WestJet rating

6.0/10Axel score · #37 of 77

4.5/10Repriceability · #45

Checked October 26, 2026 · How Axel rates airlines

Low complaint rates, but UltraBasic is too restrictive for uncertain plans

Axel considers WestJet a reasonable value when the total fare remains competitive after bags and seats, but not a strong choice for recovering later price drops. Its low U.S. complaint rate and published refund protections are strengths. UltraBasic's restrictions, Econo's change fees and uneven punctuality make the cheapest advertised fare a poor default for travelers whose plans may change.

Best
DOT based data show 1.54 complaints per 100,000 passengers on U.S. flights in April and May 2026.
Eligible U.S. refunds are promised within seven business days for credit card payments.
Travel Bank credit can pay for another traveler's booking.

Worst
UltraBasic permits no voluntary changes or future travel credit outside the qualifying 24 hour window.
Econo changes on Canada to U.S. flights cost USD 100 plus tax per person per direction.
UltraBasic excludes a carry on on Canada to U.S. flights unless Extended Comfort covers every segment in that direction.

If the fare drops after you book, can you get money back?

PartlyRepriceability 4.5/10

Partly. For Canada to U.S. travel, Econo can be cancelled more than two hours before departure for Travel Bank credit, less USD 100 plus tax per person per direction, then rebooked if the cheaper fare remains available. Direct adjustments and lower fare change residuals are not confirmed. EconoFlex cancels without a fee to credit more than two hours before departure, while PremiumFlex and BusinessFlex refund original payment. UltraBasic returns nothing outside the qualifying grace period. Travel Bank expires 12 months after issue. The owner can book for others but cannot transfer the balance. Eligible credits can be extended another 12 months for $99 to $117, with currency not published. All fares receive an original payment refund if cancelled within 24 hours of booking, provided departure was more than 24 hours away when booked.

Axel's fare rule sample covered 23 tickets, with no published observation period. All 12 tickets with known residual treatment recorded forfeiture, an observation that does not establish WestJet's current general policy.

WestJet fares
Fare	Changes	Cancel	Carry-on	Bags	Seat
UltraBasic	No changes	No refund or future travel credit outside the qualifying 24-hour window.	Fee	0	Fee
Econo	Canada–U.S./North America: USD 100 plus tax per person per direction; fare difference applies. Europe/Asia: USD 150 plus tax per person.	Canada–U.S./North America: USD 100 plus tax per person per direction; remaining value becomes Travel Bank credit. Cancel more than two hours before departure.	Included	0	Fee
EconoFlex	No change fee	Cancel without a fee more than two hours before departure; value becomes Travel Bank credit rather than an original-payment refund.	Included	1	Free choice
Premiumpremium economy	North America: USD 100 plus tax per person per direction. Europe/Asia: USD 300 plus tax per person. Fare difference applies.	North America: USD 100 plus tax per person per direction; remaining value becomes Travel Bank credit. Europe: USD 300 plus tax per person.	Included	2	Free choice
Businessbusiness	North America, where sold: USD 100 plus tax per person per direction. Europe/Asia: USD 500 plus tax per person. Fare difference applies.	North America: USD 100 plus tax per person per direction; remaining value becomes Travel Bank credit. Europe: USD 600 plus tax per person.	Included	2	Free choice

Fare difference on a cheaper change: Not confirmed. Current U.S.-route treatment could not be confirmed. WestJet's current change page, which shows no update date, says fare differences apply but does not explain a cheaper replacement fare. Its current help page, also undated, describes credits from nonrefundable ticket changes without explicitly addressing lower fares. The terms updated April 28, 2026 likewise do not specify the residual. The international tariff issued June 17, effective June 18, 2026 makes credits subject to applicable fare rules and omits the older explicit provision. The superseded tariff effective January 24, 2025 expressly returned the difference after the change fee as travel credit, except refundable premium Flex fares. An older indexed official travel-credit page also says lower-priced changes receive Travel Bank credit, but opening that URL now redirects to the replacement help page; no update date is verifiable. This supports the historical credit policy, not a confirmed current rule or evidence that residuals are forfeited.
Same flight, lower price: No current official guarantee or direct repricing procedure for an unchanged flight was verified. Cancellation and a new purchase are a supported alternative, inferred from the published rules: EconoFlex cancels without a fee into Travel Bank; PremiumFlex and BusinessFlex refund original payment without a fee. Econo, Premium and Business incur cancellation fees; UltraBasic has no recoverable value outside the qualifying grace period. Manage Trips supports cancellation, and Travel Bank can fund a new booking. This does not establish that cancellation and rebooking is the only method.
Credits (Travel Bank): Change/cancellation credits expire 12 months from issue at 23:59 Central Time. Eligible credits can receive one additional 12-month extension requested before expiry, for $99–$117 per individual credit. The help page does not identify the extension fee's currency. Transferable: yes.
24-hour rule: All fares, including UltraBasic, qualify for an original-payment refund when cancelled within 24 hours of booking and departure was more than 24 hours away when booked. Fee-free changes remain subject to fare difference. The June 18, 2026 tariff and terms updated April 28, 2026 support this. The undated U.S. service plan instead specifies credit for departures within seven days; the newer dated tariff is preferred.
Same-day change: Request starting 24 hours before departure by phone or at the airport, with the same calendar day, origin, destination and cabin availability. Econo: CAD 150–177; EconoFlex and Business: free; Premium on Canada–U.S./other non-Europe-or-Asia routes: CAD 110–118. USD amounts are not published in this table. Gold/Platinum fees are waived except on UltraBasic. UltraBasic, charters, only/last departures and overnight connections are excluded.
Schedule changes: For U.S. itineraries, cancellation or a significant change permits a refund if the traveler declines alternative transportation. International-itinerary triggers include departure at least six hours earlier, arrival at least six hours later, different origin/destination airports, added connections, downgrades and specified disability-related changes. Refunds cover unused transportation and eligible unused ancillary services, to original payment, generally within seven business days for credit cards or 20 calendar days otherwise. These rights include nonrefundable fares. No separate, more generous numeric threshold for advance schedule changes was established.

