How Does the WestJet Companion Voucher Work?

One of many fundamental attracts to WestJet’s RBC co-branded bank cards is the annual round-trip companion voucher perk, which gives a reduced base fare for a second passenger when the primary passenger pays the total worth.

Many cardholders discover lots of worth within the voucher, and it’s one of many key elements to contemplate when deciding whether or not to maintain the cardboard and pay the annual price yearly.

On this article, let’s check out get hold of WestJet annual round-trip companion vouchers, how they work, and redeem them for max worth alongside your travels.

WestJet Companion Vouchers: The Guidelines

Broadly talking, the WestJet annual round-trip companion voucher gives a reduced charge for a second passenger when the primary passenger pays full worth for a ticket. In some ways, it’s much like the Air Canada Annual Worldwide Companion Cross.

It’s essential to notice that the second passenger remains to be topic to different taxes, charges, and Different Air Transportation Prices (ATC) imposed by the airline, as we’ll discover intimately beneath. Because of this the voucher doesn’t give the second passenger a “free” flight, however fairly a reduced one.

As you would possibly anticipate, the voucher comes with plenty of guidelines that govern its use.

First off, WestJet’s companion vouchers can solely be used on new bookings, which have to be made earlier than the voucher expires. Nevertheless, understand that journey can happen after the voucher’s expiry date.

For instance, if a voucher expires on June 1, 2026, journey have to be booked prior to that date, however you need to use it for journey after June 1 by way of to the top of the airline’s bookable schedule, which is about 11–12 months from the date of reserving.

You’ll be able to redeem the voucher for UltraBasic, Econo, EconoFlex, Premium, and PremiumFlex fares so long as no low cost codes are utilized (e.g., the companion voucher can not be mixed with low cost codes, however can be used throughout seat gross sales). The voucher can’t be used for Enterprise, BusinessFlex, or Member Unique fares.

The WestJet annual round-trip companion voucher can be utilized for journey anyplace in WestJet’s community with none blackout intervals. The flight have to be marketed and operated by WestJet, WestJet Encore, and/or WestJet Hyperlink, and vouchers aren’t legitimate on WestJet Holidays, charters, or with any codeshare or interline companions, reminiscent of Delta and Korean Air.

The annual round-trip companion voucher have to be utilized to a reserving that features the member whose account the voucher is connected to, which suggests which you can’t simply present them to anybody of your selecting. Vouchers are non-transferable, and just one could also be utilized per reserving.

Each passengers on the ticket have to be booked on the identical fare sort, that means you can’t select a less expensive fare sort for you or your companion in an effort to decrease your out-of-pocket value.

Nevertheless, you possibly can select to have a unique fare sort per path, reminiscent of Econo on the outbound flight and EconoFlex on the inbound. Consequently, the inclusions and restrictions of the chosen fare sort in every path will apply to each passengers.

For those who needed so as to add advantages, reminiscent of luggage or seats in any other case not included along with your fare, you’ll should pay for them per passenger, until both of you has these advantages included along with your WestJet elite standing or bank card.

Bookings made on the WestJet web site will need to have a Canadian departure metropolis. For those who’re utilizing a companion voucher on a flight originating exterior of Canada, you want to name into the WestJet contact centre to finish your reserving and use your voucher. A contact centre reserving price could also be charged in such circumstances.

To reduce your out-of-pocket prices additional, it’s possible you’ll redeem WestJet factors together with a WestJet annual round-trip companion voucher to pay for the bottom fare portion of the reserving.

Lastly, the companion voucher is simply legitimate for a single use. If a reserving is cancelled, the voucher will retain its authentic expiry date, and should you solely use it for a one-way flight, the companion voucher gained’t be legitimate for the return leg if booked individually.

The best way to Earn WestJet Companion Vouchers

There are three varieties of WestJet companion vouchers, and the sort of voucher you may have is determined by the way you earned it within the first place.

Each the WestJet RBC® World Elite Mastercardǂ and the WestJet RBC® Mastercard‡ every include a companion voucher as a part of the playing cards’ ongoing advantages; nevertheless, there are essential variations between the vouchers.

WestJet RBC® Mastercard‡

The annual companion voucher on the WestJet RBC^® Mastercard^‡ is legitimate for journey anyplace in Canada or the continental United States (excluding Hawaii) for $199–299 base fare. It can’t be used for journey exterior of North America, and out of the three varieties of vouchers, it’s the least highly effective.

For vouchers issued on or after June 30, 2024, the bottom fare to varied locations are as follows:

• Journey inside Canada or to the continental U.S. (excluding Hawaii): $199 (UltraBasic, Econo, or EconoFlex); $299 (Premium or Premium Flex)
• Journey to the remainder of the WestJet community: n/a

WestJet RBC® World Elite Mastercardǂ

In the meantime, the companion voucher of the WestJet RBC® World Elite Mastercardǂ is sort of a bit extra helpful as it may be used on any route that WestJet flies.

