WestJet MasterCard World Elite Credit Card Review
Searching for a hefty credit card welcome bonus? Done. How about an annual round-trip companion ticket to anywhere in North America? Covered. Free first checked bags for you and your entire family? Of course.
The WestJet World Elite MasterCard comes with a compelling $250 WestJet Dollar welcome bonus, with no minimum spend requirement. You can redeem your WestJet Dollars at any time, with no blackout periods on any flights.
But what makes this card standout, is the round-trip companion voucher you get every year you keep the card. You can fly your spouse, child or friend return to anywhere in continental North America for $99 airfare with no restrictions! Not to be outdone, first checked bags are free for you and up to 8 of your travelling companions – at up to $30 a bag each person, each way, that’s a lot of savings!
With a $250 WestJet dollar welcome bonus, an annual companion ticket worth hundreds of dollars every year, superb rewards earnings and flexibility & free checked bags, this card is perfect for those looking to fly free fast – especially families and couples.
WestJet MasterCard World Elite Credit Card Benefits
One WestJet dollar equals $1 Canadian towards travel with WestJet. You earn 2% on WestJet related spend and 1.5% everywhere else.
As we said before, what makes this card stand-out from the pack, is the annual companion voucher, not to mention free checked bags. But, as spectacular as the WestJet companion fare is, it just got better. Now you can book your companion on any WestJet flight:
- $99, plus taxes & fees, to anywhere in Canada & continental U.S.
- $299, plus taxes & fees, to Hawaii, Mexico, Caribbean & Central America
- $399, plus taxes & fees, to anywhere in Europe WestJet flies
What’s great about the WestJet companion voucher is that you can use it on any flight, any time, with no restrictions and the price stays the same.
You can also book any class of fare, and your companion ticket will be eligible for the same class fare, i.e. if you book in Plus, your companion will sit in Plus with you, not every companion ticket program does that. The only restriction is that the primary cardholder has to fly on the same itinerary as the companion.
Savings from the WestJet MasterCard companion voucher can be huge. Let’s say we take a trip from Toronto to Miami, during winter break, departing December 27 and returning January 8th. According to Expedia.ca, airfare will cost $419 (plus $141, taxes & fees). With the companion voucher, you will only pay $99 instead of $419, saving you $320!
Fly Vancouver to Mexico during winter break and airfare will cost you $713 (plus $114 taxes & fees). Use the voucher and you’ll only pay $299 return, a savings of $414!
Here are some of the additional perks that help the WestJet MasterCard World Elite stand-out from the pack:
- Annual companion ticket to any destination WestJet flies
- $250 WestJet dollars welcome bonus after first purchase – no minimum spend require
- No black outs or seat restrictions on any flights, any time
- Free first checked bag for the primary cardholder and up to 8 additional guests on the same reservation!
- Comprehensive travel insurances including travel medical, trip interruption, auto rental collision & loss, purchase security and extended warranty
- 2% back in WestJet dollars per $1 spent on WestJet purchases
- 1.5% back in WestJet dollars per $1 spent on all other purchases
- Earn WestJet dollars twice, once with your credit card, and again with your WestJet Rewards ID when booking a flight and get an additional 5% in WestJet dollars
- Annual Fee is $119
Eligibility
You will need to either have a minimum personal income of $70,000 or a minimum household income of $120,000 to be eligible for the card.
Worth It?
With a sign-up bonus at $250 WestJet dollars, an annual companion voucher that can take you anywhere WestJet flies, this card is as good as it gets, and first checked bags free this card is packed with value. With no minimum spend requirement, you can get the sign-up bonus and companion ticket without any long term commitment.
The WestJet MasterCard World Elite does come with an annual fee of $119. But in the first year alone you’re getting the $250 WestJet dollar welcome bonus, which more than covers your annual fee, plus you’re getting the companion voucher which can easily be worth over $300. Not to mention you’re also getting your first checked bag free for you and up to 8 travelling companions – each checked bag alone costs $25-$29.50 each way!
RBC and WestJet are giving away a ton of value to get you to try this card. Even after you include the $119 annual fee, the card gives away more than $450 in value in the first year alone, making it an absolute steal.
For more offers to make your next trip worthwhile please go to The Best Travel Credit Cards in Canada page.
For a list of the best deals other than travel, visit our Best Credit Cards in Canada page.
Article comments
Hi I recently had an RBC scion card with about 46000 points. I called RBC to switch to the Westjet Elite MasterCard and they switched it right away. My new card came in but I am not seeing where my points from the avion card are. They said they could convert those points to West Jet points or dollars but I don’t see them on my West Jet account. Am I missing something?
Hi Felina, thanks for your great questions. We’re glad you found a card that suits your lifestyle better and were able to easily make the switch. However, just because the swap from one card to another was so easy, that doesn’t mean they automatically transferred your rewards points over also. Remember that very often, rewards accounts are separate from bank accounts, because banks don’t want to be responsible for organizing frequent flier miles in addition to everyone’s money. Rewards points stay in the realm of the program, money stays in the bank’s wheelhouse.
To find out what happened, we’d call RBC and ask if they transferred your RBC Rewards into WestJet Dollars yet. It’s likely that they haven’t and were first waiting for your WestJet account number, so you should have it in front of you when you speak to the bank representative. If you already gave all the required information, then you can ask what the hold up is, and when you can expect the transfer to go through. Regardless, you’re not missing anything and there is no reason to worry that your hard-earned rewards were lost in translation.
GreedyRates Staff
Greetings,We have the RBC Westjet World Elite M/C.Does the travel insurance cover only checked baggage?We accidentally put a carryon onto the baggage drop off belt which has not surfaced and is now considered lost.I see some cards cover lost carryons.
Hi Kim, thanks for coming to us with your question. We had to do a little digging on this matter, but we think we’ve confirmed your suspicion. Per the fine print inside the insurance terms & conditions pamphlet supplied by RBC, one can “…cover expenses incurred by covered persons relating to
emergency purchases due to lost or stolen luggage that has been checked with an air carrier.”
The presence of the verb ‘checked’ specifically indicates to us that any insurance claim you have for lost luggage is only valid if the luggage was checked, not carried on. This is assuming that your lost luggage falls under the guidelines highlighted, which themselves are sparse. In fact, while many cards specify baggage coverage explicitly, RBC only publishes that they provide medical insurance, hotel possessions and rental cars. If you want a credit card that specifically outlines a lost luggage policy, check out the list below. RBC even has one card here, called the Avion Visa Infinite. Let us know if we’ve helped.
https://www.greedyrates.ca/blog/free-travel-insurance-credit-card/
GreedyRates Staff
Does the WestJet ticket include other airlines where WestJet may not travel to? That is ..does WJ have companion airlines?
Hi Marilyn, thanks for the great inquiry! If you want to benefit from the companion voucher courtesy of your WestJet World Elite card, then you’ll have to use it on a WestJet flight. It won’t work with any other airline, even those which code share with WestJet. Additionally, you’ll need to use the voucher to purchase a flight via WestJet Sales Super Centre, and not the standard Westjet.com. While the restrictions do hamper its efficacy somewhat, a cheap companion flight is capable of saving hundreds of dollars at a minimum, and is worth it for those who make it work. Thanks again!
GreedyRates Staff
Hi. I have both the Westjet Elite Mc and thr Avion Visa from RBC. Is this necessary? I know there’s slight insurance difference between the two (cancellation not with MC) and Avion points can be used for any airline, so it is safe to have both just in case I want to fly internationally outside of Westjet destinations or am I just wasting annual fees? FYI, I have the RBC VIP banking which covers the annual fee of one of the cards but that’s $30 a month.
Hi Raymond, thanks for the interesting question! It does seem like your credit card selection is somewhat redundant because each card has different rewards points, but essentially offers the same reward (travel). Even if they do have slight differences, it only confuses the matter even more, because then you don’t know which card to collect points with when making purchases. It could be that you want to fly internationally but only have rewards points on the card that offers domestic flights exclusively, for example. Additionally, you’re wasting money each year by paying two annual fees.
Instead, you should get a card that complements your travel card or offers an entirely different kind of reward. Keep the Visa Avion for international flights, and get a card that reduces foreign transaction fees. This way, you’ll save on domestic expenses and get cheaper flights abroad, and then reduce expenses during your trip as well. For this we recommend the Rogers Platinum Mastercard. Or, you could opt for a cash back card if you don’t see yourself flying in the upcoming year. Then you can switch which card you use most frequently, and get cash instead of miles. You can check out the best cash back cards we’ve reviewed below:
https://www.greedyrates.ca/cards/cash-back-credit-cards/
GreedyRates Staff
What is the best options to look for in a Air Miles Credit Care when renting a car?
Hey Gail, thanks for your comment! If you know you’ll be renting a car during your travels, and want an Air Miles card, then you’d appreciate the BMO Air Miles World Elite Mastercard. It has many perks that are specific to rental cars, including that Air Miles themselves are redeemable for rentals. Additionally, the card grants you up to 25% off when renting through Alamo or National (anywhere in Canada), and comes with a suite of great travel insurance as well. Included in the package is damage and collision coverage for rental cars, meaning you can save money and get protected at the same time. If you’d like us to make additional suggestions, let us know.
You can learn more about the card by reading our full BMO Air Miles World Elite Mastercard review.
GreedyRates Staff
Comprehensive travel insurance not really. They cover the flight which westjet would refund anyway.
Intteruption insurance only while your travelling. No cancellation coverage.
Medical coverage which most people have already thru their medical plan.
No third party liability with rental cars.
Comprehensive ? I would say limited coverage at best
Hi Caes, thanks for your amazing feedback! We’re sorry that our suggestion didn’t measure up to your needs, and would be happy to suggest a card with better insurance benefits. One of the best available is Scotia’s Gold Amex, which has 25 consecutive days of travel medical coverage up to $1 million. It also has trip cancellation, trip interruption, flight delay, lost luggage, car rental, hotel or motel burglary and travel accident insurance as well. In addition, the total dollar coverage for each of these categories is competitive. You can learn more about the card by reading our Scotia Gold Amex card review.
If you want to supplement our recommentation with your own research, check out the link below to compare the cards with the best free insurance. Good on you for wanting complete safety on your travels!
https://www.greedyrates.ca/blog/free-travel-insurance-credit-card/
GreedyRates Staff
Not terribly impressed with this card that we have had for about 10 months, nor with the royal bank and their administration of it, that part has been absolutely awful. Never had so much difficulty with a card, and points at 1.5 add up slowly . would not recommend,
Greetings Helen! Thanks for coming to Greedyrates. We’re sad to hear you’re not a fan of your WestJet card, and are happy to suggest some alternatives based on the critique you’ve given. Besides the slow rate of rewards accrual, we can focus our recommendation based on other criteria, if you’d like to reply to this comment later. Otherwise, if 1.5 points per $1.00 is too slow for your tastes, perhaps you’d enjoy the BMO World Elite Mastercard. You’ll get 3 points per $1.00 on travel, dining and entertainment purchases and then 2 points per $1.00 everywhere else. This is in addition to the 35,000 bonus points you’ll earn for spending $3,000 within three months. While it doesn’t have all the nice perks of the WestJet card, like a free annual companion ticket or 8 free checked bags, it is accompanied by VIP airport lounge access. You’ll have to decide which is more beneficial. You can learn more about that card by reading our full BMO World Elite Mastercard review.
