WestJet: your traveler's guide to fares, rights and the fine print

Everything for a WestJet trip in one place: the UltraBasic-to-BusinessFlex fare ladder and what each one really includes, baggage, pets, children flying alone, and the things that actually catch people out, the UltraBasic personal-item-only rule, the pet bans to Hawaii and the UK, and the cash compensation Canada's APPR can owe you for a delay, which no US airline is required to pay. Plus how to reach WestJet directly or get help from a live BargainAirTicket agent, 24/7 in English and Spanish.

BargainAirTicket is an independent travel agency. We are not WestJet and are not affiliated with, endorsed by, or operated by WestJet. This guide is for information only. You can manage your booking yourself at westjet.com at no cost. If you'd rather we handle it, our agents assist for a service fee, quoted before you're charged.

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About WestJet

A quick profile of the carrier.

WestJet is Canada's second-largest airline, based in Calgary (YYC) and flying across Canada, on transborder routes to the United States, to Mexico, the Caribbean and Europe. Its main connecting airports are Calgary (YYC), Toronto (YYZ) and Vancouver (YVR), and its fleet ranges from the Boeing 737 and 737 MAX to the 787-9 Dreamliner and the Dash 8 turboprops of WestJet Encore. One thing sets WestJet apart from a US carrier and is worth knowing before you book: as a Canadian airline it falls under Canada's Air Passenger Protection Regulations (APPR), which can owe you cash for a controllable delay that a US airline never would. WestJet is not in a global alliance like Star Alliance or oneworld, it uses bilateral partners such as Delta, Air France and KLM instead, so connections work differently. The catch to watch is the UltraBasic fare, which is far more restricted than it looks.

Type

Canadian carrier

Hubs

Calgary, Toronto, Vancouver

Loyalty

WestJet Rewards

Alliance

None, bilateral partners

Hubs & route network

Where the airline is based and where it flies.

WestJet connects most trips through its main Canadian airports. These are where you are most likely to change planes:

YYC

Calgary

Main hub

YYZ

Toronto Pearson

Hub

YVR

Vancouver

Hub

LAS

Las Vegas

US transborder

CUN

Cancún

Sun destination

LGW

London Gatwick

Europe

Calgary (YYC) is WestJet's primary hub and corporate home, with Toronto (YYZ) and Vancouver (YVR) its other key connecting airports. Most WestJet itineraries that change planes do so at one of these three. Because WestJet is not in a global alliance, a connection onto a partner such as Delta, Air France or KLM follows that partner's own rules, so on a mixed itinerary it pays to know which airline operates each leg.

WestJet route network

Schematic of the airline's main hubs and popular routes we book, not to scale. For the full current network, see westjet.com.

Popular routes we book

Call for phone-only fares.

Calgary → Toronto YYC-YYZCall for fare Vancouver → Calgary YVR-YYCCall for fare Toronto → Orlando YYZ-MCOCall for fare Calgary → Cancún YYC-CUNCall for fare

Fares & cabins, what's included

WestJet's fare ladder from the lowest up. What each fare includes is the whole story, so read it before you pick, because the cheapest one, UltraBasic, is by far the most restricted.

UltraBasic

The lowest, most restricted fare. No refund and no future travel credit if you cancel, and to change it you must first cancel it, which triggers a change fee. On most routes it is a personal item only, with no carry-on, the exception being flights to and from Europe and Asia, or if you buy Extended Comfort. You board last. Best only when price is all that matters and you travel very light.

Econo (and Member Exclusive)

Standard economy with a carry-on included. Checked bags cost extra and a change carries a change fee. Member Exclusive is a WestJet Rewards member version of Econo. Refundable only for a fee.

EconoFlex

The flexible economy fare: no change fee (you pay only any fare difference), refundable to your original payment for no fee, and the first checked bag is included. The sensible step up if your plans might move.

Premium

A larger premium-cabin seat with more space and service, and the first checked bag included. A comfortable lift above economy without going to Business.

PremiumFlex

Premium with the flexibility of the Flex fares: no change fee and a fee-free refund. For premium comfort when the trip is not locked in.

Business & BusinessFlex

WestJet's top cabin, with lie-flat seating on the 787 Dreamliner. BusinessFlex adds full flexibility, no change fee and a fee-free refund. An agent can price these against a high economy fare so you see the real difference.

Not sure which fare fits your trip and budget? An agent can compare them for you on the call.

Not sure which fare or route is best?

Tell an agent your dates and we'll find the right option, plus phone-only fares across 500+ airlines.

Call +1 (833) 667-2918

Baggage, the essentials

General guidance. Your exact allowance is set by your fare, your route and your WestJet Rewards status, so the fare and the bag decision go together, especially on UltraBasic.

UltraBasic is often a personal item only:

On UltraBasic fares you get a personal item only, with no carry-on, except on flights to and from Europe and Asia or if you buy Extended Comfort. If you reach the gate with a carry-on that meets no exception, WestJet requires you to check it, and you pay a checked-bag fee plus a service fee. The traveler who assumed a carry-on is the one who gets caught, so know this before you pick UltraBasic.

