westjet just sent me an email- 40% off all purchases of westjet dollars. Does anyone know if you can use westjet dollars towards a westjet vacation (minus the taxes and fees) it seems like a great deal.

I was momentarily excited about that e-mail, but the price to buy westjet Dollars is actually even higher than it was before.
Here's a screenshot from one of my blog posts last year: https://ydeals.com/img/ul/tsi9p9fuv7bsi2qw.jpg
100 westjet Dollars for the price of $110 CAD. The typical going rate.
Flash forward to a screenshot from westjet's site today: https://ydeals.com/img/ul/kssmth9dgk951q2b.jpg
They claim that it's now 40% off of $200 CAD to purchase 100 westjet Dollars, and will now only cost you $120 CAD
Oh those sneaky airlines.
But yes, westjet does allow westjet Dollars to be used towards their vacation packages.
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Chris I'm confused..why would anyone do this?? Is there any benefit to having westjet dollars if it costs more than just paying the listed price with your own credit card??

Chris why would anyone pay 30$ for 25$ WJ dollars etc?
Seems like an awful deal

The only situation I can think of in the past where it made sense was when westjet were offering a 'Member Exclusive Fare' that you could purchase only with westjet Dollars. In the past, they would offer Member Exclusive Fares that, after doing the math, were actually cheaper than purchasing the same flight normally. But I don't think they even have those any more.

Chris my email said specifically member exclusive fares. I didn’t even know that was a thing.

Chris they still do as I just booked the Member Exclusive to Ottawa.

Thanks Coreen! They used to have an option to search for Member Exclusive fares on the westjet homepage after you signed into your account. I haven't seen it for a while.

Chris i just booked a trip to Orlando and there was a member exclusive price which was $25 less for the econo fare..so guess they are around. But the westjet dollars can only cover the base fare. If it costs more to buy the dollars (ie $425 for 400) and you save $25 on a $475 flight not sure if its worth the effort

Phoebe Agreed! There used to be some pretty great deals. The math would work out with the Member Exclusive Fare costing you say $361 roundtrip in real dollars (after purchasing the westjet Dollars), for a flight that was really $600+ when purchased the normal way. But I think those days are gone.

Chris yeah would be interesting to see if any of those deals pop up..but normally I book flights to where I want to go and go when its cheaper..not on where the best deal is.

Chris westjet still offers Member Exclusive fares. If they’re available on the flight you’re looking at, they’ll show as an option on the pricing screen. You no longer have to search separately for them.
It used to be $1 to buy one westjet dollar, plus the Points.com fee, but it’s now $2 to buy one westjet dollar, plus the fee, hence the discount offer.
You’d have to do the math to see if it’s to your advantage to buy westjet dollars to book a Member Exclusive fare. The idea of buying them is meant for those who need to top up their westjet dollars to buy ME fares.
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Chris - Yeah no one is buying / booking trip to use their westjet $ so just another way to make $$$
I stopped using their elite credit card last few months and using my other credit card that pay the $ credit end of the year!
AND I can not close their credit card because I will lose their westjet $ or credit !
AND their annual fee keep on going up and now you have to pay $119 for their companion pass ! Was the reason I applied their credit card! If you called the westjet- the earliest they will call me is aweek so we wait !

Nancy Lots of people use westjet dollars to book their flights.
Your part about losing westjet dollars if you cancel a westjet rbc mastercard is incorrect. Don’t know what you mean by you’d lose westjet $ or credit.” What credit?
You can book using a companion voucher (they aren’t actually called companion passes) online. Why would you have to call?

Cindy - In the past when you want to use your companion vouchers- you do have to call, now these days with Covid last 2 years or so you are able to apply it when you book it! And it is very easy.
And yes we have booked our trip to Maui and Palm Springs, CA many times on last 15 years when we go to our condos we do use westjet airline more so than air canada, at the end of the day the annual fee is what I don’t like to pay and keep on going up as well as even with vouchers it is $119 instead of $99
And YES to apply your income has to be 75k + to qualify and we each applied so cost us $119 so I actually cancel my own credit card but hubby keeps his for now
We like to call to ask some questions other than what is on-line booking business!

Yes you can but you have to call them in order to do that

I’m curious, I have the WJ M/C haven’t really earned many WJ dollars, what’s the benefit of buying the dollars? I don’t get it? lol

Tammi for us it’s the free bags. We have 2 cards, so 2 trips pays for itself. Then the companion pass. But sometimes that’s not the best deal either

Laurie yup, that’s pretty much why I got the card to start with, the bags & vouchers. It’s the buying of WJ Dollars I don’t get lol

Tammi There is a discount on the fare if you can cover it all with WSD. However, it’s usually a very small difference so IMO, it’s not really worth it unless it’s a big difference for the fare you’re looking at.

Lisa gotcha! Makes sense

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This deal is crap and doesn’t surprise me from one of the two airlines that extort money out of us cause they have no competition!

That seems ridiculous that westjet dollars cost more than they are worth! With my credit card a 1 earned is a dollar spend. What a shit scam

Even with 40% off they cost more than they're worth.

Definitely not a good deal. After discount you are paying $1.20 for 1 westjet dollar. The only benefit of a westjet dollar is the use for Member Exclusive fares but there really is no value in doing this.

Roopi gotcha! I kinda thought that was it.

Roopi I thought I was missing something as I couldn’t figure out why they were costing more.

Roopi wow I didn’t look into it to much. That is a terrible deal. I assumed it was $1 for a $1 without the discount

super misleading bs from westjet

Chris, I totally agree with you on this "westjet deal"
I think the big problem now is that westjet is privately owned. We will most likely not see the same level of savings, deals or customer service as before. So sad !

Yes you can.

Melanie Boyle read this, don’t rush out to buy those WSDs

I think I have enough to get down the boarding tunnel. 40% less might actually let me get to the door of the plane.

I went to Mexico with westjet vacation and I have westjet dollars and also credits from covid flight that they canceled ! They told me i can’t use the credit towards vacation. Because they are 2 different entities
but I could use the WJ dollars if i call them to book the vacation. No online. Hopefully this help

Be careful. A westjet $ is worth about 60c when you use it.

Also you can't use westjet dollar to pay for the (taxes and fees)
It's also slightly higher than air canada. Also the taxes and fees can't count toward elite status program.
I don't understand westjet. It's branded like First Tier Airline like air canada. But the service offered inflight still operate like discount airline. Just for example (No in inflight entertainment screens built into the seat backs) not even the business classes in their 737 fleet.

Jim you use the westjet Connect on the westjet app. Lots if music, TV shows and movie choices. You just use your own device. Really like it.

Wanda
I know about westjet connect. And used it many times.
It just can't compete with air canada. Pretty much same ticket price but I have to bring my own device. Also the contents in the westjet connect are very limited. For the 737NG fleet somehow the video resolution is not well. Only the max is good. 787 has its own inflight screens, the resolution is good as well.
Just wish westjet would setup up its game to compete with Air Canada.

The math on this is totally in favour of WJ and you cannot use it for return flights and its only valid on flights of their choosing i believe - bit of scam really...

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Chad Pinnock I didn’t look into it to much until I saw all the comments about it being a scam. Crazy. I assumed it was a dollar for a dollar

Tread lightly. WJ is a sh!tshow these days

Don’t do it