What Axel's own data shows

The fare rules on 23 WestJet tickets Axel issued allowed changes on 63% of them, and where the rules said what happens to the difference on a cheaper new fare, it was forfeited on 12 of 12.

Score breakdown

Repriceability 35%4.5
- Standard fare change fee: 4.0/10 · Econo: Canada–U.S./North America: USD 100 plus tax per person per direction; fare difference applies. Europe/Asia: USD 150 plus tax per person.
- Lowest fare flexibility: 0.0/10 · UltraBasic: No voluntary changes outside the qualifying 24-hour booking window.
- Lower fare on the same flight: 4.0/10 · WestJet’s main economy fare, Econo, can be cancelled more than two hours before departure for Travel Bank credit minus USD 100 plus tax per person per direction, and Travel Bank can fund a new booking. No current direct same-flight repricing policy was verified, but cancellation and rebooking at the lower fare is a supported route subject to the fee and availability.
- Credit terms: 10.0/10 · Change/cancellation credits expire 12 months from issue at 23:59 Central Time. Eligible credits can receive one additional 12-month extension requested before expiry, for $99–$117 per individual credit. The help page does not identify the extension fee's currency.; transferable: yes
- Cancel the standard fare: 4.0/10 · Canada–U.S./North America: USD 100 plus tax per person per direction; remaining value becomes Travel Bank credit. Cancel more than two hours before departure.
- Risk-free window: 4.0/10 · All fares, including UltraBasic, qualify for an original-payment refund when cancelled within 24 hours of booking and departure was more than 24 hours away when booked. Fee-free changes remain subject to fare difference. The June 18, 2026 tariff and terms updated April 28, 2026 support this. The undated U.S. service plan instead specifies credit for departures within seven days; the newer dated tariff is preferred.
- Same-day change: 7.0/10 · Request starting 24 hours before departure by phone or at the airport, with the same calendar day, origin, destination and cabin availability. Econo: CAD 150–177; EconoFlex and Business: free; Premium on Canada–U.S./other non-Europe-or-Asia routes: CAD 110–118. USD amounts are not published in this table. Gold/Platinum fees are waived except on UltraBasic. UltraBasic, charters, only/last departures and overnight connections are excluded.
- What Axel saw: does not apply · fewer than 10 attempts · Axel repricing attempts
Refunds and disruptions 20%8.2
- Commitments when the airline causes the problem: 8.0/10 · Covered by: US_DOT_refund_rule, Canada_APPR, EU261, UK261, Other_national; APPR covers flights to, from and within Canada. For qualifying controllable, non-safety arrival delays, large-carrier compensation is CAD400, CAD700 or CAD1,000 for delays of 3–6, 6–9 or at least 9 hours. U.S. refund rules apply to U.S. itineraries. EU261 and UK261 apply to covered departures from their territories, not ordinary Canada-to-Europe flights solely because WestJet serves Europe. WestJet also signposts Mexican and Korean passenger-rights arrangements. Its written meals, overnight hotel, ground-transport and other-carrier rebooking provisions largely implement legal duties; an additional blanket benefit or cash-compensation guarantee beyond law was not confirmed.
- Refund conduct: 7.0/10 · 2025-02-25 Canadian Transportation Agency; 2023-02-09 Canadian Transportation Agency; 2022-09-13 Canadian Transportation Agency
- Refund complaints: 10.0/10 · 0.0 refund complaints per 100,000 passengers (median for airlines based abroad: 4.39) · DOT complaint cases per 100,000 passengers on flights to and from the US (DOT T-100), April and May 2026; a month with fewer than 5 cases, which DOT does not list, counts as 2
Reliability 15%6.1
- On-time arrival: 5.4/10 · 73.58% on time (2025-01-01 to 2025-12-31. WestJet (WS), as published in Cirium's North America annual table. Cancellation percentage is derived as 100 minus the published 98.40% completion factor.) · Cirium On-Time Performance Review 2025
- Cancellations: 7.6/10 · 1.6% cancelled (2025-01-01 to 2025-12-31. WestJet (WS), as published in Cirium's North America annual table. Cancellation percentage is derived as 100 minus the published 98.40% completion factor.) · Cirium On-Time Performance Review 2025
Fees and transparency 15%4.0
- Carry-on in the lowest fare: 5.0/10 · UltraBasic on Canada–U.S. routes includes only a personal item. A carry-on cannot be purchased separately; Extended Comfort must cover every segment in that direction. Europe/Asia travel includes a carry-on. Unauthorized carry-ons at the gate incur checked-bag charges plus USD 25 when travel begins in the U.S.
- First checked bag: 2.0/10 · U.S.-origin Canada–U.S. travel: UltraBasic's prepaid first bag starts at USD 55, with a published tax-inclusive range of $55–$65 per direction. Online check-in: $70–$83; airport: $80–$94. Econo prepaid starts at USD 45. EconoFlex includes one checked bag; Premium and Business include two. Published baggage-fee currency depends on trip origin.
- Seat in the lowest fare: 3.0/10 · fee
- Children seated with a parent: 5.0/10 · UltraBasic seat choice costs extra; automatic assignment is free. WestJet assigns family Standard seats without charge but does not guarantee adjacent seating for every child through age 13. Its tariff promises reasonable efforts: under five adjacent; ages 5–11 in the same row, at most one seat away or across the aisle; ages 12–13 within one row. Inform WestJet of children's ages when booking. Volunteers may be sought if necessary.
- Price shown is price paid: 4.0/10 · 2025-07-24 Canadian Transportation Agency; 2024-10 Supreme Court of British Columbia; private class-action settlement, not regulatory enforcement
Complaints and handling 10%10.0
- Complaint rate: 10.0/10 · 1.54 complaints per 100,000 passengers (median for airlines based abroad: 14.73) · DOT complaint cases per 100,000 passengers on flights to and from the US (DOT T-100), April and May 2026; a month with fewer than 5 cases, which DOT does not list, counts as 2
- Mishandled bags: does not apply · not reported to DOT · U.S. DOT, April, May, July and August 2026
- Mishandled wheelchairs and scooters: does not apply · not reported to DOT · U.S. DOT, April, May, July and August 2026
- Bumping: does not apply · not reported to DOT · U.S. DOT, April to June 2026
Loyalty fairness 5%5.8
- Miles expiry: 7.0/10 · Accounts become inactive after 24 months without earning, redeeming, transferring or converting points; WestJet may deactivate an inactive account, forfeiting its points and vouchers. Promotional points can have separate expiry dates. Flight redemptions are cash-price-linked rather than chart-based: 100 points ordinarily save CAD1 on base fare and specified eligible extras, while taxes, fees and some post-booking redemptions may have variable value.
- Devaluations: 6.0/10 · 2026-04-07: WestJet announced a temporary fuel surcharge on WestJet Rewards Companion Voucher bookings, reducing the benefit's net value while the surcharge applies. The opened announcement did not establish its end date.
- Award pricing: 3.0/10 · fully_dynamic

