Frequent flyer programs and elite status are a consistent duo in the loyalty program space. After all, it makes sense for frequent flyer programs to reward those members who fly with them most by offering perks such as free checked baggage, free lounge access, complimentary seat upgrades, and more.
WestJet is no different as they offer several levels of status through their WestJet Rewards program. But how can you earn this status and is it even worth earning it with the benefits that are offered?
Let’s take a look at everything you need to know about WestJet Rewards status.
What is WestJet Rewards Status?
The WestJet Rewards loyalty program offers elite status levels for their most valuable members who spend the most with WestJet. Ultimately, these status levels are their core tool to generate value for WestJet loyalists.

WestJet Rewards status offers benefits such as free checked baggage (a great way to save on WestJet baggage fees), priority boarding, and priority check-in, among other benefits including some that require eligible members to book a specific WestJet fare class to take advantage, such as complimentary upgrades. Ultimately if you fly WestJet often, holding elite status can make your travels that much better.
Earning elite status with any airline takes effort, and WestJet Rewards status is no different as we will explore below.
How Do I Qualify for WestJet Rewards Status?
WestJet Rewards status is earned solely based on tier qualifying spend. Tier qualifying spend is calculated as 100% of the base fare for eligible WestJet-marketed flights flown and 20% of the base package price for eligible WestJet Vacations packages completed.
Note that when you are booking WestJet flights as a cash fare, the base fare is not the total cost, and you will need to look at the fare breakdown to understand what portion of the total cost will be eligible to count as tier qualifying spend.
For example, here is the cost breakdown for a WestJet flight from Calgary (YYC) to London Heathrow (LHR) where the base fare component is only $395 whereas the overall cost is $716.17:

The amount of the total cost that is taken up by the base fare will depend on the route, so the only way to know how much of your flight purchase will contribute towards WestJet Rewards status is to search and look at the cost breakdown. As an aside, if you want to learn more about the “Other ATC” fees and why these take up large portions of the total cost, check out our article on WestJet’s Other ATC Fees.
The four levels of WestJet Rewards status are all associated with a level of tier qualifying spend:
- WestJet Rewards Teal: No tier qualifying spend is required as it is the entry-level status
- WestJet Rewards Silver: Earn $4,000 to $5,999 in tier qualifying spend
- WestJet Rewards Gold: Earn $6,000 to $9,999 in tier qualifying spend
- WestJet Rewards Platinum: Earn $10,000 or more in tier qualifying spend

The reality is that you will have to spend thousands of dollars to earn any meaningful level of WestJet Rewards status, and there are no real shortcuts. However, the WestJet RBC World Elite Mastercard also offers a unique opportunity to work towards WestJet status.
WestJet Rewards Status Lift
If you want to accelerate your path to WestJet Rewards status, the WestJet RBC World Elite Mastercard is a tool you can utilize with its Status Lift benefit.
The WestJet RBC World Elite Mastercard earns WestJet dollars and offers cardholders benefits on WestJet flights including an annual companion fare and a first free checked bag for the cardholder and up to eight guests on the same itinerary.
Check out our WestJet RBC World Elite Mastercard review for more details.
450 WestJet dollars
$5,000
$331+
$119
Yes
–
WestJet RBC World Elite Mastercard cardholders can earn tier qualifying spend by using their credit card. Cardholders will earn $500 in tier qualifying spend towards WestJet status for every $15,000 spent on the card in a calendar year, up to three times.
This means you can earn a total of $1,500 in tier qualifying spend towards WestJet Rewards status by spending $45,000 on your credit card in a calendar year. While this is not a method we would recommend using to earn WestJet Rewards status as that spend could be used on other credit cards for greater benefits, it is a unique perk and worth mentioning.
How Long Does WestJet Rewards Status Last For?
Once a level of WestJet Rewards status is earned, the member will retain it for the current qualifying year plus the entire next qualifying year.
This means that if WestJet Rewards Silver status is earned in May 2025, the member will retain the earning rates and flight benefits until the end of 2026.
WestJet Rewards Status: Tier-Specific Benefits
There are four different levels of WestJet Rewards status that come with various benefits.
WestJet Rewards Teal
WestJet Rewards Teal is the status that new members will receive upon signing up. As a result, there are no meaningful benefits attached to this status level.
WestJet Rewards Teal members will earn WestJet dollars at the following rates:
- Earn 0.5% back on the base fare paid for WestJet flights
- Earn 0.5% back on the base package price for WestJet Vacations packages
- Earn 1% back on the base amount for car rentals, hotel stays, meal plans, attractions, and transfers booked through WestJet Vacations or an eligible third-party
- Variable earning rates on partner flights as the earn rate is based on mileage and class of service
If you can push past Teal status, the benefits do start to improve greatly from there on out.
WestJet Rewards Silver
WestJet Rewards Silver members will receive a few benefits that can make their next flight on WestJet more enjoyable while saving on ancillary costs.
Silver members receive two free checked bags, 4 advance seat selection vouchers, 6 airport lounge access vouchers, priority check-in, and zone 2 boarding privileges. Silver members who book an eligible EconoFlex fare may receive a complimentary upgrade to premium class prior to check-in, excluding flights to and from Europe and Asia.

