Hey Leanne,

I have noticed this a few times too.

Also note that one cannot use WestJet dollars toward “other ATC” – only towards the base fare.

Important to know that extra fees are added when one uses the companion fare – for example when booking 2 tickets to Puerto Vallarta “Other ATC” charges are $40 more than when just booking 2 tickets – so this is basically a F*you for using your companion far add on tax. If you call westjet you get a run around and no good explanation why this exists – just that it does. What is “other” atc in the first place? It is not listed under taxes and yet both the first ticket and the companion fare pay it (plus extra for the companion fare). Lacks transparency so I don’t like it on that principal alone. I am using the one I have to Puerto Vallarta which ends up being about $300 cheaper than just booking two tickets on the same flight, but I will not be signing up for this credit card again as they savings are only realized when restricted to flying with this airline and the savings are not significant enough to make this restriction worth it.

THE VOUCHER IS ONLY GOOD FOR 1 YEAR.

Hey Barb,

I’ve been able to use my companion voucher with a stopover in the past. For example, Toronto to Vancouver to Hawaii. That said, I believe you’re right, if there’s any non-WestJet flight on your itinerary, then you wouldn’t be able to use the voucher.

This review was written before WestJet started pulling out of eastern Canada and certainly needs an update.

In the end, the companion voucher is still excellent (if you can use it) and it comes as a standard benefit with the credit card. There’s no denying the value (again, if you can use it).

HI Loreen
The Westjet RBC Elite is very limited to Europe too. So Im not sure why Barry who wrote this article is so keen on it. Here’s the way I would keep the card-1 flying across Canada or to USA if and only if a- there is a direct flight from your departure city (as for Ottawa Im extremely limited all year) and b) you plan on going when Westjet flys direct to those designations.
For example: The companion voucher is great for Ottawa to Vancouver as long as I want to go there between May and October. I wanted to see my MOM at Christmas and I would be doing a stopovers along the way. It would take me on Air Canada direct 5 hrs, on Westjet stop overs maybe 2 days. LOL So you have to look at WHERE you want to go to use the Campion voucher and WHEN you want to go,
BUT FIRST- WHICH CITY IS YOUR HUB OUT OF CANADA- if it is not Toronto ,Calgary or Vancouver. And you don’t want to use it for Canada or Orlando- I would look at the Aeroplan car. Im going too.

Now I must say 1 thing: The online customer service at WESTJET IS OUTSTANDING!!! Every women I talked to at reservations was patient and empathic to my struggles finding a fight to somewhere we wanted to go to use our voucher before it expired. THIS IS ONE PLACE WESTJET HAS IT RIGHT. We are going to Barbados in March.

However, Im still confused about the FREE LUGGAGE. I have the ELITE card which gives me free luggage, but when I booked I also wanted free cancellation,. To get free cancellation I had to book at a level that gives me free luggage. I don’t get a credit back because my free luggage at $30 a bag was included in my Elite status/voucher. So it’s really a gimmick on this one.

Here is what you do: Book the lowest , get the free bag, just remember it’s a fee or no cancellation policy. Take the risk.

With Trudeau up and down and in and out on the pandemic/covid mandatory shots, mandatory checks and all that other *^(&)**)*Q#E we decided to book the highest level for free cancellation and changes.

Hope that helps. My card comes up for renewal in March and Im seriously looking at the Aeroplan for a years.

The way I look at it. You can cancel and change it up as many times as you want.

MY BEST CARDS EVER: SCOTIA AMEX TRAVEL- and RBC AVION TRAVEL They have a few. Check them out.

Finally, an answer as to why my voucher is getting rejected for an upcoming family trip to Oslo, Norway. There is no direct flight with WestJet, only with stopovers. So, the companion voucher is no good to me. I cannot find ANYWHERE in their Terms and Conditions or anywhere on their web site that this is identified as a restriction. Yours is the ONLY reference I have found about it needing to be a non-stop, direct flight.

Gerald,

You just need to redeem it before the expiry date. Your travel date can be up to one year from the expiry date. If you cancel the flight and your companion voucher has expired, you wouldn’t get it back.

You forgot some very important facts about the companion voucher. You can only use it for DIRECT FLIGHTS ON WESTJET. If you do not live in one of their main hub cities this card is not worth it. Calgary and Vancouver are their main hubs. If you live east of Calgary good luck. Im in Ottawa and even if I get myself to Toronto , Im limited on flights I can use this. And I have the Elite one. It is costing me more to fly and use this companion from Ottawa to Vancouver than it would be a direct flight on Air Canada. LOL Worse thing I ever subscribed to. Too many restrictions and costs. Obviously this guy writing this post must either have not tried to book or lives in Vancouver or Calgary. Good to see the Florida example, but that is about it out of Toronto too. LOL