WestJet Baggage Fees ...

[Donald - my hero]

This is for any fellow Canucks you haven't noticed yet, WestJet has joined the crowd and announced that they will be charging for ALL checked luggage. <sigh> If you have book your flight before September 15th that fee will be waived.

 

[ottawamom]

It's only if you book the economy fare. No fees for baggage for the Flex and Plus fares. I'm just going to have to learn how to travel for a week out of a carry-on.

 

[dis_guy]

It's only if you book the economy fare. No fees for baggage for the Flex and Plus fares. I'm just going to have to learn how to travel for a week out of a carry-on.

There goes the last perk they had over the usually much cheaper US carriers. Unless you are willing to pay $$ for the convenience of seasonal non-stops from Canada there really is no reason to fly with them over United. On top of it WJ doesn't allow for RAC either.

 

[ccudmore]

A few years ago we made it a goal to travel with only carry on with our family of 5. It's amazing when you tell the kids that if they can't carry it, they can't take it, how much stuff can be left at home. We've done a number of trips this way (including 2 weeks travelling across Europe) now and it's very liberating to not have to wait at the baggage claim after every flight. The biggest thing that allowed us to do this are laundry sheets - the sheets that loom like dryer sheets but are for doing laundry. You can take them in carry on and you can do a quick laundry when needed. It would be hard to convince us to go back to checking luggage

 

[ssmurphy28]

There goes the last perk they had over the usually much cheaper US carriers. Unless you are willing to pay $$ for the convenience of seasonal non-stops from Canada there really is no reason to fly with them over United. On top of it WJ doesn't allow for RAC either.

I completely agree! I have rarely flown West Jet, but I was very interested in flying direct from Calgary this January. The prices were over $300 more for a round trip airfare when compared to United or AA. It's hard to justify paying that much multiplied by the number of people in your party! Flying from Calgary, it's also easier to fly on a US airline because we clear customs in Calgary, and don't have to go through that during a layover in Toronto.

 

[dis_guy]

I completely agree! I have rarely flown West Jet, but I was very interested in flying direct from Calgary this January. The prices were over $300 more for a round trip airfare when compared to United or AA. It's hard to justify paying that much multiplied by the number of people in your party! Flying from Calgary, it's also easier to fly on a US airline because we clear customs in Calgary, and don't have to go through that during a layover in Toronto.

Yeah that non-stop thing can be seductive. We once made a very last minute trip (booked Fri and flew Sat) and the cheapest flight back was the WJ non-stop to YEG. A bit long but it was nice to not change planes. On the other hand we've done YEG-IAH and IAH to MCO so many times now that it's routine and my aging body seems to like two shorter flights better than one long one.

 

[SirDuff]

There goes the last perk they had over the usually much cheaper US carriers. Unless you are willing to pay $$ for the convenience of seasonal non-stops from Canada there really is no reason to fly with them over United. On top of it WJ doesn't allow for RAC either.

No airline does if you are flying into Canada. I flew a direct United flight (Orlando to Toronto) and was not able to do RAC. Actually, I've also flown, on US Airways, with a connection in a US city, and I still couldn't use RAC as I was ticketed through to Toronto.

 

[dis_guy]

No airline does if you are flying into Canada. I flew a direct United flight (Orlando to Toronto) and was not able to do RAC. Actually, I've also flown, on US Airways, with a connection in a US city, and I still couldn't use RAC as I was ticketed through to Toronto.

Our return flights usually connect through another US airport, usually IAH. We did use RAC at CBR last April and my impression from the CM's comments is that it was a pretty new feature for guests flying back to Canada. We were flying on United. Interesting to see that direct flights can't take part.
Just to add we were flying with United in April.

 

[ccudmore]

Well that didn't take long:
http://www.cbc.ca/news/business/air-canada-adds-25-checked-bag-fee-for-economy-travel-1.2770079

 

[dis_guy]

Well that didn't take long:
http://www.cbc.ca/news/business/air-canada-adds-25-checked-bag-fee-for-economy-travel-1.2770079

Nope. Surprise!
Remember when competition meant consumers got more for less? Nowadays companies compete to keep up with each other's gouging.

 

[sympatico]

Not that I like the baggage charge but Westjet also announced a price drop guarantee: Price drop guarantee

WestJet also said Monday it’s introducing a new “price-drop guarantee” on flights and vacation packages. The guarantee stipulates that if a customer sees a lower price on a flight or vacation package they’ve already booked, the carrier will compensate them with difference in “WestJet dollars” that can be redeemed with WestJet.

 

[Lewisc]

It's only if you book the economy fare. No fees for baggage for the Flex and Plus fares. I'm just going to have to learn how to travel for a week out of a carry-on.

How long before they start charging for bin bags. My guess, as soon as they realize how many passengers are "cheating them" by using carryon bags as a way to avoid paying for checked bags.

Nope. Surprise!
Remember when competition meant consumers got more for less? Nowadays companies compete to keep up with each other's gouging.

Blame us. Airlines found, for the economy market, price is the only factor considered by most of the public.

 

[SirDuff]

Well that didn't take long:
http://www.cbc.ca/news/business/air-canada-adds-25-checked-bag-fee-for-economy-travel-1.2770079

And Porter started a while ago.