US EditionWestJet to add surcharge to some bookings and combine flights due to fuel costs
WestJet said the fee will apply only to companion voucher bookings, while reduced demand flights are being consolidated to cut capacity by up to 3% in May.
- Calgary-Based WestJet will introduce a $60 surcharge on companion voucher bookings beginning Wednesday, April 8, though bookings made before that date remain unaffected.
- Rising fuel prices from the Middle East conflict prompted the temporary surcharge, with a WestJet spokesperson telling CBC News that fuel is the "largest contributor to airline operating costs."
- The companion voucher program, a WestJet RBC and Mastercard perk, allows cardholders a reduced fare for a second passenger, though the airline noted the "nature of our companion vouchers does not allow for this same flexibility."
- WestJet is consolidating flights on lower-demand routes to address higher expenses, reducing capacity by "approximately one per cent in April and three per cent in May" for most guests.
- Wayne Smith, a hospitality and tourism professor at Toronto Metropolitan University, says Canadian airlines are scrambling to cover costs since the war on Iran created a fuel shortage; the surcharge remains until "jet fuel prices return to normal levels.
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WestJet's decision reflects a cost management strategy to address the volatility of the fuel market, affecting the Canadian aviation industry.
The Toronto Star
WestJet to add surcharge to some bookings and combine flights due to fuel costs
Calgary-based WestJet says it will be introducing a temporary $60 surcharge for certain bookings and has consolidated numerous flights due to skyrocketing fuel prices.
WestJet Adds Fuel Surcharge for Companion Voucher Bookings Amid Rising Energy Costs
WestJet will add a $60 surcharge to flights bought with companion vouchers starting on April 8. “Fuel is the largest contributor to airline operating costs, and a temporary surcharge helps us manage the recent surge in fuel prices. While airfares can be adjusted and have greater flexibility in pricing, the nature of our companion vouchers does not allow for this same flexibility,” WestJet told The Epoch Times. The new fee is listed as an air tra…
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