WestJet Rewards Guide
Are you ready for a WestJet Rewards guide? If you fly WestJet on a regular basis or even if you fly them once a year, you’ll want to learn more about their loyalty program. What many people don’t realize is that it’s a cash back type of rewards program so it’s easy to understand. There are no blackout dates or redemption schedules to worry about, you just claim your WestJet dollars on whatever you want.
Redemptions start at just $15 WestJet dollars so it’s easy to use your dollars right away. While WestJet Rewards has made improvements over the years and appeals to casual travellers, there’s no denying that the value for frequent travellers or business travellers will be limited.
How to earn WestJet dollars
When travellers spend money on WestJet flights, WestJet vacation packages, or cars and hotels booked on westjet.com, they’ll earn 0.5% – 8% cash-back in WestJet dollars depending on their tier. This may sound complicated, but it’s pretty straightforward since everything is tied to tiers.
Tiers are structured around how much you spend within a 12-month qualifying period. The more you spend, the higher your tier status becomes. The higher your status is, the better your rewards are.
- Teal status earns you 1% in WestJet dollars up to $2,999 in spend
- Silver status earns you 3% in WestJet dollars from $3,000 – $4,999 in spend
- Gold status earns you 5% in WestJet dollars from $5,000 – $7,999 in spend
- Platinum status earns you 8% in WestJet dollars and kicks in one you spend $8,000
Once you’ve earned a status, you keep it until the following year. You do need to maintain the qualifying flight spend in each successive year, but you no longer reset to teal like before. See the below chart for a full breakdown of the different status tiers.
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.
Additional Silver tier benefits
- 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)
Additional Gold tier benefits
- Two checked bags free
- 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
Additional Platinum tier benefits
- Three free checked bags
- Unlimited advanced seat selection
- 10 airport lounge vouchers
- Zone 1 boarding
- Priority check-in and bag drop at select airports
- Priority security screening at select airports
- A dedicated support number
- Highest priority for complimentary upgrades to premium seats with the purchase of EconoFlex fares
- No fee for same-day flight changes at check-in
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
Is WestJet Rewards good for frequent flyers?
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.
Final thoughts
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.
Hi Barry,
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!
Hi Harry,
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.
Krista,
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.
Maxp,
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.
TMC,
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)
Mary,
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.
CIndy,
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
Hi Jo,
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.
thanks !
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?
DC,
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 ?
Alan,
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.
Lawrence,
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?
Hi Diane,
You’d have to get your own card to earn WestJet dollars for your own account.
Hi Barry,
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?
Thanks,
Steve,
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?
Hi Jodie,
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?
Thanks!
Hi Momo,
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?
Momo,
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).
Hi J,
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.
https://www.moneywehave.com/the-best-travel-credit-cards-in-canada/
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?
Hi Gus,
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.
Hi Pierre,
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.
Hi LD,
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?
Hi Hue,
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.
Hi Barry,
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?
Hi Archie,
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)
Hi Barry,
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.
Hi Cindy,
No, only flights that are fully operated by WestJet qualify for the free baggage.
Thanks very much.
Hi,
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?
Hi Meena,
The terms and conditions say it’s only for the primary cardholder.
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 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?
Lise,
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.
Hi Judy,
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
Judy
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
thanks,
Hi 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.
Hi Larry,
I don’t think that’s possible.
How do we get our free seats using mc elite. I don’t see that option .
Debbie,
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.