WestJet has announced an overhaul of its WestJet Rewards loyalty program, effective April 30, 2025.
Two main changes are being made: WestJet dollars have become WestJet points, and members will now be able to use their points to cover the full cost of a flight or vacation package, including taxes and fees.
Converting WestJet Dollars Into Points
WestJet has adopted a new currency for its rewards program: WestJet points.
WestJet dollars are automatically being converted into WestJet points at a ratio of 1:100, meaning that each WestJet dollar is now 100 WestJet points, maintaining the same value.
So if you have 234 WestJet dollars, they have become 23,400 WestJet points.
For example, to obtain a $1 discount on a flight, members now use 100 points instead of 1 WestJet dollar.
Plus, WestJet points never expire.
New Redemption Options
WestJet Rewards members now enjoy greater flexibility with the redesigned program. Before, WestJet dollars could only be used for the base fare of a flight or vacation package. Taxes and fees were always extra.
This could have been a major disadvantage, especially when the base fare was minimal compared to the taxes and other surcharges. As we saw in our article on airline surcharges, WestJet was one of the carriers with the most. With the program overhaul, this is now different, and in a good way.
Under the new program, it is now possible to cover the full cost of WestJet flights and WestJet Vacation packages with points. This includes taxes, fees and extras such as seat selection and checked baggage.
Redemption options will also extend beyond travel with the new eStore WestJet Rewards, where points can be redeemed for merchandise and gift cards starting April 30, 2025.
The minimum redemption requirement for WestJet points is 2,500 points per flight booking and 5,000 points for WestJet vacation bookings.
New Ways to Accumulate
To diversify the ways to earn these new WestJet points, members will now be able to earn WestJet points on:
The card will continue to offer 2 points per dollar spent on WestJet flights and WestJet Vacations packages (equivalent to the previous rate of 2%), as well as 1.5 points per dollar on all other daily purchases (equivalent to the previous rate of 1.5%).
$700ⓘMilesopedia first-year estimateFirst-year valueWelcome bonus$700Total$700Rewards on your spending are not included. The calculator that adds them from your own profile is on the card's page.
Milesopedia first-year estimateⓘFirst-year valueWelcome bonus$700Total$700Rewards on your spending are not included. The calculator that adds them from your own profile is on the card's page.
With the WestJet RBC® World Elite Mastercard‡, you can earn up to 70,000 WestJet points as a welcome bonus:
30,000 WestJet points as a welcome bonus with your first purchase
30,000 WestJet points when you charge at least $5,000 in eligible purchases to your card within the first three months
10,000 additional WestJet points after your credit card account’s first anniversary
The offer ends on November 4, 2026.
The benefits in numbers
An annual companion voucher from $119
Charge at least $5,000 in purchases to your card each year and you receive a World Elite Companion Voucher for a round-trip flight, starting at a $119 base fare, plus taxes, fees, surcharges and other air transportation charges. You can exchange it instead for a 30% flight discount for one traveller, a $200 credit towards a WestJet Vacations or Sunwing Vacations package, or airport lounge passes. The exact number of lounge passes granted is to be verified against the RBC terms in force.
A free first checked bag for up to nine people
The first checked bag is free for the primary cardholder and up to 8 guests on the same reservation, on WestJet flights. For a family of four, that is four bags on every leg.
Status Lift: $200 in tier qualifying spend per $5,000
Your everyday purchases move you towards Silver, Gold and even Platinum status. You earn $200 in tier qualifying spend for every $5,000 in purchases charged to the card, up to 50 times per year.
Up to 2 WestJet points per dollar
2 points per dollar on WestJet flights, WestJet Vacations and Sunwing Vacations packages
2 points per dollar at grocery stores and on transportation, including gas, EV charging, public transit and rideshare
1.5 points per dollar on all other everyday purchases
The annual fee is $139, plus $59 per additional card.
Finally, you benefit from extensive insurance coverage: out-of-province or out-of-country emergency medical insurance, travel accident insurance, trip cancellation and trip interruption insurance, flight delay and delayed baggage insurance, hotel or motel burglary insurance, rental vehicle collision and damage insurance.
Legal
® / MC Trademark(s) of Royal Bank of Canada. RBC and Royal Bank are registered trademarks of Royal Bank of Canada.