Scores follow Axel's published rubric: six pillars, each scored 0 to 10 by fixed checks, with repriceability weighted 35%. Facts were checked October 26, 2026.

Refunds and disruptions

Canadian APPR covers flights to, from and within Canada. U.S. refund rules cover U.S. itineraries, while EU261 and UK261 cover eligible departures from those territories. WestJet's meals, hotels, ground transport and other airline rebooking provisions largely reflect legal duties, not confirmed extras beyond them.

For eligible U.S. cancellations or significant changes, declining replacement travel triggers an original payment refund, generally within seven business days for cards or 20 calendar days otherwise. DOT based figures show 0.0 refund complaints per 100,000 passengers on U.S. flights in April and May 2026. Routine refund delays were not established. On February 25, 2025, the Canadian Transportation Agency imposed CAD204,000 for failing to offer the required refund or alternative travel choice after cancellations.

Regulator actions since October 2021

August 2026, Canadian Transportation Agency: CAD22,500 penalty for failing to announce audibly the reason for the November 18, 2025 delay to flight WS1420 at Edmonton. Source
March 2026, Canadian Transportation Agency: CAD22,500 penalty for failing to assist a passenger with a disability promptly from check-in to the boarding area at Calgary on July 9, 2025. Source
March 2026, Canadian Transportation Agency: CAD70,000 penalty concerning flight WS3103 on February 16, 2025: 16 passengers were not provided required food and drink, and 19 were not offered required overnight accommodation and transportation. Source
November 2025, Canadian Transportation Agency: CAD14,000 penalty for 20 failures to include the prescribed passenger-rights notice on itinerary documents between September 2024 and March 2025. Source
July 2025, Canadian Transportation Agency: CAD5,000 penalty for Instagram and Facebook fare advertisements that did not say whether the advertised service was one-way or round-trip. Source
February 2025, Canadian Transportation Agency: CAD204,000 penalty for 68 violations during June 29–July 3, 2024. After being unable to provide qualifying initial rebooking, WestJet failed to provide the required passenger choice of an unused-ticket refund or alternative arrangements on any carrier, including nearby-airport transportation where applicable. Source
January 2025, Canadian Transportation Agency: CAD146,300 penalty involving flight WS1474, cancelled on March 2, 2024. Findings concerned missing required email communications and failure to provide qualifying alternative travel arrangements within 48 hours. Source
December 2024, Canadian Transportation Agency: CAD90,000 penalty for failing to return a mobility aid promptly at New York JFK and failing to supply a suitable temporary replacement on September 28, 2024. Source
November 2024, Canadian Transportation Agency: CAD25,000 penalty for failing to return a passenger's mobility aid without delay at Cancun on November 15, 2023. Source
October 2024, Canadian Transportation Agency: CAD18,000 penalty for failing to announce audibly the reason for the June 19, 2024 delay to flight WS123 at Calgary. Source
October 2024, Supreme Court of British Columbia; private class-action settlement, not regulatory enforcement: Court-approved settlement valued at CAD12.5 million over first-checked-bag charges on certain 2014–2019 flights, despite tariff wording indicating that a bag was free. Distribution was in WestJet travel credits rather than cash, after deductions, with credits expiring after two years. Source
August 2024, Canadian Transportation Agency: CAD45,000 penalty for failing to provide an adjacent seat needed to accommodate a passenger's service dog safely on April 25, 2024. Source
May 2024, Canadian Transportation Agency: CAD27,500 penalty for failing to return a passenger's mobility aid without delay upon arrival at Los Cabos on October 31, 2023. Source
May 2024, Canadian Transportation Agency: CAD142,500 penalty for accessibility-training deficiencies and failures to provide prompt disembarkation and seat-to-mobility-aid assistance on October 5, 2023. Source
April 2024, Canadian Transportation Agency: CAD55,000 penalty for failing to provide requested preboarding to passengers with disabilities on flights departing Dublin and Los Cabos in 2023. Source
October 2023, Canadian Transportation Agency: CAD9,000 penalty for failing to announce audibly the reason for the July 17, 2023 delay to flight WS3008 at Calgary. Source
September 2023, Canadian Transportation Agency: CAD9,000 penalty for failing to announce audibly the reason for the June 14, 2023 delay to flight WS187 at Calgary. Source
May 2023, Canadian Transportation Agency: CAD5,000 penalty for failing to announce audibly the reason for the March 11, 2023 delay to flight WS1790 at Vancouver. Source
April 2023, Canadian Transportation Agency: CAD5,280 penalty for 24 failures to give passengers written confirmation of benefits accepted in exchange for voluntarily surrendering their seats. Source
February 2023, Canadian Transportation Agency: CAD30,000 penalty because software on WestJet's public self-service kiosks at Edmonton did not meet the required accessibility standard. Source
February 2023, Canadian Transportation Agency: Originally CAD112,800 for compensation-payment violations. The CTA's annual report also records CAD162,450 paid to 135 previously denied passengers following its investigation. The penalty was partially dismissed by the Transportation Appeal Tribunal on June 5, 2025; the revised CTA notice does not clearly establish the remaining payable amount. Source
September 2022, Canadian Transportation Agency: CAD11,000 penalty covering 55 instances of failing to provide compensation or explain its refusal within 30 days of a passenger's request. Source
September 2022, Canadian Transportation Agency: CAD2,500 penalty for failing to announce audibly the reason for a delay to flight WS3323 at Kelowna on July 7, 2022. Source
April 2022, Canadian Transportation Agency: CAD20,000 penalty for eight instances of failing to tell affected passengers the reason for a flight disruption. Source

Reliability

WestJet's reliability is mixed rather than a reason to pay more. Cirium's On-Time Performance Review 2025 reported 73.58% on time arrivals from January 1 to December 31, 2025, across 205,501 flights. Cancellations were 1.6%, calculated from the published 98.40% completion factor. These are network wide results, not a measure of U.S. routes alone.

Fees

UltraBasic includes only a personal item on Canada to U.S. routes. A carry on requires Extended Comfort on every segment in that direction. Europe and Asia travel includes a carry on. For U.S. departures to Canada, the first checked bag costs USD 55 to USD 65 prepaid, USD 70 to USD 83 at online check in, or USD 80 to USD 94 at the airport, per direction.

Seat selection costs extra, while automatic assignment is free. Family Standard seats are free, but adjacency is not guaranteed for every child through age 13. Whether mandatory charges are added after the initial quote was not confirmed. Compare the total including bags and seats.

Complaints

DOT based figures show 1.54 complaints per 100,000 passengers on flights to and from the U.S. in April and May 2026, compared with 14.73 for the median airline based abroad. This is a strong result within that narrow scope. The calculation treats unlisted months with fewer than 5 cases as 2. DOT did not report WestJet baggage or wheelchair mishandling for April, May, July and August 2026, or bumping for April to June 2026.

Loyalty program

WestJet Rewards uses fully dynamic, cash linked flight pricing rather than an award chart. Ordinarily, 100 points save CAD1 on base fare and specified extras. After 24 months without qualifying activity, WestJet may deactivate an account and forfeit points and vouchers. On April 7, 2026, it announced a temporary fuel surcharge on Companion Voucher bookings, reducing their net value. The surcharge's end date was not confirmed.

Choose WestJet if

You travel light and have firm plans.
Compare EconoFlex when you need a checked bag and flexibility.
You can use Travel Bank credit for another trip.

