Which is best — WestJet or Air Canada? It is an age-old query for Canadian travellers that you will have puzzled your self when reserving a visit.
Whereas, finally, which airline is best would possibly rely in your journey plans, there are some components like pricing, ticket inclusions and baggage insurance policies that could possibly be components in making your determination.
That will help you resolve, we have laid out a few of the key similarities and variations between Air Canada and WestJet. Listed here are six issues chances are you’ll wish to think about earlier than reserving a flight.
Locations
Air Canada presents essentially the most seats and frequencies of any Canadian provider, so it is obtained WestJet beat in relation to locations.
Air Canada companies 51 airports in Canada, 51 airports within the U.S. and greater than 75 airports throughout six continents from its Toronto, Montreal, and Vancouver hubs, in addition to from Calgary and Halifax.
WestJet, then again, flies to 38 airports in Canada, 6 airports in Europe, 27 airports within the Caribbean, 1 airport in Asia, 11 airports in Mexico, and 34 airports within the U.S.
Whereas it might take too lengthy to get into all of the specifics, as an illustration, in relation to European locations, Air Canada flies to twenty-eight nations and 65 cities, whereas WestJet’s community covers simply 5 nations and 6 cities.
So in the event you’re planning a European summer season trip, Air Canada often is the higher guess!
Pricing
It is onerous to say precisely how the airways evaluate when it comes to pricing — it actually relies on the vacation spot and time of journey.
Nevertheless, wanting on the value for comparable routes may give you some perception as to which airline presents extra bang to your buck.
As an example, for summer season flights from Toronto to Vancouver, a preferred route, Air Canada and WestJet are fairly evenly matched.
For a one-way financial system class seat on this route on July 3, 2023, Air Canada fliers pays as little as $363, whereas WestJet prospects would pay a minimal of $261. Nevertheless, e-book the identical journey sooner or later earlier and the fares are the identical, each costing $340, or sooner or later later, after they each price $261.
Whereas the financial system ticket costs are comparable, it is price noting which you could fly Air Canada’s enterprise class on this route for less expensive than WestJet’s.
A ticket in enterprise class on Air Canada (full with lie-flat seats) will price travellers $998, whereas the identical seat with WestJet rings up at a minimal of $1,465.
Baggage
Once you journey with Air Canada, you possibly can convey on board one customary article, one private article, your coat, small purse, particular want or toddler care merchandise.
There aren’t any charges for this stuff, however carry-on baggage should adhere to sure measurement restrictions.
Air Canada additionally does not have a weight restrict for carry-on baggage, however your bag needs to be gentle sufficient which you could retailer it within the overhead bin with out assist.
Checked baggage works a bit otherwise. With Air Canada, your free baggage allowance is set by your fare, vacation spot, date of ticket buy and loyalty program standing.
Nevertheless, for all journeys, your baggage should be a most of fifty kilos, and its linear dimensions need to be 62 inches.
Usually, the primary bag of checked baggage prices $30 for traditional journey inside Canada, and between Canada and the U.S., or Canada and Mexico/the Caribbean.
The allowance for different worldwide locations varies primarily based on the route and when your ticket was issued, however, usually, a primary bag charge of $75 applies to Financial system Fundamental fares and Aeroplan Normal Rewards.
You may enter your flight particulars on Air Canada’s checked baggage calculator to see your free allowance.
With WestJet, your first checked bag prices $40-47.20 at check-in when flying with their primary fare within the U.S. and Canada.
Should you’re travelling to Europe, this will increase to $70-82.60, and to $80-94.40 in the event you’re heading to Asia. All different locations will price you $40-47.20.
Should you fly in WestJet’s EconoFlex, Premium or Enterprise fares, your first checked bag is free.
By way of carry-on baggage, travellers are allowed one carry-on bag and a private merchandise. Each have to satisfy sure measurement restrictions, however do not include a charge.
What’s included in your ticket
Once you e-book a ticket in Air Canada’s financial system class for a global journey, you get a complimentary meal, in addition to the choice to make modifications to your ticket on the identical day on the airport for $100.
You may as well get superior seat choice for an added charge. That is about the place the perks finish — for issues like complimentary seat choice and entry to Air Canada’s Maple Leaf Lounges, you may need to improve to their Flex fare.
WestJet operates a bit otherwise. Trans-Atlantic or Trans-Pacific flights on their Boeing 787 Dreamliner supply complimentary meals, though all different Dreamliner flights and worldwide flights on their Boeing 737 do not get this perk, receiving complimentary drinks and a snack as a substitute.