‡ All other trademarks are the property of their respective owner(s).
1 To benefit from this offer, your application must be received and approved by Royal Bank of Canada (“Royal Bank”) between June 16, 2026 and November 4, 2026 (“Offer Period”). This offer only applies to new applications for a WestJet RBC World Elite Mastercard.
You will receive up to 30,000 welcome WestJet points upon your first purchase (“Welcome WestJet Points”) distributed as follows: (i) 25, 000 Welcome WestJet Points up to six (6) weeks after your first purchase transaction date; and (ii) 5,000 Welcome WestJet Points up to twelve (12) weeks after your first purchase transaction date, provided your first purchase gets posted to your WestJet RBC World Elite Mastercard credit card account (“Credit Card Account”) within the first three (3) months of your Credit Card Account opening date (“Period”).
You will receive an additional 30,000 WestJet points (“Additional WestJet Points”) provided a total of $5,000 (“Qualifying Transaction Amount”) or more in qualifying net purchases and/or pre-authorized bill payment transactions (“Qualifying Transaction(s)”) are posted to your Credit Card Account within the Period. The Additional WestJet Points will be awarded approximately six (6) weeks after the date you reach the Qualifying Transaction Amount. Qualifying Transactions exclude cash advances (including balance transfers, cash-like transactions and bill payments that are not pre-authorized charges that you set up with a merchant), interest charges and fees, and credits for returns and adjustments posted to your Credit Card Account during the Period will reduce the amount of your Qualifying Transactions.
The transaction posting date of each Qualifying Transaction, not the transaction date, will determine whether the transaction will count towards the Qualifying Transaction Amount. This means that Qualifying Transactions that take place prior to the last day of the Period will not count towards the Qualifying Transaction Amount if they have not yet been posted or processed by the merchant, the payment network (Mastercard) or Royal Bank by the last day of the Period.
You will receive an additional 10,000 WestJet points (“Anniversary WestJet Points”) up to sixteen (16) weeks after your Credit Card Account has been open for one (1) year.
Welcome WestJet Points, Additional WestJet Points and Anniversary WestJet Points will be awarded to your WestJet Rewards account, accessible at westjet.com/account, and appear on your monthly credit card statement, provided your Credit Card Account is open and in good standing at the time they are awarded to your WestJet Rewards account, “good standing” meaning that your Credit Card Account must not be past due for more than two (2) consecutive Credit Card Account statement periods, closed, charged off or in credit revoked status at that time.
Only the primary cardholder on the Credit Card Account is eligible for this offer. Additional cardholders(s) (co-applicant and authorized user(s)), as well as existing cardholders on any RBC Royal Bank personal credit card account, transferring to a WestJet RBC World Elite Mastercard during the Offer Period, are not eligible for this offer.
If you close your Credit Card Account or change it for another type of RBC Royal Bank credit card before the Welcome WestJet points, Additional Welcome WestJet points or the Anniversary WestJet points have been awarded to your WestJet Rewards account, you may not receive the points. This offer may not be combined or used in conjunction with any other offer. Royal Bank and WestJet reserve the right to modify, cancel or withdraw this offer at any time without notice, even after your application has been approved, including if we suspect that you may be manipulating or abusing it, or engaging in any suspicious or fraudulent activity, as determined by us in our sole discretion.
Annual fee
Primary card$139
Additional card$59
Annual income required
Individual$80,000
Household$150,000
Conversion fees
2.5%
Earning rate
2xGroceries
2xGas & EV
2xTransit
2xWith the partner brand
1.5xAll spending
Value
1st Year Value$1,098
2nd Year Value$263
Travel insurance
Travel medical (under 55)Included
Travel medical (55-64)Included
Travel medical (65+)Included
Trip CancellationUp to $1,500
Trip InterruptionUp to $5,000
Delayed BaggageUp to $500
Flight DelayUp to $500
Hotel BurglaryUp to $2,500
Travel AccidentUp to $500,000
Purchase protection
Purchase ProtectionIncluded
Extended Warranty+1 years
Mobile DeviceIncluded
Auto Rental CollisionUp to $65,000 / 48 days
The card also retains its two main benefits: the annual companion voucher for a round-trip flight, and free first checked baggage for the cardholder and up to 8 people travelling on the same reservation.
Interest rates and annual fees will remain unchanged.
