Originally Posted by
Sunny Day
Given the huge currency difference, WJ is pocketing $40 CAD now per bag when charging $30 USD. WJ should and could easily reduce that fee to 22 USD if the goal is to charge the EQUIVALENT of $30 CAD. But they want to game the currency differential to get extra revenue. Alternatively, the ethical way is to give passengers the option to prepay the return flight baggage fee in CAD (30 CAD) at the same time when passengers are paying the departure baggage fee (when checking in from a Canadian departure point).
Why would they have a goal of charging less? Clearly they make more money at US$30 and US$50 than CAD amounts so they are charging more and earning more. It is possible they pay more in the USA for local service (or the same but in $US) so they might not be earning as much as you think. Why is everyone so amazed they charge fees for things however they can, and have told passengers by posting the rules way back in August? Ethical schmethical, they are a public company that did terribly at their last quarterly financial review. Prepaying is just saying they should do the same, lesser earning, thing, but in advance, which makes no more sense other than they have the money for a week, whoopee.
WestJet is not your nice uncle who should treat you better than AC, who is your mean uncle. They charge what competitors do and as much as they can. If you owned WSA stock you'd be cheering them on for this.