One of three airline loyalty programs in Canada, WestJet Rewards incentivizes travel with WestJet Airlines. It’s free to join and you’ll earn WestJet points with every flight, qualifying travel, or purchase made with RBC credit cards.
While WestJet Rewards isn’t the best airline rewards program, it’s a solid option for frequent WestJet travellers. Here, we’ll cover the program basics, elite status tiers, and give you strategies for making the most of your WestJet points.
Key Takeaways
- WestJet Rewards is the customer loyalty program from WestJet Airlines.
- Upon launching the new regards program, WestJet converted existing dollars to points at a rate of 1 WestJet dollar to 100 WestJet points.
- You can earn WestJet points by booking travel products through WestJet or its partners, converting Avion Rewards points, purchasing points, or using a WestJet RBC credit card.
- The best credit card for collecting WestJet points is the WestJet RBC World Elite Mastercard.
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What is WestJet Rewards?
WestJet Rewards is a loyalty program that rewards frequent flyers with exclusive perks and benefits, plus credits toward future travel. It's not a bad deal, considering WestJet is the second-largest airline in Canada.
WestJet and WestJet Encore fly to 100+ destinations in 28 countries, including 71 domestic routes serving 39 cities in Canada. When you count its codeshare partners, the WestJet network extends to 100+ routes in the U.S., daily year-round flights to Paris (CDG) and London (LHR), and 8 destinations in Asia. The company’s acquisition of Sunwing Airlines and Sunwing Vacations in 2023 put 39 more Latin Caribbean destinations on the map.
A WestJet Rewards membership is an especially sound choice for travellers from Western Canada since WestJet Airlines’ central hub (and company HQ) is located in Calgary (YYC).
WestJet Rewards overview
Currency: WestJet points
Rewards categories: WestJet Flights, WestJet Vacations, Sunwing Vacations, bonus points, merchandise, gift status
Pros:
- 200+ destinations in 200+ countries
- Several ways to earn rewards
- 4 membership tiers with exclusive perks, pricing, and rewards
- 4 official rewards partners: Delta, Air France, KLM, and Qantas (with Skip and Telus coming soon)
- 1 WestJet dollar = 100 WestJet points
- WestJet points don’t expire as long as your account is active
- No blackout dates, multi-city, or stop-over restrictions on select rewards flights
Cons:
- $50 to $59 fee per transfer of rewards to other members
- Accounts are deactivated after 24 months of inactivity
- Blackout dates and other restrictions apply to Member Exclusive Fares
- Travelling companion and flight benefit vouchers aren’t transferable and expire after 1 year
How much are WestJet points worth?
The value of your points depends on how you choose to redeem them. Now that you have more options, it can pay to figure out your best redemption option. To help, we calculated the value of each WestJet point in cents per point (CPP) using the following formula:
Value of reward in $ / value of reward in points x 100 = value in cents per point (CPP)
| Rewards category | Options | Value in cents per point (CPP) |
|---|---|---|
| Flights with WestJet and partners | * Flights | 1 CPP |
| WestJet Member Exclusive Fares | * Flights | 1 CPP |
| WestJet Vacations | * Hotels * Events and attractions * Airport transfers | 1 CPP |
| eStore merchandise | * Merchandise * Gift cards | * 0.59 (merchandise) * 0.69 (gift cards) |
How to earn WestJet points
Travellers have more options than ever for earning WestJet points, thanks to the revamped rewards program.
Booking WestJet flights
Earning WJP on travel bookings is easy: for flights, visit the official WestJet website and log in.
In the past, travellers only earned points on the base price of a flight. Now, you’ll also earn WJP on carrier surcharges, seat selection, baggage fees, and cabin upgrade purchases. You won’t earn points on government taxes and fees.
The exact number of points you’ll earn depends on your WestJet status level:
Booking flights with WestJet partners
Sometimes, it’s not possible to get where you need to go with WestJet, which is why it’s handy to fly with their partners.
Although the exact number of points you earn varies by your flight distance, fare class, and the partnering airline, here’s how many points you can expect to earn with Delta, Air France/KLM, and Qantas:
- Economy fares: 300 to 1,600 points
- Business fares: 400 to 1,800 points
- First class: 400 to 2,200 points
Note that if you have status beyond Teal, you’ll earn even more. Silver members get 50% more points, Gold members receive 75% more, and Platinum members earn 100% more.
You can earn WestJet dollars on codeshare and partner airline flights, but your ticket costs won’t count toward the annual WestJet Rewards membership spending requirements.
