As a Canadian, there are two main airlines that often come to mind when it comes to loyalty programs: WestJet and Air Canada. Whereas Air Canada takes a points-based approach to their Aeroplan loyalty program, WestJet takes a much easier-to-understand approach with their loyalty program currency, titled WestJet Dollars (WJD).
Not only are WestJet Dollars easy to earn and redeem, but the WestJet Rewards program also has various levels of elite status to achieve in addition to companion fare vouchers.
Let’s look into how you can easily accrue large amounts of WestJet Dollars and how to best spend them to fuel your next vacation.
Earning WestJet Dollars
WestJet Dollars can be earned via four methods: flying on WestJet flights or booking WestJet vacation packages, flying on partner airlines, credit card welcome bonuses, organic credit card spending, and transferring RBC Avion points.
Flying on WestJet Flights & Booking WestJet Vacation Packages
The most obvious way to earn loyalty program currency within airline loyalty programs is to fly with them as a passenger. Base level Teal members can expect to earn 0.5% WestJet Dollars on the paid base fare for themselves as a ticketed passenger; taxes and fees are not eligible to earn WestJet Dollars.
On the other hand, members can earn WestJet Dollars on the total package price, split between all individuals booked on the vacation package itinerary.
The number of dollars that you earn from flying on WestJet and from vacation packages do fluctuate based on your WestJet Rewards elite status. Additionally, pay attention to the fare type as WestJet Dollars cannot be earned on any basic fare bookings.
Flying on Partner Airlines
WestJet Rewards members can earn WestJet Dollars when flying on cash fares with partner airlines including Delta, Air France, KLM Royal Dutch Airlines, and Qantas Airways.
That being said, it is important to double-check that you are getting the best value for your earned points in choosing WestJet as your awarding points program for cash fare.
Credit Card Bonuses
As with many loyalty programs in Canada, the quickest way to rack up large amounts of WestJet Dollars is through credit card welcome bonuses.
There are two credit cards in Canada that earn WestJet Dollars: the RBC WestJet World Elite Mastercard and the RBC WestJet Mastercard.
The RBC WestJet World Elite Mastercard is the best co-branded credit card when it comes to WestJet.
Not only does this card come with a strong welcome bonus and cashback rebate from Frugal Flyer, but it also has a relatively strong WestJet Dollars earning rate, a companion voucher, and a free first checked bag for the cardholder and up to eight guests traveling on their itinerary. Additionally, cardholders can access free WiFi on WestJet flights as a benefit.
The RBC WestJet World Elite card earns WestJet Dollars and offers cardholders benefits on WestJet flights including an annual companion fare and a first free checked bag.
Check out our RBC WestJet World Elite Mastercard review for full details about this card.
450 WestJet Dollars
$5,000
$331+
$119
Yes
If you don’t meet the personal or household income requirement for the RBC WestJet World Elite Mastercard may be a decent option to earn WestJet Dollars. This card also offers a lower annual fee and still provides cardholders with an annual companion fare voucher
The RBC WestJet Mastercard earns WestJet Dollars and gives cardholders an annual companion fare to be used for travel within Canada and the United States.
100 WestJet Dollars
$1,000
$61+
$39
Yes
Credit Card Spending
WestJet Rewards Dollars are also earned for all eligible organic spend on any RBC WestJet credit cards.
If you are set on holding a credit card that gives you the opportunity to accrue WestJet Dollars, the RBC WestJet World Elite card is definitely the best choice as you will earn 1.5% back in WestJet Dollars (or $1.5 in rewards dollars for every $100 in spend).
Transfer RBC Avion Points
The RBC Rewards program has seven credit cards that accrue RBC Avion points. RBC Avion points can be transferred to the WestJet Rewards program at a rate of 100 Avion to 1 WestJet Dollar.
The following credit cards earn Avion points:
| Credit Card | Welcome Bonus | Net Value | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | RBC Avion Platinum | 55,000 Avion | $925 | Apply |
 | RBC Avion Visa Infinite | 55,000 Avion | $925 | Apply |
 | RBC Avion Visa Infinite Privilege | 55,000 Avion | $646 | Apply |
 | RBC Avion Visa Infinite Business | 25,000 Avion | $300 | Apply |
 | RBC Avion Visa Business | 20,000 Avion | $260 | Apply |
 | RBC ION+ Visa | 12,000 Avion | $180 | Apply |
 | RBC ION Visa | 6,000 Avion | $114 | Apply |
Our personal favorite is the RBC Avion Visa Infinite card, which comes with a hefty welcome bonus and a strong cash back rebate from Frugal Flyer. Click the Apply Now button to sign up and start earning Avion to transfer to your WestJet Rewards account.
The RBC Avion Visa Infinite card earns Avion Elite points and gives cardholders the opportunity to earn 1.25x Avion Elite points on all travel purchases.
Check out our RBC Avion Visa Infinite review for full details about this card.
55,000 Avion
$5,000
$925+
$120
Yes
If you are interested in transferring your RBC Avion points to the WestJet Rewards program, log into the Avion Rewards website and click on “Transfer”. Then, click “Convert Points” and select WestJet Rewards. Enter the number of points that you wish to transfer and your WestJet Rewards ID number.
Once submitted, the transfer of points will post to your WestJet Rewards account in the next two business days.
