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.

Stay up to Date on the Latest Travel Deals

Here are 9 things to know about the WestJet Rewards program

WestJet Rewards Overview

How to Earn WestJet Rewards	WestJet flights WestJet Vacation packages Transfer from RBC Rewards WestJet credit cards Airlines partners
How to Redeem WestJet Rewards	WestJet flights WestJet vacation packages Select flights with airline partners
Value of WestJet Dollars	1 WSJ = $1

Earning WestJet Rewards

1. You Earn WestJet Dollars by Flying with WestJet

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)

Elite Status Level	Teal	Silver	Gold	Platinum
WestJet Dollar Earn Rate	0.5%	3%	5%	8%

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: 

Delta

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 

View more info here

WestJet dollars are awarded on Air France-marketed flights operated by Air France or a subsidiary, 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.

KLM Royal Dutch Airlines

View more info here

WestJet dollars are awarded on KLM-marketed flights, operated by KLM or a subsidiary, 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.

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

Quintas Airlines

View more info here

WestJet dollars are awarded on Qantas-marketed flights, operated by Qantas or WestJet, 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.

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

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

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: 

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. 

4. RBC Avion Points Can be Converted to WestJet Dollars

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:

• Sign-up Bonus:
  • 35,000 Avion points upon approval
  • 20,000 Avion points upon spending $5,000 in the first 6 months
• Earn Rate: 
  • 1.25 Avion points per dollar spent on travel
  • 1 Avion point everywhere else
• Insurance:
  • 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
• Perks
  • 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

5. 1 WestJet Dollar = 1$ off WestJet Purchases

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. 

Full Fare	As a WestJet World Elite Cardholder
2 x $700 = $1,400 + tax	Fare 1: $700 – ($450 WestJet Dollars) = $250 Fare 2 (companion voucher): $119  Total = $369 + tax

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

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

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

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

Silver

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 

Gold members receive the following benefits:

• Complimentary upgrade at the gate 
• Complimentary upgrade prior to check-in
• Early access to purchase an upgrade
• 6 advance seat selection vouchers 
• Unlimited member lounge passes
• 2 Guest lounge passes
• 1st and 2nd checked bags free
• Zone 1 boarding 
• Priority check-in
• Priority support number
• Priority security screening at select airports

Platinum

Platinum members receive the following benefits:

• Complimentary upgrade at the gate 
• Complimentary upgrade prior to check-in
• Early access to purchase an upgrade
• Unlimited advance seat selection + 6 guest vouchers 
• Unlimited member lounge passes
• 2 Guest lounge passes
• 1st, 2nd & 3rd checked bags free
• Zone 1 boarding 
• Priority check-in
• Priority support number
• Priority security screening at select airports

WestJet Elite Status Comparison

	Teal	Silver	Gold	Platinum
Qualifying spend	Up to $2,999	$3,000 – $4,999	$5,000 – $7,999	$8,000 and beyond
Earn WestJet dollars at these rates
WestJet flights	0.5%	3%	5%	8%
WestJet Vacations packages	0.5%	1%	1.5%	2%
Car rentals, hotel stays, travel insurance, meal plans, attractions and transfers	1%	1%	1%	1%
Partner flights	Based on mileage and class of service	Additional 50% WestJet dollars	Additional 75% WestJet dollars	Additional 100% WestJet dollars
WestJet RBC World Elite Mastercard on everyday purchases	1.5%	1.5%	1.5%	1.5%
WestJet RBC World Elite Mastercard on WestJet purchases	2%	2%	2%	2%
Flight benefits		Silver	Gold	Platinum
Free checked bags		2 bags	2 bags	3 bags
Advance seat selection		4 vouchers	6 vouchers	Unlimited + 6 guest vouchers
Airport lounge access See up-to-date lounge news		4 vouchers + 2 guest vouchers	Unlimited + immediate family + 2 guest vouchers	Unlimited + immediate family + 2 guest vouchers
Boarding privileges		Zone 2	Priority/Zone 1	Priority/Zone 1
Priority check-in		Yes	Yes	Yes
Priority baggage			Yes	Yes
Priority security screening			Yes	Yes
Priority support number			Yes	Yes
No fee for same-day flight changes at check-in			Yes	Yes
Early access to purchase an upgrade			Yes	Yes
Complimentary upgrades prior to check-in Economy to Premium (excluding flights to/from Europe)		Eligible Eligible fare: EconoFlex	Higher priority Eligible fare: EconoFlex	Highest priority Eligible fares: EconoFlex Econo
Complimentary upgrades at the gate. Economy to Premium (excluding flights to/from Europe). Premium to Business on flights within Canada only		Eligible Eligible fares: EconoFlex PremiumFlex Premium	Higher priority Eligible fares: EconoFlex PremiumFlex Premium	Highest priority Eligible fares: EconoFlex Econo PremiumFlex Premium

WestJet Rewards Competitive Analysis

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:

Program	Valuation
Aeroplan	2.1 cents/point
WestJet	1 cent per point

Conclusion

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

A. Do WestJet Rewards Expire?

WestJet dollars do not expire

B. What Can I Use My WestJet Dollars be Used For?

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.

C. Where Can I Fly WestJet?

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 

1. 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. 
2. If you have an RBC credit card, you can transfer RBC rewards points to WestJet dollars. Look out for transfer bonuses throughout the year. 
3. Link up your RBC credit card to Petro Canada, and save 3 cents per litre at the pump. 
4. 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.