For vouchers issued on or after June 30, 2024, the bottom fare to varied locations are as follows:

• Journey inside Canada or to the continental U.S. (excluding Hawaii): $119 (UltraBasic, Econo, or EconoFlex); $219 (Premium or Premium Flex)
• Journey to the remainder of the WestJet community: $399 (UltraBasic, Econo, or EconoFlex); $499 (Premium or Premium Flex)

Each co-branded playing cards get a companion voucher yearly, which refreshes upon the cardholder anniversary. There is no such thing as a minimal spending requirement to earn the bank card annual round-trip companion vouchers, except for paying the playing cards’ annual charges.

It’s price noting which you can convert a voucher earned from the WestJet RBC® World Elite Mastercardǂ into 4 lounge vouchers as a substitute, however on condition that WestJet’s flagship Elevation Lounge Calgary might be accessed by way of bank cards with Precedence Cross and DragonPass, you’ll probably stand to learn extra by utilizing your voucher for flights as a substitute.

It’s price noting that WestJet lately launched a card for enterprise homeowners: the WestJet RBC® World Elite Mastercard for Businessǂ.

Whereas this card doesn’t include a companion voucher, it does supply Silver standing as one of many perks on the cardboard. 

Subsequently, it’s possible you’ll wish to contemplate having it in your portfolio to attain extra advantages while you journey with WestJet, even should you gained’t get one other companion voucher with it.

Milestone Awards

Lastly, whereas the vouchers earned through bank cards are the best to acquire, the strongest sort of companion voucher is reserved for WestJet elite standing members through milestone awards.

As you accrue milestone qualifying spend, you’ll unlock milestone award decisions at $2,000, $8,000, $12,000, $16,000, $20,000, $30,000, $40,000, and $50,000 thresholds. Be aware that Standing Carry counts in direction of tier qualifying spend however not milestone qualifying spend, which signifies that you need to spend cash with WestJet to earn these milestone awards.

On the $8,000-, $12,000-, $20,000-, and $50,000 thresholds, you possibly can select a WestJet-wide companion voucher as one of many choices.

It’s price noting that the vouchers issued on the higher two thresholds are transferable to others, whereas others are usually not.

The rationale why the vouchers earned by way of milestone awards are so worthwhile is as a result of the second passenger gained’t pay a base fare in any respect when the voucher is redeemed.

In different phrases, companions flying on milestone award vouchers pay a $0 base fare to all locations, in contrast to the vouchers earned by way of bank cards, which cost a base fare relying on the vacation spot. Be aware that the second passenger will nonetheless be topic to Different ATC and taxes and costs.

The bottom fares in line with numerous locations are as follows:

• Journey inside Canada or to the continental U.S. (excluding Hawaii): $0
• Journey to the remainder of the WestJet community: $0

As you possibly can see, these vouchers can probably prevent $119–499 per reserving in comparison with the vouchers earned by way of bank cards. For those who’re somebody who tends to pay for flights with WestJet, then you’ll want to maintain a watch out for this voucher in your account.

Moreover, companion vouchers earned as milestone awards can have a validity date of two years from the date on which they’re earned.

Plus, Gold and Platinum members can apply two companion vouchers to a single reserving, which have to be completed by way of the precedence assist quantity accessible through the WestJet app.

The best way to Use the WestJet Companion Vouchers

After getting a voucher obtainable in your account, it’s easy to make use of.

Step one is to go to the WestJet web site, and register to your WestJet Rewards account.

Subsequent, fill out the “E book a flight” type, and you’ll want to examine the “Use companion voucher” field, situated simply beneath your vacation spot. It’s additionally essential to specify that two visitors will probably be travelling, because the voucher gained’t in any other case be relevant.

After clicking “Get flights,” you’ll be dropped at a web page that shows the obtainable vouchers in your account. The expiration date is displayed underneath every one, so your finest wager, naturally, is to pick out the one which expires first.

From there, merely choose flights as you usually would in the course of the reserving course of. On the high of the outcomes web page, it is going to clearly show that your annual round-trip companion voucher has been utilized.

On the checkout display, you’ll see a breakdown of the prices related along with your journey. You’ll discover “Companion voucher” listed on the abstract of expenses, together with the corresponding cost, if there may be one, subsequent to it.

From right here, merely pay to your reserving as you in any other case would, and also you’ll be all set.

Be aware that you possibly can redeem WestJet factors towards the bottom fare and Different ATC at a charge of 1 cent per level in the course of the checkout course of.

For those who even have sufficient factors to cowl the taxes and costs, you’ll get a decrease worth for them, which ranges from 0.87–0.95 cents per level. We’d subsequently suggest saving them for the marginally increased redemption worth of 1 cent per level as a substitute, or utilizing a fixed-value factors forex reminiscent of Scene+ to get 1 cent per level on the taxes and costs, too.