Silver members who book an eligible EconoFlex fare may receive a complimentary upgrade to extended comfort seats or premium class at the gate, excluding flights to and from Europe and Asia. Those members who book an eligible Premium or PremiumFlex fare may be upgraded to business class at the gate for flights within Canada as well.
WestJet Rewards Silver members will earn WestJet dollars at the following rates:
- Earn 3% back on the base fare paid for WestJet flights
- Earn 1% back on the base package price for WestJet Vacations packages
- Earn 1% back on the base amount for car rentals, hotel stays, meal plans, attractions, and transfers booked through WestJet Vacations or an eligible third-party
- Variable earning rates on partner flights as the earn rate is based on mileage and class of service plus 50% more
WestJet Rewards Gold
WestJet Rewards Gold status is where the benefits really start to become valuable.
Gold members receive two free checked bags, 6 advance seat selection vouchers, unlimited airport lounge access for the immediate family and 2 guest vouchers, priority check-in, priority boarding (zone 1), and priority security screening. They will also receive access to a priority support number, will not pay a fee for same-day flight changes, and will receive early access to purchase a flight upgrade.
They are still eligible to receive the same complimentary upgrades as Silver members (including prior to check-in and at the gate) but at a higher priority than Silver members.

WestJet Rewards Gold members will earn WestJet dollars at the following rates:
- Earn 5% back on the base fare paid for WestJet flights
- Earn 1.5% back on the base package price for WestJet Vacations packages
- Earn 1% back on the base amount for car rentals, hotel stays, meal plans, attractions, and transfers booked through WestJet Vacations or an eligible third-party
- Variable earning rates on partner flights as the earn rate is based on mileage and class of service plus 75% more
WestJet Rewards Platinum
WestJet Rewards Platinum is the highest status level in the frequent flyer program which means it comes with the best benefits.
Platinum members receive 3 free checked bags, unlimited advance seat selection plus 6 guest vouchers. All other benefits including airport lounge access, check-in, and boarding privileges are the same as WestJet Rewards Gold members.

The only other significant difference is when it comes to complimentary upgrades prior to check-in and at the gate. Not only do WestJet Platinum members have the highest priority for being upgraded, but they are also able to book an Econo or Econoflex fare to be upgraded to Premium class (except for flights to and from Europe and Asia).
WestJet Rewards Platinum members will earn WestJet dollars at the following rates:
- Earn 8% back on the base fare paid for WestJet flights
- Earn 2% back on the base package price for WestJet Vacations packages
- Earn 1% back on the base amount for car rentals, hotel stays, meal plans, attractions, and transfers booked through WestJet Vacations or an eligible third-party
- Variable earning rates on partner flights as the earn rate is based on mileage and class of service plus 100% more
Milestone Awards
Milestone awards are a unique aspect of the WestJet Rewards program as they are selectable benefits that are earned based on milestone qualifying spend during the qualifying year.
Milestone qualifying spend is nearly identical to tier qualifying spend, except it does not include any amount of tier qualifying spend that is earned through the WestJet RBC World Elite Mastercard Status Lift benefit.
Members who reach $2,000 in milestone qualifying spend can select either 20 WestJet dollars, a $200 tier qualifying spend bonus, or a $25 Skip gift card.

Upon reaching $8,000 in milestone qualifying spend, members can select either a WestJet-wide companion voucher, four guest lounge vouchers, or six guest advantage seat selection vouchers. They will receive another choice upon reaching $12,000, $16,000, $20,000, $30,000, $40,000, and $50,000 in milestone qualifying spend. Members can select the same benefit at each milestone award level if they wish to do so.
Read More: WestJet Companion Voucher Guide
Upon reaching the next milestone qualifying spend threshold, members will be notified and will need to choose their desired award before the specified expiration date.
Is Chasing WestJet Rewards Status Worth It?
While WestJet is frequently the airline of choice for Western Canadians, I’m not so sure if chasing WestJet Rewards status is actually worth it.
WestJet doesn’t have many international routes and is not a member of Star Alliance, Oneworld, or SkyTeam. This means that there are no reciprocal benefits to be had on other airlines or frequent flyer programs, giving WestJet status a significant disadvantage to the other main option in Canada, Air Canada Aeroplan status, which for example can provide Star Alliance Gold status upon earning Aeroplan 50K status.

That being said, if I had to guess I would warrant that there are far fewer WestJet Rewards members with significant status compared to Air Canada Aeroplan members with status. This could mean that you receive a greater success rate for upgrades on WestJet flights, but it’s tough to place a value on that.
Personally, if you compare the two statuses straight up, it is pretty clear that Air Canada Aeroplan status offers way more value for the average traveler, and would more likely be a better status worth chasing. But as with most things in miles and points, it is always worth evaluating your personal travel needs before determining if WestJet Rewards status is valuable to you.
Conclusion
Focusing on earning and benefitting from WestJet Rewards status could be worth it if you primarily fly on WestJet or are typically flying routes that are best serviced by WestJet. However, if you do have the option of earning WestJet Rewards status or Air Canada Aeroplan status, we would lean towards working on Air Canada Aeroplan status since the benefits are much greater across the board.

Josh Bandura

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