WestJet Elite Mastercard $99 Annual Fee

[Mama Bear Me2]

Hi!

Can anyone please advise on the following re: RBC's WestJet Elite Mastercard's $99 Annual Fee:

1) When applying for a new card the 1st time, how do you pay the $99 Annual Fee? At time of application OR does it show up on your 1st statement?

2) Do you get an "alert/warning" that your $99 Annual Fee is up for "renewal" OR does it automatically "renew" without any "warning" on your statement.

Thanks for your help!

 

[CdnKayDee]

Hi,

The charge shows up on the first statement and there is no warning when it is up.

P.S. We love our card!

 

[prairiesarah]

We love our card too - just hit the year mark and the renewal fee was on the statement and we got notification that the companion fare was available again.

 

[Mama Bear Me2]

THANK YOU everyone for sharing your info!!

 

[tgropp]

Just used it for our flights at Christmas. My flight was a bit expensive but the companion flight was a great deal

 

[jtdl]

Do not ever carry a balance on this card! I made a $5000 trip purchase and then paid that $5000 purchase off the next day. The next statement I paid, 0 interest, the next $1.27 interest but the following statement with a $300 statement balance, they charged me $60 interest! I called to ask how that is even possible and he told me that if you don't pay in full every statement they charge you interest on every charge you have made since you last had a 0 balance!!! I use my card to pay everything - utilities, etc., and then in the next minute pay that same amount on my WJ card so even though I only had a $300 balance they went back 3 months (since my last 0 balance) and charged interest on every charge I had made even though I had immediately posted a payment of the same amount on my card. I have had many credit cards and have never had one that bases their interest charges like that. I had this happen same time last year when I charged a large purchase (trip) and paid it right off but never thought anything of it - coincidentally it was exactly $60 as well. Since I usually charge and pay immediately, I don't pay attention to the payment due date and so figured maybe I was one day over the due date or something but this time I called and they did remove the $60 but I will pay very close attention from now to be sure never to carry a balance!

 

[Mama Bear Me2]

Do not ever carry a balance on this card! I made a $5000 trip purchase and then paid that $5000 purchase off the next day. The next statement I paid, 0 interest, the next $1.27 interest but the following statement with a $300 statement balance, they charged me $60 interest! I called to ask how that is even possible and he told me that if you don't pay in full every statement they charge you interest on every charge you have made since you last had a 0 balance!!! I use my card to pay everything - utilities, etc., and then in the next minute pay that same amount on my WJ card so even though I only had a $300 balance they went back 3 months (since my last 0 balance) and charged interest on every charge I had made even though I had immediately posted a payment of the same amount on my card. I have had many credit cards and have never had one that bases their interest charges like that. I had this happen same time last year when I charged a large purchase (trip) and paid it right off but never thought anything of it - coincidentally it was exactly $60 as well. Since I usually charge and pay immediately, I don't pay attention to the payment due date and so figured maybe I was one day over the due date or something but this time I called and they did remove the $60 but I will pay very close attention from now to be sure never to carry a balance!

Thanks for the warning! Good to know as the interest can rack up pretty quickly! Appreciate your help!

 

[mkmommy]

I see on line you have the option of booking the companion fare, or westjet dollars but not both at the same time. I am hoping to book 3 seats for the same flight, and hoping to use my companion fare voucher for 1 and then my Westjet dollars for the 3rd person am I able to call and do this transaction so it is all on one ticket?

 

[Best_Vacation_EVER!]

I see on line you have the option of booking the companion fare, or westjet dollars but not both at the same time. I am hoping to book 3 seats for the same flight, and hoping to use my companion fare voucher for 1 and then my Westjet dollars for the 3rd person am I able to call and do this transaction so it is all on one ticket?

We just did this for a trip I booked last week. I think you have to call the toll-free number to book the companion fare and when I did they asked if I wanted to use the Westjet dollars as well. So no problem at all to do both. I had gone online so I knew which flights I wanted and what the prices were and just gave the info and it was all good.

We are also a party of three so they had to break it into 2 separate reservations -- myself and my son on one with the companion fare, my DH on the other -- but they link them and added the 1 free bag to the 2nd reservation as well. This may not apply for you but they were able to let us pre-select our seats for no extra cost as apparently they offer it free for parties with kids under 12. I think they said they can offer row 19 and back for free selection but you might have to ask for that if it applies to your situation.