Vacation packages and car rentals
Before you book your next getaway, head to the official WestJet Vacations website and WestJet car rental website, search your options, and book while you’re logged into your WestJet account. If you book a vacation package, each member on the booking will earn 1 point per $1 spent based on their share of the total base price.
Rental car bookings earn you 1 point per $1 spent with Avis, Budget, Enterprise, National, Alamo, Hertz, Thrifty, and Dollar. But, if you’re a Silver, Gold, or Platinum member, you’ll get 1.5 points per $1 with Avis, Budget, Enterprise, National, and Alamo.
Convert Avion Points to WestJet Points
If you’re a member of the RBC Avion Rewards program, you can convert your Avion Points to WestJet dollars at a rate of 1:1 using the Avion website.
Log into Avion Rewards, select "Transfer," and then click “Convert Points.” Select the WestJet Rewards program and follow the on-screen instructions.
This method isn’t the most rewarding because Avion credit cards tend to be low earners – but we’ll explore all your options further in the next section.
How to buy WestJet points
Buying WestJet points is the least cost-effective method of topping up your account balance. That said, it could be worth it if you only need a few WJP to completely cover a discounted Member Exclusive fare, and you can wait for a sale.
To buy WJP, log into your WestJet Rewards online account and select "Buy WestJet points." They cost 2 cents each. Charge your purchase to an American Express, Diner’s Club, Discover, JCB, Mastercard, or Visa credit card, and you’re set. Note that you can purchase a maximum of 500,000 points in a single calendar year.
Purchased WestJet points don’t expire, but they’re non-refundable and don’t count toward the annual membership spending requirements.
Everyday purchases with an RBC credit card
You can earn WestJet points for non-travel expenses if you use an RBC-branded WestJet credit card.
The WestJet RBC Mastercard earns:
- 1.5 WestJet points per $1 spent on WestJet or WestJet Vacations purchases
- 1 WestJet point per $1 spent on all other everyday purchases
The WestJet RBC World Elite Mastercard bumps your earning to:
- 2 WestJet points per $1 spent on WestJet or WestJet Vacations purchases
- 1.5 WestJet point per $1 spent on all other everyday purchases
WestJet eStore merchandise
If you do a lot of shopping online, you’ll definitely want to use the eStore. Simply log in and select a merchant (you’ll also be able to see how many points per dollar you’ll earn) and click "Shop Now."
You’ll be redirected to the merchant’s site, where you can shop and make purchases. Within a few days, you’ll see the WestJet points you earned automatically deposited into your WestJet account.
When you purchase items, you’ll earn anywhere from 1 to 5 points per $1, so they add up fast. You’ll also get a bonus 250 points when you make your first eStore purchase. And, if you’re paying with a WestJet credit card, you’ll earn points even faster! Get an additional 1.5 points per $1 spent with a branded card.
We should point out that although you can redeem points for gift cards, you won’t earn points for purchasing them through the eStore.
How to redeem WestJet points
WestJet’s new rewards program gives you more redemption options than ever before. Instead of being limited to WestJet or partnering flights, you can use points for even more travel, vacations, merchandise, and gift cards.
WestJet and partner flights
If you have at least 2,500 WJP, you can get a discount on your booking. Just log into your WestJet account and search for Econo, EconoFlex, Premium, PremiumFlex, Business, or Business Flex tickets. Codeshare partner flights count, too!
If you have to pay for a portion of your reward out of pocket, you’ll earn WestJet points on every Canadian dollar you spend (not including any taxes or fees).
WestJet Member Exclusive Fares
WestJet rewards its loyalty travellers with discounted fares if you pay the entire base fare with WestJet points.
To see these discounted rates, just log into your WestJet account and search for flights. You’ll see the Member Exclusive fare next to the standard cost of the flight. If you don’t see a Member Exclusive fare listed, it may not be available for your flight.
Note that since these are redemption fares, you don’t earn WestJet points on the flights – and they don’t count towards your qualified spending.
WestJet Vacations
Put your hard-earned points to rest with a land-based WestJet Vacation. You can book activities, car rentals, hotel stays, airport meals, and more on the WestJet website or by calling customer service.
At this time, every destination except Cuba and Bahia Principe is eligible.
WestJet eStore
This new redemption option lets you earn and redeem points for merchandise and gift cards. Since the availability changes regularly, log in to the eStore to see the 2,000+ current options from over 100 brands.