Easier To Reach Status Levels
The Status Liftprogram is also getting a makeover. Additionally, members with an eligible WestJet credit card will even be able to reach the Platinum level without ever stepping on a WestJet flight!
One of the improvements is that now, each extra payment such as cabin upgrades, checked baggage, and seat selections will be recognized as expenses to help increase your status level.
Holders of the WestJet RBC® World Elite Mastercard will earn $200 in recognized level spending for every $5,000 in purchases (instead of the current bonus of $500 in recognized level spending for every $15,000 in purchases).
In addition, the limit of 3 Status Lifts per calendar year will be replaced by a new maximum of 50 Status Lifts per year, making it possible to reach Platinum level.
You’ll also get gifts every time you exceed a threshold ($2k, $8k, $12k, etc), like:
Fares reduced by 40% for Privilege and Business classes;
Travel credit vouchers for vacations;
A golden status for a whole year to share;
WestJet suite at a Blue Jays games for the member and up to 17 friends;
Free merchandise from the new eStore WestJet Rewards.
Finally, eligible purchases made between January and April 2025 will be recalculated according to the new formula, potentially offering additional Lifts to cardholders.
This enhancement will give members faster access to higher status and earlier travel benefits, including lounge access, upgrades and priority boarding.
Other Benefits
Some everyday businesses will partner with WestJet to give you the chance to earn or redeem WestJet points.
You’ll be able to link your WestJet Rewards account to your TELUS and Skip accounts.
Bottom Line
The transition to the new program is taking place on April 30, 2025, and there is no action required on your part. WestJet dollars in your account will be automatically converted into WestJet points at a rate of $1 per 100 points.
The advantage of this enhancement is that WestJet points will be awarded in smaller increments, so that they can be accumulated on small expenditures made with WestJet (seat selection, checked baggage, etc.). Conversely, it’s easier to devalue a program when it’s a question of « points » rather than « dollars ».
$700ⓘMilesopedia first-year estimateFirst-year valueWelcome bonus$700Total$700Rewards on your spending are not included. The calculator that adds them from your own profile is on the card's page.
Milesopedia first-year estimateⓘFirst-year valueWelcome bonus$700Total$700Rewards on your spending are not included. The calculator that adds them from your own profile is on the card's page.
With the WestJet RBC® World Elite Mastercard‡, you can earn up to 70,000 WestJet points as a welcome bonus:
30,000 WestJet points as a welcome bonus with your first purchase
30,000 WestJet points when you charge at least $5,000 in eligible purchases to your card within the first three months
10,000 additional WestJet points after your credit card account’s first anniversary
The offer ends on November 4, 2026.
The benefits in numbers
An annual companion voucher from $119
Charge at least $5,000 in purchases to your card each year and you receive a World Elite Companion Voucher for a round-trip flight, starting at a $119 base fare, plus taxes, fees, surcharges and other air transportation charges. You can exchange it instead for a 30% flight discount for one traveller, a $200 credit towards a WestJet Vacations or Sunwing Vacations package, or airport lounge passes. The exact number of lounge passes granted is to be verified against the RBC terms in force.
A free first checked bag for up to nine people
The first checked bag is free for the primary cardholder and up to 8 guests on the same reservation, on WestJet flights. For a family of four, that is four bags on every leg.
Status Lift: $200 in tier qualifying spend per $5,000
Your everyday purchases move you towards Silver, Gold and even Platinum status. You earn $200 in tier qualifying spend for every $5,000 in purchases charged to the card, up to 50 times per year.
Up to 2 WestJet points per dollar
2 points per dollar on WestJet flights, WestJet Vacations and Sunwing Vacations packages
2 points per dollar at grocery stores and on transportation, including gas, EV charging, public transit and rideshare
1.5 points per dollar on all other everyday purchases
The annual fee is $139, plus $59 per additional card.
Finally, you benefit from extensive insurance coverage: out-of-province or out-of-country emergency medical insurance, travel accident insurance, trip cancellation and trip interruption insurance, flight delay and delayed baggage insurance, hotel or motel burglary insurance, rental vehicle collision and damage insurance.
Legal
® / MC Trademark(s) of Royal Bank of Canada. RBC and Royal Bank are registered trademarks of Royal Bank of Canada.
‡ All other trademarks are the property of their respective owner(s).
