WestJet Airlines

  About WestJet Airlines

WestJet Airlines Ltd. is a Canada-based airline that came into existence in 1996. The airline originally commenced operations as a low-cost alternative to the major airlines that were competing in the market during that time. The airline has since managed to rake in a tremendously good number of destinations it flies to from Canada. WestJet Airlines has scheduled flights to more than 100 domestic route and international route destinations across Canada, Europe, the United States of America, Central American, the Caribbean and Mexico. The airline is also recognised as the second-largest Canadian air carrier and falls right behind the country's flag carrier, Air Canada. It operates about 777 flights and accommodates more than 66,000 passengers in a single day. It was reported in 2018 that WestJet Airlines carried a whopping 25.49 million passengers. With this record, the airline became the ninth-largest airline across North America with respect to the number of passengers carried. WestJet Airlines is a subsidiary of Kestrel Bidco Inc. and currently has about 14,000 employees. The airline hasn't joined any of the three airlines alliance, namely Oneworld, SkyTeam and Star Alliance.

Between 2000-2003, the airline underwent some serious expansions. While a restructuring of the Canadian Airline post its takeover from Air Canada took place in 2000, WestJet Airlines used this as an opportunity to further conduct its own expansion plans within Eastern Canada by commencing operations to cities of Ottawa, Ontario, Hamilton, New Brunswick and Moncton. For these operations, the airline chose John C. Munro Hamilton International Airport to be the focus city for WestJet Airlines' Eastern Canada operations. The airline continued to work on extending its reach as it brought in newer domestic routes such as Comox and Fort McMurray under its wing. It further added Sault St. Marie, Manitoba, Ontario, Thompson and Brandon, among a few. However, operations in these cities have since been suspended. Instead, WestJet Airlines' subsidiary took over operations of these cities. Soon, the airline's expansion plan also witnessed destinations such as Montreal, St. John's, Halifax and Windsor. The airline did get embroiled in a controversy with Air Canada where the latter accused it of industrial espionage. A lawsuit was filed, and eventually, WestJet Airlines did take ownership for the same. They agreed to pay a sum of CAD 5.5 million to Air Canada and pay for the investigation fees.

In 2004, WestJet Airlines decided to move its operations internationally. They announced a list of US destinations that the airline planned to operate from. They were Los Angeles, New York City, Tampa, Orlando, San Francisco, Phoenix and Fort Lauderdale. The airline further roped in San Diego and Palm Springs to its list of international destinations. From Vancouver, WestJet Airlines announced an international route that would connect the Canadian city to the Hawaiian Islands such as Honolulu and Maui. Eventually, with a significant rise in its presence across the North American market and Canada, WestJet Airlines decided to go overseas and acquire destinations in European countries. In 2013, the airline commenced its first flight to Europe. WestJet Airlines introduced seasonal planes from St. John's in Newfoundland to Dublin in Ireland. Following this, they further expressed their desire to expand more and acquire more European cities such as London and Paris. At the same time, the international route to Dublin continued to work as a seasonal flight.

Fleet size of WestJet

In terms of fleet, WestJet Airlines is an all-Boeing fleet with about 127 aircraft that are currently operating. The airline has 13 Boeing 737-600s, 52 Boeing 737-7000s, 39 Boeing 737-800s, 13 Boeing 737 MAX 8s, four Boeing 767-300ER and six Boeing 787-9s. Among these, they have additionally ordered for a few more Boeing aircraft, deliveries of which are expected to be completed by 2021-22. The airline received its first Boeing 737-700s in 2001 along with other models namely Boeing 737-600 and Boeing 737-800s, later in 2005. The final 737-600 aircraft from the order was delivered in 2006. Following year, WestJet Airlines placed an order to purchase 23 Boeing 737 Next-Generation aircraft. Originally a Boeing 737-700, the airline received conversion rights to Boeing 737-800s. In 2014, WestJet Airlines' CEO Gregg Saretsky stated that the airlines were planning on acquiring wide-body aircraft to join its fleet. The idea behind roping in wide-body aircraft was to enable long-haul international route operations. The same was confirmed later, and the airline announced that they would be purchasing a second-hand Boeing 767-300ERs from Qantas. With the efficiency brought forth by the wide-body aircraft, WestJet Airlines announced to seek more such aircraft to be part of its fleet. While the mainline fleet is predominantly a Boeing exclusive, the airline's subsidiary Encore has Bombardier Dash 8 Q400s in its fleet.