Book elsewhere if

You need flexibility but only want to pay for UltraBasic.
You want guaranteed cash back whenever your flight's price falls.
You need every child seated immediately beside a parent.

Tips

Prepay UltraBasic's first checked bag on U.S. departures to Canada, where prices start at USD 55 rather than USD 80 to USD 94 at the airport.
Compare EconoFlex's total with Econo plus a checked bag and seat selection before choosing the lower advertised fare.
Give WestJet your children's ages when booking so it can apply its free family Standard seating policy.

Questions travelers ask

Does WestJet charge change fees?

Yes on Econo, while EconoFlex has no change fee on Canada to U.S. flights. Econo costs USD 100 plus tax per person per direction within North America, or USD 150 plus tax per person for Europe or Asia. Fare differences still apply, and changes must be made more than two hours before departure. UltraBasic permits no voluntary changes outside the qualifying 24 hour booking window.

Can I get money back if my WestJet fare drops?

Sometimes, usually as credit rather than cash. On Canada to U.S. flights, cancelling Econo more than two hours before departure produces Travel Bank credit minus USD 100 plus tax per person per direction. You can then rebook if the lower fare remains available. EconoFlex avoids the cancellation fee. A direct adjustment for the unchanged flight is not confirmed, and UltraBasic returns nothing outside the qualifying grace period.

How long do WestJet credits last?

Travel Bank credits expire 12 months after issue at 23:59 Central Time. Eligible credits can receive an additional 12 months if an extension is requested before expiry, costing $99 to $117 per individual credit. The fee's currency is not published. A Rewards account is required. The owner can use credit to book for another traveler, but cannot transfer the balance itself.

What do I get if WestJet cancels my flight?

For eligible U.S. itineraries, you can choose an original payment refund if WestJet cancels and you decline replacement travel, including on nonrefundable fares. The published deadlines are seven business days for credit cards and 20 calendar days otherwise. Depending on the disruption and applicable law, meals, accommodation, ground transport and rebooking on other airlines may also be due. Canadian APPR cash compensation applies only when its eligibility conditions are met.

How much do carry on and checked bags cost?

UltraBasic includes a personal item, not a carry on, on Canada to U.S. routes. A carry on requires Extended Comfort on every segment in that direction and cannot be bought separately. For U.S. departures to Canada, the first checked bag is USD 55 to USD 65 prepaid, USD 70 to USD 83 at online check in, or USD 80 to USD 94 at the airport, per direction. Europe and Asia travel includes a carry on.