Another option is the Scotiabank Gold Amex card, which is a lot less demanding than less flexible travel rewards cards. With this card, the administrative aspect is quite easy, as you’ll just book any travel arrangements you like, and then pay for them with points later on. You can learn more about that card by reading our Scotiabank Gold American Express card review.
I’m not sure why the admin replies to other posts that are much newer but not mine or yours. I value their info & opinion but no reply in a month…. Sigh
I was told when i apply for westjet visa elite card ,, quete I get $250.00 fare anywhere north america plus $99.00 ccompanion fare that I pay only taxes and fees .I tried to get ticket to Palm springs return march `12 coming back april 8, I would have to pay$1000.00 if that is not falls adverting what is
so tomorrow I take that card back to RBC and cancelled
good luck for you all people if you think that is a good deal
there is no such ting as a free ride and one more thing this RBC west jet visa elite card does not have trip cancellation insurance as American Express gold card have
how did you end up with the $1000 figure? do you have a breakdown? thanks
How long generally does it take after purchases are made using card are reward dollars posted?
Hi Steve, thanks for the interesting question! The lag time between your purchases and the rewards points hitting your account vary between banks. We’d expect that your rewards are credited to your WestJet account within one or two days, but you can confirm by calling customer support. It’s a safe bet to assume that they’ll be there within one statement period, maximum. Better even than the WestJet World Elite Mastercard, you should also check out one of the most popular travel cards that wereview–the BMO Air Miles World Elite. With a $120 annual fee exemption in the first year, 3,000-point introductory bonus, 15% discount on all Air Miles flights, VIP airport lounge access and 1 Air Mile for every $10 spent, you’ll enjoy a much greater variety of awesome perks. You can learn more about the card by reading our full BMO Air Miles World Elite Mastercard review.
GreedyRates Staff
Need your opinion greedyrates? I got a bmo world elite last yr (it just renewed a mth ago). I make the bulk of the purchases. It even reached supposed black air miles onyx level. I put all that I can of my personal & business purchases on it.
My wife has a no fee card that gets her nothing.
We keep our purchases separate don’t want a card together. Was looking at her getting a westjet world elite and me keep the bmo.
The only thing making me hesitate & want to switch to westjet is this…
In the few cases I tried this year to use air miles for flights and /or vacations I couldn’t find any availability.
I often find air miles is great too show an impressive amount of miles on your account… But if you can’t use them what’s the point? And direct flights? Forget it I’m in Halifax and every option seems to be connecting if I can even find it? Should I just cancel my card (it just renewed so I guess I’m stuck for a year) and switch to westjet. Or is there some big reason to have my wife take on the westjet and I keep bmo.
Your thoughts?
Nothing?
I’m interested in an answer to this as well. Same situation here 🙂
My family and I are heading to FL on a Disney Cruise the end of Sept. We paid the deposit using Scotia Gold Passport Visa to avail of the Insurance. We’ve decided to head down a few days early and stay a few days after – can we book the flights and resort stays on the WestJet Elite MC and be covered by that cards insurance, while paying for the cruise with the visa (and retaining that piece of insurance)? Don’t want to nullify or not be covered for any portion of our trip. Thanks in advance!
Hi Krista, thanks for coming to GreedyRates! We’re excited for you and your family, and will try to help you as best we can. We admire your vigilance in getting complete coverage during your trip, and can confirm that your method is sound. Both cards require you to purchase travel arrangements with the card to obtain coverage, and there aren’t any clauses that might nullify one insurance package in favor of the other. It looks like Visa will cover your cruise while the WestJet Mastercard keeps your flight safe. Now all that’s left to do is simply enjoy the time with your family. Have a great trip!
GreedyRates Staff
If I apply for the WJ credit card now, what are the chances I will have it in time to book a return flight from Deer Lake NL to Toronto Ont by the end of March?
Hey Sandra, thanks for the great question. If you’re looking to take advantage of the WestJet World Elite card for the trip then you should apply now. It doesn’t usually take very long to get approved, nor to receive the card, but obtaining the introductory and promotional bonuses is another matter.
If you want to use the companion voucher or WestJet dollars in March, for example, know that most cardholders report waiting between 4 and 6 weeks to receive them after activating the card. Even if you had the card now, it would likely still be wishful thinking. However, the card is quite worthwhile regardless if you can use it now or later, so we encourage you to consider it. Happy travels!
GreedyRates Staff
I’m wondering why WestJet requires a 24 hour waiting period before making a seating upgrade? Why wouldn’t they want the seat upgrade extra cash a.s.a.p. ? Get it out of the way? Finally ……. is there any savings or benefits , if I use my WestJet credit card for a seating upgrade?
Hi Ron, thanks for the interesting question. WestJet likely requires a short waiting period before making a seat upgrade to determine availability on the plane and to let their system sync before making further changes. We’re not entirely sure of the reason behind this company policy, but that’s our best guess. Try calling the customer service line and inquiring–while you’re on the line, you can ask about potential savings to upgrading as well, as we weren’t able to find information about this in the fine print.
GreedyRates Staff
Hello, I am booking a flight to Mexico shortly for hubby and I with WestJet. Do you know if I can sign up for the card , pay my fees, use my perks right away($250 welcome + companion flight) and then cancel in a few months ? Thanks !
Hi Katrina, thanks for the awesome question! We’re excited to hear that you two will shortly be on the beautiful sandy beaches of Mexico, but we hope it isn’t too soon, because most cardholders report waiting from 4 to 6 weeks after activation before their companion voucher appears in their account. The $250 bonus works the same way, but if this isn’t an issue, we see no unsound reasoning in your plan. Just remember that to use the companion voucher, you’ll have to have bought both tickets using the card, so to cancel it afterwards will require that you pay off your balance in its entirety. Have a fun and safe trip!
GreedyRates Staff
You do not need to charge the airfare to the card to redeem the companion voucher, as it is linked to your WestJet Rewards profile.
So what you’ll do, is log into your WJ Rewards account, go to voucher link, and book with voucher.
We just booked flights last month using the voucher, and paid the entire booking total on a Visa (we had a promotional balance transfer on the card, so it can’t be used for purchases at the moment).
Does it come with any lounge access? How doea it work?
Hey Won! While the WestJet World Elite card doesn’t come with VIP lounge access by default, if you manage to spend $3,000 within the first 12 months of membership you can attain Silver Status, which does include it. Typically, lounge access means that you won’t pay a membership for special status at airport lounges, which enables you to enter at a steep discount compared to normal travellers. You’ll likely still need to pay a small fee each time you access the lounge, but it’s highly worth it. Free food, private rooms, free WiFi and more end up making your layovers a lot less expensive. Best of luck.
GreedyRates Staff
Westjet World Elite card does come with LoungeKey by MasterCard which does entitle you to lounge access, with up to a $27 USD fee.
Hi there. I currently have two Royal Bank travel cards; the Avion Infinite Visa and Westjet World Elite MasterCard. The MasterCard I’ve only had for about a year or so and the Visa for many years and around +130,000 points. I’m wondering whether I need both cards and dropping the Avion visa so that I am only paying one annual fee. The places that I fly to each year are Mexico, France and Ontario and now with Westjet’s alliance with Air France having just the WJWE MasterCard is making even more sense. Also from what I understand you don’t get very good value when using Avion points for European flights when you factor in fees and taxes. My questions are, what do you think of my one card solution based on my flight destinations? If you opt out of AI Visa how long do you have to use the points? Lastly, does Avion ever allow points to be transferred to WJWE? Thanks, Deb
Hey Deb, let’s see if we can help. So you’ve got the RBC World Elite and the Avion Infinite as well, so there’s already one problem: the rewards you earn can’t stack, because the former card earns RBC rewards and the latter WestJet Dollars. Regardless of which you cancel, which is a solid plan considering the incompatible perks and a pair of annual fees, you’ll still be able to use the points you’ve accrued in the future. Both cards likely opened a special rewards account for you when you applied, so these stay intact regardless of the status of your card.
Given your most frequent destinations and the reciprocal frequent flier agreement forged between WestJet and Air France (and KLM) late last year, we think the best one to get rid of is the Avion card. You already came to this conclusion on your own, but we confirm it with confidence.
When you cancel the card, be sure to ask any lingering questions you have to customer support. Happy travels!
GreedyRates Staff
We were going to apply for this card but then read that you have to have a personal income of $70,000. We are two retired seniors who travel a lot and use our credit cards for everything and pay off the total balance each month. We own our own home and have no debt, and have savings. However our total yearly income is just over $45,000. We don’t understand why we don’t qualify for this card. Very disappointed.
Hey Carol! Thanks very much for one of the most interesting questions we’ve received in recent memory. It seems illogical that a credit card issuer would deny two seniors with decent yearly income, no liabilities and many assets on their balance sheet. While we believe that there’s a chance you might be approved, we can’t ignore that you’re irrefutably short of the minimum.
Until we can delve deeper into this notion, we recommend not applying, and looking instead at comparable cards fr which you do fulfill the minimum. In fact, one of the best travel cards, the Scotia Gold Amex, has a minimum requirement of only $12,000. This one allows you two to book any travel arrangements you like, and then use your points to redeem it all afterwards. It’s super flexible, but the only obstacle we can see you encountering is in Amex’s lower acceptance rates among merchants.
If you’ren not keen on Amex, here’s another alternative: the BMO Air Miles Mastercard. You won’t run into any issues with merchants not accepting it, and will also earn miles without much restriction.
GreedyRates Staff
Hello Carol. I have been able to get this card with a much lower annual income. Here is how I did it. I first applied for the base Westjet Mastercard which has lower income requirements. Then, I booked an appointment with a Royal bank representative and showed them my other assets. I requested to reapply for the Westjet Travel Elite card, and I finally got it. It did take some doing, but worked in the end. They tried to get me to switch my investments. I sat through their spiel, said I would think about it but did not move my accounts or investment to Royal bank, and still got the better card. Good luck!!!
Hi Carol,
Under “Eligibility Criteria to Apply” on this card, it states that you either need a minimum personal income of $80,000 or a minimum total investable assets of $400,000. I suspect your home value meets that, so you should be good to go. Good luck!
Cheers
I have a couple of businesses and large investments but show no income…can I get an elite card for my buisness ?
Hey Peter, thanks for your question. We think that if you truly have multiple businesses and large investments, that you’ll likely be approved for the card regardless of what income you can show. Normally, issuers look at the full picture of someone’s credit score, which includes financial metrics more thorough than basic yearly income. Plus, the card you’ve inquired about has a low threshold for minimum income regardless, at just $15,000. It’s doubtful that the bank would make you liquidate any assets just to prove you have money available. Worst case scenario? You apply and get denied, with a small dent in your credit score. However, this is easily avoided if you call the bank and describe your situation prior to applying. Good luck!
