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%).
Our valuationMilesopedia 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.
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 18, 2026.
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 two airport lounge passes.
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 18, 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
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 ».
Our valuationMilesopedia 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.
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 18, 2026.
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 two airport lounge passes.
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 18, 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
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?
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Our valuationMilesopedia 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.
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 18, 2026.
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 two airport lounge passes.
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 18, 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
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
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