Is WestJet Rewards worth it?
Depends on where you fly. Strong fit if any of these apply:
- Most of your flying is on WestJet, domestically or to sun destinations
- You want a simple, predictable loyalty currency with no award charts to decode
- The annual companion voucher on the World Elite card fits how you travel
Less useful if you fly multiple carriers, want business class at outsized value, or need transfer partners to other programs.
What can you redeem WestJet Dollars for?
WestJet flights, vacation packages, and seat upgrades — that's the full list. One WestJet Dollar is worth exactly one Canadian dollar at checkout, applied directly against the booking price. No conversion rate, no award availability separate from cash availability. The tradeoff is a closed ecosystem: no transfer partners, no hotel programs, no cash redemptions. The points calculator shows how that fixed value compares to points programs.
What is the best way to use WestJet Dollars?
The companion voucher, vacation packages, and domestic routes where WestJet's network is strongest. Studies showing what WestJet Rewards actually does.
Mountains or river trails for a long weekend. Two hours of flying, completely different trip depending on which city you land in.
See the math →Economy return to London. Borough Market, the Tate, a pub on the corner. WestJet flies direct from Vancouver.
See the math →A week in Mexico, flights and hotel together. Colonial towns, Pacific beaches, or Caribbean water depending on where you land.
See the math →How do you earn WestJet Dollars?
Flying on WestJet
Every WestJet flight earns dollars based on your status tier and the fare class booked. Teal (base) members earn 2% of the flight price. Higher tiers earn more, up to 5% at Platinum. Premium and Business cabin bookings earn at a bonus rate above the base percentage.
WestJet Vacations packages
WestJet Vacations packages earn on the full package price — flights and hotel together. For frequent WestJet Vacations customers, it's one of the fastest earn paths in the program.
WestJet RBC Mastercards
The co-branded WestJet RBC cards earn WestJet Dollars on everyday spending, not just WestJet purchases. See the full card comparison for earn rates, the companion voucher, and the breakeven calculator.
What is WestJet Rewards status?
Status is earned by accumulating WestJet Dollars on flights in a calendar year. Higher tiers increase your flight earn rate and stack on travel perks: priority lanes, free bags, lounge access, complimentary upgrades, and more.
| Tier | WJD earned to qualify | Flight earn rate |
|---|---|---|
| Teal (base) | No threshold | 2% |
| Silver | 500 WJD earned | 3% |
| Gold | 1,000 WJD earned | 4% |
| Platinum | 2,000 WJD earned | 5% |
| Perk | Silver | Gold | Platinum |
|---|---|---|---|
| Free checked bags | 2 | 2 | 3 |
| Priority check-in | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Priority security | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Priority boarding | Zone 2 | Zone 2 | Zone 1 |
| Priority baggage handling | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Free onboard Wi-Fi | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| No same-day change fees | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Dedicated support line | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Seat selection vouchers | 4 standard/yr | 6 incl. Extended Comfort | Unlimited + 6 guest |
| Lounge access | 6 vouchers/yr | Unlimited + 2 guest passes | Unlimited + 2 guest passes |
| Complimentary upgrades | Gate (early access) | High-priority, gate + pre-check-in | Highest-priority, gate + pre-check-in |
Status qualification resets annually. Benefits apply for the remainder of the qualifying calendar year and all of the following year. WestJet Dollars in your balance do not expire as long as your account has qualifying activity within 24 months.
What are the best WestJet RBC credit cards?
WestJet RBC Mastercard
No annual fee. 1.5% WestJet Dollars on WestJet purchases, 1% everywhere else. Free checked bag for cardholder and travel companions.
WestJet RBC World Elite Mastercard
$119/year. 2% on WestJet, 1.5% everywhere else. Annual round-trip companion voucher. Free checked bag. Highest earn rate on everyday spending.
How does WestJet Rewards compare to Aeroplan Perks?
WestJet Dollars are simple and transparent, but they have a ceiling. The best Aeroplan redemptions — business class on partner airlines, long-haul international — can return 3–5 cents per point against the cash price of the same seat. WestJet Dollars will never exceed 1 cent per dollar, because 1 WJD = $1 CAD by definition. The points calculator shows how that ceiling compares to Aeroplan redemptions.
The right question is not which program has higher peak value, but which fits your actual travel. If most of your flying is WestJet domestically or to sun destinations, WestJet Rewards is the most frictionless program available. If your goal is a business class trip to Japan or Europe, a transferable-point program like Aeroplan gives you tools WestJet Rewards cannot.