GreedyRates Staff
now that I am 65 does the medical travel rider expire?
Hi Marion, thanks for your great question. We’ve dug in the fine print a bit and found your answer: your emergency travel coverage doesn’t fall off now that you’re 65, but coverage is reduced from 15 consecutive days to 3. For many, this isn’t enough, and so we’ll recommend some other options for you below.
The first card we think you’ll enjoy is also the one with the most travel insurance coverage for cardholders that are 65 or older. It’s called the Desjardins Odyssey Gold, and will cover you up to $5 million for 15 days until you’re 75. It is also one of the few cards with unlimited trip interruption insurance, which may come in handy. Second, the National Bank World Elite card is also a 15-day coverage card, but only until you’re 74, and it comes without unlimited trip interruption.
To see a comprehensive list, check out the table in the link below, and have a safe trip:
https://www.greedyrates.ca/blog/free-travel-insurance-credit-card/
We fly home every Christmas season from Orlando to Toronto then head back down after boxing day. Could we get flights from Orlando to to Toronto and back with that comapnion deal. So no minimum purchase throughout the year?
Hey Bob,
Thanks for the questions. We’re happy to help. The fine print states that the $99 travel voucher can be applied to flights that travel round-trip in Canada and the Continental United States. Seems to us that you’re in the clear! You’ll get the $250 bonus with an initial purchase, not by meeting a spending goal, and the companion voucher is a perk that you receive annually. Enjoy!
GreedyRates Staff
Hi my female friend has a westjet RBC Mastercard and booked our flight and mine on companion voucher. She paid our flight with her Mastercard. Do I the companion voucher still get the same medical travel insurance coverage.?
Hey Mee!
Thanks for getting in touch with us! The company does not mention in its terms and conditions for the card or its companion voucher program that insurance extends to people getting their ticket with the voucher. However, to be sure, it’s always best to go directly to the source and contact WestJet and RBC to make sure. Let us know if the company offers any further clarification!
GreedyRates Staff
How about car rental insurance while traveling
Hey Bob, thanks for your comment. The WestJet Mastercard does have rental car insurance against collision and loss. When you’re traveling, the car you’ve rented will be protected against these things, but for more specifics we recommend calling the issuer on the phone. The specific terms that issuers use to describe their various insurance features usually differ, so further clarification may be needed. Good luck!
GreedyRates Staff
When considering using this as your main credit card, be aware it does not support downloading transactions into your own spreadsheets/financial analysis tools, except for a very limited period (your latest statement plus recents). Worst case, your transactions could be unavailable for downloading after just 31 days.
You either have to be disciplined (download regularly), or extremely patient (cut and paste from the PDF statements)
Hello,
Reading about the Westjet Master Card. Need to know what is the age limit for coverage on Medical benefits, Cancellation and Trip insurance. Trying to decide on the card, already have the Scotia bank Gold Amx Card.
Coverage is up to age 70yrs. for trip and interruption cancellation. I noticed Westjet doesn’t cover Trip cancellation.
Why?
Also need to get the customer service ph#.
Thanks,
Hi Enid, we greatly appreciate your questions!
Regarding the age restrictions on travel medical insurance benefits with the WestJet World Elite card, you are eligible for 15 consecutive days of care if you’re 65 or under, and 3 days of coverage if you’re older. To address your concerns over the absence of trip cancellation insurance, we’re not sure why the issuer decided to leave this out of their benefits package.
You are welcome to inquire with customer service, and some may even let you purchase this benefit separately. Here is the proper number to call: 1-800-769-2511
We hope that helps,
GreedyRates Staff
Choosing between BMO AirMiles World Elite mater card and the westjet card. My husband already owned the WestJet card. Should I get the same one as his or we should diversified and collect different travel points?
We live in Fort McMurray, AB.
Hi Stacey, thanks for the great questions!
When it comes to couples that travel together, it’s always better to stay on the same rewards points plan as your spouse. Getting two different rewards cards will not benefit you outside of the auxiliary perks that might be missing from the other card, of which there are few.
The WestJet card that your husband has is actually well-suited to having a second in the family, as you could essentially use your free companion vouchers twice in the same year, on one another! Additionally, it’s recommended to ask WestJet to use your husbands account with your new credit card, so you can accumulate twice as many points as before. You’re likely traveling together anyway, so this will have a significant impact on the price or frequency of your family vacations. Thanks again for stopping by!
GreedyRates Staff
I as well have a west jet reward card, and recently applied for a card for my wife under mine. I need to get in on this as we sometimes fly together 2 to 3 times a year
Hi i applied for westjet card 2 weeks ago.and I already made a first purchase. How can i check my bonus reward dollars and companion voucher online…i am planning to book flight on August…do you think I would be able to use my rewards dollars by then
Thanks for your time
Hey Hina!
Nice job getting approved for the WestJet World Elite Mastercard! You’re now “”Elite”” status – congratulations. To answer your question about using the bonus for making an initial purchase, it’s important to know that the WestJet Dollars will not arrive to your account until around 4 to 6 weeks afterwards. If your flight is in late August, you’ll definitely be able to use these rewards to save on the price of your ticket, but early in August falls within that ambiguous range between “”4 to 6 weeks””. This means it may or may not be available.
In order to see your account and how many WestJet Dollars you’ve accumulated so far, check westjet.com and sign in with your ID (appears on your account statement). If you’re having trouble accessing this, we recommend that you call customer service. Some customers without existing WestJet accounts before they were approved for the World Elite card experience a delay in their account creation, so this is a great time to call and inquire. Safe travels and good luck!
We thank you for visiting GreedyRates!
I’m retired and no longer make $70,000 a year but I want the Elite card. I fly at least once a year on westjet. Can I still get one without having that income? Everything I have is paid for so making a payment in full would be no problem. I’ve always made my credit card payments in full since my first card 40 years ago.
Hi Martin,
Thanks for contacting us and inquiring about your eligibility for the WestJet World Elite MasterCard given your circumstances.
In our experience, minimum income and household income are guidelines set by the bank to define those who are eligible, but these are generally broad strokes. Whether you are eligible or not is always determined on an individual basis, and your financial responsibility is encouraging.
Do a quick credit check (and repair if necessary) before applying, and your chance for approval is good. The issuer may want some additional financial information from you before deciding, and if so then come prepared with account statements, a credit report and other documents that prove your fiscal maturity.
Best of luck!
GreedyRates Staff
I have already booked a westjet flight, I am leaving in 19 days. I have not paid for the luggage charge yet, If I order a mastercard wesjet card, can I use it to pay for my luggage charges? Thanks
Hi Dana, thanks for your questions.
It’s nice that you’re using WestJet to fly, and believe that your choice of the World Elite MasterCard is a smart one.
There is a requirement that one’s 9-digit WestJet account number be on the itinerary in order to get the baggage fee bonus you mentioned, which would normally require that they already have the World Elite card and had used it to pay for the flight. However, because you have not yet paid for the baggage fee, you might be able to get approved for the card and then use it for this purpose, putting the number on the ticket anyway.
Otherwise, WestJet customer service might be flexible and allow you to add the card to the reservation post-purchase, in order to recoup your bag fees. Either way, we recommend you get the card and start using it to build rewards as soon as you can – it sounds quite suited to your lifestyle!
GreedyRates Staff
How to I get the ” Exclusive offer for GreedyRates readers! Get upgraded to Silver Status when applying for the WestJet World Elite Mastercard.”?
When I click apply now it takes me to the generic RBC application page?
We are going on a cruise out of Miami on march 4-18 2018. First question, we want to fly to Fort Lauderdale on the 2nd and take a car to Miami to catch the cruise. At end of cruise we want to fly out of Miami on March 19th. Is this westjet do able because I want to use my west jet dollars and companion voucher. Next question is because I have the west jet world elite card and there is already travel and medical insurance, do I need to buy any extra insurance for this trip. I booked my cruise with this card also
Hi Paula, thanks for your questions!
We can absolutely help you. So, in a little under a year, you and the family will be flying from Canada to Miami, and then later from Miami back home. As long as both of these legs are on the same itinerary, the companion voucher can be used. While WestJet has some restrictions in how one can use their WestJet Dollars, splitting a trip into multiple legs, even through different airports is still fine. We recommend taking the specifics of your trip to WestJet customer service.
Regarding insurance, only you can determine the appropriate amount of coverage for yourself or your family. While what is provided by the RBC WestJet MasterCard is great, it may not be enough to account for the unexpected. Safe travels!
GreedyRates Staff
hi,
I have reviewed my transaction on my westjet mc and not all of my transaction is earning point/rewards, so what are considered cash-like transaction and what are certain bills that doesn’t earn westjet dollars? i know cash advances or credit card cheque don’t earn rates but what are other transactions that don’t earn?
and I still don’t have my annual companion voucher to use in booking for me and my son’s next trip,where can i find them?
sorry for the message i just found my companion vouchers under my vouchers, maybe it was not posted before and my earning transactions were just posted recently too. thanks!
My husband and I currently have the RBC WestJet card; however I am wondering why we have joint accounts. With a family of 4 wouldn’t it make more sense to each have our own card to receive more benefits when travelling with the family? Or does each Card holder receive a companion flight? Is it a big deal to apply for my own card, I qualify with the annual income required.
Hey Billie!
Thanks for your question. We’re happy that you and your husband chose the RBC WestJet card to help you two save on your family travel bills, and can hopefully provide some clarity. You mention that you have a joint account, which is no problem – it does not affect your eligibility for other cards nor the rate at which you receive rewards. It just means that both you and your husband have access to the account. Therefore, he can easily add you as a supplementary cardholder and give you your own RBC WestJet card attached to the same account. In this way, you can accumulate rewards towards the same pool simultaneously.
If getting another of the same card is what you’d like to do, that’s also a distinct possibility. We have other readers who have done the same thing, just to double dip on the introductory bonus offer. Keep in mind that the same WestJet account can be added to this second card as well, so rewards can accrue faster. It’s not a big deal to apply for, or have two of the same cards. In fact, it’s just smart thinking!
We hope that helps,
GreedyRates Staff
I am booking a flight from Toronto to Edmonton and then driving to Vancouver and then returning from Vancouver to Toronto . I would like to use my companion voucher for this trip. Can I land at one airport and return from another under one voucher back to the same city Toronto
Hi Sid!
Thanks for your question. It’s great that you’re taking advantage of the $99 companion flight voucher that is awarded to WestJet MasterCard cardholders. Keep looking for more excuses to use it each year, as the voucher does not roll over into the next annual period.
Regarding the bonus, in order to be able to use the companion voucher on the round-trip fare for the person travelling with you, he or she must be on the same itinerary. If you booked under a single itinerary that includes both the outgoing and return flights, it does not matter from which airports you fly. As long as both are within the United States or Canada and were purchased as a single round-trip, you should have no trouble applying the voucher to each leg of the trip. Safe travels!
GreedyRates Staff
I had a WestJet elite card prior and then cancelled. I now have a new one with new card number. Does the bonus WestJet dollars apply still?
