I have no email proof that it was canceled and have lost at least 20 return flights worth of travel. Please go into your account and cross-check. My account was flagged as ‘for information only’…clever, they kept my info but un-linked my account number. Is that even legal?

If I book for family of four do I get all west jet rewards or do we all need a reward card?

From the WestJet website

“No. WestJet Rewards is an individual traveller program. Eligible spend will only be applied to the account belonging to the person whose name and WestJet Rewards ID matches those appearing on the booking. This also applies for bookings made for children. To earn WestJet dollars, each individual traveller must join WestJet Rewards and have their own WestJet Rewards ID.”

After trying to contact Westjet on 3 separate occasions on this question- without the courtesy of a reply – I will ask you Barry.

In regard to the companion fare, if I book an outbound flight and wish to leave the return leg open – as I am unsure of the time away-can this fare be applied ?

Based on the terms and conditions, I would say no (see below). YOu’re not technically booking a roundtrip ticket which is why I don’t think the voucher would apply.

Valid for one (1) round-trip for the primary cardholder and a companion of their choice travelling on the same itinerary; these vouchers are non-transferable. Maximum one companion voucher may be used per booking.

Primary cardholder may use the companion voucher only once on their choice of either A) round-trip travel in Canada and the continental U.S. for a $99 base fare B) round-trip travel to/from Mexico, Central America, the Caribbean and Hawaii for a $299 base fare or C) round-trip travel to/from Europe for a $399 base fare. If one-way travel is booked, the full base fare will be charged, the voucher will be deemed fully used and the return portion of travel is forfeited.

How do I GET MY WESTJET dollars summary? I GO TO THE wwwwestjet.com/creditcard and it doesn’t seem to want to show me the balance.

When you sign into WestJet rewards, it should show your amount.

https://www.westjet.com/en-ca/rewards/index

My husband is the primary cardholder, and I have a card on the same account. It appears to me that my spending is credited as miles to my husband’s account, as the primary cardholder. I do get the companion voucher for one flight a year, but how do I earn westjet miles on my account to spend toward other flights?

You’d have to get your own card to earn WestJet dollars for your own account.

I travel for work quite a bit and I use the Westjet rewards program over Air Canada as it’s much easier to redeem dollars and 5% Earn rate for Gold status is pretty good plus the perks are good for me like same day flight changes for free, seat vouches, 2 free bags, priority boarding etc.- I also get randomly upgraded to Plus seating fairly often which is a nice surprise.

I am coming up on my qualifying year at the end of June and I’m only short $153 of the $6K qualifying spend to maintain Gold Status but I’m not planning any travel before July. Do you know if I can book a flight and pay for it and not take it or do I have to get on the flight to have the flight count as “qualifying spend”?

Or is there any other way to get the qualifying spend like renting a car using my Westjet number?

Based on the tier listings, a car rental is likely your easiest bet. That being said, I’d call WestJet and ask if purchasing future travel now counts for your current calendar year.

https://www.westjet.com/en-ca/rewards/tiers/index

Hi Barry, If I am a westjet mastercard credit card holder AND have silver status, am I allowed 2 free checked bags?

I suspect the answer is no since both the silver status and WestJet Mastercard state that only the first checked bag is free.

Thanks for this! I’ve been reading around trying to get details on the rewards of this card and your website is the most comprehensive.

One last piece that I can’t seem to get a straight answer on: is the qualifying spend on WJ flights, car rentals, etc only or is it for any money I put on the card?

For example I want to travel to Hawaii next Apr and ideally use the companion voucher for my son’s ticket. So both of us flying together at the same time. If I sign up for the card now, in June, and spend $6000 in groceries, gas, bills, whatever else I normally put on a CC, will I be eligible for the companion voucher as soon as I hit $6k? Or does it have to be $6k in WJ flights/car rentals?

For status purposes, the spend must be on WJ flights, vacations, car rentals, etc only. However, the WestJet RBC Visa gives you the companion voucher right away.

https://www.moneywehave.com/westjet-rbc-world-elite-mastercard-review/

Any everyday spending earns you WJ Dollars, but won’t go towards status.

Also note that the RBC Avion has a promo right now where you get 25,000 points after your first purchase which can be converted to $250 WestJet dollars.

https://www.moneywehave.com/the-best-travel-credit-cards-in-canada/

Thanks for the ultra prompt response Barry! And that companion voucher is good for anywhere WJ flies and not just within Canada?

yes anywhere but I believe it goes up to $199 for the U.S. and $299 for international. Still a VERY good value. You get this companion voucher every year so it’s worth hanging on to the WestJet card just for that reason.

If my spouse and I both sign up for the card (different applications) would be both receive the $250 WJ dollars and companion voucher? If so, it may be a good option for our family (planning a holiday to the US next year with two adults, two children).

Yes, you and your wife could both sign up for the card separately and get the companion offers.

Also note that the RBC Visa infinite currently has a promotion where the first year is free and you get 25K points ($250 value) after your first purchase. Those points can be transferred to WestJet dollars.

Hi. Is the companion ticket issued based on calendar year or anniversary of your card signup after the initial one? Also, if the annual companion ticket goes unused during the first year do you have two to use there to use and so on as years go by or do they expire?

It goes by your anniversary date and does not carry forward. So you basically have one year to use them.

Hi. can i use my Westjest dollars (i am the primary card holder) and book and pay a flight for my spouse using these dollars.

Yes you can use your WestJet dollars to buy your wife a ticket. You just need to put the ticket under her name.

I don’t think it’s that great a program. The problem is they don’t count the majority of their ticket purchases towards their points – only those in a certain fare class. So, it’s not at all easy to get to gold status if you travel a lot. And who books full fare on a discount airline, corporate or personal? I’ve not been impressed, I personally did 8 trips back and forth to eastern canada and the eastern US (from Calgary) in the last calendar year and it wasn’t enough to reach silver status. I’ll stick with Delta for Can/US travel, their point program is better.

The way the WestJet Rewards Program works is that it is a dollar qualification for tier. You reach Silver at $3,000 spend and Gold at $6,000.

Note that only the base fare counts (not taxes). The only fare that doesn’t count towards tier qualification is Econo (lowest) which is similar to AC’s Basic fare and is only available on very select routes.

Air Canada requires the same ($3,000) qualifying spend for 25K PLUS 25,000 Qualifying Miles or 25 Qualifying Segments. In other words, it’s much easier to earn status on WestJet compared to Air Canada.

As a frequent traveler with WJ Gold, I have no issues on the free benefits accumulated as you go, basically you get what your tier level states, such as free first 2 checked luggage, Zone 1 boarding, priority check-in, free lounge hours, WJ dollars, even first class seat with choice of drinks/food at no extra charge. Yes you will need to pay the annual fee depends on the WJ credit card you have. Compared with AC, the only downfall for WJ is so far WJ doesn’t have a whole lot international routes to choose and redeem your WJ dallors, but I believe they are working on it and expect it happen not just for the business point of view but benefit the diverse members from different origins,

One most important thing with WJ Gold I forgot mentioned in my previous post, you can change to any flight whenever you need as long as they are in the same date, let’s see when you are late for checking they will resign you to another late flight at your choice whenever available, it happened to me twice and it’s my own fault but simply no hassle they will get you there. Am I saying correct, Barry?

Yes, everything you stated about WJ Rewards is accurate which is why it’s one of the best airline rewards programs out there. WestJet has indeed ordered larger planes so they’ll be able to fly to more destinations in the future.

I am a bit confused by what I can do with WestJet Dollars. Can they only be used towards member exclusive deals? Or can they be used to partially pay regular travel as well? I would like to use the $250 (and some WSD I have earned over the years) to cover my base fare and use the companion voucher to cover my partner’s base fare so I can only pay cash for the taxes and fees. Would this be possible?

Your WestJet Dollars can be used to pay partial fares (not taxes). So yes, you should be able to use your WJD to cover your base fare + companion fare and then pay in cash what’s due.

Hi Barry, I’m wondering if you can answer a question re “first bag free” for RBC WestJet Mastercard and up to 8 travelling companions. I have 5 other people that will be traveling with me on an upcoming trip. I spoke with 3 different people at WestJet and got 3 different answers – first said I needed all people on the same reservation to get the free bag, second person said I couldn’t get the free bag for anyone because I used the companion voucher, third person (when I finally booked) said I just have to show my WestJet Mastercard when I’m at the airport and it didn’t matter when they made their reservation as long as they were traveling with me on the same flights. Are you able to confirm? I’m confused. Thank you.

Hi Valerie,

The RBC WestJet World Elite Mastercard terms and conditions states the following.

“Valid for primary cardholders of the WestJet RBC World Elite MasterCard and up to eight (8) additional guests travelling on the same reservation; not valid for companions when travelling on a group booking (10+ guests on the same reservation). Eligible member’s 9-digit WestJet Rewards ID must be on the reservation at the time of check-in. Valid on itineraries marketed and wholly operated by WestJet; not valid when travelling with WestJet’s code-share or interline partners. ”

In plain English, this means if you booked the tickets of the 5 other people all on the same itinerary, then they would also all get their first checked bag free. The companion voucher is also included assuming it’s booked by you and on the same itinerary.

If you booked all the 5 tickets separately, only you would get your baggage free (and your companion voucher if it’s on the same itinerary)

Can you advise if you get the free checked bag if you travel on a Delta flight that is operated by WestJet?

Thanks very much.

No, only flights that are fully operated by WestJet qualify for the free baggage.

I was wondering if it’s possible (as the primary cardholder) to book a ticket under someone else’s name and use the voucher on the same itinerary, even though the primary carholder is not travelling? For example booking the tickets for my wife and daughter on my credit card and I pay for it on my statement?

The terms and conditions say it’s only for the primary cardholder.