The best way to Maximize the WestJet Annual Companion Vouchers

Usually talking, you’ll get probably the most worth out of your WestJet annual companion voucher within the following circumstances:

• If you ebook flights throughout peak journey seasons or on the final minute, as fares are typically increased than typical throughout these occasions
• If you ebook increased fare lessons, as increased fares have a tendency to come back with a higher value
• If you ebook flights in WestJet Premium, because it has a higher value (that is often the highest-value means to make use of a companion voucher)
• If you ebook round-trip flights as a substitute of one-way flights, as you stand to learn extra on two flights than you’d on one

In the meantime, you’re more likely to get much less or negligible worth out of your companion voucher within the following circumstances:

• If you ebook flights on UltraBasic fares, since they’re typically very low to start with
• If you ebook flights during times of low-demand or throughout seat gross sales, as the bottom fare is likely to be near the price of the companion voucher fare (if any) for the second passenger
• When your flight has a disproportionately excessive quantity of Different ATC charges, because you’ll solely be saving a bit on the bottom fare and nonetheless should cowl the (generally hefty) quantities of Different ATC imposed in your reserving

Let’s check out a couple of examples as an instance make the very best use of your voucher.

Be aware that we’ll assume that you just’re utilizing the companion voucher earned from the WestJet RBC® World Elite Mastercardǂ within the beneath examples. For those who occur to have one earned by way of a milestone award, you possibly can anticipate the worth every time to extend by $119–499, relying on the vacation spot.

Reserving Econo Fares

Suppose a pair is eyeing up a round-trip reserving from Calgary to Toronto, and so they’re versatile with dates. They’re merely searching for the most affordable worth for 2 passengers, and they also choose the “Econo” fare on the most affordable flights for the day.

After choosing flights with the voucher utilized, the breakdown of the prices exhibits that Passenger 1 paid a complete base fare of $282, and Passenger 2 paid $119 with the companion voucher.

After we evaluate the full value of the reserving with the full with out the voucher utilized, we solely see a roughly $117.15 distinction between the 2.

On this occasion, the voucher isn’t actually that worthwhile. Since Passenger 1’s base fare with the voucher is $282, and Passenger 2’s base fare is $119, the preliminary financial savings is round $163. Nevertheless, you’ll discover that there’s additionally a further $120 in “Different ATC” with and with out the voucher utilized, which eats into your financial savings.

The “Different ATC” line, brief for different “different air transportation expenses,” is WestJet’s means of mixing gasoline surcharges and different charges right into a catch-all class. 

Sadly, there’s no solution to break down the costs on this class in the identical means that the “taxes, charges, and expenses” part breaks down the completely different charges all passengers are topic to, however these extra expenses must be famous as they will lower into your potential financial savings.

There’s additionally loads of situations the place the bottom fare to your flight is low, whereas the “Different ATC” constitutes the majority of the full fare. For instance, a round-trip economic system ticket from Calgary to London, costing $897 per passenger, is damaged down as follows:

Making use of a companion voucher on a ticket like this is able to make no sense in any respect, because the base fare for Passenger 1 is simply $78, and a voucher would require Passenger 2 to pay a $399 base fare for a round-trip ticket to Europe. Plus, you’ll nonetheless be on the hook for all different taxes, charges, and expenses, along with the “Different ATC” for every passenger.

In each the above examples, you’re higher off saving the voucher for a unique use, as neither of those redemption choices justify paying the annual price on a WestJet bank card.

Reserving Premium Fares

Slightly than reserving an Econo fare, let’s see what occurs should you determine to stay it up and as a substitute ebook a flight in WestJet Premium on the identical home flights as above.

For instance, right here’s the price of a round-trip reserving for 2 between Calgary and Toronto in WestJet Premium with a companion voucher utilized, which totals $1,636.41.

And right here’s the price of a round-trip reserving on the identical flights and not using a companion voucher utilized, which works out to $2,490.06.

As you possibly can see, utilizing the companion voucher winds up saving you over $850. This is because of the price of the bottom fare for Passenger 1, which is $1,032, whereas the companion voucher knocks Passenger 2’s base fare all the way down to a hard and fast worth of $219.

By reserving one thing much like this instance, you’d be getting wonderful worth out of the voucher, and also you’d comfortably be capable to justify the cardboard’s annual price, with the caveat being that you just’re selecting a costlier flight to start with.

Reserving Throughout Peak Season

One other nice use of the WestJet annual round-trip companion voucher is to ebook journey throughout peak seasons, such because the summer time months, lengthy weekends, winter holidays, and Spring Break.