 

[Starwind]

I recently booked our Westjet tickets for our December 2017 trip to WDW.

I called Westjet reservations and made the purchase over the phone. There are two of us. I used a combination of the Westjet Mastercard companion voucher, WestJet dollars from each of us, and a credit that was on my Westjet Travel bank. Plus credit card for the taxes/fees not covered elsewise.

A few months ago i traveled for work -- work paid for the ticket. When I went to check in online, the system noted that I got the first bag free due to being a WestJet mastercard customer: since your credit card is linked to your Westjet Rewards number, as long as your rewards # is linked to your reservation, the system knows you are allowed the first checked bag free.

SW

 

[ilovetotravel1977]

Do not ever carry a balance on this card! I made a $5000 trip purchase and then paid that $5000 purchase off the next day. The next statement I paid, 0 interest, the next $1.27 interest but the following statement with a $300 statement balance, they charged me $60 interest! I called to ask how that is even possible and he told me that if you don't pay in full every statement they charge you interest on every charge you have made since you last had a 0 balance!!! I use my card to pay everything - utilities, etc., and then in the next minute pay that same amount on my WJ card so even though I only had a $300 balance they went back 3 months (since my last 0 balance) and charged interest on every charge I had made even though I had immediately posted a payment of the same amount on my card. I have had many credit cards and have never had one that bases their interest charges like that. I had this happen same time last year when I charged a large purchase (trip) and paid it right off but never thought anything of it - coincidentally it was exactly $60 as well. Since I usually charge and pay immediately, I don't pay attention to the payment due date and so figured maybe I was one day over the due date or something but this time I called and they did remove the $60 but I will pay very close attention from now to be sure never to carry a balance!

OMG, that is ridiculous! I am very close to switching credit cards to this one, but that is just stupid...

 

[Spotthecat]

Beware...if your limit is set, and you spend above the limit, your card will not be refused. But you will get dinged a 29$ fee. Kind of eats up your accummulated points... I just want my credit card refused if it's over the limit, not have to track things like silly.

 

[ilovetotravel1977]

I currently have a BMO Air Miles World Elite Mastercard, but thinking of switching as trying to find the lowest discounted flights through Air Miles is becoming difficult.

I am just wondering if the Wesjet WE card is too good to be true?

So, let's say I charge on average $1200 per month on my card, with 1 point = $1. That would mean over a 12-month period, I would earn 14,400 points.
Does this also mean I have $14,400 to use towards flights? That's a lot of flights in one year! I have to be calculating that wrong...am I?

Editing: okay, I kept seeing 1 pt = $1, but it's actually 1.5% of total purchases charged LOL DUH!

 

[mkmommy]

I have done a fair amount of research on credit cards and have churned between Westjet MC and AlaskaAir credit cards and have always found once the initial sign up bonus is gone and you are just earning straight points on the credit card balances that the Airmiles MC is the best.

If I was just earning point I would end up with enough points for 1 domestic flight , and with Airmiles and all the bonus Airmiles you can earn I end up with about 6-7,000 points which is usually enough for 2 or 3 flights to Florida.

So basically I get a new card for a great intial bonus and keep my Airmiles MC. Once I get back from this weeks Westjet flight and use the free luggage I am cancelling that card and looking for the next card with the best sign up bonus.

 

[ilovetotravel1977]

I have done a fair amount of research on credit cards and have churned between Westjet MC and AlaskaAir credit cards and have always found once the initial sign up bonus is gone and you are just earning straight points on the credit card balances that the Airmiles MC is the best.

If I was just earning point I would end up with enough points for 1 domestic flight , and with Airmiles and all the bonus Airmiles you can earn I end up with about 6-7,000 points which is usually enough for 2 or 3 flights to Florida.

I find this as well. I am just finding it harder to book those discounted flights. I guess I will just have to keep checking daily.

I know I can earn upwards of 8000-9000 miles per year, between my AM mastercard and partners. Flights to Miami in April are $800 each from NS, so if I can get a flight for 2,325 miles, that is 3-4 flights per year ($640 x 4). That is a huge return.

 

[Sue M]

I have an Alaska Airline World Elte card. It's $75 annual fee and gives you 1 companion fare/year for $99. Partner airline is American. I love Alaska direct flight from Seattle to either MCO or Ft Lauderdale. And great airline.