Primary cardholder may use the companion voucher only once on their choice of either A) round-trip travel in Canada and the continental U.S. for a $99 CAD base fare B) round-trip travel to/from Mexico, Central America, the Caribbean and Hawaii for a $299 CAD base fare or C) round-trip travel to/from the rest of the WestJet network for a $399 CAD base fare. If one-way travel is booked, the full base fare will be charged, the voucher

Hi Barry, What will happened to my accumulated WJ dollars if I cancelled my credit card Elite MasterCard RBC? My condition changed and I am not travelling enough anymore. Will I be still eligible to a companion voucher for the last year of being a credit card holder?

The WestJet website states the following:

“Most WestJet dollars no longer expire, but some still will. You can keep tabs on expiry dates, as applicable, by visiting the Expiring WestJet dollars page in your WestJet Rewards account”

In regards to the companion voucher, typically you lose the voucher when you cancel the card. That being said, if you book a flight and then cancel your card, you would not lose that redemption even if your flight takes place after your credit card cancellation.

Barry, can I book a flight for my daughter using my Westjet Rewards card so she gets 1 check on luggage free I have done this in past years but this time they say the cardholder name must be the same as the passenger.

The free checked luggage only applies to the primary cardholder and up to 7 additional guests who are booked on the same itinerary. In other words, your daughter would not get her luggage checked for free unless she’s travelling with you under a single reservation.

Thanks Barry for your quick response

Hi Barry, thanks for all this information. I have two questions:

1 – How many dollars is one westjet rewards point? (I was converting my RBC rewards points and it converted 31,000 RBC Reward points to 321 Westjet Reward points. So I want to know what that means.)

2- if I apply for the elite card, I get $250 welcome dollars, $299 for a Central America flight, one bag free every flight… I travel once a year to Central America. So I make 250 + 299 + 25 baggage fee = $575 if I get one. I make 575 – 119 (annual fee) = $456 in one year !!! I could even cancel and reapply the following year I guess. Is my calculation correct?

thanks, john

WestJet Dollars is a cash back program so they don’t use points. With RBC Avio, you can transfer 1000 avion points for $1 WestJet Dollar. I’m not sure why you get $321 for 31,000, but there may have been a promotion.

Your calculation is a bit off. You get $250 WestJet dollars as a signup bonus and checked bags are $30 each way. The companion voucher to Central America is $299 + taxes. For argument’s sake, let’s say the taxes are $75. That means you would pay a total of $374 for your flight. If the normal cash price for that fare is $600 then you save $226.

That means in the first year you would get $250 + $60 + $226. That’s a total of $536 – the annual fee of $119 = $417. This doesn’t factor in the WestJet dollars you would earn on your regular spending and the free baggage you would get for any other flights.

You could cancel and reapply the following year, but you would only gain $131 but doing that since you still need to pay the annual fee. At a minimum, you’d have to wait 6 months before reapplying so you’re losing out on the cash back you earn on purchases. That to me is not worth it. You’re better off just keeping the card.

Why is Alaska air not mentioned. With Alaska a “mile” does not need to be converted to money. It is a currency on it’s own. 15,000 “miles” take one anywhere in the USA regardless of the fare in dollars

If I am short $100 on qualifying spend, can I make a direct cash purchase.

I don’t think that’s possible.

How do we get our free seats using mc elite. I don’t see that option .

You don’t get free seat selection with the WestJet RBC World Elite Mastercard. If you reach Silver Status with WestJet Rewards, you’ll get a few seat selection vouchers.

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Our existing Basic fare has been replaced by our new UltraBasic fare. Guests who booked a Basic fare on or before June 3, 2024 will still be able to bring a carry-on bag.

By using the WestJet website, you agree to the website terms of use , the privacy statement , and the use of cookies .

What to know before you book.

Looking for Flexibility?   Choose one of our flex fares; EconoFlex, PremiumFlex, BusinessFlex, to change or cancel your flight for no fee, just the difference in fare price will apply.

Looking for an enhanced experience? Choose one of our Business or Premium fares and receive benefits such inflight meals and beverages, priority services and more.

Looking for the lowest price fare? Choose our Econo or UltraBasic fares for our lowest price, no frills fare.    

WestJet Rewards members can sign in to compare available Member Exclusive savings with Economy, Premium and Business fares. Find savings on more seats and on more flights when you book your next flight and apply full payment of the base fare in WestJet dollars. 

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Legal, restrictions and terms and conditions.

1. Overweight and oversized baggage fees may still apply.

2. Difference in fare may apply. UltraBasic fares are not eligible for changes, cancellations or refunds. For Econo, Premium and Business fares, a cancellation fee will be charged and the remaining balance will be returned to Travel Bank.

3. At available airports.

4. On flights over 60 minutes. Menu selections vary depending on aircraft, flight length, time of day and availability. Inflight food and beverages in Economy cabin are included on International Boeing 787 Dreamliner flights.

6. At available airports. Guests who book Business can also access a Delta Sky Club ® at airports that are part of the same-day international itinerary.

7. UltraBasic guests who do not select a seat before check-in will be pre-assigned a seat at the back of the aircraft at check-in. There is a fee to change a pre-assigned seat with UltraBasic. Standard selection is included for EconoFlex, Premium, PremiumFlex, Business and Business Flex.

8. UltraBasic fares are not eligible for WestJet Rewards earn or qualifying spend. Platinum and Gold members will not be eligible for same-day flight changes, complimentary upgrades or seat changes when an UltraBasic fare has been purchased.  

11. UltraBasic guests are not allowed to bring or pay for a carry-on bag except when travelling to and from Europe and Asia or when Extended Comfort has been purchased for all flights in a single direction, including connections.

UltraBasic is our lowest price, no-frills fare option with the same great WestJet service and Economy inflight experience you are used to.  While we allow each UltraBasic guest to bring one (1) personal item , there are some restrictions like no changes, no carry-on bags and pre-assigned seats at the back of the aircraft that may not be together. 2,7,8

You'll have the option to add certain extras that you need, like reserving a seat in advance or adding checked bags. Familiarize yourself with the limitations of UltraBasic to make sure it's the right fare for you.

To take advantage of your WestJet Rewards earn and tier benefits with more choice and flexibility, book Econo or EconoFlex. 

Elevate your UltraBasic fare with Extended Comfort .

When you choose UltraBasic, you will NOT be eligible for:

Econo and econoflex.

Settle into your flight in our Economy cabin with a complimentary beverage and snack and onboard entertainment with WestJet Connect. 10  With EconoFlex, if you’re travelling for business or leisure you will get the flexibility you want with change or cancellation fees included for flights. 

Elevate your Economy experience with  Extended Comfort .

Discover the Economy experience

Premium and PremiumFlex

Because life at 39,000 ft. should be uplifting. 

When you book our Premium or PremiumFlex fare you will experience benefits such as extra leg and elbow room, 2x2 seating configurations, two checked bags, inflight food and beverages and more. 4,12 

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Business and BusinessFlex

Arrive revived.

Our Business cabin provides a personalized, luxurious travel experience that goes above and beyond. With private pods, lie-flat seats, restaurant-style dining, lounge access and more, you will arrive relaxed and ready for the rest of your journey. 4,5

Discover the Business experience

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1 Overweight and oversized baggage fees may still apply.

2 Difference in fare may apply. For Econo, Business and Premium fares, a cancellation fee will be charged and the remaining balance will be returned to Travel Bank. UltraBasic fares are not eligible for changes, cancellations or refunds.

3 At available airports.

4 On flights over 60 minutes. Menu selections vary depending on aircraft, flight length, time of day and availability. Inflight food and beverages in Economy cabin are included on International Boeing 787 Dreamliner flights.

5 Seats only available in Business on the Boeing 787 Dreamliner.

6 At available airports. Guests who book Business can also access a Delta Sky Club® at airports that are part of the same-day international itinerary.

7 UltraBasic guests who do not select a seat before check-in will be pre-assigned a seat at the back of the aircraft at check-in. There is a fee to change a pre-assigned seat with UltraBasic. Standard selection is included for EconoFlex, Premium, PremiumFlex, Business and BusinessFlex.

8 UltraBasic fares are not eligible for WestJet Rewards earn or qualifying spend. Platinum and Gold members will not be eligible for same-day flight changes, complimentary upgrades or seat changes when an UltraBasic fare has been purchased.

9 Difference in fare may apply. Changes and cancellations for air-only reservations will be accepted up until two hours prior to departure.

10 WestJet Connect availability can be found in Flight Guide.

11 UltraBasic guests are not allowed to bring or pay for a carry-on bag except when travelling to and from Europe and Asia or when Extended Comfort has been purchased for all flights in a single direction, including connections.

12 Premium seats on flights operated by WestJet Encore and WestJet Link, operated by Pacific Coastal Airlines, do not have extra legroom or space. Premium seats are not available on our 787 Dreamliner or flights operated by WestJet Encore or WestJet Link.

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How to Choose the Right WestJet Fare

WestJet offers passengers a choice of different fare types on all flight bookings.

Some fares are cheaper, but don’t come with flexibility or additional benefits. On the other hand, more expensive fares offer flexibility and include benefits such as advance seat selection, change and cancellation options, and free checked baggage.

In This Post

Westjet’s fares, econo , economy member exclusive fares, premium & premiumflex, premium member exclusive fares, business & businessflex, business member exclusive fares.

WestJet has a total of 10 different fare options, outlined as follows:

• Economy  (Basic, Econo, EconoFlex, and Member Exclusive)
• Premium  (Premium, PremiumFlex, and Member Exclusive)
• Business  (Business, BusinessFlex, and Member Exclusive)

It’s important to note that not all fare options will appear for every flight. For example, many WestJet flights don’t have a business class cabin, and on these flights, you won’t have the option to choose Business fares.

This is especially the case with Swoop’s former narrowbody Boeing 737 aircraft, which are fitted entirely with economy seats. With the recent integration of Swoop into WestJet, the defunct ultra-low-cost carrier’s aircraft now service WestJet flights.

When booking a flight, before you’re able to select one of the 10 fare types, you must first search for your desired flight route and date, and then select your desired cabin class.

After you’ve selected the cabin class, the available fare options will appear.

Choosing the best fare type will ultimately depend on your personal preferences, which can change from flight to flight. This means that there’s no single best fare for every situation.

