The Ultimate WestJet Credit Card Portfolio
Last Updated on February 11, 2023
In this feature of Rewards Canada' Ultimate Credit Card Portfolios we look at the ultimate wallet for earning and redeeming WestJet Rewards dollars and for flying with WestJet. We have always recommended that you should carry a Visa, a Mastercard and an American Express card in your wallet. The reason why is that there are benefits, promotions and earning potential unique to each brand of credit card. In this feature we outline one card from each brand that will help you build up those WestJet dollars faster than ever and/or save on your WestJet flights. Ultimately there are various options that could be utilized for a WestJet portfolio but we look at one card from each issuing family that provide strong WestJet dollars earning, discounts for flying on WestJet along with very strong insurance and travel benefits.
What is Rewards Canada's Ultimate WestJet Rewards Credit Card Wallet? It is the following three cards:
Mastercard: WestJet RBC World Elite Mastercard
Visa: RBC ION+ Visa Card
American Express: The Platinum Card from American Express
Why these three?
A quick overview as to why these three cards make up this portfolio:
- WestJet RBC World Elite Mastercard: Your card for actual WestJet benefits. First checked bag free for up to 9 people on the same reservation and an annual companion voucher to use on WestJet flights Worldwide
- RBC ION+ Visa Card: Your card to accelerate your WestJet dollars earning on popular spending categories
- The Platinum Card from American Express: Your lounge access card and a card to provide discounts on WestJet flights.
The WestJet RBC World Elite Mastercard is the obvious choice as it is the primary card out there for WestJet Rewards. It is will be the card you use for any purchases that the RBC ION+ Visa Card does not have any accelerated earn rates on. It will earn 1.5% back in WestJet dollars on all purchases except for WestJet/WestJet Vacations purchases where that is bumped up to 2%. The RBC ION+ Visa Card earns Avion Rewards Points which can then be converted to WestJet dollars. The rate they convert at is 100 Avion Rewards Points to 1 WestJet dollar which translates to 1% to 3% in WestJet dollars per dollar spent. The final card, the Platinum Card from American Express does not actually earn any points that can be converted to WestJet dollars but provides discounts for buying tickets on WestJet plus you can also apply the Platinum card's points to those ticket purchases as well.
Five Key Benefits of this portfolio
- Provides the best WestJet dollars earning potential
- Annual companion pass and first checked bag free can provide tremendous savings when flying with WestJet
- Free Wi-Fi on WestJet flights
- Provides discounts on WestJet flights (except those in basic economy)
- Lounge access in many key WestJet cities
How to maximize your WestJet Rewards Dollar earning with these cards
Before we jump into maximizing your earning with these cards let's look at their earn rates in Flying Blue Miles per dollar spent (we'll discuss the conversion rates below).
| WestJet RBC World Elite Mastercard | RBC ION+ Visa Card | The Platinum Card from American Express | |
|---|---|---|---|
| WestJet Flights | 2% | 1% | 2 points (Not WestJet dollars) |
| Other travel purchases | 1.5% | 1% | 2 points (Not WestJet dollars) |
| Grocery | 1.5% | 3% | 1 point (Not WestJet dollars) |
| Dining / Food Delivery | 1.5% | 3% | 3 points (Not WestJet dollars) |
| Select Streaming Services / Digital Gaming / Subscriptions | 1.5% | 3% | 1 point (Not WestJet dollars) |
| Gas | 1.5% | 3% | 1 point (Not WestJet dollars) |
| Daily Transit (includes taxi / ride shares) | 1.5% | 3% | 1 point (Not WestJet dollars) |
| All other spending | 1.5% | 1% | 1 point (Not WestJet dollars) |
Why you want to get each of these cards - AKA the earn and benefits they provide!
WestJet RBC World Elite Mastercard
Click here to learn more about this card and/or to apply for it
This is the primary card for the Ultimate WestJet Credit Card portfolio. It provides the best non-accelerated earn rates for WestJet dollars at 1.5% for all purchases except WestJet flights and WestJet Vacations packages in which case the card earns 2% back.
On top of the best WestJet earn the card also provides numerous benefits for travelling with WestJet. The most famous being the first checked bag free benefit which waives the fee for the first bag for the cardholder and up to 8 additional passengers on the same reservation. With baggage fees starting at $30 one way, you can see how big of savings this can provide. The great thing with this benefit is that you actually don't have to buy the flights with this card you simply have to have it connected to your WestJet Rewards account and make sure your WestJet Rewards membership number is attached to your reservation (see the Platinum Card option below)
The next benefit is the annual companion voucher that the WestJet RBC World Elite Mastercard provides. This is the yearly benefit from the card where you can buy a second ticket on a flight for a fixed fee plus the ticket's normal taxes and fees. If you play your cards right and redeem on expensive tickets you can extract big value from the voucher. The flat redemption fees for the voucher are as follows:
- Canada and the Continental U.S. for $119
- The rest of WestJet's network for $399
There are additional features and insurance benefits the card brings to the table as well which won't cover here save for the free Global Wi-Fi the card provides. This benefit via Boingo is available on all World Elite Mastercards in Canada and is especially noteworthy for this WestJet portfolio as Boingo membership means you get free Wi-Fi on WestJet flights! The Wi-Fi benefit is limited to 12 ninety minute sessions per calendar year.