Redeeming WestJet Dollars
WestJet Dollars can be redeemed for two options: WestJet flights and WestJet vacation packages.
WestJet Flights
The most typical way to cash out WestJet Dollars is to book flights operated by WestJet. A minimum of 15 WestJet Dollars must be applied per person, per direction. This does mean that you can redeem WestJet Dollars for bookings with friends and family, even if you are not on the itinerary!
Applying WestJet Dollars towards your flight booking is easy. Once you select the flights you wish to book, on the payment page it will allow you to select the amount of WJD you wish to apply toward your booking. You can apply up to a maximum of the total base fare for the whole itinerary.
WestJet Dollars can be applied to all fare types and all routes in the network.
WestJet Vacations
If you are looking to book a vacation package that might include a flight, hotel, rental car, and more, you can now easily apply your WestJet Dollars toward the booking when it is made. A minimum of 50 WestJet Dollars must be applied toward the base package price of the booking. WJD cannot be applied towards taxes and fees, similar to how flight redemptions work.
Click here to learn more about redeeming for WestJet Vacation packages.
Similar to many things in the miles and points game, things get even better with WestJet Vacations when you dig a bit deeper and realize that you can utilize vacation packages to redeem for attraction tickets, such as Disneyland tickets, and other unique opportunities. Click here to learn more about how you can elevate your WestJet Vacations redemption.
Needless to say, there are some strong opportunities for redeeming WestJet Dollars for vacation packages should you find yourself with a glut of rewards currency.
WestJet Rewards Elite Status
WestJet Rewards members can advance through elite membership tiers by reaching various levels of tier qualifying spend on WestJet flights.
WestJet Elite status levels come with an increased earning rate on WestJet Flights and vacation packages, free checked baggage on WestJet flights, seat selection vouchers, complimentary upgrades, lounge access, and more. You can learn more about WestJet’s elite status tiers here.
WestJet’s partnership with Delta Airlines also means that WestJet Platinum, Gold, and Silver members can receive benefits on Delta such as preferred seating, complimentary baggage allowance, priority services, and lounge access to Delta Sky Club when flying with Delta. Check out the WestJet Delta Air Lines partner page for more details.
WestJet Companion Fare
As part of the WestJet Rewards program, members can earn companion fare vouchers. These vouchers give members the opportunity to significantly reduce the cost of their companion’s base fare, provided they are booked on the same itinerary of the member who holds the voucher.
Related: WestJet Companion Voucher – Everything You Need to Know
Companion fares can be earned annually as a result of holding the RBC Westjet Mastercard and RBC WestJet World Elite Mastercard. Once earned, these vouchers will automatically be deposited in your WestJet Rewards account. Members can also earn companion vouchers by meeting elite status milestone qualifying spend requirements.
The companion base fare cost when using a companion voucher depends on the flight itinerary:
- Round-trip travel in Canada and the continental U.S. for a $119 CAD companion base fare
- Round-trip travel to/from the rest of the WestJet network for a $399 CAD companion base fare
You can view your current WestJet Companion fares by logging into your WestJet Rewards account. Once logged in, you will see any existing companion fares and their expiry dates by navigating to My account → Benefits → Vouchers.
To apply a WestJet Companion fare voucher towards a new booking, simply click the “Use Companion Voucher” button when searching for your desired itinerary. The voucher will automatically be applied towards the pricing of the booking.
The best use for a WestJet companion fare is to use it on a premium fare booking since the savings can be significant. For example, if the base fare for a premium round trip booking within North America is $1,500, the companion will only pay $119 for their base fare while still being able to fly in premium class. While WestJet premium isn’t anything too special, it definitely is a great way to fly domestically or transborder and a leg up from economy.
Unfortunately, companion fares cannot be redeemed towards business class fares on WestJet.
WestJet Rewards Member Exclusive Fares
WestJet Rewards members can take advantage of “Member Exclusive Fares” (ME) when booking with WestJet Dollars to save additional money on their flights. Member Exclusive fares require the WestJet member to be able to pay the full base fare with WestJet Dollars in order to book them.
If you are signed into WestJet Rewards when searching for flights, you may see Member Exclusive fares pop up on eligible flights and classes of service. There can be some small savings when it comes to ME fares provided you are able to pay the full base fare in WestJet Dollars, but I would say these savings are few and far between.
More often than not, Member Exclusive Fares are not always a deal worth searching out. Take a look at the below example, where the Member Exclusive Fare is significantly more expensive than just booking a normal premium fare.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the value of a WestJet Dollar?
One WestJet dollar is worth one Canadian dollar towards flight and vacation bookings.
How many WestJet Dollars does a flight cost?
It depends on the flight routing and overall itinerary. Since WestJet Dollars are worth the same amount as Canadian dollars, it is easy to price out how many WestJet Dollars your desired flight will cost.
Do WestJet Dollars expire?
No, WestJet dollars never expire.
Can WestJet Dollars be used for taxes and fees on my flight booking?
No, WestJet Dollars can only be applied toward the base fare price of the booking.
Posts About WestJet Rewards
Redeeming WestJet Dollars for WestJet Vacation Packages We discuss the logistics and value of redeeming your hard-earned (or maybe not so much) WestJet dollars for WestJet's bundled vacation packages.