We should mention that, unlike some rewards programs, WestJet requires you to pay completely with points—you can’t mix points and cash when buying merchandise or gift cards.
WestJet Rewards tiers
The WestJet Rewards program has 4 levels of membership. A Teal membership is free and will enable you to collect WestJet points on your very first purchase, but you must meet an annual spending requirement to advance to Silver, Gold, or Platinum.
| Membership level | Teal | Silver | Gold | Platinum |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Annual spending requirement | $0 – $3,999 | $4,000 | $6,000 | $10,000 |
WestJet points don’t count toward the annual membership spending requirements. Instead, you need to rack up qualifying dollars at the following rates:
- 1 qualifying dollar per $1 CAD spent on WestJet-marketed or operated flights for up to 9 travellers at once
- 0.20 qualifying dollar per $1 CAD spent on the base price of a WestJet Vacations activity, car rental, hotel, or package
- 200 qualifying dollars per $5,000 CAD spent on everyday purchases with a WestJet RBC World Elite Mastercard (more on that later)
The year runs from January 1 to December 31, so it’s best to sign up soon after New Year’s Day. For example, if you join in June, you’ll only have 6 months left to qualify for the next membership level.
The 3 best credit cards for collecting WestJet points
There are only 2 official WestJet RBC credit cards, but because you can convert Avion Points to WestJet points, we’ve added a third option:
| Credit card | Annual fee | Max. WJP return rate | WestJet perks |
|---|---|---|---|
| WestJet RBC World Elite Mastercard | $119 | 2% | ✅ |
| RBC Avion Visa Infinite Privilege | $399 | 1.25% | ❌ |
| WestJet RBC Mastercard | $39 | 1.5% | ❌ |
1. Best for frequent travel
The WestJet RBC World Elite Mastercard is the program’s premium offering, earning 2% in WJP on WestJet flights or Vacations and 1.5% everywhere else. If you have Platinum membership status, that’s a whopping $10 credit for every $100 you spend to fly.
It’s also one of the cheapest World Elite Mastercards available in Canada, offering concierge services, exclusive access to dining events, and a complimentary DragonPass membership so you can access 1,300+ airport lounges for $32 USD each time. You’ll also get a Status Lift toward the annual WestJet membership spending requirements in the form of 200 WestJet points per $5,000 spent (up to 50 times per year).
Pros:
- 12-month complimentary DashPass subscription
- 10 types of insurance
- 3 cents off per litre and 20% more points at Petro-Canada
- 1 annual worldwide round-trip companion voucher (starting at $119) or 4 WestJet airport lounge vouchers
- First checked bag free (for member and up to 8 travelling companions)
- Status Lift boost towards WestJet membership status
- World Elite Mastercard benefits
Cons:
- Companion voucher use starts at $119+ to use
- $80,000 personal or $150,000 household income required
- Low earning rate
2. Best for flexible travel
×1 Award winner 
The RBC Avion Visa Infinite Privilege earns a flat rate of 1.25 Avion Points per $1 spent anywhere. Since 100 Avion Points = 100 WJP, you’ll get an equal exchange rate.
It’s not especially effective at earning WJP (especially when you consider its high-income requirements), but you can get up to 2.33 cents out of every point by using the Avion Air Travel Redemption Schedule instead. Plus, you’ll enjoy free checked baggage, complimentary hotel upgrades, and exclusive events courtesy of the Visa Infinite Privilege program.
Pros:
- 50 Be Well points per $1 spent at Rexall
- 12 types of insurance
- 12-month complimentary DashPass subscription
- 3 cents off per litre and 20% more points at Petro-Canada
- Convert Avion Rewards points to WestJet dollars
- Visa Infinite Privilege benefits
Cons:
- $200,000 personal or household income required
- Low earn rate
- No WestJet travel benefits
- Points have more value if redeemed through the Air Travel Redemption Schedule
3. Best for occasional travel
If you don’t want to gamble on applying for a World Elite Mastercard, you’ll find it easier to qualify for the WestJet RBC Mastercard at the cost of 0.5% fewer WestJet points. This modest card earns 1.5% WJP on WestJet travel purchases and 1% everywhere else and offers an easy-to-grab welcome bonus and valuable insurance.
If there’s one thing we could change, it would be to lower the $199 fee for the annual companion voucher.
Pros:
- 7 types of insurance
- 3 cents off per litre and 20% more points at Petro-Canada
- 1 annual round-trip companion voucher for travel to/from Canada and the continental U.S.