1 To benefit from this offer, your application must be received and approved by Royal Bank of Canada (“Royal Bank”) between June 16, 2026 and November 4, 2026 (“Offer Period”). This offer only applies to new applications for a WestJet RBC World Elite Mastercard.
You will receive up to 30,000 welcome WestJet points upon your first purchase (“Welcome WestJet Points”) distributed as follows: (i) 25, 000 Welcome WestJet Points up to six (6) weeks after your first purchase transaction date; and (ii) 5,000 Welcome WestJet Points up to twelve (12) weeks after your first purchase transaction date, provided your first purchase gets posted to your WestJet RBC World Elite Mastercard credit card account (“Credit Card Account”) within the first three (3) months of your Credit Card Account opening date (“Period”).
You will receive an additional 30,000 WestJet points (“Additional WestJet Points”) provided a total of $5,000 (“Qualifying Transaction Amount”) or more in qualifying net purchases and/or pre-authorized bill payment transactions (“Qualifying Transaction(s)”) are posted to your Credit Card Account within the Period. The Additional WestJet Points will be awarded approximately six (6) weeks after the date you reach the Qualifying Transaction Amount. Qualifying Transactions exclude cash advances (including balance transfers, cash-like transactions and bill payments that are not pre-authorized charges that you set up with a merchant), interest charges and fees, and credits for returns and adjustments posted to your Credit Card Account during the Period will reduce the amount of your Qualifying Transactions.
The transaction posting date of each Qualifying Transaction, not the transaction date, will determine whether the transaction will count towards the Qualifying Transaction Amount. This means that Qualifying Transactions that take place prior to the last day of the Period will not count towards the Qualifying Transaction Amount if they have not yet been posted or processed by the merchant, the payment network (Mastercard) or Royal Bank by the last day of the Period.
You will receive an additional 10,000 WestJet points (“Anniversary WestJet Points”) up to sixteen (16) weeks after your Credit Card Account has been open for one (1) year.
Welcome WestJet Points, Additional WestJet Points and Anniversary WestJet Points will be awarded to your WestJet Rewards account, accessible at westjet.com/account, and appear on your monthly credit card statement, provided your Credit Card Account is open and in good standing at the time they are awarded to your WestJet Rewards account, “good standing” meaning that your Credit Card Account must not be past due for more than two (2) consecutive Credit Card Account statement periods, closed, charged off or in credit revoked status at that time.
Only the primary cardholder on the Credit Card Account is eligible for this offer. Additional cardholders(s) (co-applicant and authorized user(s)), as well as existing cardholders on any RBC Royal Bank personal credit card account, transferring to a WestJet RBC World Elite Mastercard during the Offer Period, are not eligible for this offer.
If you close your Credit Card Account or change it for another type of RBC Royal Bank credit card before the Welcome WestJet points, Additional Welcome WestJet points or the Anniversary WestJet points have been awarded to your WestJet Rewards account, you may not receive the points. This offer may not be combined or used in conjunction with any other offer. Royal Bank and WestJet reserve the right to modify, cancel or withdraw this offer at any time without notice, even after your application has been approved, including if we suspect that you may be manipulating or abusing it, or engaging in any suspicious or fraudulent activity, as determined by us in our sole discretion.
Annual fee
Primary card$139
Additional card$59
Annual income required
Individual$80,000
Household$150,000
Conversion fees
2.5%
Earning rate
2xGroceries
2xGas & EV
2xTransit
2xWith the partner brand
1.5xAll spending
Value
1st Year Value$1,098
2nd Year Value$263
Travel insurance
Travel medical (under 55)Included
Travel medical (55-64)Included
Travel medical (65+)Included
Trip CancellationUp to $1,500
Trip InterruptionUp to $5,000
Delayed BaggageUp to $500
Flight DelayUp to $500
Hotel BurglaryUp to $2,500
Travel AccidentUp to $500,000
Purchase protection
Purchase ProtectionIncluded
Extended Warranty+1 years
Mobile DeviceIncluded
Auto Rental CollisionUp to $65,000 / 48 days
Which credit card should you choose for travel?
If you travel regularly, the credit card you carry makes a real difference – travel insurance, points earning, airport lounge access and no foreign exchange fees. Use our credit card comparator to filter through 200+ Canadian cards based on your needs, or browse the best credit cards in Canada, ranked monthly by the Milesopedia team.