Hey Jason!
Thanks for your inquiry. Regarding your concerns about eligibility, given that you previously had the card before, we think you’re in the clear. WestJet puts in the fine print that the bonuses are only available to new WestJet RBC World Elite MasterCard cardholders only, but the language reminds us of other issuers with the same “restrictions”.
Banks generally want new customers for their cards, meaning that they interpret a “new cardholder as a someone who has opened a new card and new account, regardless of their past card ownership. Though not often, it is sometimes the case that banks will issue the one person two of the same cards, simply because the money they lose on introductory bonuses is nothing compared to what they stand to make if you miss a monthly payment. We think that you will be pleasantly surprised in around 4 to 6 weeks, when the $250 bonus and the voucher hit your WestJet account. You may want to call and ask customer service before waiting to see, however.
Thanks for checking in with us!
GreedyRates Staff
I spoke with a lady by the name of Sheri O. on the phone yesterday regarding this card. She was going to send me this link. Perhaps if she reads this, she can send me the link with a way of contacting her as she indicated for discussion.
Many Thanks, Sheri,
Kathryn
Hi, on one of the responses, you mentioned that the vouchers may be accumulated if you don’t use it in the year, i.e., two years having the WJ MC will accumulate 2 vouchers, and so on. Can you please confirm if that is correct?
Hey Janie!
Thanks for your questions. We see that the wording was a bit confusing, and we apologize. The cardholder receives one companion voucher per year that must be redeemed within the expiration date, but a WestJet companion voucher expires on the same day that the next one is awarded. So those that are cardholders for two years would have received two, but the way that the bonus is designed means that they cannot roll over into adjacent years. We’re not sure why this is the case, but will work harder to make it more transparent in future articles and reviews.
Thanks for bringing it to our attention!
GreedyRates Staff
Does the supplementary card holder receive free bags for flights booked? Any perks for the supplementary card holder?
Hi Jordan, thanks for your questions.
About the bonuses that come with the WestJet World Elite MasterCard, most only apply to the primary cardholder or when booking on the same itinerary as the primary cardholder. For instance, supplementary cardholders cannot purchase a companion flight with the voucher for someone travelling with them, and neither can they get access to a free checked bag unless the primary cardholder is also on the reservation.
So, technically they can enjoy these perks but only with the person who opened the account originally. It’s designed mostly for spouses traveling with their significant other.
However, supplementary cardholders do earn WestJet dollars toward the account’s overall total, and have access to the various insurance functions and protections extended by the card during everyday use.
Have a safe trip!
GreedyRates Staff
Hi. If I already have a WestJet credit card with WestJet dollars can I transfer the dollars to the World Elite credit card?
Hi Karen,
Thanks for your question! We’re glad to give you an encouraging answer: you will not need to transfer any WestJet dollars to a new card. When you signed up for the current WestJet card you hold, a parallel account was opened for you at WestJet. This is different than your bank account. If you want to sign up for a new WestJet card, you can simply give the number of your WestJet account, and both of your cards will earn points for that same account. This also means you can cancel your old card if you like, and your points will still be there for you. Enjoy!
GreedyRates Staff
We are a family of four and are interested in the WJ MC we want to fly end of June from Regina to Fredericton if both my husband sign up to each have a MC I just need to be clear. Say if we received the card in 10 days. Bought something on the MC bc it says we have to make a purchase ..then we each buy two tickets for our flight vacation end of June. Would we each be able to use the $250 and one campion ticket ? Is there enough time ? It says sign up bonus. So I want to sign up for mc and get the advantage of the $250 at least on our first flight. And it is coming up soon. We want to book soon. Please advise
Hey Connie, thanks for coming to us with your questions.
Despite the short notice on your travel plans, we think that it might be possible to use the $99 annual companion voucher and $250 WestJet bonus for your trip.
Officially, the bonuses arrive to the cardholder’s account within 4 to 6 weeks after opening it. If you open an account now, that gives you a little over 5 weeks until the end of June. Generally, we don’t see customers waiting the full 6 weeks to receive their bonus. Our advice is to act fast if you want a chance of making this work.
Good luck!
GreedyRates Staff
I have tried and you can not use the WestJet Dollars and the Companion Voucher on the same booking. So, I don’t think your advice is correct.
Please reply to clarify.
Thanks
Hi Helen! Thanks for contacting us.
To address your concerns, we can try to provide some further information about the restrictions on using WestJet Dollars and the companion voucher. In order to use the voucher, the companion must be on the same itinerary as the primary cardholder, so if you’re trying to redeem it for a separate flight, or even for yourself, it won’t work.
Also, WestJet Dollars cannot be used on group flights or vacation packages, just individual bookings. Even for individual bookings, if the flight is not a WestJet Eligible Fare, a WestJet-Marketed Flight or valid Partner-Marketed flight, the rewards dollars cannot be used.
It is a complicated system, probably with more ins and outs than what we covered in this comment, but we are sure that WestJet has a valid reason why they wouldn’t let you redeem your WestJet Dollars and the voucher at the same time. We recommend calling customer service and inquiring for more specifics: 1-800-769-2511
We hope that helps,
GreedyRates Staff
hi,
I received my wjcard in march and made my first purchase march 22, but i don’t know where to find my annual companion voucher, im planning a trip for first week of october and would like to book my flights now and wanted to use my annual companion voucher to save but i don’t have a clue to where or how can i get/use them…
I currently have the RBC WestJet credit card and have some WestJet dollars. Can I upgrade the card to the World Elite card and have my dollars transferred to the new credit card? I have 2 other family members attached to the current card I have. Would their cards be transferred automatically too? What’s best for my situation? Thanks
Hi Karen, thanks for your awesome questions!
What we love most about the RBC WestJet rewards system is that the points customers earn from their purchases go towards a WestJet account, which is not the same as the RBC bank or cardholder account. This means that the same account can populate a number of cards, each earning WestJet dollars for the same source.
You can absolutely upgrade to the RBC World Elite card without worrying about interrupting your flow of rewards, and you can also bring your family along with you. Note that you may be asked to pay $49 per additional card when you switch over. If you have any other questions about the process, let us know!
GreedyRates Staff
How do you go about doing this upgrade? Would I need to call RBC and get re-approved? Or is there any easier way?
Hi Maya, thanks for getting back to us about this issue.
To answer your question, yes, you will likely have to call RBC customer service and explain the situation. However, re-applying will not leave you eligible for a silver status upgrade – only accounts opened during the promotional period are eligible, and if you are sure of your timing, RBC will likely acquiesce, as it has for our other readers. Good luck!
GreedyRates Staff
What I dislike about the WJ MC is the reward is round down to a full dollar. E.g. if I spent $732 for a month, I would get $10 WJ Dollars instead of $10.98. Not necessarily significant to most people, but while my other card also offer 1.5%, I would choose to use the other card over this one.
I am a new owner of the west jet world elite card, I know that we have trip interruption, am I able to add trip cancellation to the card and if so what is the extra fee?
Hey Julie!
Thanks for your questions. You are correct, the card comes with trip interruption insurance, medical coverage, flight delay and more… but not trip cancellation. Unfortunately, there is no option where cardholders can add any extra fees to the card to enjoy trip cancellation on their purchased flights.
However, this may be an option on the WestJet website when booking the trip, so if it’s important to you, keep a sharp lookout.
Hope that helps,
GreedyRates Staff
Wouls I have to book a flight through West Jet’s website to get the free baggage, or could I book through another site like Expedia? Do any of the rewards qualify only if booking through Wet Jet’s website?
Hey Alan, thanks for your excellent questions.
Regarding your inquiry about eligibility for certain WestJet bonuses and a potential requirement of booking through the WestJet site, we have a few answers for you. The first bonus of the card, collecting WestJet Dollars with purchases, may not be interrupted by booking through another agency. WestJet specifically mentions that most Expedia-sold flights qualify for the accrual of WestJet Dollars.
The free checked bag and companion voucher are similar. To enjoy these perks on your flight, WestJet only requires that the 9-digit WestJet account number be present on the reservation at the time of check-in. As we understand it, that means you will be able to take advantage of these perks on WestJet flights that were booked with other agencies, as long as you use the card to do so.
Hope that helps,
GreedyRates Staff
how can i use my companion voucher and bonus with this flight? going to philippines with a flight edmonton-vancouver-with westjet then swirtch to phil airline vancouver -mnl-cebu and vice versa? the flight cost 1365.??, i am travellingwith my 3 yr old son.
Hello again Ginniger 🙂
To ensure that you are able to use the companion voucher with your flight, there are a few things that must occur. First, you must be traveling with a companion who can use the voucher for their fare – you cannot use it on yourself.
Second, this fare must be to a destination within the acceptable geographical limits, in this case that means the United States and Canada.
Third, you must have used your WestJet MasterCard to purchase the flight, and your WestJet account number must appear on the reservation at the time of check in.
Assuming that you used the card to buy your tickets, you can use the voucher on your son’s ticket for the first leg of the journey – from Edmonton to Vancouver. Whatever this ticket used to cost, it’s now $99.
However, this also begs the question if you already bought the tickets. If this is the case, we recommend calling customer service and asking if you can use the voucher post-purchase.
Thanks for stopping by!
GreedyRates Staff
re: the Annual Companion Voucher – Are the taxes & fees on that exactly the same as on a purchased ticket? That is, if I price a paid ticket, can I assume that the same costs in taxes and fees (i.e., everything except the actual airfare) is what the companion will pay as well – in addition to the $99 or $399 or whatever?
I’ve been burnt by airlines like British Airways and sometimes Air Canada who add on such large surcharges and fees to their “free” points tickets that the points seem to have very little value compared to purchasing them outright. I’m hoping Westjet is not in the same camp with these companion tickets.
Thanks for all the great advice on this card!
Hi Susan!
Thanks for your question. Regarding the annual companion voucher that comes as a reward for being a WestJet MasterCard World Elite cardholder, though the price of the ticket is discounted to $99, taxes and other fees still apply. The power of the $99 companion voucher is that its price stays static no matter which ticket you purchase (as long as it’s within North America). If you find an expensive, longer flight, then you’re able to save comparatively more by only paying the voucher price.
Hope that helps,
GreedyRates Staff
Do the WestJet points accumulate if one were to take a cash advance from an ATM. For instance if purchasing an item. That does not accept Mc ?
Hey Matt!
Good question. There are many purchases that accrue WestJet points directly into your account, but some items are not eligible. According to the program, things like annual fees, balance transfers and cash advances are not able to collect WestJet points. Instead of using the card to take an advance from an ATM, use it to purchase the item directly, in which case it may translate to rewards points.
Hope this helps,
GreedyRates Staff
Received my WJ card in January. I received the $250 bonus points but no $99 voucher. Do I have to wait a year before they send me the first voucher?
Hey Kate!
According to the card’s policy, cardholders will typically receive their $250 in bonus points and the companion voucher within 4 to 6 weeks of the card’s activation. If you haven’t received your voucher yet, then we recommend double checking your email and WestJet account, and then contacting customer service if you’re still missing it. Good luck!
