WestJet Rewards and RBC have announced a number of upcoming changes to the loyalty program, plus some additional changes to the co-branded WestJet RBC Mastercards.
Let’s get into the upcoming most impactful changes that are effective as of April 30th, 2025.
WestJet Rewards Changes
The majority of the changes that are coming impact the WestJet Rewards program, so let’s dig into those first. Note that for any of the changes below, no action is required for members or cardholders, as the transition and changes will happen automatically.
WestJet Points Are Coming!
WestJet dollars are no more, as they will be converted to WestJet points going forward at a rate of 1 WestJet dollar = 100 WestJet points!
Existing WestJet dollar balances will be converted upon transition, retaining the same value as 100 WestJet points, and will still be redeemable for the same $1 off a WestJet flight as they are valued today. For example, if you currently have 582 WestJet dollars, at the transition, you will have 58,200 WestJet points that are still worth $582 when redeemed towards a WestJet flight.
New Ways to Redeem WestJet Points
The biggest change is WestJet points can be used to cover the full cost of a WestJet flight or WestJet Vacations package, including taxes and fees, and flight extras like seat selection and checked bags.
As an additional redemption option, the new WestJet Rewards eStore will be launched, where members can redeem points for merchandise and gift cards.
New Minimum WestJet Points Redemption Amounts
Previously, a minimum of 15 WestJet dollars was needed to be redeemed per guest, per the direction of travel when making an UltraBasic, Economy, Premium, or Business class fare redemption. This has now been increased to a minimum redemption of 2,500 WestJet points when purchasing these fare types.
The minimum redemption of 50 WestJet dollars for redemptions toward WestJet Vacations package bookings remains, as members will now need to redeem a minimum of 5,000 WestJet points per vacation package.
WestJet RBC Co-Branded Credit Card Changes
Both WestJet RBC co-branded credit cards will earn WestJet points, but at the same rates as the existing cards earn WestJet dollars. For example, this means that if a card earns 2% in WestJet dollars right now, it will earn 2 WestJet points per dollar spent after the transition to WestJet points occurs.
There are no meaningful changes to the WestJet RBC Mastercard that are listed below, as this card will retain all other existing benefits.
Status Lift Benefit is Getting an Upgrade
The WestJet RBC World Elite Mastercard currently offers a status lift benefit, in which cardholders will earn $500 in tier qualifying spend towards WestJet Rewards status for every $15,000 spent on the card in a calendar year, up to three times.
The WestJet RBC World Elite Mastercard offers benefits including an annual WestJet companion voucher and a first free checked bag on WestJet flights.
Check out our WestJet RBC World Elite Mastercard review for more details.
450 WestJet dollars
$5,000
$331+
$119
Yes
–
This benefit remains on the card but is being refreshed. WestJet RBC World Elite Mastercard cardholders will now receive 200 CAD in tier qualifying spend for every $5,000 in purchases on their credit card. Earning tier qualifying spend is how status is earned in the WestJet Rewards program, so this presents a more attainable opportunity for those members who may be close to the next level of elite status and need a bump to get there.
Members can now utilize this status lift benefit 50 times per calendar year, meaning that if you were to max it out at $250,000 in purchases, you would receive 10,000 CAD in tier qualifying spend, which would qualify the member for the highest status level in the WestJet Rewards program, Platinum status.
Our Thoughts On The Changes
As someone who lives in Edmonton, I use the WestJet Rewards program a lot in my North American travels, as WestJet services many direct flights from Edmonton International that other carriers don’t.
Recently, I’ve booked flights to Las Vegas, Orlando, and Cabo San Lucas using a combination of WestJet dollars and the valuable WestJet Companion Voucher, so I’m glad to see that the team at WestJet is building out even more value for program members.
The fact that members can now redeem WestJet points towards the entire cost of the booking, plus for incidentals like seat selection and baggage fees, is a major win for consumers. This means that if you have been earning a significant amount of WestJet points, you could redeem them to make your flight booking entirely free.
Out of all of the changes listed above, this is the one that moves the needle the most for me and I think will be greatly appreciated by all program members. This also makes a more compelling argument for adding the WestJet RBC World Elite Mastercard to your wallet, or even transferring Avion Rewards points to the WestJet Rewards program.
Conclusion
It’s always nice, and sometimes a rarity, to see positive changes in the frequent flyer program space. Holistically, these changes lean towards fantastic and will drive even more value for those members who participate in the WestJet Rewards program.
Josh Bandura
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This is awsome! I spend over a hundred thousand on my westjet card last year so I can move up in status quickly.
WestJet was at one time my preferred airline. As well, I also had a WestJet world elite MasterCard. How ever, once the airline basically wiped YUL off the map, both the airline and credit card were rendered useless to me.
Frankly, I can’t understand why the airline would cease to cover YUL, as it is still Canada’s 2nd largest city. In my mind, the only reason might be the principal owners’ company Onex. I was a shareholder of Onex some years ago, but really disliked Gerry Cohen, and finally ditched the stock. To this day, I continue to have no use for him.
It’s somewhat deceptive to label WestJet as a “national” airline.