One of many principal attracts to WestJet’s RBC co-branded bank cards is the annual round-trip companion voucher. This perk gives a reduced base fare for a second passenger when the primary passenger pays the complete worth.
Many cardholders discover loads of worth within the voucher, and it’s one of many key components to think about when deciding whether or not to maintain the cardboard and pay the annual price yearly.
On this article, let’s check out learn how to acquire WestJet annual round-trip companion vouchers, how they work, and learn how to redeem them for optimum worth alongside your travels.
WestJet Companion Voucher: 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 vital to notice that the second passenger continues to be topic to different taxes, charges, and air transportation costs (ATC) imposed by the airline, as we’ll discover intimately under.
As you would possibly anticipate, the voucher comes with plenty of guidelines that govern its use.
First off, it will probably solely be used on new bookings, which should be made earlier than the voucher expires. Nevertheless, take into account that journey can happen after the voucher’s expiry date.
For instance, if a voucher expires on June 1, 2023, journey should be booked previous to that date, however you should utilize it for journey after June 1 by means of to the tip 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 Fundamental, Econo, EconoFlex, Premium, and PremiumFlex fares, so long as no company codes are utilized. 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 wherever in WestJet’s community with none blackout intervals. The flight should 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, akin to Delta.
The annual round-trip companion voucher should be utilized to a reserving that features the member whose account the voucher is hooked up to. Vouchers are non-transferable, and just one could also be utilized per reserving.
Each passengers on the ticket should be booked on the identical fare sort, which means you can not select a less expensive fare sort for you or your companion with the intention to decrease your out-of-pocket value.
Nevertheless, you’ll be able to select to have a distinct fare sort per route, akin to Econo on the outbound flight and EconoFlex on the inbound. Consequently, the inclusions and restrictions of the chosen fare sort in every route will apply to each passengers.
Should you wished so as to add advantages, akin to luggage or seats in any other case not included together with your fare, you’ll must pay for them per passenger, until both of you will have these advantages included together with your WestJet elite standing or bank card.
Bookings made on the WestJet web site will need to have a Canadian departure metropolis. Should you’re utilizing a companion voucher on a flight originating outdoors of Canada, it’s worthwhile to name into the WestJet contact centre to finish your reserving and use your voucher.
To reduce your out-of-pocket prices additional, it’s possible you’ll redeem WestJet {Dollars} along side a WestJet annual round-trip companion voucher to pay for the bottom fare portion of the reserving.
Lastly, the companion voucher is barely legitimate for a single use. If a reserving is cancelled, the voucher will retain its unique expiry date, and in the event you solely use it for a one-way flight, the companion voucher received’t be legitimate for the return leg if booked individually.
The right way to Earn a WestJet Companion Voucher
There are three forms of WestJet companion vouchers, and the sort of voucher you will have is determined by the way you earned it within the first place.
Each the WestJet RBC World Elite Mastercard and the WestJet RBC Mastercard include a companion voucher as a part of the playing cards’ ongoing advantages; nevertheless, there are vital variations between the vouchers.
WestJet RBC Mastercard
The annual companion voucher on the WestJet RBC Mastercard is legitimate for journey wherever in Canada or the continental United States (excluding Hawaii) for a $199 base fare. It can’t be used for journey outdoors of North America, and out of the three forms of vouchers, it’s the least highly effective.
The bottom fares in line with numerous locations are as follows:
- Journey inside Canada or to the continental U.S. (excluding Hawaii): $199
- Journey to Hawaii or Mexico: n/a
- Journey to the remainder of the WestJet community: n/a
WestJet RBC World Elite Mastercard
In the meantime, the WestJet RBC World Elite Mastercard’s companion voucher is sort of a bit extra helpful, as it may be used on any route that WestJet flies. The bottom fares in line with numerous locations are as follows:
- Journey inside Canada or to the continental U.S. (excluding Hawaii): $119
- Journey to Hawaii or Mexico: $399
- Journey to the remainder of the WestJet community: $399
Each variations of the Mastercard get a companion voucher yearly, which refreshes upon the cardholder anniversary. There isn’t a minimal spending requirement to earn the bank card annual round-trip companion vouchers, other than paying the playing cards’ annual charges.
It’s price noting that you could convert a voucher earned from the WestJet RBC World Elite Mastercard into 4 lounge vouchers as an alternative. However provided that WestJet’s flagship Elevation Lounge Calgary will be accessed by means of bank cards with Precedence Cross and DragonPass, you’ll probably stand to learn extra by utilizing your voucher for flights as an alternative.