GreedyRates Staff
I am wondering where can i find the 250 bonus points , i received my wj card beginning of march. and yes i wonder about the accompanying voucher too?
Hey Ginnifer!
Thanks for coming to Greedyrates with your questions. According to WestJet and MasterCard, the $250 WestJet dollars bonus and voucher arrive to the new cardholder anywhere from 4 to 6 weeks after the opening of the account.
You say that you received your card in early March, yet more than 8 weeks later you don’t know if you have the bonuses or not. This could be an issue, or it could be that you need to log in to your online dashboard in order to view the points, as these bonuses are delivered digitally rather than by mail. If you are having trouble accessing your account online, or simply don’t see the bonuses in your account, we recommend contacting customer service. They should be able to clear it up for you easily.
We hope that helps,
GreedyRates Staff
what if I have two kids and spouse, can I book three companion flights for the 99 dollars within continental us?
Hey Hawk! Great question. Many love the WestJet World Elite MasterCard for the bonus that you mentioned in your comment, namely the $99 round trip companion flight for spouses, children or friends to anywhere within Canada or the continental US. But it has one drawback.
MasterCard awards each cardholder a single companion voucher for every year that the card is active. This enables the cardholder to spend just $99 for one person to fly to and from the same destination as the cardholder, as long as it’s within the territory specified. However, only one voucher accrues per year to your account, so in order to get three of them you must have had this card for at least the last three yearly billing cycles.
If this is the case, you can redeem the vouchers and pay $99 for each child and your spouse to travel with you. If you’ve only had the card for a year, you only have the single voucher, which you can give to your spouse or child and then pay full ticket fare for the other two family members. Two years of card ownership nets you two vouchers, and so on.
We hope this helps,
GreedyRates Staff
I just got the Westjet Elite MC. Same situation: two adults, two kids. Right now, I’m trying to figure out the best way to optimize my rewards.
When you receive a companion voucher, you have one year to redeem it. But your travel may occur after the expiration date. Also, I believe that only one voucher can be used per booking (per Westjet’s website). So I don’t think you can accrue the vouchers.
Personally, I took two cards: one for me, one for my wife. And we are planning to use the vouchers for the kids. Once the reservation is made, make sure you call Westjet so they can link the reservations together (in case they need to modify your itinerary for some reason).
Of course, it means that you need to pay the card fee of $99 twice.
hi,
can i avail my accompanying ticket for a flight that goes to philippines? i know that westjet only flies half way and not all the way to Manila nor cebu philippines, but can i book the flight with accompanying ticket to where westjet flies?
Hi Ginnifer!
Excellent question. You correctly mentioned that WestJet has no flight paths to the Philippines, so when you look online and see a WestJet flight for the first leg of the trip it becomes clear that the second leg is with a different airline and that a connection must be made within WestJet’s territory. For this first leg, you can redeem your free accompanying ticket but it will not cover the second leg of your journey. The WestJet MasterCard World Elite card does not limit the free accompanying flight to where the final destination may be, so as long as you are redeeming it for a flight within North America.
Hope this helps,
GreedyRates Staff
hi,
i have a westjet flight booked in may. if i switch to the mastercard now will the free bag benefit apply? if so, how do i link the new card to my existing flight?
thanks!
m
Hey Maria! Thanks for your question.
In order to redeem the free checked bag bonus as a holder of the WestJet Mastercard, you must book the flight with the card. The number on your WestJet card needs to be on the reservation, and once a flight is booked with one card it cannot be switched to another payment method. This is to protect your fare. The only exception is the 24 hour window you have after purchasing, during which you can get a full refund from the airline and still be able to purchase a ticket at the same fare.
We hope this helps.
GreedyRates Staff
I just received my WJ WE MC, we are planning a trip to London this summer, what kind of coverage does this card provide us? Is there medical, trip cancellation, etc.
What are some of the other advantages of having this card. The group that we are flying with suggested the MC because of the companion voucher.
Thanks for your help.
Hi Pam,
The benefits we love most on this card are the annual companion voucher, and the free first checked bag for you and up to 8 travelling companions (that’s like $25-$30 a bag each way!). The insurance covers you for travel medical, trip interruption, flight delay, and car rental.
Hope that helps,
GreedyRates Staff
Hi team, quick question I hope you can answer.
We are buying appliances for our new home and trying to figure out if we should put the appliances on the westjet card or, the avion card to maximize our points accumulation. As both card provide the same extended warranty perk, do you have a suggestion as to which would provide a better rewards return for us?
thank you in advance!
Hi Robert,
Great question. If you buy you appliances with the WestJet Rewards card you’ll get 1.5% back in WestJet Dollars. With Avion, you’ll get 1 Avion point per dollar spent. Avion points vary in value depending on the cost of the flight you’re redeeming for. That said, we put the value of each Avion point at somewhere between 1.12% and 1.2%. However, if you redeem your Avion points with the fixed rate option (100 points per $1), you will only get 1% value.
As a result, we’d suggest the WestJet Rewards card for you, assuming WestJet flies to the destinations that would be of interest to you.
Hope that helps!
GreedyRates Staff
Can you compare the West Jet Elite MasterCard with the RBC Avion Infinite in regards to redemption for flights? Most of our travel is to the US (particularly Florida and Hawaii). I appreciate your advice.
Hi Dan,
Both the rewards programs are very different. WestJet offers what we would call a same as cash rewards program. $1 WestJet Dollar equals $1 Canadian dollar used on any WestJet flight. The nice thing about WestJet is that you can also partially redeem your WestJet Dollars. So for example, let’s say your flight costs $545, but you have $300 WestJet Dollars, you can apply your $300 against the $545, and you only be out of pocket $245. Simply find the lowest cost WestJet flight to your destination and apply your dollars against the cost of the trip. There are no travel restrictions or black out dates.
The RBC Avion Infinite rewards program operates a little differently. While you can convert your points to a dollar value, you lose value when doing so (you only end up getting 1% value on your credit card spend, which is much less than the 1.5% value you get from WestJet). As a result we don’t recommend you use the Avion card for same as cash redemptions. Alternatively, Avion allows you to book any flight through its travel center and you have a grid that tells you how much each type of flight will cost in points for short-haul, versus long-haul, North America vs. Mexico, etc…
The challenge with RBC Avion is that there is a maximum price within each category. For example, Short-Haul flights cost 15,000 points up to $350 (excluding taxes and fees). If a flight costs more than that, you have to pay the difference. The other challenge is that while you can pay for a partial redemption, the value is even worse. 1,000 points will cost you $40, which is the equivalent of .4%.
Hope that helps answer your question,
GreedyRates Staff
Yes it does. I switched from the Avion Infinite to the West Jet Elite MC due to my losing the value on my last booking. I was not impressed when I noticed how much I lost for the partial redemption. As a result, I switched to Alaska Airlines Elite MC. I gave up that card due to the exchange rate. The West Jet offered the companion fare, at CAD, and the baggage fee benefit which is huge. RBC’s insurance coverage is great which is another factor in deciding. Thanks again.
Hi,
Do we need to link the card to current/new West Jet ID’s? For example, i have west jet ID in my name from previous travels, but the master card was opened in my wife’s name. And if so, how?
Thanks.
Hi Okunade,
The WestJet reward account has to match the primary cardholders name. One thing we would say to all couples, is that given the welcome bonus, we would recommend you each get a new WestJet credit card of your own. You’ll each get a $250 WestJet Dollar welcome bonus (offsetting the $99 annual fee), and you’ll each get a companion voucher! You can apply the WestJet Dollars to any flight. So on one trip you can apply your $250 to your ticket and buy your wife’s ticket with the $99 companion voucher. On the other trip she can do the same for you!
The largest value of most of these cards is in the sign-up bonus. Why spend $16,600 to earn $250 WestJet dollars, when you can do so just for getting a new card?
Hope that helps,
GreedyRates Staff
I have a TD Aeroplan Visa Infinite Card. Is it worth the switch to WestJet MasterCard World Elite Credit Card? Say a monthly household spend of $4K. Which card will help me travel cheapest? Lives in Vancouver.
Thanks so much for the insight!
Hi Jo,
Both are currently great and can help you travel cheap.
1. the current Aeroplan credit card promotion has no annual fee in the first year, and you get 25,000 miles after 90 days with no minimum spend requirement – all you have to do is make one purchase and keep your account in good standing. 25,000 miles gets you free return airfare to anywhere in continental North America.
2. the WestJet credit card is great because you get a $250 WestJet Dollar welcome bonus, free first checked bags and a companion voucher (not sure if you’re flying with anyone). The other nice thing about WestJet rewards is you can use them on any flight, no blackout periods, and you can partially redeem your WestJet Dollars. For example, if you earned $150 WestJet dollars, you can apply them against a $450 WestJet flight, you don’t have to wait to earn the entire $450.
If you can, get both cards- but space out your applications by a couple of months. We’d use the Aeroplan card for the bonus and put the new spend on the WestJet card – and of course use it’s bonus, bags and annual companion voucher as well!
Hope that helps,
GreedyRates Staff
I have a TD Aeroplan Visa Infinite Card. Is it worth the switch to WestJet MasterCard World Elite Credit Card? Say a monthly household spend of $4K. Which card will help me travel cheapest?
Thanks so much for the insight!
Hi Jo,
At GreedyRates, we’re strong believers that most of a cards value is in the initial welcome bonus. As a result, if you already have the TD Aeroplan Infinite Visa card, why not get the WestJet MasterCard. Just for activating the card you’ll get a $250 WestJet Dollar welcome bonus, a companion voucher and your first checked bag free.
Even with the small $89 annual fee, you’ll come out far ahead. Why spend $25,000 to get the same value from your current TD Aeroplan Infinite card, when you can get rewarded just for signing up for the card with no minimum spend!
Hope that helps!
GreedyRates Staff
I want to get westjet credit card but do not belong to RBC. What do I need to do so I can apply?
Hi Sandy,
Anyone can apply for the RBC WestJet World Elite MasterCard. You do no have to be an RBC customer. Simply click on the Apply Now link above and it will take you to the application page.
Enjoy!
GreedyRates Staff
My husband and I currently have separate credit cards but we arent happy with the rewards on either. Ideally we would like one card we can both use, but I’m wondering, if we both sign up seperately for the WestJet Mastercard, would we both receive the companion flight and $250 signing bonus? And Is there an option to signing up as a couple? Any perks to it? We love traveling and this card sounds amazing. The question is should we sign up together for a joint credit card or separately. Which option offers the most benefits.
Hi Andrea,
You should DEFINITELY sign-up separately! You hit the value on the head. Signing up separately, you each get the $250 welcome bonus and the annual companion voucher.
You can then take one trip on your card, you apply the $250 WestJet Dollars to your ticket and buy the second ticket for your husband with the companion voucher. On the second trip you do the inverse. He buys the ticket and applies his $250 Westjet Dollars to his ticket and buys the second ticket for you with the companion voucher!