When it comes to choosing the best fare with WestJet, you’ll want to consider the following:

• Flexibility (i.e., changes and cancellations)
• Luggage (checked and carry-on)
• Seat selection fees

Additionally, you’ll want to take stock of whether you have access to any of the following:

• WestJet RBC ® World Elite Mastercard
• WestJet elite status
• WestJet dollars (WSD)
• Companion vouchers

With these in mind, let’s take a closer look at each of the 10 WestJet fare classes.

The four economy fares offered by WestJet include Basic, Econo, EconoFlex, and Member Exclusive .

Basic fares come with the least amount of flexibility, and in fact, you’re not allowed any changes, cancellations, or refunds whatsoever with these fares.

This means that if you book a Basic fare and you need to change your flight, you’ll be completely out of luck unless you have applicable travel insurance.

However, Basic fares tend to cost the least out of all the fare options, so if you prioritize saving money and can live without the flexibility, then booking this fare class may be the best choice for you.

It’s also worth noting that with the Basic fare, you won’t earn any WestJet dollars, and your spending won’t count towards earning elite status with WestJet.

What’s more, if you’re a WestJet elite Silver, Gold, or Platinum member who’d usually enjoy same-day flight changes, complimentary upgrades, or seat changes, your benefits are automatically voided if you select a Basic fare.

You’ll also have to pay for checked bags and seat selection with Basic fares.

The cost to check a bag will depend on whether you prepay, pay during self-service check-in, or pay at airport check-in. The price also fluctuates depending on your destination.

Keep in mind that if you have the WestJet RBC ® World Elite Mastercard, you’re allowed one free checked bag on any WestJet route, even if you booked a Basic fare. You also enjoy free checked baggage if you have WestJet elite status.

Another add-on cost to consider with a Basic fare is seat selection. The privilege of choosing where you sit on your flight will cost you between $5–250 (all figures in CAD) depending on your flight and the type of seat you’d like to select.

If you don’t pay in advance, your seat will be automatically assigned to you at check-in for no additional fee.

Finally, if you have seat selection vouchers by way of WestJet elite status, you can use those to get around having to pay for seat selection with Basic fares.

Who should book Basic fares?

Despite the restrictions and lack of benefits, Basic fares may still be the best choice in certain scenarios.

First off, if you know you won’t need to change or cancel your flight, then it may make sense for you to enjoy the lowest possible price. However, if your travel plans are still up in the air, a Basic fare limits your ability to make changes or to cancel.

A Basic fare can also be a good choice if you don’t travel with checked bags, or you already get free checked bags with your WestJet RBC ® World Elite Mastercard or WestJet elite status. In these situations, there’s no need to pay for a higher-priced fare just to access free checked bags.

Lastly, if you don’t care about accumulating WestJet dollars, or you’re not interested in earning elite status with WestJet, then Basic fares may be the best choice.

Prior to booking a Basic fare, you’ll want to compare the amount you’ll save by booking the lower fare against how much it’d cost you for any checked baggage and seat selection fees.

If you’re looking to travel while paying as little as possible, and don’t need additional baggage or seats, WestJet’s Basic fares may well be right for you.

WestJet’s Econo fare comes with slightly more benefits and flexibility than the Basic fare.

For starters, you’ll have the option to change or cancel your flight, albeit for a fee.

Both change and cancellation fees are charged per direction, per person, except for flights to and from Europe, where change and cancellation fees are charged per transaction, per person.

To change or cancel an Econo fare, it’ll cost $100–118 (CAD) for all flights between Canada and non-European or Asian destinations. For flights between Canada and Europe or Asia, a change or cancellation will cost between $150–177.

In both cases, you’ll also be responsible for any fare difference.

If you choose to cancel your flight, you won’t‌ receive a refund to your original form of payment, but you’ll instead receive a refund to your WestJet Travel Bank.

You can then use your WestJet Travel Bank funds to purchase future WestJet flights, but it’s important to note that your Travel Bank funds expire one year from the date of your cancelled flight.

With Econo fares, you’ll have to pay for checked bags for flights in Canada, the US, Central America, the Caribbean, Mexico, and Europe. If you’re travelling to Asia, you’ll enjoy one free piece of checked luggage.

Seat selection with an Econo fare costs between $5–250 – the same as a Basic fare.

Lastly, with Econo fares, you’ll earn WestJet dollars, and your spending is eligible to help you qualify for WestJet elite status .

Who should book Econo fares?

You should book Econo fares over Basic fares if you’d like to keep costs down, but still want the option to change or cancel your trip for a fee.

Plus, if you’re a frequent flyer with WestJet, you should book Econo fares at the minimum, since your flight will contribute towards qualifying for status.

Econo could also be a better choice than Basic if you’re flying to Asia or Europe, as the Econo fare provides free checked bags when flying to or from Asia, and checked bags are significantly cheaper when flying to Europe.

Again, with this, you’ll need to crunch the numbers to see if the extra cost you’ll pay for the Econo fare is less than the cost of checking bags, which you may otherwise enjoy as a credit card or status benefit.

WestJet EconoFlex fares come with the most flexibility and benefits for an economy WestJet ticket.

Changes and cancellations to your ticket won’t cost you any additional fees with this fare class. However, cancellations will still result in a credit to your WestJet Travel Bank instead of a refund to your original form of payment.

With this fare, you’ll also receive one free checked bag on all flights, and you’ll be able to make your seat selection for free.

Lastly, you’ll be able to earn WestJet dollars , and your fare purchase will count towards earning WestJet elite status .

Who should book EconoFlex fares?

You should book an EconoFlex fare if you’re uncertain about your travel plans, and you don’t want to pay extra to change or cancel your flight.

An EconoFlex fare should also be considered if you’re checking a bag, and don’t have the WestJet RBC ® World Elite Mastercard or WestJet elite status, both of which would come with one free checked bag.

Once again, you’ll want to do the math to determine if the amount of money you’ll save with the free checked bag, potential cancellation or change fee, and seat selection fee makes up for the additional cost you’ll pay to book an EconoFlex fare over one of the lower Economy fare classes.

Member Exclusive fares are entirely different from all other WestJet fares.

To start, you can only book Member Exclusive fares with WestJet dollars , and you’ll need to have enough WestJet dollars to cover the entire base fare, after which you’ll have to pay the taxes and fees with cash or from your WestJet Travel Bank.

Member Exclusive fares follow the same checked baggage and seat selection fee structure as Econo fares, and they have the same change and cancellation policies and fees as well.

However, a difference is that if you cancel a Member Exclusive ticket, you won’t receive a refund entirely to your WestJet Travel Bank. Instead, the WestJet dollars that were used for the base fare of the ticket will be refunded back to WestJet dollars, and the portion paid for the taxes and fees will be refunded to your Travel Bank.

Keep in mind that WestJet dollars don’t have to be used exclusively on Member Exclusive fares – you’re welcome to use your WestJet dollars on any fare.

Lastly, it’s worth noting that you won’t accumulate WestJet dollars on Member Exclusive fares, and your flights won’t count towards earning WestJet elite status.

Who should book Economy Member Exclusive fares?

The main reason to book Member Exclusive fares is that they tend to offer a small discount over booking Econo fares. In some cases, the discount is minuscule (~3%), while in others, it can be a bit higher (~9%).

However, since you need to have enough WestJet dollars to cover the whole base fare, you may be better off booking Econo fares and applying your WestJet dollars balance there instead. This can also be useful if your WestJet dollars balance isn’t high enough for the Member Exclusive fare.

Plus, you’ll also earn towards elite status and get a return in WestJet dollars, which you won’t get with Member Exclusive fares.

There are three fares to choose from for flying in WestJet’s Premium or premium economy cabins: Premium, PremiumFlex, and Member Exclusive.

It’s worth noting that WestJet offers a true premium economy cabin on its Boeing 787 Dreamliner aircraft, but not on its smaller aircraft. 

Rather, the Premium cabin on smaller aircraft is somewhere in between economy and a true premium economy seat, depending on which aircraft is being used on your flight.

In some cases, you’ll just get a seat at the front of the plane without any extra legroom, while in others, you’ll get a bit more room and more in-flight amenities.

Therefore, prior to booking a Premium fare, you should check to see what your experience will be like to make sure it’s worth the extra cost.

WestJet’s Premium and PremiumFlex fares are almost indistinguishable from one another.

With both fare types, you’ll enjoy two free checked bags, complimentary food & beverages, priority services, and the accrual of WestJet dollars.

The primary difference between the two fare types lies in the change and cancellation policy.

With Premium fares, you’ll have to pay a cancellation or change fee of $100–118  within Canada, or between Canada and all destinations except Europe and Asia.

For flights between Canada and Europe or Asia, change and cancellation fees range from $300–354.

All change and cancellation fees are charged per direction, per person except for changes or cancellations on flights to and from Europe, where fees are charged per transaction, per person.

With PremiumFlex fares, there’s no additional fee for changes or cancellation; however, if you do make a change, you’ll have to pay for the fare difference, if any.

Another key difference between PremiumFlex and Premium fares is how the refund is handled if you choose to cancel your flight.

With PremiumFlex fares, your refund is returned to your original form of payment, and with Premium fares, your refund will ‌appear in your WestJet Travel Bank to be used on future WestJet flights, with a one-year expiry date attached.

Who should book Premium fares?

You should book Premium fares if you want to fly WestJet Premium or premium economy, and your travel plans are fairly set.

You can also book Premium fares even if your travel plans are uncertain; however, you’ll want to look at whether the amount you save from booking a Premium fare over a PremiumFlex fare is greater than the amount you’d have to pay in cancellation or change fees.

Keep in mind that the funds from any cancelled flights will be added to your WestJet Travel Bank rather than being returned to the original form of payment.

Who should book PremiumFlex fares?

To be frank, booking PremiumFlex fares rarely makes sense.

The significantly higher cost of booking this fare type ‌tends to overshadow any amount you’d save on a potential change or cancellation fee.