Milestone Awards
Lastly, whereas the vouchers earned by way of bank cards are the simplest to acquire, the strongest sort of companion voucher is reserved for WestJet’s frequent flyers by way of milestone awards.
Upon spending $4,000 or $6,000 in a calendar 12 months with WestJet, you’ll earn WestJet annual round-trip companion vouchers. Moreover, after spending $8,000, and each incremental $2,000 spent past that, you’ll be able to select one other voucher as an award.
The rationale why the vouchers earned by means of milestone awards are so helpful is as a result of the second passenger received’t pay a base fare in any respect when the voucher is redeemed.
Not like the vouchers earned by means of bank cards, which cost a base fare relying on the vacation spot, companions flying on milestone award vouchers pay a $0 base fare to all locations.
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 Hawaii or Mexico: $0
- Journey to the remainder of the WestJet community: $0
As you’ll be able to see, these vouchers can doubtlessly prevent $119–399 per reserving in comparison with the vouchers earned by means of bank cards. Should you’re somebody who tends to pay for flights with WestJet, then make sure to maintain a watch out for this voucher in your account.
The right way to Use the WestJet Companion Voucher
Upon 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 sign up to your account.
Subsequent, fill out the “E-book a flight” type, and make sure to test the “Use companion voucher” field, situated simply beneath your vacation spot. It’s additionally vital to specify that two friends will likely be travelling, because the voucher received’t in any other case be relevant.
After clicking “Get flights”, you’ll be delivered to a web page that shows the obtainable vouchers in your account. The expiration date is displayed underneath each, so your greatest wager, naturally, is to pick the one which expires first.
From there, merely choose flights as you usually would throughout the reserving course of. On the prime of the outcomes web page, it’ll clearly show that your annual round-trip companion voucher has been utilized.
On the checkout display screen, you’ll see a breakdown of the prices related together with your journey. You’ll discover “Companion voucher” listed on the abstract of costs, together with the corresponding cost, if any, subsequent to it.
From right here, merely pay in your reserving as you in any other case would, and also you’ll be all set.
The right way to Maximize the WestJet Companion Voucher
At first, the WestJet annual round-trip companion voucher goes to be extra helpful if Passenger 1 spends extra on their base fare. Likewise, you’ll get higher worth out of your voucher by utilizing it for round-trip bookings, since round-trip bookings value greater than one-way bookings.
Naturally, larger base fares embody any time when money costs for flights are excessive, akin to last-minute bookings and through peak seasons, in addition to reserving larger fare lessons.
Let’s check out just a few examples as an example learn how to make the perfect use of the voucher.
Word that we’ll assume that you just’re utilizing the companion voucher earned from the WestJet RBC World Elite Mastercard within the under examples. Should you occur to have one earned by means of a milestone award, you’ll be able to anticipate the worth every time to extend by $119–399, relying on the vacation spot.
Reserving Fundamental Fares
Suppose a pair is eyeing up a round-trip reserving from Calgary to Toronto, they usually’re versatile with dates. They’re merely on the lookout for the most cost effective worth for 2 passengers, and they also choose the bottom “Fundamental” fare on the most cost effective flights for the day.
After choosing flights with the voucher utilized, the breakdown of the prices reveals that Passenger 1 paid a complete base fare of $168, and Passenger 2 paid $119 with the companion voucher.
Once we evaluate the overall value of the reserving with the overall with out the voucher utilized, we solely see a roughly $10 distinction between the 2. What offers?
On this occasion, the voucher isn’t actually that helpful in any respect, because it’s successfully solely saving round $10. Passenger 1’s base fare with the voucher is $168, and Passenger 2’s base fare is $119, however you’ll discover that there’s additionally an extra $40 in “Different ATC” with the voucher utilized, however not when reserving with out one.
The “Different ATC” line, brief for different air transportation costs, is WestJet’s manner of mixing gas surcharges and different charges right into a catch-all class. Sadly, there’s no option to break down the fees within the class, in the identical manner that the “Taxes, charges, and costs” part breaks down the completely different charges all passengers are topic to.
There are additionally loads of situations the place the bottom fare is low, whereas “Different ATC” constitutes the majority of the overall fare. For instance. a round-trip Fundamental 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 might make no sense in any respect, for the reason that base fare is barely $78, whereas a voucher would require Passenger 2 to pay $399 base fare for a round-trip ticket to Europe. Plus, you’ll nonetheless be on the hook for all different taxes, charges, and costs, in addition to “Different ATC” per passenger.