$990ⓘMilesopedia first-year estimateFirst-year valueWelcome bonus$990Total$990Rewards on your spending are not included. The calculator that adds them from your own profile is on the card's page.
Milesopedia first-year estimateⓘFirst-year valueWelcome bonus$990Total$990Rewards on your spending are not included. The calculator that adds them from your own profile is on the card's page.
Apply with confidence — no impact on your credit scoreⓘApply with confidenceCheck whether your application will be approved before you submit it, with no impact on your credit score*When you apply for a personal American Express Credit Card, we will tell you whether you are eligible without affecting your credit score. So you can apply with confidence.*Instant decisions are only available for consumer Card applications (also called “personal Cards”).
The Marriott Bonvoy® American Express®* Card is the best credit card in Canada for free hotel nights.
New Cardmembers can earn up to 110,000 Marriott Bonvoy® points with the current offer:
Earn 80,000 points after you spend $6,000 on your Card in your first 6 months of Cardmembership.
Plus, earn 30,000 points by making a purchase during your 15th month of Cardmembership.
This offer ends on September 22, 2026. The annual fee is $120, and there is no annual fee on Additional Cards, so you can add a partner or a family member at no extra cost.
Every year after your first Card anniversary, you receive an Annual Free Night Award good for a redemption of up to 35,000 points at eligible hotels and resorts worldwide. At a valuation of 0.9 cents per Marriott Bonvoy point, that certificate is worth roughly $315, which on its own more than covers the $120 annual fee. That is the main reason to keep this Card year after year instead of cancelling it.
To get the most out of the certificate, aim it at a night that would otherwise price close to the 35,000 point ceiling.
The Card also gives you 15 Elite Night Credits each calendar year and automatic Marriott Bonvoy Silver Elite status. Those credits count toward the next Elite tier, so you begin every year 15 nights ahead of where you would otherwise start.
You move up to Gold Elite status automatically when you reach $30,000 in purchases on the Card in a year, or when you combine 10 qualifying paid nights within one calendar year with the 15 Elite Night Credits from your Card.
Marriott Bonvoy points are generally valued at 0.9 cents each. On that basis, the 110,000 point welcome offer is worth about $990, and an Annual Free Night Award used at its full 35,000 point ceiling is worth about $315.
Marriott Bonvoy points pull their weight on free nights rather than on gift cards or merchandise, which is why this Card should be judged on the hotel stays it produces.
You earn 5 points per dollar on eligible purchases at participating Marriott Bonvoy hotels and 2 points per dollar on all other purchases. Points can be redeemed for free nights with no blackout dates at more than 7,000 hotels around the world.
The Card carries a solid package of coverages: $500,000 travel accident insurance, flight delay, baggage delay, lost or stolen baggage and hotel or motel burglary at $500 each, car rental theft and damage up to $85,000 for rentals of up to 48 days, Purchase Protection for 90 days and a one year Extended Warranty.
Two things to plan around: the 2.5% foreign transaction fee on purchases made in a foreign currency, and the 21.99% purchase interest rate, which makes this a Card to pay in full every month. Like all American Express Canada Cards, no minimum income is published for this Card, and you can see whether you would be approved before you apply, with no impact on your credit score.
Legal
American Express is not responsible for maintaining or monitoring the accuracy of information on this website. For full details and current product information, click the Apply Now link. If you apply and get approved for an American Express Card, we may receive compensation from American Express, which can be in the form of monetary payment.
Annual fee
Primary card$120
Additional card$0
Annual income required
Individual$0
Household$0
Conversion fees
2.5%
Earning rate
5xMarriott Bonvoy hotels
2xAll spending
Value
1st Year Value$1,437
2nd Year Value$312
Travel insurance
Delayed BaggageUp to $500
Lost BaggageUp to $500
Flight DelayUp to $500
Hotel BurglaryUp to $500
Travel AccidentUp to $500,000
Purchase protection
Purchase ProtectionIncluded
Extended Warranty+1 years
Auto Rental Collision (primary)Up to $85,000 / 48 days
Our editorial integrity
Our reviews and rankings are based on an objective assessment. Advertisers do not influence our content. We may receive compensation through some links; our analysis and opinions remain independent.