Like Air Canada, WestJet’s financial system fare permits you to make advance seat choice for a charge and get a credit score for cancelling or flight modifications, additionally for a charge.
Should you’re flying with WestJet, you possibly can pay to make use of their lounge and accomplice lounges, with some providing a reduction for these with a WestJet boarding go.
Passengers pays $59 to make use of the Elevation Lounge at Calgary Worldwide Airport, for instance. Should you’re not flying with the airline, you possibly can nonetheless get entry by paying $65.
Reward packages
Each carriers supply their very own rewards packages that profit frequent fliers. Nevertheless, relying on what sort of advantages you are on the lookout for, one program could also be higher for you than the opposite.
Air Canada has Aeroplan, which is alleged to be Canada’s hottest journey rewards program.
The loyalty program permits members to earn factors for each flight taken with the airline, which could be redeemed later for flights, resort stays, trip packages, and even merchandise like Apple merchandise, furnishings and health gear.
You may redeem Aeroplan factors in some ways in addition to via reserving flights — a technique is to make purchases via Aeroplan’s Estore. You may as well get Aeroplan journey bank cards that earn factors per greenback spent.
Aeroplan is free to join, and there are many advantages. For one factor, Aeroplan members can bid on Air Canada seat upgrades.
These with higher-status Aeroplan memberships also can get complimentary entry to Maple Leaf Lounges and revel in precedence airport companies.
WestJet’s rewards program, merely known as WestJet Rewards, operates equally, with some notable variations.
For one, there are fewer choices for accumulating factors.
You may get factors by flying with WestJet and utilizing WestJet journey bank cards, in addition to on automotive leases and resort stays booked via WestJet, however the airline does not supply any type of e-store much like Aeroplan.
Like Aeroplan, increased tiers of WestJet Rewards permit members to get perks like free upgrades, lounge vouchers and precedence companies.
WestJet Rewards members also can get companion vouchers, that are legitimate for round-trip journey in Financial system or Premium wherever in WestJet’s world, after they spend a certain quantity.
Airport lounges
Neither WestJet nor Air Canada offers travellers with free lounge entry. Nevertheless, they differ in who can entry their lounges and what lounges they provide.
Air Canada is thought for his or her Maple Leaf Lounges, which could be present in 16 airports throughout Canada, the U.S. and Europe.
Those that qualify for entry embody business-class ticket holders, Premium Rouge fliers, choose Aeroplan members and Air Canada Maple Leaf Membership Members.
Nevertheless, these travelling in Air Canada’s Premium Financial system, Latitude, Consolation, or Flex fare also can get entry by buying lounge entry, which begins at $49.
Sadly, in the event you’re flying in primary financial system, you will not have entry.
Whereas WestJet has fewer of its personal lounges (it presents a number of accomplice lounges throughout Canada, Europe and the Caribbean), the airline does make its lounge extra accessible.
WestJet’s flagship lounge could be present in Calgary, known as the Elevation Lounge.
Those that can get free entry to the lounge embody platinum, gold and silver WestJet Rewards members and people flying enterprise class on WestJet’s Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner.
Holders of lounge passes like Precedence Go, or DragonPass also can entry the lounge utilizing their membership advantages.
Nevertheless, in contrast to Air Canada, WestJet permits everybody else to buy entry to the lounge. These travelling with WestJet pays $59 for entry, whereas these flying with one other airline pays $65.
Those that have a WestJet boarding go also can get reductions on the walk-in value at their accomplice lounges.
Air Canada or WestJet, which is best?
Which airline is best fitted to flying with comes all the way down to what you wish to get out of the expertise.
WestJet appears to supply extra alternatives for lounge entry, in addition to unique perks like companion vouchers. Nevertheless, Air Canada has extra locations, which could possibly be a make-or-break issue to your journey.
Worth-wise, the airways appear to supply most of the identical offers.
If attending to your vacation spot on time is vital to you, chances are you’ll wish to go along with WestJet.
In response to analytics firm Cirium, whereas Air Canada and WestJet ranked because the worst airways in North America for delays in 2022, WestJet fared a bit higher than its competitor, with 59% of its flights arriving on time in comparison with 55% of Air Canada’s flights.
WestJet beat Air Canada as soon as once more in April, with 63.23% of its flights arriving on time, in comparison with Air Canada’s 56.71%.
Earlier than you get going, take a look at our Accountable Journey Information so that you could be knowledgeable, be protected, be good, and most of all, be respectful in your journey.
These costs are confirmed on the time of publishing, however they will change at any time. Taxes and charges is probably not included.