How WestJet refunds generally work
The plain version. What you get back, and in what form, depends on your fare and how the ticket was cancelled.
Cancel within 24 hours of booking, as long as your flight is not within the next 24 hours and you cancel more than 2 hours before departure, and WestJet refunds you for no fee. Even an otherwise non-refundable UltraBasic ticket benefits from acting inside that window. This is the current wording and airlines revise it, so confirm on the call, but a same-day change of heart usually has a clean exit.
EconoFlex, PremiumFlex and BusinessFlex refund to your original payment method for no fee. Econo, Premium and Business are refundable too, but only for a fee. Which fare you hold is the whole story once the 24-hour window has closed, so it is the first thing we check.
Cancel an UltraBasic fare by choice and you get neither money back nor a future travel credit. The only value that can survive is through the cancel-to-change path, where your points return and the balance becomes a Travel Bank credit, minus a change fee, and a sold-out return can still be lost. UltraBasic is cheap for a reason, and this is it.
On a non-refundable fare the value may survive as a Travel Bank credit toward future WestJet travel rather than cash. During a travel advisory, an UltraBasic booking receives a Travel Bank credit valid 12 months; outside an advisory WestJet does not state a general expiry, so confirm it. A credit has its own conditions, and an agent can tell you whether a usable one exists and what it is worth.
A refund because the airline cancelled, or made a change you decline, follows different rules than cancelling by choice, and can apply even on a non-refundable fare. Under Canada's APPR you may also be owed cash on top of the fare. Our delays-and-rebooking guide covers that path in full, and it is usually the stronger one when the disruption is WestJet's.
WestJet offers a bereavement fare, but it is booked by phone, only on Econo and EconoFlex fares, requires a WestJet Rewards account, and travel must be completed within 30 days, it is not a refund you claim online. If you are travelling for a death in the family, do not fight the website, call and we will walk you through it.
Whether a refund is owed, and in what form, depends on your fare and how the ticket was cancelled. We never publish amounts because yours is specific to your ticket, an agent confirms exactly what comes back, and our service fee, before anything is charged. You can request an eligible refund yourself free at westjet.com.
Which WestJet fares refund, and how
After the 24-hour window closes, the form your money comes back in is set by your fare.
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The value of the missed flight is lost, no refund and no credit
Points returned, balance becomes a Travel Bank credit, minus a change fee
The value of that return flight can be lost outright
Different rules, can refund even a non-refundable fare, plus possible APPR cash
Phone-only, Econo and EconoFlex only, travel within 30 days
UltraBasic is the one fare with no way back. Cancel it by choice and there is no refund and no credit, only a cancel-to-change path that costs a fee and can still lose a sold-out return leg. If there is any chance you will need your money back, that difference decides which fare to buy. Tell us how firm your plans are before you book and we will steer you to the right fare, not just the cheapest one.
Frequently asked
Can I get a full refund from WestJet?+
Is my UltraBasic fare refundable?+
What is Travel Bank and how long does the credit last?+
Does WestJet have a bereavement fare, and is that a refund?+
Do you charge a fee to process my refund?+
Contact options
Reach WestJet directly, or let us handle it.
Contact WestJet directly
The airline's own official channels, free.
More WestJet help
Related guides.