This time, suppose a pair is trying to spend the winter holidays down in hotter waters, and so they determine to have a look at a flight from Edmonton to Puerto Vallarta. We will anticipate the bottom fares to be increased throughout this time, since it’s a highly regarded journey interval.

With the voucher utilized, the couple can anticipate to pay $2,498 for round-trip flights between Edmonton and Puerto Vallarta on this instance

It’s price noting right here that Passenger 2 pays $399 as a substitute of the $119 charged for a home itinerary, since that is the fee that corresponds to flights to Mexico (and different worldwide locations) when utilizing the WestJet RBC® World Elite Mastercardǂ voucher.

With out a voucher utilized, the couple must pay $3,544 for a similar flights.

On this case, the couple might save over $1,000 by utilizing the voucher, an quantity properly above the price of the bank card’s annual price.

It’s price noting that there’s additionally a surcharge of $114.98 per passenger on this instance, which is waived for Passenger 2 when the voucher is utilized.

Reserving Final-Minute Flights

Typically, travellers are pressured to ebook last-minute flights to take care of private or enterprise issues. So as to add one other stage of stress to what would possibly already be disagreeable or pressing state of affairs, money fares for imminent flights are often fairly excessive.

For instance, suppose you and your companion have an pressing matter to take care of in Montreal, and you want to be on the following flight out of Calgary that departs just some hours from now. With out a voucher utilized, you’re round $2,787 for the 2 of you, with a return flight scheduled for the following day.

Nevertheless, upon recalling that you’ve got an annual round-trip companion voucher obtainable out of your bank card, you’ll see the full value of your journey drop to $1,715 with it utilized, which winds up saving you over $1,000.

Whereas paying this a lot for a round-trip flight inside Canada remains to be a troublesome tablet to swallow, you’d at the least be squeezing good worth out of your voucher.

Reserving Lengthy-Haul Routes

For the final instance, let’s see what occurs if the voucher is utilized to a long-haul route. Whereas WestJet’s worldwide community is fairly small, you need to use a voucher on any flight to Europe or Asia and Passenger 2 pays a hard and fast base fare of $399 for economic system.

You could recall that WestJet added a route between Calgary (YYC) and Tokyo Narita (NRT) within the current previous. Japan is a well-liked vacation spot for vacationers, so let’s decide if utilizing the voucher on this route can add as much as any appreciable financial savings.

Throughout the summer time journey season, after we can anticipate base fares to be increased than typical, a round-trip flight with the voucher utilized totals $3,215.

The identical flights booked and not using a companion voucher whole $4,517.

On this case, the voucher wound up saving over $1,300, which is as soon as once more an amazing deal.

How A lot Is the WestJet Companion Voucher Price?

It’s difficult to find out the worth of the WestJet annual round-trip companion voucher, because it actually is determined by how a lot the primary passenger is keen to spend on their very own base fare within the first place.

For instance, should you’re keen to pay extra to fly in a better class of service or to ebook in a better fare bucket – whether or not it’s for extra flexibility or perks, or for incomes standing – the companion voucher could be price much more than it could be for somebody who’s trying to fly for as little as attainable.

As we noticed within the above examples, the voucher didn’t lead to significant financial savings when redeemed for a low Econo fare; nevertheless, there have been a number of different makes use of through which the voucher supplied worth in extra of $1,000.

With this in thoughts, a good middle-of-the-road valuation for the WestJet annual round-trip companion voucher could be someplace round $500 (CAD). For what it’s price, WestJet reviews that cardholders saved (on common) $480 by utilizing a World Elite companion voucher in 2024, which is roughly according to our estimate.

It’s actually attainable to save lots of kind of relying on the way you select to redeem it, however aiming for this worth would make sure that you’re simply justifying the annual price of your bank card (if relevant) and getting at the least a reasonable quantity of financial savings.

In fact, so long as you’re getting good use out of the voucher, you might be proud of its worth, since not everyone travels on long-haul flights, on the final minute, or throughout peak journey intervals.

Conclusion

The WestJet annual round-trip companion voucher is available in three completely different kinds, relying on the tactic by way of which you obtained it. Whereas the applying and price of every voucher is completely different, you’ll get a reduced base fare for a second passenger when the voucher is utilized to a reserving.

WestJet annual round-trip companion vouchers are best to earn as a profit on the WestJet RBC® World Elite Mastercardǂ and the WestJet RBC® Mastercard‡ as there’s no minimal spending requirement and also you’ll get it yearly upon your cardholder anniversary date.

Essentially the most highly effective voucher comes through WestJet Rewards’ milestone awards for elite standing members, though you’ll have to spend 1000’s of {dollars} with WestJet to earn one.

You’ll get probably the most worth out of the voucher by spending extra to start with; nevertheless, so long as it’s serving to you meet your journey objectives and saving you cash alongside the way in which, you possibly can contemplate it to be a very good deal scored.