Read our review of the WestJet RBC World Elite Mastercardf to learn more.
RBC ION+ Visa Card
Click here to learn more about this card and/or to apply for it
For most people's spending habits this card will be your primary WestJet dollars earner. It makes sense to have the ION+ Visa card as your daily driver since it offers 3% back in WestJet dollars on many everyday spending categories.
The card actually earns Avion Rewards points which can then be converted to WestJet Rewards dollars. The conversion rate is 100 points to 1 dollar (min. 1,000 points to convert) which means this card's 3 points per dollar earn rate on Grocery, Dining, Food Delivery, Rides, Gas, EV Charging, Streaming, Digital Gaming & Subscriptions equates to 3% in WestJet dollars.
The current welcome bonus on the ION+ card provides 12,000 Avion Rewards points which can then be converted to 120 WestJet dollars.
The Platinum Card from American Express
Click here to learn more about this card and/or to apply for it
While the Platinum card does not earn WestJet Dollars, it does earn membership rewards which can be redeemed for WestJet flights separately but you’re getting this card more so for discounts on WestJet flights, airport lounge access and a plethora of other travel benefits.
The WestJet discount
The Platinum Card has a benefit called the International Airline Program which provides discounts on premium travel with many of the world’s top airlines and this also includes WestJet. The beauty of WestJet is the discount is extended to any economy class fare above Basic. So unless you are buying the absolute cheapest fare with WestJet (which isn’t always available on all routes) you can purchase it cheaper via American Express. The discount also grows with the higher fare class you book. A recent check of two business class seats between Calgary and Maui priced at $5,175 on WestJet’s site and only $4,297 with Amex! On top of this you can redeem the Membership Rewards points you have earned on the Platinum Card towards these flights or any other flights you purchase on the card.
And as mentioned above even though you are buying these tickets through Amex Travel and paying with your Platinum Card so long as you have the WestJet RBC World Elite Mastercard you won't pay the first bag fee on these bookings. On top of this you'll still earn your WestJet dollars and you will receive any elite status benefits should you happen to have WestJet Elite Status.
Ultimate Guide to the American Express International Airline Program
Check it out here
The Lounge access
The Platinum Card has the best airport lounge access hands down out of any cards in Canada. Yes, the WestJet RBC World Elite Mastercard has Mastercard Travel Pass by DragonPass but that only covers your annual membership not the actual fee to access any lounges. The Platinum card has membership and access fees covered! And depending on which lounge it may cover your entire family’s entry fees. Whether it’s a lounge in Vancouver, Edmonton, Toronto or London, England you’re covered with the Platinum Card.
Rewards Canada's Guide to Business Class Lounge Access
Check it out here
Then you have additional benefits like a $200 annual travel credit which you can apply to WestJet flights you book via the International Airline program or virtually any other travel. It provides hotel elite status and much more.
Read our review of the Platinum card to get all the juicy details!
Here are the current details on these three cards
WestJet RBC World Elite Mastercard
Earn up to 450 welcome WestJet dollars
Receive 250 dollars upon approval and 200 dollars when you spend $5,000 in the first three months.
Receive a Status Lift of $500 in tier qualifying spend for every $15,000 in everyday purchases on your WestJet RBC World Elite Mastercard.
Annual Fee $119 | Additional Cards: $59 | Annual interest rate 19.99% on purchases and 22.99% on funds advances | $80,000 personal or $150,000 household annual income
- Annual $119/$399 Companion Flight when you sign up for and receive the WestJet RBC World Elite Mastercard.
- Earn 1.5% back in WestJet dollars on every purchase you make with your card
- Earn 2% back in WestJet dollars when you purchase WestJet flights or WestJet Vacations packages with your card
- Companion flight vouchers are an annual benefit.
- First bag free for the primary cardholder up to 8 people traveling on the same reservation to anywhere WestJet flies!