Moreover, the rewards each of you will get on future spend can be redeemed on any ticket. You can also redeem your WestJet Dollars in any amount, without any loss of value – you don’t have to wait until you’ve earned $600 Westjet Dollars to redeem for a $600 flight. You can apply $100 to a $600 flight and pay $500 out of pocket. So there’s no real advantage to consolidating your accounts to get X amount of points to be able to redeem for a ticket. Earning the amount of value on separate cards is just as valuable as earning those rewards on one card.
Hope that helps!
GreedyRates Staff
Does having this credit card offer any airport lounge access when travelling?
Hi Daniel,
The WestJet World Elite MasterCard itself does not offer airport lounge access.
However, if you get into WestJet’s Silver status, you get 4 airport lounge vouchers. To qualify for silver status you have to spend over $3,000 in a 12 month period. At that point you will also receive an additional 3% cash back on WestJet flights, on top of the 2% cash back you’ll earn from your WestJet World Elite MasterCard.
Hope that helps!
GreedyRates Staff
do you get more cash back if you spend more than 3000? i am being greedy,lol
I would love to apply for this card it would help us immensely. However, we do not have the combined income of 120,000 or personal income of 70,000 dollars. How do they know/find out what we make? Is it something I need to declare? Is there anyway I can get around this issue?
Hi Caroline,
You declare it on your application, however RBC does not ask for proof of income nor does it verify income.
Hope that helps!
GreedyRates Staff
Actually for myself and 2 other people that I know, RBC not only checked & verified income, they wanted all of our investment info, T4’s, last pay stubs, income tax, all bank accounts and mortgage info on top of that as well. We were at the income level required, so why they needed everything else I do not know. We gave them printouts of everything that we had. We all joked that it felt like we were applying for a mortgage not a credit card. The process was quite detailed to say the least.
Quick question. If my spouse and I have individual RBC WestJet M/C can we use each other’s companion voucher for a flight together?
Hi Axel,
The quick answer is no, per WestJet – “To use the companion voucher you must purchase one WestJet-marketed and operated flight anywhere WestJet flies.”
That said, you can use the $250 WestJet Dollar welcome bonus against the ticket purchase and the companion voucher on the second ticket.
Hope that helps!
GreedyRates Staff
Hello. If I book a flight using my WestJet MasterCard, but cancel the card before flying, do I still get free bags on that flight?
Hi James,
If you cancel your card prior to take-off, you will not be eligible for the free checked bag benefit.
Enjoy!
GreedyRates Staff
The RBC Westjet card is the only one I have seen that offers emergency medical coverage if you are over 65. This is only for 3 days, but just right for cross-border shopping excursions to the US. The stability period is as low as 90 days, but read the fine print carefully! This is worth $8-$20 per day (depending on your age/deductible and the insurer).
We were an all-VISA/Amex family before getting this Mastercard. This card will allow us to derive some travel benefits from our substantial annual spend at Costco, where they accept MC.
Hi,
Do you have to book travel through WestJet MasterCard to avail $250 welcome bonus and companion voucher? Also, How do you compare this card to BMO World Elite? Thanks.
Hi Alex,
You can pay for your flight however you’d like, with or without the WestJet MasterCard, and be eligible to use either perk. You can use the $250 WestJet Dollar bonus on any flight, and you can use the companion voucher on any flight on the same itinerary as the primary cardholder.
Hope that helps!
GreedyRates Staff
My wife and I are brand new Westjet mastercard holders. Can I transfer a balance from another card or even transfer my Aventura points?
Thanks
Jim
Hi Jim,
Unfortunately you can’t transfer a balance to your WestJet MasterCard, nor can you transfer/convert Aventura points to WestJet Rewards. That said, we always recommend you keep your balance transfer card separate from your card for new purchases, because of the way issuers allocate payments (they manipulate your monthly repayment so that you end-up keeping your high interest balance longer).
Hope that helps,
GreedyRates Staff
Does the $99 companion get the same pearks as the cardholder. Eg .medical ,trip cancellation etc. Is the companion fare a return fare?
Hi Hilda,
Your travel companion will get the benefit of your travel medical insurance coverage. The card does not come with trip cancellation. We’re still trying to determine if the card will cover your companion for Trip Interruption and Flight Delay. The RBC insurance representative said no, but it’s possible that if you paid for the voucher fee with your card it does cover you, since that is the entire cost of the ticket. We’ll continue to investigate.
The companion voucher is for RETURN airfare!
Hope that helps,
GreedyRates Staff
Is the companion flight for $99 one way only? Or is it the same as if I booked a return trip? Same as the checked baggage, does it apply only to one way or return? Does the $99 companion fare accumulate over a couple years or will it expire if not used?
Hi Will,
The companion flight voucher for $99 is for a return ticket. The free first checked bag for the primary cardholder and up to eight travelling companions is for both the departure and return flight!
Enjoy,
GreedyRates Staff
I have a BMO airmiles WE MC. I spend several thousand a month on my card. For example: on one bill I spent $2627.64 and earned 262 airmiles on purchases. How many airmiles would I have earned if I had a WJ card?
Hi Joni,
You earn 2% in WestJet Dollars on WestJet spend and 1.5% on all other credit card purchases. Let’s take the $2,627.64 of spend you cited, you would have earned $39 WestJet Dollars, which you could use same as cash against any WestJet flight or vacation you book. The 262 Air Miles you earned should be worth around $49 because of the 25% flight discount when redeeming. The downside of the Air Miles program versus the WestJet program, is that there are seat availability issues with the Air Miles program – you can book any WestJet flight you want and even do a partial redemption of your WestJet Dollars against any flight.
Moreover, most of the rewards value is in the welcome bonus. Get a new WestJet WE MasterCard and you get a $250 WestJet welcome bonus. Stick with Air Miles and you’ll have to spend $13,333, just to match the WestJet welcome bonus – i.e. it pays to switch!
Hope that helps,
GreedyRates Staff
Is the anniversary date on the West Jet Elite credit card start when you make your first purchase on the card? If not when?
Hi Linda,
We were told the anniversary date is when you get approved for the card, but we’re not sure that’s truly the case. Better you assume the anniversary date is based off of when you activate the card with a first purchase.
Hope that helps,
GreedyRates Staff
Hello! Extremely interested in applying for a Westjet Mastercard, but how soon after would we be able to book and use the rewards and companion fare? Also, actually booking a trip to Cabo, is there a companion rate for Mexico available? assuming not $99… Apologies if this was addressed earlier, read through but didn’t see.
Hi Jenn,
Thanks for using GreedyRates! Your $250 WestJet Dollar Welcome Bonus and Companion Flight Voucher will each take 4-6 weeks to appear on your statement and account respectively, after your first purchase.
The companion voucher rate for a return flight to Mexico is $299.
Hope that helps,
GreedyRates Staff
Is there a charge for a wife or husband supplemental card?
Hi Sharon,
Unfortunately, the cost for a supplemental card is $49. However, with a welcome bonus of $250 WestJet Dollars, and the companion voucher we’d strongly suggest you or your spouse get an additional NEW card. Even with the $99 annual fee, you’ll come out $150 ahead of the game at least ($250 welcome bonus – $99 annual fee = $151) – even more if you use the companion voucher, which can save you hundreds!
Hope that helps!
GreedyRates Staff
can you still get the free checked bags if you have used air miles to pay for your WestJet tickets?
Hi Sharon,
Yes you can still receive your free bag, even if you book your WestJet ticket through another loyalty program (Air Miles) or credit card. All you have to do is add your WestJet Rewards ID number to your booking / itinerary, after you’ve made your reservation. Just call WestJet and it’s done in a couple of minutes. Easy as that.
Hope that helps,
GreedyRates Staff
Are balance transfers from other cards eligible for westjet dollars,?
Hi Norm,
No credit card issuers make balance transfer dollars eligible for points. The reason is that unlike a purchase in a store, credit card issuers don’t earn interchange from a balance transfer. Interchange fees are the primary source of income credit card issuers use to fund rewards. That’s why any cash-like transaction such as balance transfers or cash advances don’t earn points.
Hope that helps!
GreedyRates Staff
Can the $250 voucher and $99 companion fee be used at the same time?
Hi Phil,
Absolutely they can both be used at the same time! Get the card, book a flight and you can redeem the $250 WestJet Dollars against your own ticket, and then buy the companion voucher for $99 to pay for the second airfare!
Hope that helps,
GreedyRates Staff
Do you have to book base fare for companion voucher. My wife and I are planning a Jamaica flight later this year. I applied and got approved for Elite WestJet MasterCard. I am waiting on my voucher but was reading that the $299 is for base fare. I was wondering if you could apply the voucher for the plus seating as well?
Hi Corry,
You can book Plus or Econo, and the companion ticket will match the fare class at no extra cost!
Enjoy,
GreedyRates Staff
Hi there,
I understand from a previous reply that you can use the companion ticket even if you book on another credit card. I have enough points on my aspire card for a trip to hawaii so what I was thinking is signing up for 2 west jet elite cards, 1 for myself and 1 for my wife. Could we use 2 of the companion tickets on the same booking. There would be 4 people flying so 2 people pay full fare and 2 people pay the companion voucher price. Would this work?
Hi Chris,
Yes it would work. But each primary cardholder would have to book a seat on the same flight separately, then book the companion voucher seat with the corresponding primary cardholder itinerary.
Hope that helps!
GreedyRates Staff
Hypothetical scenario: Let’s say I got this card on Feb 1, 2017. I then cancel it on Jan 31, 2018 so as to avoid the following year’s annual fee. Now, I decide I want the card again and apply for it on Feb 1, 2019. Would I still be eligible for the $250 bonus (i.e. would I be considered a new customer?)?
Hi Stephen,
As of right now, there are no limits on the number of times you can re-apply for the card, and still receive the $250 WestJet Dollar welcome bonus. You just have to ensure your previous card is cancelled.
Enjoy!
GreedyRates Staff
Hey,
Just say i get the card in my name and my wife is flying on her own but i book the flight on the wj card, does she get to get the first check bag for free or does the cardholder have to be flying as well to get the benefits. Also I’m going to guess that the primary hold has to be flying as well to be able to use the companion voucher correct? Im
Hi Bilal,
In both cases, your wife, the companion, will have to be flying with you to receive the free first checked bag benefit and the companion voucher benefit. That said, you can get the free checked bag benefit on non-rewards flights and even on flights you don’t book with your WestJet credit card. Moreover, up to 8 of your travelling companions are eligible for the benefit – great for families.
Hope that helps!
GreedyRates Staff
Is the free first checked bag only applicable when the companion ticket is used or is it on all flights booked with West Jet with the West Jet master card
Hi Nasir,
The free first checked bag is available on all WestJet flights. In fact, you don’t even have to use your WestJet MasterCard to book the flight! All you have to do is ensure the “eligible member’s 9-digit WestJet Rewards ID must be on the reservation at the time of check-in.” The free first checked bag is available to the primary cardholder and up to 8 people travelling on the same itinerary.
Now with Air Canada and WestJet charging for checked bags on all domestic and international flights, the WestJet World Elite MasterCard got a whole lot more valuable.