In each instances, you’re higher off saving the voucher for a distinct use, as they don’t justify paying the annual price on a WestJet bank card.
Reserving Premium Fares
Quite than reserving a Fundamental fare, let’s see what occurs in the event you determine to dwell it up and guide a “Premium” fare on the identical home flights above as an alternative.
For instance, right here’s the price of a round-trip reserving for 2 in WestJet Premium with a companion voucher utilized.
And right here’s the price of a round-trip reserving on the identical flights with out a companion voucher utilized.
As you’ll be able to see, the companion voucher winds up saving over $600. This is because of the price of the bottom fare for Passenger 1, which is $846, whereas the companion voucher knocks Passenger 2’s base fare all the way down to a hard and fast worth of $119.
It’s price noting that the “Different ATC” whole $160 with the voucher utilized, however solely whole $120 with out the voucher utilized. This makes up for a number of the distinction.
On this case, you’d be getting good worth out of the voucher that justifies the cardboard’s annual price, with the caveat being that you just’re spending extra to start with.
Reserving Throughout Peak Season
One other good use of the WestJet annual round-trip companion voucher is to guide 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, they usually determine to have a look at a flight from Edmonton to Puerto Vallarta. We are able to anticipate the bottom fares to be larger 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.
It’s price noting right here that Passenger 2 pays $399 as an alternative of the $119 charged for a home itinerary, since that’s the value that corresponds to flights to Mexico with the WestJet RBC World Elite Mastercard voucher.
And not using a voucher utilized, the couple must pay $3,544 for a similar flights.
On this case, they’d wind up saving over $1,000, which is properly above the price of the bank card’s annual price.
As soon as once more, it’s price noting that the “Different ATC” with the voucher utilized quantity to $204, whereas they’re solely $164 with out the voucher. There’s additionally a surcharge of $114.98 per passenger, which is waived for Passenger 2 with the voucher utilized.
Reserving Final-Minute Flights
Typically, travellers are pressured to guide last-minute flights to cope with private or enterprise issues. So as to add to what would possibly an already disagreeable or pressing scenario, money fares for imminent flights are normally fairly excessive.
For instance, suppose you and your associate have an pressing matter to cope with in Montreal, and it’s worthwhile to be on the following flight out of Calgary that departs only a few hours from now. And not using 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 an annual round-trip companion voucher obtainable out of your bank card, you’ll see the overall value of your journey drop to $1,715 with it utilized, which winds up saving over $1,000.
Whereas paying this a lot for a round-trip flight inside Canada continues to be a tricky capsule to swallow, you’d at the least be squeezing good worth out of your voucher.
As soon as once more, it’s price noting that the “Different ATC” quantity to $160 with the voucher utilized, and simply $120 with out it, which means that there’s a $40 price baked in when the companion voucher is utilized.
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 sort of small, you should utilize a voucher on any flight to Europe or Asia and Passenger 2 can pay a hard and fast base fare of $399.
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 larger than standard, a round-trip flight with the voucher utilized totals $3,215.
The identical flights booked with out 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.
In a reversal to what we’ve seen with the remainder of the examples, the “Different ATC” add as much as $1,207 with the voucher utilized, and $1,496 with out it.
How A lot Is the WestJet Companion Voucher Value?
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.
For instance, in the event you’re keen to pay extra to fly in a better class of service or to guide in a better fare bucket – whether or not it’s for extra flexibility or perks, or for incomes standing – the companion voucher can be price much more than for somebody who’s trying to fly for as little as potential.
As we noticed within the above examples, the voucher didn’t lead to significant financial savings when redeemed for a Fundamental fare; nevertheless, there have been different makes use of wherein the voucher supplied worth properly in extra of $1,000.
With this in thoughts, a good middle-of-the-road valuation for the WestJet annual round-trip companion voucher can be someplace round $500 (CAD).
It’s definitely potential to save lots of roughly 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.
After all, so long as you’re getting good use out of the voucher, you will be proud of its worth, since not all people 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 types, relying on the tactic by means of which you obtained it. Whereas the applying and value 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 Mastercard or the WestJet RBC World Elite Mastercard, as there’s no minimal spending requirement and also you’ll get it yearly upon your cardholder anniversary date.
Probably the most highly effective voucher comes by way of WestJet’s milestone awards, though you’ll have to spend hundreds 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 targets and saving you cash alongside the best way, you’ll be able to think about it to be a superb deal scored.