However, if you find a PremiumFlex fare that doesn’t cost outrageously more than a Premium fare, it may be worth booking this to avoid the potential change or cancellation fee.

Lastly, if you want to avoid having your money tied up in a WestJet Travel Bank at all costs, then a PremiumFlex fare would ensure that you never have to worry about expiring Travel Bank credits.

The only other WestJet Premium fare type is the Member Exclusive fare .

As a Member Exclusive fare, you can only book this fare type if you have enough WestJet dollars to cover the entire base fare amount. Additional taxes and fees will have to be paid in cash or WestJet Travel Bank funds.

You also won’t earn any WestJet dollars with Member Exclusive fares, and any cancellations or changes will cost the same as Premium fares.

For cancellations, the WestJet dollars you spent will be returned as WestJet dollars, while any amount you spent on taxes and fees will be added to your WestJet Travel Bank.

Other than these Member Exclusive fare-specific features, all other benefits and fare rules are identical to the other WestJet Premium tickets: two free checked bags, extra leg room on some aircraft, complimentary food & beverages, and priority services.

Who should book Premium Member Exclusive fares?

Similar to WestJet Economy fares, the only reason to book a Member Exclusive fare is if you were planning on booking a Premium fare, but the Member Exclusive fare winds up being cheaper.

Keep in mind that you’ll forgo any potential WestJet Rewards, and you won’t be able to redeem a companion voucher with a Member Exclusive fare. However, the potential savings could be worth it, assuming you have a sizeable balance of WestJet dollars.

If you’d like to fly WestJet’s best overall product, there are three fare types to choose from: Business, BusinessFlex, and Member Exclusive.

With a business class ticket, you’ll have lounge access at available airports and your own bed in the sky with lie-flat seats.

You’ll also receive two free checked bags, priority screening, boarding, and baggage, and in-flight food and beverage service no matter which business class fare you book.

As we’ve seen before, the difference between Business and BusinessFlex fares comes down to the change and cancellation policy.

With BusinessFlex fares, there’s no change or cancellation fee, and your funds from a cancelled flight will be returned to your original form of payment. However, if you choose to change your flight, you’ll still be responsible for paying any fare difference.

On the other hand, with regular Business fares, any change or cancellation comes with a fee, and any credit will be added to your WestJet Travel Bank.

For flights within Canada and between Canada and all destinations in North American (including Central America, the Caribbean, and Mexico), you’ll pay $100–118 to change or cancel your flight per person, per direction.

For flights between Canada and Europe or Asia, you’ll have to pay a fee of $500–590 to change your flight and $600–708 to cancel.

Change and cancellation fees are charged per direction, per person, except for changes or cancellations for flights to and from Europe, whereby change fees are charged per transaction, per person.

Who should book Business fares?

Similar to Premium fares, the regular Business fare will more often than not be significantly cheaper than the BusinessFlex fare, even after taking the change and cancellation fees into consideration.

However, you’ll still want to be fairly committed to your trip if you book a regular Business fare, as the change and cancellation fees can add up quickly, especially on flights to Europe and Asia.

What’s more, cancelled flights won’t be refunded to your original form of payment, but rather to your WestJet Travel Bank, with an expiration date attached to the funds.

Therefore, if you’d like to fly WestJet’s best product and are fairly firm in your plans, a Business fare will result in the same experience at a lower cost than BusinessFlex fares.

Who should book BusinessFlex fares?

You should only book BusinessFlex fares if the extra amount you’ll have to pay for this fare is less than any potential change or cancellation fee, and you don’t want your refund to go to your Travel Bank.

BusinessFlex fares can be thousands of dollars more than a regular Business fare, so even though you’ll save money on change and cancellation fees, booking a BusinessFlex fare may not make financial sense, especially considering you aren’t getting any additional benefits.

Lastly, the Business Member Exclusive fare is only bookable if you have enough WestJet dollars to cover the full base fare, and you pay the taxes and fees with cash or funds from your Travel Bank.

As mentioned above, Member Exclusive fares also aren’t eligible to earn WestJet dollars or credit towards WestJet elite status.

With this fare type, you’ll be subject to the same cancellation and change fees as with WestJet’s regular Business fare; however, the refund is processed differently.

Instead of having all the funds returned to your WestJet Travel Bank, WestJet dollars are returned as WestJet dollars, and the money paid for the taxes and fees are returned as Travel Bank funds.

All other Business Member Exclusive benefits are the same as with the WestJet regular Business fare and the BusinessFlex fare.

Who should book Business Class Member Exclusive fares?

As is the case with all Member Exclusive fares, you should only book a Business Member Exclusive fare if the cost is cheaper than the other business class fare options, and if you have enough WestJet dollars to cover the entire base fare.

However, you may also want to consider applying your WestJet dollars towards a Business fare instead. This way, you’ll still be eligible to earn WestJet dollars and qualifying spend towards WestJet elite status.

Plus, since Member Exclusive fares only offer a small discount, there generally isn’t really a strong value proposition to booking them over standard fares.

WestJet offers passengers to choose from 10 different fare types, with the lower-priced fares generally offering less flexibility, and the higher-priced fares providing increased flexibility and perks.

When choosing a WestJet fare, you’ll want to consider your priorities in terms of price, flexibility, and baggage. You’ll also want to take stock of additional variables, such as whether you hold the WestJet RBC ® World Elite Mastercard, WestJet elite status, or a sizeable balance of WestJet dollars.

At the end of the day, the right WestJet fare is fairly subjective and depends on a combination of many of the above factors. If in doubt, you can always get in touch with a qualified travel agent to help you with the decision.

• Earn 250 WestJet dollars upon making your first purchase†
• Plus, earn 200 WestJet dollars upon spending $5,000 in the first three months†
• Plus, receive an annual companion voucher for discounted travel on WestJet flights, with a co-pay starting at $119 plus taxes and fees†
• Minimum income: $80,000 personal or $150,000 household
• Annual fee: $119

I’m more inclined to pay for advanced seat selection of an exit row seat for a cross Canada flight nowadays. But is the seat selection fee actually more expensive with a Basic fare versus an Econo fare? The chart shows seat selection for a Basic fare is “$$” whereas for an Econo fare is only “$” but I don’t have any empirical evidence from an apples to apples booking.

As an avid Westjet flyer, this is great information. One thing I discovered on a recent flight is that golf clubs don’t qualify as a free bag – the bag must be checked in at the agent and is subject to a fee. Thanks !

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A review of WestJet economy on the Boeing 737 from Fort Lauderdale to Calgary

Editor's Note

Quick take: WestJet economy class is a no-frills passenger experience that could be worth it for budget-minded travelers — but only if you get your tickets for the right price.

• A la carte food and beverage options were reasonably priced
• Wi-Fi speed was decent, and WestJet's digital entertainment had a great movie selection
• Efficient, if not overly warm, service
• Cabin interior was dirty and had very worn seats
• Drink cups were very small and beverage service was limited, so you may want to bring your own water or beverages aboard
• Only one attendant at the check-in desk for non-priority passengers led to the line moving slowly

Looking to travel to Canada, eh?

Aside from Air Canada , WestJet should be on your radar. As Canada's second-largest airline, this carrier offers a no-frills, low-cost customer experience. But while some may consider WestJet a "budget airline," the carrier's amenities still surpass that of low-cost U.S. airlines like Spirit and Frontier .

Since I prefer nonstop, round-trip flight deals over cheaper, layover-filled itineraries, I found myself perusing WestJet's website. Looking to fly from Fort Lauderdale to Calgary, Alberta, in economy, I found round-trip, nonstop flights for just $292. To note, this nonstop flight route does not operate year-round with the same frequency.

Seated in economy class for roughly five-and-a-half hours, here's how my overall WestJet experience went.

How to book economy on WestJet

WestJet Boeing 737s like the one I flew have only economy or premium economy seats on board; therefore, there are no business- or first-class fares available for flights operated by this aircraft.

WestJet sells three types of economy fares on a Boeing 737 from Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport (FLL) to Calgary International Airport (YYC): Basic, Econo and EconoFlex. Here is what is included with each.

WestJet's baggage policy allows passengers to have one personal item and one carry-on item for free when booking in economy, but its size requirements are a bit smaller than other similar airlines — more on that later.

As a points and miles enthusiast, I initially tried to book my flight via an award redemption. Though Delta is a codeshare partner of WestJet, I could not find nonstop award availability using Delta SkyMiles. Next, I checked the prices on the Chase and Amex travel portals .

The cash price on both travel portals was higher than WestJet was charging directly. However, I had the option to redeem Chase Ultimate Rewards points at a fixed rate of 1.5 cents apiece with my Chase Sapphire Reserve® through Chase Travel or my Amex Membership Rewards points for 1 cent apiece via amextravel.com, thanks to carrying The Platinum Card® from American Express .

I typically get more value from these transferable point currencies by transferring them to airline and hotel partners and redeeming them that way; therefore, I decided to save my points for future redemptions since the cash price on the WestJet flight was so low.

However, if you want to use your points for a nonstop WestJet award flight, I recommend using Chase Ultimate Rewards to get the best redemption.

*Editor's note: Price ranges were available at the time of search and can fluctuate based on demand, season and other factors.

Since WestJet had a 20% discount on flights at the time of my booking, I purchased a round-trip, nonstop flight from Fort Lauderdale to Calgary in economy for $292. I used my Amex Platinum card to book my flight since it earns 5 Membership Rewards points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with the airline (on up to $500,000 of these purchases per calendar year, then 1 point per dollar), while my Chase Sapphire Reserve only earns 3 points per dollar spent on travel purchases.

Related: How far in advance can you book a flight?

Checking in and boarding economy on WestJet

Before my flight, I downloaded the WestJet app, easily checked in and obtained my mobile boarding pass.

I typically prefer not to check luggage and fly with a small suitcase as my carry-on bag and my backpack as my personal item.