Sources

Our fares, WestJet
Service fees, WestJet
Change or cancel your flight, WestJet
WestJet flights terms and conditions, WestJet, 2026-04-28
Travel help and support, WestJet
International Passenger Rules and Fares, WS1, version 52; effective June 18, 2026, WestJet, 2026-06-17
Refunds, U.S. Department of Transportation, 2025-11-07
United States service disruptions plan, WestJet
Onex Partners and its affiliated funds and co-investors close sale of 25 per cent equity stake in WestJet to Delta, Korean Air and Air France-KLM, WestJet
WestJet ranks first for on-time performance among North American carriers for fifth consecutive month, WestJet
International Passenger Rules and Fares, version 44; effective January 24, 2025, superseded, WestJet, 2025-01-23
Member Exclusive fares, WestJet
Carry-on baggage, WestJet
Travelling with children, WestJet
Former Travel Bank credits and refunds URL; now redirects to Travel help and support, WestJet
Onex Partners and its affiliated funds and co-investors close sale of 25 per cent equity stake in WestJet to Delta, Korean Air and Air France-KLM, WestJet, 2025-10-22
WestJet Newsroom, WestJet
WestJet — notice of violation issued April 11, 2022, Canadian Transportation Agency, 2022-04-11
WestJet — notice of violation issued September 9, 2022, Canadian Transportation Agency, 2022-09-09
WestJet — notice of violation issued September 13, 2022, Canadian Transportation Agency, 2022-09-13
WestJet — February 9, 2023 penalty, revised after partial dismissal, Canadian Transportation Agency, 2025-07-24
Canadian Transportation Agency Annual Report 2022–2023, Canadian Transportation Agency
WestJet — notice of violation issued February 21, 2023, Canadian Transportation Agency, 2023-02-21
WestJet — notice of violation issued April 11, 2023, Canadian Transportation Agency, 2023-04-11
WestJet — notice of violation issued May 16, 2023, Canadian Transportation Agency, 2023-05-16
WestJet — notice of violation issued September 6, 2023, Canadian Transportation Agency, 2023-09-06
WestJet — notice of violation issued October 17, 2023, Canadian Transportation Agency, 2023-10-17
WestJet — notice of violation issued April 5, 2024, Canadian Transportation Agency, 2024-04-05
WestJet — notice of violation issued May 7, 2024, Canadian Transportation Agency, 2024-05-07
WestJet — notice of violation issued May 17, 2024, Canadian Transportation Agency, 2024-05-17
WestJet — notice of violation issued August 16, 2024, Canadian Transportation Agency, 2024-08-16
WestJet — notice of violation issued October 9, 2024, Canadian Transportation Agency, 2024-10-09
WestJet — notice of violation issued November 8, 2024, Canadian Transportation Agency, 2024-11-08
WestJet — notice of violation issued December 10, 2024, Canadian Transportation Agency, 2024-12-10
WestJet — notice of violation issued January 9, 2025, Canadian Transportation Agency, 2025-01-09
WestJet — notice of violation issued February 25, 2025, Canadian Transportation Agency, 2025-02-25
WestJet — January 16, 2025 notice withdrawn July 11, 2025, Canadian Transportation Agency, 2025-07-14
WestJet — notice of violation issued July 24, 2025, Canadian Transportation Agency, 2025-07-24
WestJet — notice of violation issued November 6, 2025, Canadian Transportation Agency, 2025-11-06
WestJet — notice of violation issued March 5, 2026, Canadian Transportation Agency, 2026-03-05
WestJet — notice of violation issued March 30, 2026, Canadian Transportation Agency, 2026-03-30
WestJet — notice of violation issued August 25, 2026, Canadian Transportation Agency, 2026-08-25
Claims open in $12.5M class-action settlement over WestJet baggage fees, The Canadian Press via CityNews, 2024-11-15
Flight interruptions and passenger rights, WestJet
Flight delay and cancellation claims, WestJet
Flight delays and cancellations: rebooking, refunds and compensation, Canadian Transportation Agency