Carry-on and personal item sizes:

From Econo up you get a personal item plus a standard carry-on. The carry-on must fit 56 x 23 x 36 cm. WestJet publishes no weight limit on the carry-on, but you must be able to lift it into the overhead bin without assistance. The personal item must fit 41 x 14 x 33 cm (WestJet lists 14 cm on its baggage index and 15 cm on its carry-on page, so pack to the stricter 14 cm).

Checked bags depend on the fare and status:

A checked bag can be up to 157 cm (62 in) in total and 23 kg (50 lb). You can check up to 4 bags (WestJet Encore aircraft up to 3, and to Kingston, Jamaica up to 2). The first checked bag is free on EconoFlex, Premium and Business fares, for Silver, Gold and Platinum members, and for a WestJet RBC World Elite Mastercard cardholder plus up to eight guests; it is paid on UltraBasic and Econo.

Overweight and oversize cost more, and prices rise at the airport:

An oversize bag runs 158 to 203 cm, and an overweight bag over 23 kg is accepted up to 45 kg (100 lb), except to and from Europe where it is capped at 32 kg (70 lb). Overweight and oversize fees apply. Bag fees also change with when you pay, at booking, in Manage Trips, or at check-in, and they are higher when you pay at the airport, so add bags ahead of time.

We can confirm your exact allowance and pre-pay bags for you, just call.

Check-in & boarding

How to be ready on the day.

Online check-in on westjet.com and the WestJet app is the easiest way to get your boarding pass and confirm your seat. Because your carry-on and checked-bag allowance depend on your fare, and on UltraBasic can be a personal item only, sorting the fare first makes check-in painless. If you are checking a bag, get to the airport with time to spare, and confirm the check-in opening time for your specific flight rather than assuming it.

WestJet does not publish its own passport and visa tables. It points you to your destination's entry requirements, to Travel.gc.ca and to a documents tool, and notes that US Visa Waiver travelers need an ESTA before flying to the US. One rule worth flagging for families: a child who appears to be under 12 may be denied boarding if they cannot present proof of age. For any international trip, confirm passport validity and any visa well ahead, because a border officer, not the check-in desk, enforces them.

WestJet Rewards loyalty program

The airline's frequent-flyer program.

WestJet Rewards is WestJet's own loyalty program, with tiers Teal, Silver, Gold and Platinum, and a partnership with the WestJet RBC World Elite Mastercard. Higher tiers bring real perks that show up elsewhere in this guide: Silver, Gold and Platinum members get their first checked bag free, and Gold and Platinum members pay no same-day-change fee (UltraBasic excluded). The RBC World Elite Mastercard gives the cardholder and up to eight guests on the same reservation a free first checked bag. WestJet is not in a global alliance, so unlike a Star Alliance or oneworld carrier you do not earn and burn across dozens of partners, though bilateral partners such as Delta let you connect. If you have a WestJet Rewards number, give it to us when booking and we will add it to your reservation.

WestJet: frequently asked

Quick answers, call us for anything specific to your booking.

Does WestJet have a 24-hour free cancellation?+

Yes, with two conditions. WestJet lets you change or cancel within 24 hours of booking for no fee, as long as your flight is not within the next 24 hours, and a cancellation must be made more than 2 hours before departure. A fare difference can still apply on a change. That is the current wording and rules change, so confirm your exact ticket with us or at westjet.com. After that window, what you can do depends on your fare: UltraBasic gives no refund and no credit, while the Flex fares are refundable.

Does the UltraBasic fare include a carry-on bag?+

Usually not. On most routes UltraBasic is a personal item only, with no carry-on, the exceptions being flights to and from Europe and Asia or buying Extended Comfort. If you show up at the gate with a carry-on that meets no exception, WestJet checks it and charges a checked-bag fee plus a service fee. If you travel with a carry-on, price Econo or higher instead, and we can compare them so you are not paying at the gate.

Can my child fly alone on WestJet?+

Only within strict limits. WestJet's unaccompanied-minor service runs on Canada-domestic, nonstop, WestJet-operated flights only, so not to the US or other international destinations and never on a connection. It covers ages 8 to 17, is mandatory for ages 8 to 11, and a child under 8 cannot use it or fly alone at all. It also cannot depart before 5:30am or arrive after 10:00pm. Call us and we will set it up on an eligible flight.

My WestJet flight was delayed, am I owed anything?+

Possibly, and this is where WestJet differs from a US airline. Under Canada's APPR, a delay within WestJet's control that is not safety-related can owe you cash on a tiered scale, plus food and rebooking. WestJet publishes the amounts: about $400 for a 3 to 6 hour arrival delay, $700 for 6 to 9 hours and $1,000 for 9 hours or more, in Canadian dollars, and higher tiers for denied boarding. Weather, safety and labour disruptions are excluded. Confirm the figures on the call, they can change. This is separate from US DOT, which requires no delay compensation.

Can I fly with my pet to Hawaii on WestJet?+

No. WestJet does not carry pets to or from Hawaii at all, and the same ban applies to the United Kingdom, Ireland (Dublin), Jamaica and Barbados. There is also a seasonal embargo on pets in checked baggage from May 15 to October 31 for heat-restricted destinations, and pet spots per flight are limited and sell out. Tell us your route and dates and we will confirm what is possible before you book.