However, I double-checked the airline's baggage policy because I've never flown with WestJet, and it stated that a backpack with the dimensions of my bag would count as a carry-on bag rather than a personal item. Since I didn't know how strict the airline would be with their bag policy, I decided to prepay $40 one-way for a checked bag because if I were forced to check my backpack or carry-on at the airport, I would be charged an additional $10 anyway.

The WestJet gate agents did not double-check that each customer's bags fit the appropriate personal and carry-on dimensions at the gate, but gate agents at YYC did check on my return flight, so you might not want to take any chances if you're flying with the airline.

At FLL, WestJet does not have a kiosk where customers can check in or print luggage tags and boarding passes. Instead, you must wait in line to drop off your suitcase if you are checking bags. WestJet has a priority check-in lane available to business- and premium economy-ticketed passengers and Platinum, Gold and Silver elite members of its WestJet Rewards program. Since Delta is a partner of WestJet, if you are a Delta Silver, Gold, Platinum or Diamond Medallion member , you can also access the airline's priority lane.

I do not have status with either loyalty program, nor was I flying in business or premium class, so I got in the non-priority bag drop lane. There was only one WestJet employee servicing this lane, which made the bag drop process a bit slow. While this was not problematic for me since I was the eighth guest in line and arrived two hours before my flight's departure time, it could create extra stress if you find yourself at the very back of a long check-in line with only one attendant.

After swiftly getting through security at Terminal 2 using my Clear Plus membership and TSA PreCheck status, I waited for my flight to start boarding. WestJet participates in TSA PreCheck, so be sure to add your Known Traveler Number before check-in to speed up your security process.

Surprisingly, my flight began boarding 10 minutes before it was scheduled to do so. I've never been on a flight where the boarding process began early. Like most airlines, WestJet boards priority members, including premium economy passengers and those holding elite status with the airline, first in Zone 1. Additionally, Delta Gold Medallion members and above are also able to board in Zone 1.

As an economy passenger seated in the back of the plane, I boarded in Zone 2. Apparently, WestJet boards the back of the plane in Zone 2 and the front of the plane — aside from premium customers — in Zone 3. The overall boarding process was quick and efficient, and we were able to take off about 10 minutes earlier than the originally scheduled 3:30 p.m. departure.

Related: A review of Delta Air Lines in first class on the Airbus A321neo from Los Angeles to Seattle

How comfortable was WestJet economy?

The aircraft for my five-and-a-half-hour flight was on a Boeing 737 with the following seat count and layout in economy.

I was seated in 28E — a middle seat just two rows ahead of the last row on the aircraft. Unfortunately, when I got to my middle seat, I noticed a small, empty alcohol bottle in the seatback pocket, which also had a noticeable crack. Taking a look around, it seemed like all the seats were well worn, and the floors were noticeably dirty with crumbs that I assumed were food. I couldn't help but wonder if they didn't clean the plane at all before we boarded.

If you value flight comfort, economy on WestJet may not be for you. While the economy seat pitch on this Boeing flight is 30 inches — the standard for most airlines — the seat's cushioning was minimal and only reclined about 3 inches. I didn't notice any rips or scuffing on the seats, but the loose fabric and body imprints show that these seats are a bit worn.

Each seat had a USB-A port and a universal plug located just above the seatback pocket. A plug to charge my phone was imperative on this longer flight, as the carrier only offers wireless entertainment to stream on your own devices rather than a seat-mounted inflight entertainment system.

The tray table on my WestJet flight was average size, about 15 to 16 inches wide and easily deployed. While I could comfortably fit my 17-inch laptop on the tray table, it's not ideal for those wanting to enjoy a beverage or eat while using your computer.

WestJet's 737s have three lavatories: one at the front of the plane and two at the back. That made for some lengthy wait times during certain stretches of the flight. Since this flight is more than two hours, I suggest booking at least five rows away from the bathrooms at the back of the plane.

I had moved to the aisle seat before takeoff since no one was sitting there. So, starting about two hours into the flight, there were constantly people standing next to my seat waiting for the facilities. I tried to nap on the plane, but this made it hard with people brushing past me.

Overall, the bathrooms on this WestJet flight felt comparable to other domestic U.S. flights regarding size and cleanliness.

Amenities in WestJet economy

Don't expect many amenities on WestJet economy flights. While there are no seatback screens, WestJet allows you to use your wireless device to watch movies and TV shows for free on its app via Wi-Fi streaming. The airline had a good selection of new movies, including "The Marvels," "Oppenheimer" and "Barbie."

I purchased a Wi-Fi pass that I could use for the entirety of my flight for CA$23.09 (about $17). While inflight Wi-Fi can be spotty no matter which carrier you're flying, my WestJet Connect worked surprisingly well. I was able to watch YouTube videos, send texts, answer work emails and use social media apps with no problem.

Related: Maximize your airfare: The best credit cards for booking flights

How was the food in WestJet economy?

Inflight food service started about 30 minutes after departure. The crew came around to ask if anyone would like to order from the a la carte menu. Complimentary beverage service began shortly after the crew finished taking passengers' orders from the a la carte menu.

Since this was a nearly six-hour flight, I opted to try the red Thai curry cup with coconut rice and the three-cheese pasta cup with Italian spices for my dinner. These two items each cost about $7.

Unsure of what to expect, I waited as the attendant brought out two microwaved cups of food from Meal of the Moment, a brand that produces instant meals. The red Thai curry was flavorful for being a dehydrated instant meal. However, the three-cheese pasta cup was bland, and the Italian spices created an odd flavor profile when added to what amounted to watered-down instant macaroni and cheese.

If dining on dehydrated instant meals does not sound appetizing, you can also purchase snacks such as a Kit Kat, beef jerky, Pringles and gummy bears.

Aside from WestJet's a la carte menu, economy passengers can choose from a selection of complimentary beverages, including water, juice and sodas, and a free snack — either pretzels or a chocolate biscuit.

Alcoholic beverages, such as a glass of pinot grigio or merlot, cost about $7. Beer, including Coors Light and Molson Canadian, costs about $6.

Customers were not given an entire can of soda or a beverage of their choice. Instead, I had to settle for a small plastic cup filled with ice and a little liquid when I ordered a ginger ale. Perhaps that's WestJet's way of trying to limit bathroom breaks.

After just a few sips, I finished my drink and wanted another. The flight attendants came around twice to pass out complimentary snacks and drinks, and when I asked if I could have both pretzels and a chocolate biscuit, the attendant happily obliged. Beverages aside, at least they were not being stingy on the snacks.

The second inflight service took place a little over an hour before the plane landed. Since there are only two inflight beverage services on this flight and the pour-size is limited, I suggest bringing your own nonalcoholic drinks.

Related: Is United Airlines premium economy worth it to Europe?

Is WestJet economy worth it?

It's true what they say, "You get what you pay for."

My international economy flight to Calgary was bare-bones but still worth it. Though the interior cabin could have been cleaner and better maintained, my seat had enough legroom to sit through my five-and-a-half-hour flight from FLL to YYC. This aircraft reminded me of an older JetBlue or American Airlines plane.

For future WestJet flights, I would make sure to buy snacks and drinks at the airport so I do not have to rely on the inflight service. I would also make a point to keep my devices charged ahead of time in case there are any issues with the in-seat power outlets when I want to stream entertainment.

Overall, if this round-trip economy flight had cost more than $700, I would have been disappointed in the overall customer experience. But because I paid less than $300 for a rather long round-trip journey between two smaller cities, I deplaned satisfied.

Editor's note: A previous version of this story listed the aircraft as a Boeing 737 MAX 8, but it was a 737-800. This has been corrected in the story.

WestJet Rewards Review [2024]: Can You Fly on Rewards?

Are loyalty programs worth signing up for? Can WestJet Rewards loyalty program really earn you the deals to fly at incredibly low-costs, or better yet, for free? Find out in this review of whether this Canadian airline has what it takes to help you save more on your next travel adventure.

Budget traveling is awesome. But if there's one thing frequent flyers know how to do right, it's taking the time to look at loyalty programs. There's a lot on the market, so could WestJet Rewards be ideal for you? 

Modern-day marketing sure knows how to push a good deal. Boasting a bunch of discounts, companies reel you in under pretenses. Most loyalty programs only suit the elite, so how can you uncover all the fine print before you get roped in? 

When it comes down to travel, loyalty programs can make a big difference, especially for budget travelers. The only trick is to know how you can earn points more quickly, and how to use them to your advantage. 

In this guide, we'll discover whether or not WestJet Rewards is a loyalty program worth your time and money. 

What Is WestJet Rewards? 

WestJet Rewards  is a loyalty program that boasts several advantages for frequent flyers. Offered for the Canadian airline known as WestJet and several partners, travelers can earn discounts and deals on already low-cost flights. 

The loyalty program offers points known as WestJet dollars. These points can be accumulated not only on flights but on hotel stays, car rentals, vacation packages, and other expenses too. 

What Are the Different Levels of Membership? 

WestJet Rewards hosts 4 different membership tiers, and each boasts its benefits and can be reached in various ways. 

Keep in mind that the prices and availability mentioned below may fluctuate. For the most up-to-date pricing, features, and availability, click the link to  WestJet's  official site!

Here are the 4 levels: 

The teal tier is the first level of the WestJet Rewards family. The tier's qualifying spend starts with your first dollar, up to $2,999. In this level, you'll enjoy a 0.5% earn rate on eligible WestJet flights, or vacation packages. 

You also earn 1% on car rentals, hotel stays, meal plans, attractions, and transfers.

To reach this second tier, you must have a qualifying spend of $3,000 in a single year. With the qualifying spend, you'll enjoy a 3% earn rate on WestJet flights, a 1% earn rate on WestJet vacation packages, and a host of other benefits. Such as:

• priority check-in
• 2 free checked bags 
• Zone 2 boarding
• 4 advance seat selection vouchers
• 4-member lounge vouchers
• 2 guest lounge vouchers

In this tier, you're also eligible for complimentary upgrades at the gate or before check-in.