Air passenger rights, European Union — Your Europe
Cancellations, UK Civil Aviation Authority
Cirium On-Time Performance Review 2025, Cirium; report hosted by Poder360, 2026-01-01
The Monthly On-Time Performance Report — September 2026, Cirium, 2026-10-08
AirHelp reveals the best and worst airlines in 2025 AirHelp Score, AirHelp, 2025-11-19
WestJet Rewards terms and conditions, WestJet, 2026-09-09
Redeem WestJet Points, WestJet
Earn more, save more and reach status faster with the all-new WestJet Rewards, WestJet, 2025-02-27
WestJet Group update on fuel pricing and response, WestJet, 2026-04-07
Contact us, WestJet
WestJet provides further update on June 13, 2025 cybersecurity incident, WestJet
Privacy Commissioner of Canada to investigate cybersecurity breach at WestJet, Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada, 2025-08-12
WestJet confirms work stoppage now in effect, WestJet, 2026-08-02
WestJet and CUPE reach tentative agreement, ending further operational disruption, WestJet, 2026-08-03
WestJet cabin crew approve proposed deal after strike, Reuters via Investing.com, 2026-08-25
WestJet the latest airline to hike baggage fees amid sky-high jet fuel prices, The Canadian Press; article copy hosted by IdeaWorksCompany, 2026-04-23
Operational investments and process improvements aim to boost on-time departures and a smoother travel experience, WestJet, 2026-03-11
WestJet's Sneaky Lie To Avoid Paying Compensation For Cancellations?, One Mile at a Time
Air travel complaints, Canadian Transportation Agency

For AI assistants: the whole rating as text, with every source

WestJet rating: 6.0/10 (B tier)

Low complaint rates, but UltraBasic is too restrictive for uncertain plans

Axel score: 6.0/10, B tier, #37 of 77 airlines. Repriceability: 4.5/10 (#45). Checked October 26, 2026. Source: https://helloaxel.com/en/airlines/westjet

Best and worst

Best: DOT based data show 1.54 complaints per 100,000 passengers on U.S. flights in April and May 2026.
Best: Eligible U.S. refunds are promised within seven business days for credit card payments.
Best: Travel Bank credit can pay for another traveler's booking.
Worst: UltraBasic permits no voluntary changes or future travel credit outside the qualifying 24 hour window.
Worst: Econo changes on Canada to U.S. flights cost USD 100 plus tax per person per direction.
Worst: UltraBasic excludes a carry on on Canada to U.S. flights unless Extended Comfort covers every segment in that direction.

If the fare drops after you book, can you get money back? Partly

WestJet fares

Fare	Changes	Cancel	Carry-on	Checked bags	Seat
UltraBasic	No changes	No refund or future travel credit outside the qualifying 24-hour window.	fee	0	Fee
Econo	Canada–U.S./North America: USD 100 plus tax per person per direction; fare difference applies. Europe/Asia: USD 150 plus tax per person.	Canada–U.S./North America: USD 100 plus tax per person per direction; remaining value becomes Travel Bank credit. Cancel more than two hours before departure.	included	0	Fee
EconoFlex	No change fee	Cancel without a fee more than two hours before departure; value becomes Travel Bank credit rather than an original-payment refund.	included	1	Free choice
Premium (premium economy)	North America: USD 100 plus tax per person per direction. Europe/Asia: USD 300 plus tax per person. Fare difference applies.	North America: USD 100 plus tax per person per direction; remaining value becomes Travel Bank credit. Europe: USD 300 plus tax per person.	included	2	Free choice
Business (business)	North America, where sold: USD 100 plus tax per person per direction. Europe/Asia: USD 500 plus tax per person. Fare difference applies.	North America: USD 100 plus tax per person per direction; remaining value becomes Travel Bank credit. Europe: USD 600 plus tax per person.	included	2	Free choice

