WestJet Rewards switches to points, unveils new features that help members "earn more, save more"

WestJet has announced the second phase of its revamped WestJet Rewards loyalty program, unveiling changes that it says will make it easier for members to earn, redeem and achieve status.

The updates, which take effect April 30, 2025, are “the biggest changes we've made to the loyalty program since its inception,” said Steve McClelland, vice-president of loyalty at WestJet, speaking to PAX over the phone on Tuesday (Feb. 25). “There's a lot of new features we're adding.”

McClelland broke it all down for us.

Firstly, members will see the introduction of “WestJet points,” which will replace the longtime WestJet dollars, with one WestJet dollar converting to 100 WestJet points.

Members’ accounts will reflect a balance in points starting April 30, and the points will not expire.

“Points are a universally understood currency for Canadians,” McClelland explained. “We're heavy on loyalty, and going to a point-space program provides a lot of flexibility in terms of how we work with third-party partnerships and how we introduce new reward products. So, we’re taking the jump.”

Now that WestJet Rewards is 15 years old, “we’re moving to a new currency that's going to serve us really well,” he said.

When WestJet converts its dollars to points, what does it mean for your account value? The value will remain the same when redeeming on items that are available today, such as base fares or vacation packages.

There will, however, be a new set of redemption features that may require more points to redeem per dollar than a base fare.

The points will ultimately allow members “to do more,” the airline says.

Earn & redeem more

WestJet’s points lend to a set of changes that will allow members to earn and redeem on more of the ticket cost and flight extras.

Members will now earn points and top-tier qualifying spend credit not only on base fares, but also on carrier surcharges and extras, such as seat selection, checked bags and upgrades (only government taxes and fees will be excluded).

READ MORE: WestJet redesigns WestJet Rewards, increases spend thresholds, adds benefits

“This will help people qualify for a higher tier,” McClelland said.

The earn rates are the same for top-tier – three, five and eight per cent, which translates to three, five and eight points per dollar.

“The earn rates are the same, but the velocity gets better because of all the new features we’re adding. Members will see more points going into their accounts,” he said.

Teal members will also see their earn rate on flights double, to one point per dollar.

Additionally, members may now redeem for the entire fare, including all extras and taxes, entirely with points. “A truly $0 redemption,” McClelland said, noting that there are no booking restrictions.

“Every seat is open for redemption,” he said. “It’s very flexible for members to choose what they want to do.”

No travel? No problem

Credit card holders, meanwhile, will be able to reach top-tier status with or without flying for the first time.

WestJet says members will be able to achieve any level of tier status, including Platinum, without travelling, by spending on the WestJet RBC World Elite Mastercard, or with any combination of flight and credit card spend through the updated Status Lift feature.

In addition, all components of the ticket, aside from government taxes and fees, will be counted towards status.

Shop ‘till you drop

Finally, an all-new WestJet Rewards eStore will launch, allowing customers to shop for well-known brands and earn points along the way. 

Members will have the ability to earn when they shop, as well as redeem WestJet points on merchandise and gift cards with popular retailers like Amazon, Apple, Sephora and Sport Chek.

McClelland also noted that the minimum point redemption has been reduced, from $30 per passenger to 2,500 points per booking.

“Ultimately, what we really want to do is help our members save on flights and vacations by having a very easy and simple earning and redeeming program where there's a lot of earn and burn opportunities,” he said. “These programs around the world are notoriously complex and we’ve worked hard to keep it as simple as possible.”

Program makeover

WestJet announced the first phase of its reworked loyalty program in November, revealing increased spend thresholds, a rezoning of its priority boarding, and other benefits, such as expanding the eligibility for complimentary cabin upgrades and new milestone awards.

Many factors led to the increased spend thresholds, from inflation to today’s cost of flying. Another thing to consider is the fact that WestJet, since 2019, has sold pod-style business class cabins on its Boeing 787 Dreamliners.

Meaning, some customers flying on ultra-premiums fares were, essentially, achieving status too quickly

The reworked program aims to keep status levels special. And while that makes sense, it hasn’t been widely applauded. The Globe and Mail, for one, wrote a scathing review about WestJet’s first wave of loyalty changes when they were announced last November.  

The increased spend thresholds, in particular, have generated some negative feedback. Silver-level members now have to spend $4,000 (up from $3,000), in order to qualify for status; the threshold for Gold has been increased to $6,000 (up from $5,000); and the qualifying spend for Platinum has been bumped to $10,000 (up from $8,000).

McClelland maintains that WestJet Rewards remains competitive.

“If you look at our program, relative to other programs, we really have an accessible level of spend to reach a top tier for the value we are able to provide at Silver, Gold and Platinum,” McClelland said. “Our Platinum at $10,000 is half of what Air Canada’s Super Elite requirement is in terms of the spend requirement.”

McClelland also noted that the team, back in November, wasn’t able to talk about all the changes (like the ones revealed today) just yet.  

More enhancements coming

A third round of enhancements will be announced later this year, WestJet says.

Members, for one, will be able to link their WestJet Rewards accounts to their TELUS Rewards and Skip accounts, unlocking opportunities like point transfer and bonus offers.

They’ll also be able to earn and redeem WestJet points for TELUS services as well as earn and redeem WestJet points with Skip.

2025 will also see WestJet complete the installation of fast and free Wi-Fi, powered by Starlink, for its loyalty members. 

There still isn’t a plan to add e-credits to WestJet Rewards, but McClelland said “it’s something we’ll always look at.”

The trade connection

As for how the new program will communicate with the travel trade, McClelland says travel advisors will still be able to redeem on behalf of their member clients.

“They'll be able to have better conversations about where their clients want to go and how many points they want to use,” he said. “The program is getting better and that should allow for better conversations between them and their end consumer.”

He added that working with travel advisors “is something we’ll always look forward to doing.”

“These changes are a huge implementation,” he said. “Once we get them out of the way, we’ll work with the team on how we can work with the trade." 

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