- Companion voucher details:
- Travel to Canada and the Continental US for $119 CAD
- Travel to the rest of the WestJet network for $399 CAD
RBC ION+ Visa Card
Get 7,000 Avion points on approval with the RBC ION+ Visa. Apply by May 29, 2023 ^
Monthly fee $4 ($48 annually) | Additional Cards: $0 | Annual interest rate: 19.99% on purchases, 22.99% on cash advances and balance transfers | Credit Rating: Good
Earn 3X Avion points1 on:
- Grocery, Dining & Food Delivery - Satisfy your taste buds by earning points on groceriesi
- Rides, Gas & EV Charging – Enjoy earning points on gas, rideshare, daily public transit, electric vehicle charging. ii
- Streaming, Digital Gaming & Subscriptions – Stay entertained while earning points on streaming, gaming, eligible digital subscriptions, eligible digital downloads, and in-game purchases.iii
Earn 1 Avion point for every $1 spent on all other qualifying purchases1
Pay With Points
Redeem your Avion points to pay bills, your credit card balance or even send money to friends with Interac e-Transfer4. Minimum redemption is only $10, so you can use your points where you need them most.
Save at Petro-Canada
Save 3¢/L on fuel and earn 20% more points when you pay with a linked RBC card.6
Earn more Be Well points at Rexall
Earn 50 Be Well points for every $1 spent on eligible purchases at Rexall when you pay with your linked RBC card and scan your Be Well card.7
Save Big on Delivery with DoorDash
Get a 3-month complimentary DashPass subscription – a value of almost $308
Enjoy unlimited deliveries with $0 delivery fees on qualifying orders of $15 or more when you pay with your eligible RBC credit card9. See how to save with DoorDash.
Mobile Device Insurance5 Included
Purchase Security and Extended Warranty Insurance5
Corresponding legal references and product terms are available on the RBC website, which will be available and agreed upon in the customer onboarding process.
The Platinum Card®
2023 Top Ultra Premium Credit Card
Earn 80,000 Membership Rewards® points - that’s $800 towards a weekend away
New Platinum® Cardmembers, earn 80,000 Welcome Bonus points after you charge $7,500 in net purchases to your Card in your first 3 months of Cardmembership
Annual Fee: $699 | Additional Card Fee: $175 for Platinum, $50 for Gold
- Earn 3 points for every $1 in Card purchases on eligible dining and food delivery in Canada, 2 points for every $1 in Card purchases on eligible travel, and 1 point for every $1 in all other Card purchases
- You will have access to a $200 CAD Annual Travel Credit to use towards any single travel booking of $200 or more charged to your Platinum Card and made on www.americanexpress.ca/travel or through Platinum Card Travel Service
- Take full advantage of The American Express Global Lounge CollectionTM which unlocks access to over 1300 airport lounges worldwide. This includes The Centurion® Lounge network, Plaza Premium Lounges, and hundreds of other domestic and international lounges designed to enhance your travel experience
- Enjoy flexible ways to use your points such as statement credits for any eligible purchase charged to your Card, new travel purchases booked on American Express Travel Online through the Flexible Points Travel Program, and eligible flights through the Fixed Points Travel Program
- Transfer points 1:1 to several frequent flyer and other loyalty programs
- Enjoy complimentary benefits that offer an average value of $550 USD at over 1,000 extraordinary properties worldwide when you book Fine Hotels + Resorts
- Platinum Cardmembers can enjoy access to special events and unique opportunities
- Enjoy premium benefits at the Toronto Pearson Airport such as discount on parking
- You will also have access to many leading hotel and car rental companies’ loyalty programs. Our partners include Marriott International, Hilton Hotels and Resorts, Radisson Hotel Group Americas, Hertz and Avis
- Interest applies in accordance with your Cardmember Agreement, Information Box, and Disclosure statement if the total New Balance is not paid by the Payment Due Date each month. All payments must be received by the Payment Due Date shown on the monthly statement
- American Express is not responsible for maintaining or monitoring the accuracy of information on this website. For full details and current product information click the Apply now link. Conditions apply
- Click here to apply for The Platinum Card from American Express
There you go. With these three cards you are pretty much covered for all your travels with WestJet and maximizing your WestJet Rewards dollar earning.
Other Card Options:
Although we feel the combination above is your best bet there are other card options that can fit the bill for all three of the issuers. On the Amex side you could consider the American Express Cobalt Card - in fact in the first version of this portfolio it was the recommended Amex card but that was before WestJet became an International Airline Program partner. You would get the Cobalt card for its super strong 5x points earning on Eats and Drinks, then book WestJet flights on this card and redeem your points against the charge for a 1% to 5% return depending on how you earned them. That's higher than anything else in this portfolio.
For the Visa portion, you could look at the older sibling to the ION+ card, the RBC Avion Visa Infinite Card. You would be grabbing the Avion Visa Infinite Card solely for its welcome bonus of 55,000 points which works out to 550 WestJet dollars. A big boost to your WestJet balance and a good option if you don't spend a lot on accelerated categories that the ION+ provides.
On the Mastercard side you could consider the lower end WestJet RBC Mastercard however it has lower earn rates, no First Checked Bag free benefit and its companion voucher is limited to Canada and the U.S..
This feature was first posted on November 21, 2017 and is updated regularly