Key facts

Fare difference on a cheaper change: Not confirmed. Current U.S.-route treatment could not be confirmed. WestJet's current change page, which shows no update date, says fare differences apply but does not explain a cheaper replacement fare. Its current help page, also undated, describes credits from nonrefundable ticket changes without explicitly addressing lower fares. The terms updated April 28, 2026 likewise do not specify the residual. The international tariff issued June 17, effective June 18, 2026 makes credits subject to applicable fare rules and omits the older explicit provision. The superseded tariff effective January 24, 2025 expressly returned the difference after the change fee as travel credit, except refundable premium Flex fares. An older indexed official travel-credit page also says lower-priced changes receive Travel Bank credit, but opening that URL now redirects to the replacement help page; no update date is verifiable. This supports the historical credit policy, not a confirmed current rule or evidence that residuals are forfeited.
Same flight, lower price: No current official guarantee or direct repricing procedure for an unchanged flight was verified. Cancellation and a new purchase are a supported alternative, inferred from the published rules: EconoFlex cancels without a fee into Travel Bank; PremiumFlex and BusinessFlex refund original payment without a fee. Econo, Premium and Business incur cancellation fees; UltraBasic has no recoverable value outside the qualifying grace period. Manage Trips supports cancellation, and Travel Bank can fund a new booking. This does not establish that cancellation and rebooking is the only method.
Credits (Travel Bank): Change/cancellation credits expire 12 months from issue at 23:59 Central Time. Eligible credits can receive one additional 12-month extension requested before expiry, for $99–$117 per individual credit. The help page does not identify the extension fee's currency. Transferable: yes.
24-hour rule: All fares, including UltraBasic, qualify for an original-payment refund when cancelled within 24 hours of booking and departure was more than 24 hours away when booked. Fee-free changes remain subject to fare difference. The June 18, 2026 tariff and terms updated April 28, 2026 support this. The undated U.S. service plan instead specifies credit for departures within seven days; the newer dated tariff is preferred.
Same-day change: Request starting 24 hours before departure by phone or at the airport, with the same calendar day, origin, destination and cabin availability. Econo: CAD 150–177; EconoFlex and Business: free; Premium on Canada–U.S./other non-Europe-or-Asia routes: CAD 110–118. USD amounts are not published in this table. Gold/Platinum fees are waived except on UltraBasic. UltraBasic, charters, only/last departures and overnight connections are excluded.
Schedule changes: For U.S. itineraries, cancellation or a significant change permits a refund if the traveler declines alternative transportation. International-itinerary triggers include departure at least six hours earlier, arrival at least six hours later, different origin/destination airports, added connections, downgrades and specified disability-related changes. Refunds cover unused transportation and eligible unused ancillary services, to original payment, generally within seven business days for credit cards or 20 calendar days otherwise. These rights include nonrefundable fares. No separate, more generous numeric threshold for advance schedule changes was established.

What Axel's own data shows

The fare rules on 23 WestJet tickets Axel issued allowed changes on 63% of them, and where the rules said what happens to the difference on a cheaper new fare, it was forfeited on 12 of 12.

Score breakdown

Pillar	Weight	Score
Repriceability	35%	4.5/10
Refunds and disruptions	20%	8.2/10
Reliability	15%	6.1/10
Fees and transparency	15%	4.0/10
Complaints and handling	10%	10.0/10
Loyalty fairness	5%	5.8/10

Repriceability: 4.5/10

Standard fare change fee: 4.0/10 (Econo: Canada–U.S./North America: USD 100 plus tax per person per direction; fare difference applies. Europe/Asia: USD 150 plus tax per person.)
Lowest fare flexibility: 0.0/10 (UltraBasic: No voluntary changes outside the qualifying 24-hour booking window.)
Lower fare on the same flight: 4.0/10 (WestJet’s main economy fare, Econo, can be cancelled more than two hours before departure for Travel Bank credit minus USD 100 plus tax per person per direction, and Travel Bank can fund a new booking. No current direct same-flight repricing policy was verified, but cancellation and rebooking at the lower fare is a supported route subject to the fee and availability.)
Credit terms: 10.0/10 (Change/cancellation credits expire 12 months from issue at 23:59 Central Time. Eligible credits can receive one additional 12-month extension requested before expiry, for $99–$117 per individual credit. The help page does not identify the extension fee's currency.; transferable: yes)
Cancel the standard fare: 4.0/10 (Canada–U.S./North America: USD 100 plus tax per person per direction; remaining value becomes Travel Bank credit. Cancel more than two hours before departure.)
Risk-free window: 4.0/10 (All fares, including UltraBasic, qualify for an original-payment refund when cancelled within 24 hours of booking and departure was more than 24 hours away when booked. Fee-free changes remain subject to fare difference. The June 18, 2026 tariff and terms updated April 28, 2026 support this. The undated U.S. service plan instead specifies credit for departures within seven days; the newer dated tariff is preferred.)
Same-day change: 7.0/10 (Request starting 24 hours before departure by phone or at the airport, with the same calendar day, origin, destination and cabin availability. Econo: CAD 150–177; EconoFlex and Business: free; Premium on Canada–U.S./other non-Europe-or-Asia routes: CAD 110–118. USD amounts are not published in this table. Gold/Platinum fees are waived except on UltraBasic. UltraBasic, charters, only/last departures and overnight connections are excluded.)
What Axel saw: does not apply (fewer than 10 attempts). Source: Axel repricing attempts