Baggage Allowance

Baggage allowance on WestJet Airlines is the standard policy followed by a majority of international airlines. According to the policy, the passenger is allowed to carry only 23 kg weighing checked baggage. The dimension of the baggage is also very important as the airline might accommodate or reject a passenger's baggage solely on the dimensions. WestJet Airlines allows checked baggage to be within 157 cm and not more than that. In case passengers fail to follow this protocol, the airline will refuse to take the checked baggage. In fact, passengers will need to ship the baggage as cargo instead. Hence, to be on the safe side, it is advised that passengers follow the protocols that have been laid out by the airline. As for passengers with overweight baggage or oversized, the airline has recommended that they reach the airport a few minutes before the check-in time to enable screening of the baggage and ways to accommodate it. For carry-on baggage, the airline allows the dimension to be no more than 53 cm x 38 cm x 23 cm. The personal accessory bag which could be a handbag or a laptop bag should be within the dimension of 41 cm x 33 cm x 15 cm.

In-flight services

WestJet Airlines is known to offer some of the finest in-flight services ranging from plush and comfortable seats to hot and scrumptious in-flight meals. Passengers can avail the best of their in-flight services depending on the cabin class they are travelling by.

Popular routes and top cities for WestJet

As of 2020, WestJet Airlines currently connects to about 109 international route and domestic route destinations across 24 countries. Along with its subsidiary WestJet Encore, the two airlines collectively connect to about 108 destinations in 25 countries. With respect to daily departures, the airline's largest hub is the Toronto Pearson International Airport. Meanwhile, its main connection is the Calgary International Airport and Eastern Canada. The airline is known to operate the highest number of Canadian flights to Orlando and Las Vegas. It also caters to about 20 destinations located in the Caribbean while some seasonal flights to destinations in Mexico. WestJet Airlines has recently ventured into exploring the European market with Paris, London and Dublin as some of its destinations. With respect to its domestic route connectivity, the airline travels to cities such as Comox, Prince George, Vancouver, Victoria, Winnipeg, St. John's, Deer Lake, Hamilton, Halifax, Sydney, Ottawa, Toronto, Windsor, Victoria, Quebec City Saskatoon, Montreal, Calgary and Whitehorse.

As for its international route destinations, WestJet Airlines travels to cities such as San Jose, Belize City, Santa Clara, Puerto Plata, Punta Cana, Paris, Dublin, Manzanillo, Huatulco, Cozumel, San Juan, Barcelona, London, Glasgow, Los Angeles, San Francisco, San Diego, Denver, Orland, Tampa, Honolulu, Maui, Boston, Las Vegas, New York City, Austin and Houston.

Why travel by WestJet?

WestJet Airlines has shown tremendous growth during its time in the Canadian aviation industry. What started as a domestic route operations airline, WestJet Airlines has certainly managed to transform it into a massive profit-making venture. In a brief period of time, with strategic business and operational moves, WestJet Airlines has not just bought a plethora of Canadian cities together but has also enabled the transit of Canadians to various parts of North America, the Caribbean, parts of Europe and more. Much of their operations have been taken up in a series of phases. European destinations such as Paris, London and Dublin are recent achievements. Evidently, without being part of the airline alliance groups, WestJet Airlines has managed to become a powerhouse in the Canadian aviation industry.

The airline does offer a slew of perks apart from its excellent route connectivity and impressive list of destinations. Passengers can now book a WestJet Airlines flight ticket on their official website and also conduct web check-ins on their page. A dedicated slot has been set to know about WestJet Airlines' flight schedules that would help travellers form a plan accordingly. To ensure better connectivity with the customers, WestJet Airlines also shares flight status with the passengers ahead of the journey. All the experience is further enhanced thanks to their exquisite in-flight services and airport facilities such as personalised check-in kiosks and much more. It should definitely be on your list of airlines to opt for, in case you are looking for a considerably decent fare.