To arrive at the third tier, members are required to have a qualifying spend of $5,000. Gold level offers all the same benefits as Silver, but with extra advantages too. These include lounge access, upgrades to Premium or Business Class, and priority security screening. Other note-worthy benefits are:

• Early access to purchase an upgrade
• 6 advance seat selection vouchers
• Unlimited airport lounge access with family privileges, plus 2 guest vouchers
• No fee for same-day flight changes
• Priority baggage and boarding (Zone 1)
• Priority support number

You'll also enjoy a 5% earn rate on WestJet flights, and a 1.5% earn rate on WestJet vacation packages.

To acquire the fourth level of WestJet rewards, members must have a whopping qualifying spend of $8,000 in a calendar year. Platinum levels include all the benefits of both the Silver and Gold levels, but with extra perks. 

You can score up to 4 upgrades to Premium or Business Class, priority baggage handling, and a separate phone line for customer service. More benefits include:

• 3 free checked bags
• Unlimited advance seat selection, plus 6 guest vouchers

At this level, you can earn an 8% rate on WestJet flights, and a 2% rate on WestJet Vacations packages. How premium!

What Are WestJet Rewards Partnerships?

WestJet offers a series of partnerships, and several of them include hotels, airlines, and car rental companies. This can be especially handy if you're a budget traveler. 

By booking your hotels, flights, and transport through their affiliates, you can earn more points quickly. 

Here is a list of their biggest partners: 

• Airlines: Delta Airlines, Air France, Qantas, and KLM Royal Dutch Airlines
• Hotels: Hilton, Marriott, IHG, and Best Western
• Car rentals: Budget, Avis, Hertz, Alamo, dollar car rental, Sixt, Thrifty, Europcar, and National

How Does WestJet Rewards Work?

If you're thinking about becoming a WestJet Rewards member, you might want to dive a bit further into detail. As with any loyalty program, there's a lot of fine print involved. Here's how WestJet Rewards works: 

• Sign up: First and foremost, join the rewards program through the app or website. It's completely free, so you've got nothing to lose.   
• Start earning: Begin booking flights, hotels, and car rentals through WestJet Rewards, and start accumulating points. The points system is known as WestJet dollars, and each point you earn can vary depending on the destination and fare class. The more you spend, the higher your tier, and the more rewards you can reap. 
• Redeem: Start getting your money back through the rewards redemption. You can score vacation packages, hotel stays, car rentals, and travel-related expenses. 

How Can You Earn WestJet Dollars More Quickly? 

Surprisingly, there's not just one way to do it. You can accumulate points fairly quickly. By combining specific methods, you'll be flying high in no time. Here's how you can earn WestJet dollars quickly: 

• Book flights: By booking directly with WestJet or a partnered airline, you can get those points skyrocketing in real-time. 
• Credit cards: You can use the WestJet RBC credit card to earn points and score bonus offers. The WestJet RBC Mastercard and WestJet RBC World Elite Mastercard are the available credit card options. Use these credit cards for everyday purchases like gas, groceries, shopping, dining, etc.
• Partnerships: Book hotels and car rentals with their partnered brands and earn extra if you book during a promotional period. 

Other Canadian Airlines

So now that you've been enticed into the world of rewards simply by signing up, it's always ideal to consider other airlines and the benefits of their loyalty programs too. Here are some Canadian airlines worth taking a look at: 

• AirCanada Rouge
• Flair Airlines
• Swoop Airlines

Benefits and Drawbacks of WestJet Rewards

This low-cost airline hosts an array of advantages, including rewards points, flexible redemption options, and tiered membership for exclusive discounts. With bonus rewards offered through credit cards and partnerships, WestJet sure has a lot of benefits. 

Frankly, there are limited airline options and international destinations. Compared to other loyalty programs, partner options are fairly small too. Rewards expire within 2 years, so if you don't use your points, you lose them. 

Lastly, there's a high redemption threshold of $15 per direction of flight. For vacation packages, you'll need a minimum of $50 WestJet Dollars to redeem. So, it's not all that ideal for travelers bound to a strict budget. 

Also, WestJet Dollars cannot be used to pay taxes, fees, or other charges. You must pay for those yourself. What a bummer!

Is WestJet Rewards Worth It?

If you're someone who flies regularly or you're interested in cutting down costs as a budget traveler, WestJet Rewards is worth it. You can save money by buying flights and booking through their affiliate hotels and car rentals. 

If you're a budget traveler who doesn't travel all that frequently and isn't interested in hotel stays or car rentals, then this may not be the best option in general. 

Our Rating: 3.5/5

• Redeemable reward points
• Flexible redemptions options 
• Various membership levels, offers, and discounts 
• Able to accumulate more points 
• Very few partner airlines, hotels, and car rentals 
• Limited destinations around the world 
• Rewards expire after 24 months 
• High redemption fee of $15 
• Can't pay taxes or other charges

Flying High With WestJet! 

Flying has never been easier, and nowadays, it's even more affordable thanks to programs like WestJet Rewards. Before you jet-set off to your next dream destination, plan the nitty gritty details with Pilot! 

Disclosure : Pilot is supported by our community. We may earn a small commission fee with affiliate links on our website. All reviews and recommendations are independent and do not reflect the official view of Pilot.

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WestJet Rewards Elite Tiers: Information to Qualifying and Privileges

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WestJet Rewards is the loyalty program of Canada’s second-largest provider. A part of this system are its elite standing tiers, which permit its most loyal members to advance progressively and benefit from the related privileges at every tier.

On this information, we’ll stroll you thru the elite tiers of WestJet Rewards, together with methods to qualify and methods to profit from the privileges that include every tier.

How one can Qualify for WestJet Rewards Elite Tiers

As a revenue-based standing program, WestJet Rewards bases elite tier qualification solely on how a lot you spend on WestJet-marketed flights and trip packages.

For WestJet-marketed flights, 100% of the bottom fare counts in direction of tier qualification. WestJet-marketed flights embody codeshare flights operated by accomplice airways with a WS flight code.

If one other airline, corresponding to Delta, points your ticket, regardless of the flights being operated by WestJet, it received’t rely in direction of tier qualification.

Additionally, Fundamental fares, Member Unique Fares, contracted fares, tour operator fares, and tickets paid for with WestJet {Dollars} are excluded from tier qualification.

Needless to say the bottom fare eligible for tier qualification excludes taxes, charges, and fees. Within the fare breakdown, that is something except for the bottom fare.

It’s value noting that many discounted tickets base fares which might be decrease than the price of “Other Air Transportation Charges (ATC)”, so these tickets would rely much less in direction of tier qualification than, say, a premium cabin fare. 

In the meantime, for WestJet Holidays packages, 20% of the bottom package deal worth counts in direction of tier qualification. WestJet divides the price of a package deal into “flights and lodge” and “taxes and charges” , so solely 20% of the previous counts in direction of tier qualification.

Moreover, you’ll solely be awarded 20% of the proportionate share of the bottom package deal worth, if there’s multiple passenger on the reserving.

Standing Elevate

Standing Elevate accelerates your tier qualification by contributing as much as $1,500 (all figures in CAD) in direction of your qualifying spend. To be eligible, it’s essential to maintain the WestJet RBC ® World Elite Mastercard .

WestJet RBC® World Elite Mastercard

• Earn 300 WestJet {Dollars} upon making your first buy†
• Plus, earn 300 WestJet {Dollars} upon spending $5,000 within the first three months†
• Plus, earn 100 WestJet {Dollars} as a one-time anniversary bonus†
• Plus, obtain an annual companion voucher for discounted journey on WestJet flights, with a co-pay beginning at $119 plus taxes and charges†
• Minimal earnings: $80,000 private or $150,000 family
• Annual payment: $119

How Standing Elevate works is that you simply’ll obtain $500 in WestJet Rewards tier qualifying spend for each $15,000 in eligible bills charged to your WestJet RBC ® World Elite Mastercard.

You could earn as much as three Standing Lifts per calendar 12 months. In different phrases, chances are you’ll obtain as much as $1,500 in qualifying spend when you cost $45,000 or extra to your card. This may get you midway in direction of the bottom tier, Silver, with out ever having set foot in a airplane.

Tier Necessities

There are 4 tiers beneath WestJet Rewards: Teal, Silver, Gold, and Platinum.

All members begin on the Teal tier. To advance to the upper tiers, it’s essential to fulfill the next annual spending requirement in a qualifying 12 months:

• Silver: $3,000–4,999
• Gold: $5,000–7,999
• Platinum: $8,000+

For instance, to qualify for the Gold tier, your tier qualifying spend should be between $5,000 and $7,999 from January 1 to December 31, since WestJet defines a “qualifying 12 months” as a calendar 12 months.

When you advance to the subsequent tier, you’ll keep on that tier for the the rest of the calendar 12 months and the succeeding calendar 12 months. For readability, this implies when you attain Platinum by, say, August 25, 2024, you’ll maintain Platinum for the rest of 2024 and thru to the tip of 2025.

WestJet Rewards Tier Advantages

When you’ve glad the spending required for the one of many elite tiers, it’s time to take pleasure in its related privileges, which we’ll element under.

Basic Advantages for Elite Tier Members

There are normal advantages relevant to all WestJet Rewards elite tier members, although elite members might obtain them at various levels, relying on their tier.

Upgrades: As a higher-tier member, chances are you’ll obtain complimentary upgrades on the gate, when obtainable.

You could obtain upgrades from Financial system to Premium, or from Premium to Enterprise Class, besides when flying on Fundamental and Member Unique Fares.

Complimentary upgrades on the gate from Financial system to Premium aren’t obtainable on flights to or from Europe and Asia, and gate upgrades from Premium to Enterprise Class are solely obtainable for home flights.

You may additionally obtain complimentary upgrades from Financial system to Premium previous to check-in, excluding flights to/from Europe and Asia.

With these upgrades, members are prioritized by tier, that means you’ll have a greater probability as a Platinum member than a Gold member. As well as, you, because the elite member, should be the one one on the ticket; you received’t qualify if another person is listed on the identical ticket.