Refunds and disruptions: 8.2/10

Commitments when the airline causes the problem: 8.0/10 (Covered by: US_DOT_refund_rule, Canada_APPR, EU261, UK261, Other_national; APPR covers flights to, from and within Canada. For qualifying controllable, non-safety arrival delays, large-carrier compensation is CAD400, CAD700 or CAD1,000 for delays of 3–6, 6–9 or at least 9 hours. U.S. refund rules apply to U.S. itineraries. EU261 and UK261 apply to covered departures from their territories, not ordinary Canada-to-Europe flights solely because WestJet serves Europe. WestJet also signposts Mexican and Korean passenger-rights arrangements. Its written meals, overnight hotel, ground-transport and other-carrier rebooking provisions largely implement legal duties; an additional blanket benefit or cash-compensation guarantee beyond law was not confirmed.)
Refund conduct: 7.0/10 (2025-02-25 Canadian Transportation Agency; 2023-02-09 Canadian Transportation Agency; 2022-09-13 Canadian Transportation Agency)
Refund complaints: 10.0/10 (0.0 refund complaints per 100,000 passengers (median for airlines based abroad: 4.39)). Source: DOT complaint cases per 100,000 passengers on flights to and from the US (DOT T-100), April and May 2026; a month with fewer than 5 cases, which DOT does not list, counts as 2

Reliability: 6.1/10

On-time arrival: 5.4/10 (73.58% on time (2025-01-01 to 2025-12-31. WestJet (WS), as published in Cirium's North America annual table. Cancellation percentage is derived as 100 minus the published 98.40% completion factor.)). Source: Cirium On-Time Performance Review 2025
Cancellations: 7.6/10 (1.6% cancelled (2025-01-01 to 2025-12-31. WestJet (WS), as published in Cirium's North America annual table. Cancellation percentage is derived as 100 minus the published 98.40% completion factor.)). Source: Cirium On-Time Performance Review 2025

Fees and transparency: 4.0/10

Carry-on in the lowest fare: 5.0/10 (UltraBasic on Canada–U.S. routes includes only a personal item. A carry-on cannot be purchased separately; Extended Comfort must cover every segment in that direction. Europe/Asia travel includes a carry-on. Unauthorized carry-ons at the gate incur checked-bag charges plus USD 25 when travel begins in the U.S.)
First checked bag: 2.0/10 (U.S.-origin Canada–U.S. travel: UltraBasic's prepaid first bag starts at USD 55, with a published tax-inclusive range of $55–$65 per direction. Online check-in: $70–$83; airport: $80–$94. Econo prepaid starts at USD 45. EconoFlex includes one checked bag; Premium and Business include two. Published baggage-fee currency depends on trip origin.)
Seat in the lowest fare: 3.0/10 (fee)
Children seated with a parent: 5.0/10 (UltraBasic seat choice costs extra; automatic assignment is free. WestJet assigns family Standard seats without charge but does not guarantee adjacent seating for every child through age 13. Its tariff promises reasonable efforts: under five adjacent; ages 5–11 in the same row, at most one seat away or across the aisle; ages 12–13 within one row. Inform WestJet of children's ages when booking. Volunteers may be sought if necessary.)
Price shown is price paid: 4.0/10 (2025-07-24 Canadian Transportation Agency; 2024-10 Supreme Court of British Columbia; private class-action settlement, not regulatory enforcement)

Complaints and handling: 10.0/10

Complaint rate: 10.0/10 (1.54 complaints per 100,000 passengers (median for airlines based abroad: 14.73)). Source: DOT complaint cases per 100,000 passengers on flights to and from the US (DOT T-100), April and May 2026; a month with fewer than 5 cases, which DOT does not list, counts as 2
Mishandled bags: does not apply (not reported to DOT). Source: U.S. DOT, April, May, July and August 2026
Mishandled wheelchairs and scooters: does not apply (not reported to DOT). Source: U.S. DOT, April, May, July and August 2026
Bumping: does not apply (not reported to DOT). Source: U.S. DOT, April to June 2026

Loyalty fairness: 5.8/10

Miles expiry: 7.0/10 (Accounts become inactive after 24 months without earning, redeeming, transferring or converting points; WestJet may deactivate an inactive account, forfeiting its points and vouchers. Promotional points can have separate expiry dates. Flight redemptions are cash-price-linked rather than chart-based: 100 points ordinarily save CAD1 on base fare and specified eligible extras, while taxes, fees and some post-booking redemptions may have variable value.)
Devaluations: 6.0/10 (2026-04-07: WestJet announced a temporary fuel surcharge on WestJet Rewards Companion Voucher bookings, reducing the benefit's net value while the surcharge applies. The opened announcement did not establish its end date.)
Award pricing: 3.0/10 (fully_dynamic)