It has been a little over a year since Onex Corporation purchased WestJet for $5 billion, and in that time Canada’s ‘Most On-Time Airline’ hasn’t skipped a beat! Last night, Travel Pulse Canada along with a handful of Canadian travel industry professionals attended WestJet's Travel Partner Awards at their YYZ hangar. During the event, guests not only received a full company update but were also allowed to go onboard and experience the new Boeing 787 Dreamliner, the newest aircraft to be added to WestJet’s fleet.

“This aircraft is perfect as we look at the global expansion we have begun. It really allows us to operate the routes most efficiently out of our three hubs - Toronto, Calgary, and Vancouver - and allows us to expand at the right pace that is right for us as we go through this transition to a premium full-service carrier…” shared Chuck Crowder, VP Sales, Distribution & Contact Center. “And now with the 787 we have the opportunity to add business class and our premium economy cabin on this as well, so it takes us to a whole new level of guests we can attract to the airline, especially if I think about the corporate traveler.”

Today, WestJet has over 180 aircrafts that serve over 110 destinations in 25 different countries across the globe, and as of May 2nd, WestJet will be offering a new route from Calgary to Rome on their brand new 787 fleet. Currently, WestJet has received 4 of the 10 planes they have on firm orders from Boeing, but depending on how they can expand routes into Europe as well as around the world, WestJet has the option to add 10 more to their fleet.

WestJet took delivery of their first Boeing 787 Dreamliner aircraft last March and have been using it for routes to London, Dublin, and Paris out of their Calgary hub as well as domestically between Toronto and Vancouver, and Calgary to Maui this past winter. Flight time for the new 787 is well over 17 hours and as Chuck Crowder mentioned, WestJet's goal is to attract more corporate travelers. With that goal, however, comes a higher demand for better service and Crowder shared with us what business and premium class travelers can expect in terms of onboard experience beyond the flatbed pods, larger overhead bins, and upgrades in design and entertainment technology.

“So in business class, it’s all freshly prepared meals. It’s actually dining on demand, so it’s like a restaurant-style where you can dine when you chose. There are several courses or there’s also a lighter fare option so if you are a business traveler who wants to get on the plane, eat quickly and then go to sleep and get as much rest as possible before landing in Europe, we offer that as well,” explained Crowder. “We don’t do cart service in the aisles and we don’t do tray service, it’s all done individually by the flight attendants.”

Beyond the new 787, there is lots more on the horizon for WestJet including a new joint venture agreement that is currently in the works with Delta Airlines in the US and Air France-KLM in Europe, aimed to ease the transition and create a seamless journey for guests among both carriers. Additionally, WestJet is also making enhancements to their 737 fleet with over half of the fleet having undergone reconfiguration already and the rest to be completed by the end of 2021. Further, a new flagship lounge is being added to their Calgary hub that is aimed to appeal directly to the corporate travelers they are trying to attract.

“In our flagship hub in YYC in Calgary that we are also excited to be opening this September, is an exciting experience that is really going to make our corporate travelers, our premium travelers and anyone who buys an entry into our flagship lounge really understand where we are trying to go with our enhanced experience,” shared Leah Mc Donald, Advisor Chief Operations Office during last night’s presentation.

Of course, the main purpose of last night’s event was to see who the winners would be for WestJet’s 2020 Travel Partner Awards and the team at Travel Pulse Canada would like to extend a huge congratulations to the following agencies who took home trophies:

Top Premium Air Sales, WestJet Airlines 2019
Platinum Partner: American Express Global Business Travel
Gold Partner: Merit Travel Group
Silver Partner: TierOne Travel
Teal Plus Partner: Elite Travel Management
Specialty Sales Partner: Travel Brands
OTA Partner: Expedia

Top Revenue Growth, WestJet Airlines 2019
Platinum Partner: BCD Travel
Gold Partner: Egencia
Silver Partner: YYZ Travel Group
Teal Plus Partner: Costco Travel Canada
Specialty Sales Partner: Agencia Global
OTA Partner: Hopper

Top Revenue Growth, WestJet Vacations 2019
Platinum Partner: Red Label Vacations
Gold Partner: Alberta Motors Association
Silver Partner: The Travel Agent Next Door
Teal Plus Partner: TravelOnly

Lastly, to help support the trade better WestJet has added additional staff to strengthen agency partnerships and response times, ensuring more support for all those selling WestJet.

“We are investing in technology, we are investing in products and services, we are investing in planes but we are also investing in people to support the trade. So since last year, my team has doubled in size. Why is it doubling in size? Because we need you, we need to be more responsive, we need more face time, we need more partnerships, we need more strategies and we need more of your sales. So we are upping the game and it is to support all of you,” assured Jane Clemetino, Director of Agency Sales.

For more information on WestJet's travel agent programs please visit www.westjettravelagents.com