WestJet Rewards - WestJet, Cathay Pacific sign partnership deal

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/globe-investor/westjet-cathay-pacific-sign-partnership-deal/article1557361/

WestJet Airlines Ltd. and Cathay Pacific Airways Ltd. have signed a partnership deal, one in a series of co-operation pacts that WestJet is targeting with foreign carriers.

Calgary-based WestJet has been looking to forge links with the Hong Kong-based carrier for nearly six years, but they needed to overcome technology hurdles. With WestJet recently upgrading its computer reservations system, the two airlines will be taking their first step in the partnership.

“We signed and are in the process of implementing an inbound interline agreement with Cathay Pacific that should be in place later this month,” WestJet chief executive officer Gregg Saretsky said during a conference call Tuesday.

The “interline” pact calls for co-operation on ticketing and baggage handling, making it easier for a traveller on a Cathay trip into Canada to catch a connecting flight operated by WestJet. The partnership should be rolled out over the next several weeks, said Cathay spokeswoman Jennifer Pearson, who added that the Asian carrier already has an interline agreement in place with Air Canada.

When he says it's an inbound interline agreement, does this mean what it sounds like, where Cathay will be feeding traffic to Westjet, but Westjet won't be feeding Asian-bound traffic to Cathay?

Correct,

Inbound interline does nothing for the existing Westjet traveller other than allow for more interesting seatmate discussions about hometowns.

However, when I book on Cathay from YEG to TPE I won't have to fly AC on the domestic segment anymore, or have to book on WS and CX separately correct?

Inbound only? Seriously? Come on......

However, when I book on Cathay from YEG to TPE I won't have to fly AC on the domestic segment anymore, or have to book on WS and CX separately correct?

That's correct according to the news in the article.

That's correct according to the news in the article.

Are you sure? That sounds like "outbound" not "inbound".

Are you sure? That sounds like "outbound" not "inbound".

Yes:

“We signed and are in the process of implementing an inbound interline agreement with Cathay Pacific that should be in place later this month,” WestJet chief executive officer Gregg Saretsky said during a conference call Tuesday.

The “interline” pact calls for co-operation on ticketing and baggage handling, making it easier for a traveller on a Cathay trip into Canada to catch a connecting flight operated by WestJet.

I was hoping for some great deals to Asia :(

Yes:

“We signed and are in the process of implementing an inbound interline agreement with Cathay Pacific that should be in place later this month,” WestJet chief executive officer Gregg Saretsky said during a conference call Tuesday.

The “interline” pact calls for co-operation on ticketing and baggage handling, making it easier for a traveller on a Cathay trip into Canada to catch a connecting flight operated by WestJet.

But the poster you quoted is going YEG to TPE, and the article says CX to WS, not WS to CX.

But the poster you quoted is going YEG to TPE, and the article says CX to WS, not WS to CX.

Sorry, yes, I hadn't seen that earlier now you mention it. :o It would work TPE-YEG but not the other way around, at least for now.

Sorry, yes, I hadn't seen that earlier now you mention it. :o It would work TPE-YEG but not the other way around, at least for now.

In which case, one wonders if someone from Asia wants to get to Regina (for example), they can come on in CX and connect to WS, but how the heck do they get home?

Not quite, folks... Though its termed 'inbound' that not referring to the dirrection. It refers to either the fact that travelers are inbound to the country, or that the other airline is feeding traffic 'in' to the domestc carrier.

So the ticketing carrier will indeed be arranging travel in both directions.

WestJet already has these 'inbound' interline deals with KL and CI and I deal with guests going in each direction on a daily basis.

Not quite, folks... Though its termed 'inbound' that not referring to the dirrection. It refers to either the fact that travelers are inbound to the country, or that the other airline is feeding traffic 'in' to the domestc carrier.

So the ticketing carrier will indeed be arranging travel in both directions.

WestJet already has these 'inbound' interline deals with KL and CI and I deal with guests going in each direction on a daily basis.

I've always understood interline agreements to be directional. In this case inbound meaning pax arriving from CX can interline on to WJ with a single ticket but to interline from WJ to a CX would be a different agreement, an outbound interline agreement.

Also, are the deals with KL & CI reciprocal interline agreements? This press release seems to indicate the KL deal with WS is also inbound only:

http://corporate.klm.com/en/newsroom/press-releases/archive-2009/air-france-klm-and-westjet-announce-launch-of-interline-relationship

This interline agreement allows guests to board an Air France or KLM flight and travel on one itinerary to their final destination in WestJet’s network. This is an important strategic move, prior to the airlines potentially broadening their relationship with a reciprocal interline agreement and a code-sharing agreement.

Which to this layman seems to say that first there are directional interline agreements, then reciprocal interline agreements and ultimately full codeshare agreements.

Tcook,

The WS and KL interline applies to both inbound Canada and outbound Canada. However the stipulation on inbound interline is that the full ticket has to be on KL "paper" (For example, on the KL website it is possible to book YEG-YYC-AMS).

For outbound interlining to occur, WS would offer YEG-YYC-AMS on WS paper and through westjet.com. However, there are currently no public plans for WS to offer this service (outbound interline) and time soon.

That said, I have yet to get a WS inbound interline to operate on any of the GDS. Something in the GDS logic favours YEG-MSP-AMS over any attempt to marry WS and KL flights onto single itin.

Note that in my post above, I state that this does nothing for the WS flyer and standby that statement. In this example, although flying WS metal, the traveller is really a CX traveller. All WS is doing is agreeing to hand the bags over at YVR and pick them up at the return. Beyond that the selling airline is CX, not WS.

quick question. i am coming into yyz on cx using an aa award ticket, and then on separate booking with westjet. will this agreement let the cx agent check our bags straight from cx to wj??

to answer my own question i asked when checking in at singapore and they said yes with ticket number they can check bags all way, but no real advantage as you have to clear luggage in yyz anyway.

anyway did our first flight on WJ from yyz-yul - good experience even though we were a bit late. had the FUNNIEST fa i have ever seen. would LOVE to see WJ join oneworld that would fix the ow canada problem