To be eligible for an improve, ensure to connect your WestJet Rewards ID to your reserving. Moreover, if you wish to be thought-about for a last-minute gate improve, it’s essential to check-in no less than 75 minutes earlier than the flight.

Advance seat choice vouchers: You could use superior seat choice vouchers to pick seats that you simply’d in any other case be charged for. Nevertheless, chances are you’ll not use them to improve to a better cabin.

One voucher is legitimate per one-way certain, together with connections, so when you’re travelling round-trip, you want two vouchers. You could use the vouchers for your self and/or your friends.

Be aware that seat choice vouchers should be used previous to check-in.

Member lounge vouchers: You could use lounge vouchers just for your self, because the elite member, they usually’re legitimate all through your qualifying 12 months and the next qualifying 12 months.

Entry with these vouchers isn’t restricted to the Elevation Lounge in Calgary. You could use them on accomplice lounges, together with the Air France Lounge in Montreal and the Plaza Premium Lounge in London.

A full listing of accomplice lounges may be discovered on the WestJet website .

Visitor lounge vouchers: You’ll additionally obtain a smaller variety of vouchers that your friends can use to entry WestJet’s accomplice lounges.

Free checked baggage: You’ll obtain free checked baggage weighing as much as 23kg or 50lbs. The variety of free baggage relies on your tier, which we’ll discover under.

The free checked baggage apply to the elite member, in addition to as much as eight different passengers travelling on the identical reservation, no matter tier.

You should be travelling on an itinerary with flights marketed and operated by WestJet. The free baggage allowance doesn’t apply to codeshare flights.

Precedence boarding: As an elite member, you’ll get to board with premium cabin prospects, even when you’re flying financial system. Your precedence boarding zone relies on your tier.

Precedence dealing with: Precedence check-in applies to the three greater elite tiers, whereas precedence safety screening, baggage, and help hotlines are relevant to Gold and Platinum members solely.

No payment for same-day flight adjustments: As a Gold or Platinum member, chances are you’ll change your flight for an earlier or later departure on the identical calendar day without spending a dime, besides when travelling on a Fundamental fare.

To alter your flight, it’s essential to achieve this beginning 24 hours earlier than your scheduled departure. The brand new flight should have the identical origin and vacation spot, and the change will solely apply if there can be found seats in the identical cabin on the flight of your selection.

Early entry to buy an improve: Gold and Platinum members might buy an improve to premium or enterprise 24–48 hours previous to departure, besides when flying on a Fundamental ticket.

Upgrades could also be bought for the elite member and as much as 8 passengers travelling on the identical reservation, topic to availability. Common improve charges apply.

Let’s now summarize the privileges of every elite tier. Silver, the primary among the many three elite tiers, is achieved upon reaching $3,000 in tier-qualifying spend – as much as half of which may be achieved with Standing Elevate. It comes with the next advantages:

• Eligible for complimentary upgrades previous to check-in
• Eligible for complimentary upgrades on the gate
• Two free checked baggage of 23kg/50lbs every
• 4 superior seat choice vouchers
• 4 airport lounge entry vouchers
• Two visitor airport lounge entry vouchers
• Zone 2 precedence boarding
• Precedence check-in

Along with the advantages above, the Silver tier earns WestJet {Dollars} as follows:

• 3% in WestJet {Dollars} on WestJet flights
• 1% in WestJet {Dollars} on WestJet Holidays packages
• 1% in WestJet {Dollars} on automotive leases, lodge stays, meal plans, points of interest, and transfers booked via WestJet Holidays

Gold is achieved upon reaching $5,000 in tier-qualifying spend, and it comes with the next advantages:

• Greater precedence for complimentary upgrades previous to check-in
• Greater precedence for complimentary upgrades on the gate
• Six superior seat choice vouchers
• Limitless airport lounge entry for member and speedy household
• Zone 1 precedence boarding
• Precedence check-in, baggage, safety screening, and help hotline
• No payment for same-day flight adjustments
• Early entry to buy an improve

Along with the advantages above, the Gold tier earns WestJet {Dollars} as follows:

• 5% in WestJet {Dollars} on WestJet flights
• 1.5% in WestJet {Dollars} on WestJet Holidays packages

Platinum, the best elite tier, is achieved upon reaching $8,000 in tier-qualifying spend, and it comes with the next advantages:

• Highest precedence for complimentary upgrades previous to check-in
• Highest precedence for complimentary upgrades on the gate
• Three free checked baggage of 23kg/50lbs every
• Limitless superior seat choice plus six vouchers for friends

Along with the advantages above, the Platinum tier earns WestJet {Dollars} as follows:

• 8% in WestJet {Dollars} on WestJet flights
• 2% in WestJet {Dollars} on WestJet Holidays packages

Elite Tier Advantages on Delta Air Strains

Since 2021, WestJet Rewards and Delta SkyMiles Medallion Elite members have loved reciprocal privileges on each airways.

By way of the partnership, WestJet Rewards members might earn and redeem WestJet Dollars on Delta flights, and elite members may count on the next perks when flying with Delta:

Be aware that Delta Sky Membership entry solely applies when flying on an itinerary involving a US/Canada transborder flight operated by WestJet or Delta. Itineraries wholly throughout the US don’t qualify.

To obtain advantages with Delta, ensure to connect your WestJet Rewards ID to your reserving.

Milestone Awards

Along with the WestJet {Dollars} and privileges you’ll obtain as an elite member, you’ll even be given Milestone Awards upon reaching qualifying spend thresholds.

Milestone qualifying spend is tracked individually from tier qualifying spend, however what counts beneath each classes is identical:

• 100% of the bottom fare for WestJet-marketed flights
• 20% of the bottom package deal worth for WestJet Holidays

You’ll obtain Milestone Awards as follows:

WestJet Companion Vouchers are used such that the second passenger on the identical reservation pays solely taxes, charges, and Different ATC (air transportation fees), making their base fare successfully free.

Then again, Reward of Gold vouchers could also be utilized by a visitor, in order that they’ll obtain Gold tier perks on their subsequent round-trip flight, even when they’re not travelling with you.

The highest standing tiers beneath WestJet Rewards incentivize the airline’s most loyal prospects with a variety of advantages, in addition to accelerated WestJet {Dollars} incomes charges.

To qualify for a better tier, it’s essential to meet qualifying spend necessities.

That will help you attain these thresholds, chances are you’ll make the most of Standing Elevate, a profit unique to holders of the WestJet RBC® World Elite Mastercard.

The cardboard additionally comes with a variety of different significant advantages for WestJet travellers, together with an annual companion voucher, so it’s vital for any frequent WestJet flyer.

High-tier privileges embody improve eligibility, free baggage, and precedence dealing with. As well as, higher-tier members obtain advantages when flying with Delta Air Strains, corresponding to free baggage and Sky Membership entry.

Except for these privileges, higher-tier members additionally obtain Milestone Awards upon reaching sure spend thresholds. Among the many perks chances are you’ll obtain are companion vouchers and gifting of Gold standing to a visitor for them to make use of on a round-trip flight.

In case you fly with WestJet incessantly, you should definitely quote your WestJet Rewards ID, in an effort to attain its prime standing tiers and benefit from the privileges that comply with.

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From beginning to end, Delta and WestJet give you access to more benefits and a seamless travel experience when flying between the U.S. and Canada. 

Whether it’s your next business trip or a long-awaited getaway, we are here to help you prepare so you know what to expect on your next flight.

The Latest WestJet News

Beginning on March 18, 2021, Medallion Members can expect to experience elite benefits when flying on WestJet when you are ready to travel again. 

Now, when traveling on WestJet, you will experience the below elevated benefits, based on your Medallion Status: 

• Medallion Baggage Allowance, Lounge Access 1 , Priority Boarding 2 , Priority Check-In, Preferred Seats 3 , Priority Bag Drop, Priority Baggage Handling, Priority Security 4 and Priority Transfer Desk. 

See a comprehensive list of WestJet’s reciprocal elite benefits here . 

Nothing is more important to Delta and our partner airlines across the globe than the health of our customers and employees. That’s why through the Delta CareStandard and WestJet’s Safety Above All , a range of measures have been implemented to deliver you a safe and clean experience. 

Delta and WestJet advise Members to check the entry requirements of their final destination prior to travel. WestJet is also providing up-to-date entrance requirements, safety enhancements and testing information on its COVID-19 page .  

Learn more about what to expect when traveling with our partners or learn more about our partnership with WestJet .

1 Diamond, Platinum and Gold Medallion Members, along with one additional guest accompanying the member and taking the same flight, will have access to the WestJet Elevation Lounge at Calgary International Airport (YYC) with a confirmed boarding pass for a same-day transborder or international itinerary that includes a segment between U.S. and Canada operated by Delta and/or WestJet or any of their respective affiliates (excluding Swoop) or contract carriers. Not applicable at partner or third-party lounges, nor when traveling on a wholly domestic reservation within Canada. 2 Diamond, Platinum and Gold Medallion Members will board in WestJet’s Zone 1 group. Silver Medallion Members will board in WestJet’s Zone 2 group.  3 When flying on WestJet, only Diamond, Platinum and Gold Medallion Members will have complimentary seat access, including Preferred Seats.  Not applicable on Basic Economy fares. Available to the Member and up to 8 customers on the same reservation; not valid for companions when travelling on a group booking. 4 Available at airports where service is available.

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It appears that JavaScript is either disabled or not supported by your web browser. JavaScript must be enabled to experience the American Express website and to log in to your account.

Due to COVID-19, certain lounges are temporarily closed, please click “Find a Lounge” for more details.

American Express Global Lounge Collection TM

Feel like you’ve arrived before you’ve even taken off

When travel calls, we answer. The American Express Global Lounge Collection TM  unlocks access to more than 1,300 airport lounges across 140 countries and counting.