GreedyRates Staff
My wife is considering the West Jet Elite credit card. If she proceeds, I understand she would get the welcoming $250.00 bonus but could she use the companion flight immediately? Or does she have to wait?
Thanks,
Hi Mike,
You will get both the $250 WestJet Welcome bonus and the Companion flight voucher within 4-6 weeks from approval: “Once approved for the WestJet RBC World Elite MasterCard, please allow 4-6 weeks after the first purchase transaction date for the welcome bonus of 250 WestJet dollars to appear on your credit card statement, and for the welcome companion voucher (the “Flight Voucher”) to appear on your WestJet account, accessible at westjet.com.
Hope that helps!
GreedyRates Staff
My wife and I are planning on flying Westjet two separate times this year, the first trip would be Toronto to Cozumel return, the second would be Toronto to Hawaii return. I am considering the Westjet Master Card but had two questions. 1) Can I choose which flight I use the companion fare for, or is it automatically attributed to the first flight taken in the year? 2) We have no need for travel medical insurance as it is available through my employer, but we generally use my wife’s credit card to book trips as it includes trip cancellation insurance. Does this credit card include trip cancellation insurance?
Hi Ed!
1. You can choose whichever flight you want for the companion voucher.
2. The card does not come with trip cancellation insurance, however, it does come with trip interruption and flight delay insurance.
Hope that helps!
GreedyRates Staff
Can your companion be a canadian resident who hasn’t yet got their canadian permanent residence and therefore has British ID in the form of a passport.
Hi Carolyn,
Absolutely. Your companion voucher can be booked with whoever you want, and can have any citizenship or residency status.
Enjoy!!!
GreedyRates Staff
In the fine print it states thatyou cannot pay certain bills with it. Could you clarify which bills you can pay
Hi Lois,
We believe this is the disclosure you are referring to: “WestJet dollars are earned on net purchases only; they are not earned on cash advances (including RBC Royal Bank® credit card cheques, balance transfers, cash-like transactions and certain bill payments).”
Essentially what this means is that if you pay a bill through RBC’s online banking with your credit card it considers the transaction a cash advance. However, if you pay a Telus or Hydro bill directly with your credit card, that is considered a regular purchase, and you will receive WestJet Rewards.
Hope that helps,
GreedyRates Staff
I currently have a M/C air miles credit card, had it for years but since they have decided to expire air miles I want to switch to a different card, I have looked at many, my biggest negative for the WestJet MasterCard is the annual fee, why is there a fee and what does it do for me?? I really had “paying for a credit card”
Hi Nancy,
In general, credit cards with annual fees should do one of the following: Offer a higher rewards rate or welcome bonus, offer valuable perks or benefits, offer robust travel insurance.
In the case of the WestJet World Elite MasterCard, it offers:
1. $250 WestJet Dollars as a welcome bonus, offsetting the annual fee for more than 2 years!
2. Phenomenal value in its perks and benefits. For example, you get your first checked bag free for you and up to 8 travelling companions! That’s worth $30 per person each way. If you have a family of 4, that could save you $240 per trip alone.
3. The second unique perks offered exclusively through the WestJet World Elite MasterCard is the annual companion voucher. Just for keeping the card open, each and every year, you will receive a companion voucher ticket for $99, every year, which you can then use to fly a companion to anywhere in North America return, with no blackout dates or flight restrictions. That also has the potential to be worth far more than the annual fee, in and of itself.
4. It comes with travel medical, flight delay, trip interruption and car rental insurance. While you may see car rental insurance on some no fee credit cards, rarely will you see travel medical, flight delay and trip interruption insurance on a no fee credit card, and if it is, it’s usually for only a few days worth of out of country coverage – not for 15 days extended coverage. If you had to buy travel medical insurance on your own it could easily cost well over $100.
The welcome bonus, free bags, annual companion ticket, and travel insurance if used, MORE than make up for the $99 annual fee. You will not see those type of perks on a credit card with no annual fee.
Hope that helps!
GreedyRates staff
does the accompanying traveler gets the same insurance coverage when ticket is booked with the westjet rbc m/c for a group of 10 people?
Hi Ginnifer,
If the accompanying traveler’s ticket is purchased with the WestJet MasterCard, and he/she is a spouse or dependent, then yes. If not, then our understanding is they would not be covered.
Hope that helps,
GreedyRates Staff
thanks for the info, i got my westjet mc card today.
Great stuff. Congrats!
Hi,
How is this card compared to the Aventura Credit Card?
Thanks.
Hi Ann,
The WestJet Card is very different from the Aventura card. In our opinion, the biggest advantages of the WestJet card are: Free first checked bag for you and up to 8 travelling companions (worth $30 each way, per person) on any WestJet flight, an annual anniversary companion voucher just for keeping the card open each year, and partial redemption / same as cash (if you’ve collected $200 WestJet Dollars, you can redeem your $200 WestJet Dollars against a $500 ticket, and only pay the net $300 in cash). Unlike Aventura, there is no flight redemption chart i.e. 60,000 points for return airfare to Europe. The advantage of the Aventura card is the ability to use your points to book any airline. Neither card has any blackout dates.
Hope that helps,
GreedyRates Staff
Hi, we just received and used ours. Is it possible to pay through on line banking at another bank? We bank with TD. Do all my bills online. Use to pay my National Bank MC on TD on line banking.
Hi Donna,
Yes you can pay your WestJet RBC MasterCard balance through TD’s online banking system. Not an issue.
GreedyRates Staff
HI! I currently have the BMO World Elite Card which I LOVE!! The value of the amount you spend = pts= $ value for what you get to spend on rewards I think is the best value. But…I am considering getting the westjet World elite card aswell – simply for the fact of the companion ticket. Would you suggest just staying with one card over the other? Thanks!
Hi Janet,
If you can use the WestJet voucher annually, we would definitely recommend it. With no minimum spend requirement, you’re getting a $250 WestJet Dollar welcome bonus, which more than makes up for the low $99 annual fee. Then, just for keeping your account open with no minimum spend requirement, you’ll get the companion voucher EVERY year. The voucher alone can be worth hundreds as demonstrated in the article above. And again, with no minimum spend requirement, you’ll get first checked bag free for you and your travelling companion, saving $30 per bag each way.
Hope that helps,
GreedyRates Staff
Hi,
First thanks for proving the wealth of information. The site indicates the following, premium card can impose higher acceptance costs on merchants. Is it possible that some merchants may not accept this card?
Thanks
Hi Dean,
Merchants cannot decide to accept some MasterCards and not others. They either accept them all, or none of them.
Hope that helps,
GreedyRates Staff
I’m a little confused about the fine print for the RBC world elite MC. I read a trip advisor review that said in order to qualify for a companion fare, you have to spend a certain amount of money annually in order to get the companion fare, and that this annual spending amount had to be spent on travel. this is what I found on the website fine print, but I don’t know what it means. “Calculation based on the base fare paid for a WestJet-marketed flight purchased directly from WestJet by a member who has reached the qualifying flight spend of $4,000 or more during the applicable qualifying year, and has used the WestJet RBC World Elite MasterCard with maximum earn potential.” Can you spell it out for me? :p
Hi Lindsay,
With the WestJet World Elite MasterCard, you will automatically get a companion voucher on your anniversary date, with NO minimum spend required.
The qualifying spend of $4,000 on WestJet flights, you refer to is for members of the WestJet loyalty rewards program – completely separate from the credit card program.
Hope that helps clarify,
GreedyRates Staff
Hello, I currently have the Scotia Passport visa. How is the Westjet card comparable?
Thank you
Hi Louisa,
Each card provides different benefits. There are only two reasons you might want to choose the Scotia Passport Gold over the WestJet MasterCard World Elite. The first is because it has trip cancellation insurance. The second is because it offers 5% rewards on travel purchased through Scotia’s travel rewards centre.
However, the WestJet MasterCard World Elite offers so much more from this perspective: First, you get a $250 WestJet Dollar welcome bonus. Second, you get an anniversary companion flight voucher – every year. Third you get free checked bags for you and your travelling companions. Fourth, you get 1.5% earnings on all non-WestJet spend, versus Scotia which only gives you 1% on all non-Scotia travel spend.
Hope that helps!
GreedyRates Staff
hello, I currently have a Scotiabank American Express card for travel purchases as the travel insurance is quite good. I have recently been thinking of getting the WestJet MasterCard.
would I have to use the WestJet card when purchasing travel in order to use the companion voucher? and if so, does the WJ card have similar travel insurance coverage at no cost.
Hi Julie,
No you can use the voucher regardless of what payment method or card you use to book your flight.
Hope that helps,
GreedyRates Staff
I currently have a business card with TD however the points are not worth as much when time comes to cash in. Looking at the Westjet card as I have heard lots about it. Is there a different option for companies? If I get a westjet card for our business can I use it personally for flights/vacations? If so how?
Hi Pam,
WestJet does not have a business card per se. However, you can always get a business card under your name and use it exclusively for business expenses. It would behave just like a business card, except that it would be guaranteed by your person, as opposed to your business. You can even have all statements mailed to your business address, to help with record keeping.
You would then be able to use your points as you’d like. At this stage, it does not seem that Revenue Canada is looking to tax business owners on their points. That said, if you provided points to employees as a bonus, it likely would be considered as taxable income.
Hope that helps,
GreedyRates Staff
I’m curious how it would work if I booked a westjet vacation. I just recently got this card, so I have $250 travel voucher. I also have the $99 companion flight.
If I book a west jet vacation would they discount the price based on the companion flight, free checked bags and the travel voucher ect?
Please advise 🙂
Thanks!
Hi Laura,
If you are booking a WestJet Vacation package, you can use the $250 credit, and get the first checked bag free. However you can only use the $99 companion flight on WestJet flights – not on vacation packages.
Hope that answers your question!
GreedyRates Staff
To get the free checked bags do I have to book with the westjet card?
Hi Chigu,
You do not need to book your flight with the WestJet World Elite MasterCard to get the first checked bag free. All you have to do is ensure your WestJet ID number is attached to your booking or do it at check-in with an agent.
Hope that helps!
GreedyRates Staff
Does the companion voucher expire if not used within its 1-year time frame, or does it carry over? I have an upcoming vacation in May for two, Toronto to Florida, and the sign-up bonus along with the voucher and free bags would reduce the trip cost by $500-600 after the annual fee. Mighty tempting. After that point though it may be a couple years before I would have the chance to put a companion voucher to good use, in which case I’m paying $99 for no value (since my other cards offer better return value). So the question is, would they store up for future use, or just expire in which case I’d probably want to cancel the card down the road?
Hi Matthew,
Great to see you’re getting so much value out of the WestJet welcome bonus, companion voucher and free bags – that’s the way it’s supposed to be done!
The WestJet companion vouchers last a full year, from the time they are first issued.
Hope that helps,
GreedyRates Staff
Can you use your companion flight on a one way flight only?
Hi Ellen,
Yes you can use the companion voucher for a one way flight, but you would then forfeit the return portion of the voucher.