- No income requirements
Cons:
- Companion voucher use starts at $199 and excludes Hawaii
- Low earn rate
- No Status Lift boost towards advance WestJet membership status
- No WestJet travel benefits
WestJet Rewards flight benefits
All WestJet Rewards members get access to Member Exclusive fares, and thanks to WestJet’s revamped rewards program, travellers can now use WestJet points for flight upgrades and benefits like:
- Cabin upgrade purchases
- Seat selection
- Checked bags
You can even enjoy your WestJet Rewards perks and benefits on Delta-operated flights!
Here’s what you can look forward to once you’ve met the annual membership spending requirements:
| Details | Teal | Silver | Gold | Platinum |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Advance seat selection vouchers | ❌ | 4 | 6 | Unlimited |
| Airport lounge access | ❌ | 6 vouchers | Unlimited | Unlimited |
| Boarding privileges | Zone 3+ | Zone 2 | Zone 2 | Zone 1 |
| Free checked bags | ❌ | 2 | 2 | 3 |
| Priority check-in | ❌ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
| 2 Guest airport lounge vouchers | ❌ | ❌ | ✅ | ✅ |
| Airport lounge access for up to 5 immediate family members | ❌ | ❌ | ✅ | ✅ |
| Early access to buy seat upgrades | ❌ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
| No fees for same-day flight changes | ❌ | ❌ | ✅ | ✅ |
| Priority baggage, security, and customer service | ❌ | ❌ | ✅ | ✅ |
| 6 guest advance seat selection vouchers | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ✅ |
Flight benefits are only valid for the remainder of the year in which you qualify for them, plus the year after that. If the following year passes and you don’t maintain or advance your membership status, you’ll lose your benefits.
Remember: Flight benefit vouchers expire 1 year after issue.
WestJet Rewards milestone rewards
If the thought of spending money to qualify for advanced membership makes you sour, WestJet is happy to offer you some sweet milestone rewards.
You'll receive one of several reward options whenever you reach a certain threshold of qualifying dollars (not to be confused with WestJet points). The options vary based on how much you’ve spent.
Here are the choices awaiting you at each milestone:
| Milestone spending amount | $2K | $8K | $12K | $16K | $20K | $30K | $40 | $50K |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| WestJet points | 2,000 | 20,000 | 10,000 | 10,000 | 10,000 | 25,000 | 25,000 | 25,000 |
| Tier-qualifying bonus | $200 | $500 | $1,000 | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ |
| Seat selection vouchers | ❌ | 8 | ❌ | ❌ | 4 | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ |
| A $25 Skip gift card | ✅ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ |
| WestJet companion voucher | ❌ | ✅ | ✅ | ❌ | ✅ | ❌ | ❌ | ✅ |
| Lounge vouchers | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | 8 | ❌ |
| Gift 1 year of Status | ❌ | ❌ | Gold | ❌ | ❌ | Gold | ❌ | ❌ |
| Discount off any Premium fare | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | 40% | ❌ | ❌ | 40% off Business fare | ✅ |
| Vacation package credit | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | $250 off | ❌ | $500 | ❌ | ✅ |
| De'Longhi Linea Classic Espresso Machine | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ✅ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ |
| Tumi Corporate Collection Weekender Duffel | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ✅ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ |
| Therabody Theragun Sense Percussive Massage Therapy Device | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ✅ | ❌ | ❌ |
| Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ✅ | ❌ |
| Fairmont Hotels and Resorts gift card AND Toronto Blue Jays experience | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ✅ |
Pick your destination and your friends now, because companion and guest vouchers expire 1 year after issue.
FAQ
Is WestJet part of a frequent flyer program?
WestJet owns the WestJet Rewards program, which awards WestJet points to members who buy flights, book with partner airlines, and purchase WestJet Vacations.
Do WestJet points expire?
Any WestJet points you earned from travel bookings, converted from Avion Points, or bought online won’t expire as long as your account remains active. Promotional and bonus dollars expire 1 year after issue.
How much are WestJet points worth?
100 WestJet points are worth $1 CAD when redeemed through the WestJet Rewards program.
How do you convert RBC Avion Rewards points to WestJet dollars?
You can convert 100 Avion Rewards points to 100 WestJet points by logging into your Avion account online, clicking "Transfer," and then clicking “Convert Points.”
Can I give my WestJet points to someone else?
You can transfer your WestJet points to another member for $50-$59 (plus tax) per transaction.
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