• The Centurion® Lounge 1
• Plaza Premium Lounges 2
• Delta Sky Club® 3
• Airspace Lounges 4
• Escape Lounges - The Centurion® Studio Partner 5
• Priority Pass TM6 – To enrol, please call Platinum Card Service at 1-800-263-1616

As a Canadian Platinum Cardmember, you can also access the following lounges by presenting your Platinum Card: 

• Executive Lounges by Swissport TM7

Call Platinum Card Travel Service at

1-800-263-1616

Benefit Eligibility

Basic & Additional* Platinum Cardmembers

Terms & Conditions

*An additional card is a supplementary card.

1.  The Centurion® Lounge - Platinum Cardmembers have complimentary access to all locations of The Centurion Lounge. Supplementary Gold Cards on Platinum accounts are not eligible for complimentary access. Cardmembers may bring up to two (2) companions into many of The Centurion Lounge locations. Children under 2 years of age are not considered companions and will be admitted free of charge, provided an accompanying parent or guardian is able to produce a “lap infant” boarding pass or proof of age. Guest access policies may vary internationally by location and are subject to change. To access The Centurion Lounge, the Platinum Cardmember must present The Centurion Lounge agent with the following upon each visit: his or her valid Platinum Card or valid Supplementary Platinum Card, a boarding pass showing a confirmed reservation for same-day travel on any carrier and a government-issued I.D. Failure to present this documentation may result in access being denied. Platinum Cardmembers will only be granted access to the lounge within 3 hours of boarding pass departure time. This does not apply to Cardmembers with a same-day connecting flight who can access the lounge any time prior to departure of their connecting flight with proof of boarding pass.  Platinum Cardmembers will not be granted access to the lounge with a boarding pass for a flight that has landed as the final destination. Platinum Cardmembers will not be compensated for changes in locations, rates or policies. The Platinum Cardmember must be at least 18 years of age to enter without a parent or legal guardian. For locations with a self-service bar, the Platinum Cardmember must be of legal drinking age in the location’s jurisdiction to enter without a parent or legal guardian. Must be of legal drinking age to consume alcoholic beverages. Please drink responsibly. American Express reserves the right to remove any person from the Lounge for inappropriate behavior or failure to adhere to rules, including, but not limited to, conduct that is disruptive, abusive or violent. Soliciting other Cardmembers for accees into our lounge is not permissable. Access is subject to space availability. Hours may vary by location and are subject to change. Amenities vary among The Centurion Lounge locations and are subject to change. Services and amenities in the Lounge are complimentary, however you are responsible for any purchases and/or servicing charges you authorize our Member Services Professionals to perform on your behalf. Some American Express Cards are not eligible for all services provided by Member Services Desk. American Express will not be liable for any articles lost or stolen or damages suffered by the purchaser or visitor inside The Centurion Lounge. Use of The Centurion Lounge is subject to all rules and conditions set by American Express. American Express reserves the right to revise the rules at any time without notice. For a complete listing of lounge locations, including guest access policies for each lounge location, visit americanexpress.ca/platinum-lounge.

2.  Plaza Premium Lounges - Platinum Cardmembers have complimentary access .to Plaza Premium Lounges. Supplementary Gold Cards on Platinum accounts are not eligible for  complimentary access. Platinum Cardmembers may bring in one (1) travel companion as a complimentary guest. Fees apply for additional guests. Guest must accompany the Platinum Cardmember. To access a lounge, Platinum Cardmember and eligible guest(s) must show a valid, unexpired eligible Platinum Card, confirmed boarding pass for same-day travel and government-issued photo identification in the name of the Platinum Cardmember/guest(s).  International Plaza Premium Lounges, maximum of 2-hour stay. House rules, terms and conditions apply. Lounge access is subject to availability. Unless otherwise stated, lounge access cannot be used in conjunction with any other offer or benefit and is subject to change or cancellation at any time. Lounge locations may change from time to time. For a complete listing of lounge locations, visit americanexpress.ca/platinum-lounge.

3. Delta Sky Club® - The Platinum Card® Cardmember must present their valid American Express Card, government-issued I.D. and boarding pass to the Delta Sky Club ambassador. Boarding pass must show a reservation for a same-day Delta-marketed or Delta-operated flight departing from or arriving at the airport in which the Delta Sky Club is located. Name on boarding pass must match name on the Card. Eligible Cardmembers on departing flights can only access the Delta Sky Club within 3 hours of their flight’s scheduled departure time. During a layover between Delta-marketed or Delta-operated flights on the same ticket, you may use the Delta Sky Club in your connecting airport at any time during the layover. Round-trip same-day travel is not considered a layover. Delta reserves the right to limit access for non-revenue standby fliers at any Delta Sky Club. Supplementary Gold and Supplementary Green Cardmembers on Business Platinum Card accounts, and Supplementary Gold Cardmembers on Consumer Platinum Card accounts, are not eligible for complimentary access through The Global Lounge Collection benefit.  Access to Delta Sky Club partner lounges is not permitted. Individuals must be at least 18 years of age to access Delta Sky Club, and 21 years of age to access locations with a self-service bar, unless accompanied by a responsible, supervising adult who has access to the lounge. Cardmembers must adhere to all House Rules of participating clubs. Participating airport clubs and locations subject to change without notice. Additional guest access and fees subject to terms and conditions of participating airport clubs. Guests must also provide the club ambassador with a same-day corresponding Delta airline ticket before entering the lounge. For the most current Delta Sky Club access and pricing policy, please visit delta.com/skyclub . All Delta Sky Club rules apply to Delta Sky Club membership and use. To review the rules, please visit delta.com/skyclub . For a complete listing of lounge locations, visit americanexpress.ca/platinum-lounge .

4.  Airspace Lounges - This benefit is available to Platinum Cardmembers. Supplementary Gold Cards on Platinum accounts are not eligible for complimentary access. Cardmember must present his or her valid Platinum Card, government-issued I.D. and confirmed boarding pass for same-day travel. In some cases, Cardmember must be 21 years of age to enter without a parent or guardian. The Cardmember may bring up to two companions into the club as complimentary guests per visit. Cardmember must adhere to all house rules of participating lounges. Cardmembers and his or her guests will receive all of the complimentary benefits and amenities afforded to the Airspace Lounge customers, as well as access to purchase non-complimentary items. Some product features may be subject to additional charges. Airspace Lounge locations are subject to change. For a complete listing of lounge locations, visit americanexpress.ca/platinum-lounge.

5.  Escape Lounges - The Centurion® Studio Partner  - This benefit is available to Platinum Cardmembers. Supplementary Gold Cards on Platinum accounts are not eligible for complimentary access. Cardmembers receive complimentary access to any US location of the Escape Lounges. Cardmember must present his or her valid Platinum Card, a boarding pass showing a confirmed reservation for same-day travel on any carrier and government-issued I.D. In some cases, Cardmember must be 21 years of age to enter without a parent or guardian. Cardmembers may bring up to two companions as complimentary guests. Cardmember must adhere to all house rules of participating lounges. Cardmembers and his or her guests will receive all of the complimentary benefits and amenities afforded to the Escape Lounge customers, as well as access to purchase non-complimentary items. Some product features may be subject to additional charges. Escape Lounge locations are subject to change. For a complete listing of lounge locations, visit americanexpress.ca/platinum-lounge.

6.  Priority Pass TM - These Terms and Conditions govern Platinum Card participation in and use of the Priority Pass program. Priority Pass is an independent airport lounge access program. At any visit to a Priority Pass lounge that admits guests, you may bring in one (1) guest for no charge.  Platinum Cardmembers will be charged for any additional guests. Additional accompanying guests are subject to a usage fee at the prevailing rate, which is subject to change without prior notice. Some lounges do not admit guests. By enroling in Priority Pass, you agree that you will be responsible for any additional accompanying guest visits and that your Platinum Card will be automatically charged after you have signed for the additional guest visit and it has been reported to Priority Pass by the participating lounge. Additionally, American Express will verify your Card account number and provide updated Card account information to Priority Pass. Priority Pass will use this information to fulfill on the Priority Pass program. Once your enrolment has been processed, Priority Pass will send you a welcome package, Priority Pass card and a list of participating lounges. For details on how Priority Pass uses your personal information, please refer to their privacy policy at prioritypass.com. Once enroled, Platinum Cardmembers whose Card account is not cancelled may access participating Priority Pass lounges by presenting their Priority Pass card and airline boarding pass for same-day travel. In some lounges, Priority Pass member must be 21 years of age to enter without a parent or guardian. Priority Pass members must adhere to all house rules of participating lounges. Amenities may vary among airport lounge locations. Conference rooms, where available, may be reserved for a nominal fee. Priority Pass lounge partners and locations are subject to change. All Priority Pass members must adhere to the Priority Pass Conditions of Use, which will be sent to you with your membership package and can be viewed at www.prioritypass.com. Upon receipt of your enrolment information, Priority Pass will send your Priority Pass card and membership package which you should receive within 10–14 business days. If you have not received the Priority Pass card after 14 business days, please contact Platinum Card Service using the number on the back of your Platinum Card. Please note, Supplementary Gold Cardmembers are not eligible for membership.  Priority Pass non-lounge airport experiences such as airport dining credits are only offered in a few select locations. Select locations are subject to change. For a complete listing of Priority Pass lounge and non-lounge airport experience locations, visit americanexpress.ca/platinum-lounge.

7.  Executive Lounges TM by Swissport - Platinum Cardmembers have complimentary access to Executive Lounges by Swissport in Canada. Supplementary Gold Cards on Platinum accounts are not eligible for complimentary access. Platinum Cardmember’s spouse and 2 children under the age of 21, or one travel companion, may enter as complimentary guests. Fees apply for additional guests. Guest must accompany the Platinum Cardmember. To access a lounge, Platinum Cardmember and eligible guest(s) must show a valid, unexpired eligible Platinum Card, confirmed boarding pass for same-day travel and government-issued photo identification in the name of the Platinum Cardmember/guest(s). House rules, terms and conditions apply. Lounge access is subject to availability. Unless otherwise stated, lounge access cannot be used in conjunction with any other offer or benefit and is subject to change or cancellation at any time. Lounge locations may change from time to time. For a complete listing of lounge locations, visit americanexpress.ca/platinum-lounge.