Hope that helps,
GreedyRates Staff
Hello there!
I currently have the TD First Class Travel Infinite Visa card… I’ve been reading so much about this Westjet card – and it seems amazing!
The thing I like about the TD card is that I can book any airline I want (although I always prefer WJ) as well as hotels, theme parks etc and redeem rewards. However, that being said – would it make sense for me to also have the WJ card for the sign on points and annual companion fare? Is there a minimum spend or something I would need to do to make sure I get the benefits through the WJ card each year?- if I’m spending the majority on my TD?
I guess I just would like to know if I can make these two cards work for me instead of just choosing one over the other…
Hi Veronica,
Many people get the WestJet card just for the sign-up bonus and the annual companion voucher. There is no minimum spend requirement, just a first purchase activation requirement. All you would have to do to get access to the benefits each year is keep the account open and in good standing – no min spend is required.
Hope that helps,
GreedyRates Staff
Hello I have 2 questions 1. Does this card allow you to book on all inclusive family vacations or is it just westjet flights only? 2. My husband is the only one who works I am a stay home mom. Our income together is not 70,000 more like 50,000 but we have great credit why is the minimum 70,000. We want to start taking family vacations as our kids are getting older and this would be a great card to get.
Hi Jen,
Great to hear from you! To answer your questions:
1. Yes you can use your WestJet dollars to pay partially or wholly for your WestJet Vacations, in addition to WestJet flights.
2. You can use all sources of household income on your application (salary, investments, gifts, etc…) from all members of the household (spouse, kids, grandparents). Also, most banks do not verify income, so there are no returns or pay stubs required.
Hope that helps,
GreedyRates Staff
I have this card and love it. The savings have already far outweighed the annual fee cost (provided you pay your balances on time and don’t incur interest charges). I flew with a friend from Moncton to Kelowna a couple months ago and used the companion voucher. On that route with tax, charges, etc in, the final ticket price with using the companion voucher came to ~$227 ($99+$128 in taxes and various fees). Still a killer deal because we saved almost $900 on that ticket alone compared to if we hadn’t used it, plus we saved on the checked bags. In my opinion the card is worth it even if you’re planning on taking only one trip a year, because we saved $1000+ on that one trip with the card’s perks.
In the future if they’re considering adding additional perks, one I would love to see is a complementary upgrade to Plus, perhaps provided you’re both gold tier and a cardholder? *Hint* *hint* WestJet and RBC
Thanks for the feedback Mike!
I am in Vancouver and comparing the Alaska and Westjet cards. We mostly travel to Puerto Vallarta to inclusive or non inclusive resorts. Currently we have the TD infinite VISA. We are considering Hawaii also.
Any advise you can share?
thanks
Hi Glenna,
For Puerto Vallarta, we would recommend Alaska Airlines, as the companion voucher costs less – $121 USD versus $299 CDN for WestJet.
For Hawaii, we would also recommend Alaska Airlines. Again, the WestJet MasterCard companion voucher costs $299 CDN versus the Alaska Airlines MasterCard voucher costing $121 USD.
Both cards come with a $250 welcome bonus, and have low annual fees ($75 for Alaska, $99 for WestJet).
That said, an advantage WestJet will have over Alaska Air is the free first checked bag for the primary cardholder and all travelling companions. Each bag has a cost of $25, each way. On one trip that could be a savings of $100, if you’re each checking a bag.
Hope that helps!
GreedyRates Staff
Just got rid of our Alaska airline card and found it was not worth it. You have to purchase tickets at us rates and Alaska prices are usually about $150 per ticket more than air canada or west jet so you pay $600 more for tickets then save $600 with points if you spend about $20,000 so in the end you don’t save much plus most Alaska flights require one or two stop overs. West jet is better for Canadians
I just made the same decision based and switched to West Jet Elite based on the fact that, for the Alaska Airlines card, you pay the companion fare in US funds. The West Jet card seems to be more competitive than the AK Airlines card when you add that with the free checked baggage benefit.
How does this card compare to the Capital One Aspire Travel World Elite M/C?
I currently have the TD First Class Travel Visa Infinite card and have made great use of the redeeming my points for free flights, hotels, etc.
I’m finding though that the value on the other 2 cards might be better, based on my research. I was even considering getting rid of the Visa card and getting the other 2 instead…the Westjet one solely for the companion voucher!
Thanks
Hi Pritesh,
The Capital One Aspire and TD First Class Travel Visa, both have the potential to earn more rewards on spend than the WestJet World Elite MasterCard, but not necessarily as much overall value. As we mentioned, the companion voucher alone can be worth hundreds, and the first checked bag free for you and up to 8 travelling companions, is also a great feature saving $25 per bag, per way! Many people get the WestJet WE for the annual companion voucher. In the first year alone, the $250 WestJet dollar welcome bonus covers the low annual fee, as well, making the decision even easier.
If you like the idea of 2% rewards, you should also look at the MBNA Rewards World Elite card, which provides 2% rewards which you can apply against any purchase on your credit card statement, no annual fee first year, a $100 welcome bonus and only an $89 annual fee thereafter.
GreedyRates Staff
Thanks!
This site is really informative and useful!
I was reading the “Stack the deck” article and saw the recommendation of the Scotia Momentum Visa. How does that compare to the cards mentioned above?
I believe I answered my own question. The Scotia card is strictly a cash back card, correct? However the Scotia Amex can be used to redeem towards travel?
The Scotia Amex Gold is a “cash equivalent” rewards program. Each point is worth $.01, so you earn 40,000 points, which is worth $400, which you can then apply as cash to any travel expense on your credit card statement.
Hope that addresses your question.
GreedyRates Staff
Hi Pritesh,
You will have to match each card to your individual spending patterns and rewards preferences. Use our comparison calculators to see which cards provide the most earnings given your spending patterns. The Amex Gold Rewards card is very strong from an earnings perspective, but the big advantage of the WestJet World Elite card, is that it offers the companion ticket and the free checked bag. If you’re flying with a spouse or family, and are able to fly WestJet, it could offer fantastic value – even if you don’t put all your spend on it!
GreedyRates Staff
The companion ticket does sound attractive, but a companion ticket to Europe at $399 plus taxes and fees will amount to over $700. Given that you have to fly WestJet and can’t comparison shop, it could be no deal at all by the time you pay for the main ticket. The North American one looks like a better deal. A ticket to Florida will cost about $225 with taxes. I presume the “main” ticket can be purchased at the current Economy fare not the “regular” fare? Personally I am sticking with Avion right now. I have used these points on different airlines.
Hi Edna,
We’re not a hundred percent on board with you. To test your argument, we just went on WestJet.com and priced a flight to London in Economy at $558 return, without fees or taxes, which were an extra $199. The $399 voucher would provide us with a savings of $159. However, if we would have booked first class, the price of the ticket was well over a thousand, and we would have saved well over $600, because the companion ticket matches the seat class of the cardholder at no extra cost.
Where you can also find great value is in last minute ticket purchases, or peak holiday purchases, where prices can skyrocket. There are no blackout periods for the voucher, so regardless of time, you can still get the companion seat for the cost of the voucher.
GreedyRates Staff
Hi: I was wondering when does the $99 companion ticket start? It is once a year, calendar year as 1 trip in 2015 and 1 trip in 2016 or from the last trip you took?
Hi Dale,
You will get the annual flight voucher each year on your credit card anniversary date. So you will get it 4-6 weeks after you open your account, and then another one on your credit card anniversary date the following year, and so on.
GreedyRates Staff
I have the BMO Air Miles World Elite and The RBC Infinite Avion cards for their travel rewards program. I’m thinking of getting the RBC WestJet World Elite card for the yearly companion travel program. We usually travel to all inclusive resorts once a year, but would like to travel to other places that don’t necessarily offer all inclusive such as Hawaii, Las Vegas, some places in South America. What are your thoughts/advice with this? Is it worth starting on another travel reward’s card? I usually spend an average of $3,000.00 – $4,000.00 per month for business and personal purchases. I look forward to your reply.
Hi Cliff,
In our opinion the WestJet World Elite is the better of the three cards. Although you’ll have to fly WestJet, you’ll be able to book any flight, with no restrictions, unlike with the BMO Air Miles World Elite. You will earn a little less on spend, however, it will be more than made up for with:
1. Annual companion voucher, which can be used for any flight, and/or class of travel. It should easily save you a couple of hundred dollars per voucher.
2. Free 1st checked bag for you and up to 8 travelling companions. For you and your spouse at $25 per bag, per way, that’s $100 per trip.
3. Lower annual fee of $99 versus $120
If your flying out of Alberta, you might also want to look into the Alaska Airlines card, which also offers an annual companion ticket to Hawaii, but for only $120 versus $299 for WestJet. Either way your saving a bundle. The WestJet companion ticket is only $99 for trips to Vegas and continental North America.
Frankly, you might want to consider both the WestJet and Alaska Airlines cards, since they both come with first year bonuses which more than make up for the first year annual fee, making the companion voucher offers free to access. With low annual fees of $75 for Alaska Airlines and $99 for WestJet, both may be worth keeping in your wallet just for the companion tickets alone!
Hope that helps,
GreedyRates Staff
Hope that helps,
GreedyRates Staff
Debating between this card and Alaska MBNA. Thoughts? I live in Toronto
Hi John,
If you had to choose one, and you live in Toronto, we would recommend the WestJet MasterCard. Unfortunately, you can only use the annual Alaska Airlines companion voucher on Alaska operated flights, and Alaska Airlines doesn’t fly out of Toronto (you can’t use the voucher on partner airlines). You’ll be able to use your annual WestJet companion voucher out of Toronto, plus you’ll get free checked bags for you and up to 8 travelling companions.
Hope that helps you make your decision.
GreedyRates Staff
Does the $250 welcome bonus expire? Any idea when this offer for the card ends?
Hi Tony,
WestJet Dollar rewards expire after 5 years.
GreedyRates Staff
Hi there I’m debating between staying with my TD first class infinite card and switching to the RBC Westjet Elite Mastercard. I spend money both on travel and non-travel related purchases. From what I gather, with the Westjet card I will get somewhat higher rewards (1.5%) on non-travel related purchases compared to ?? with the TD infinite card, but rewards would be similar on travel purchases if I’m using the Expedia site? Am I correct?
Hi James,
On non-travel purchases, you will earn 1.5% with the WestJet MasterCard WE & the TD First Class Visa.
On WestJet purchases, you will earn 2% with the WestJet MasterCard WE. On Expedia for TD purchases, you will earn 4.5% (if you redeem through Expedia for TD as well). So the TD First Class Visa earns a little more on travel, if you buy and redeem through Expedia.
The big advantage of the WestJet MasterCard is the annual companion ticket voucher for $99 (you get one every year) for any return ticket in North America, and the free first checked bags for you and up to 8 travelling companions (the whole family). That’s an unbelievable amount of value if you have someone to travel with.
On the flip side, the insurance package on the TD First Class Visa card is a little stronger (comes with trip cancellation).
Hope that helps,
GreedyRates Staff