What to expect with UltraBasic
UltraBasic offers guests the following options at the lowest possible fare price including:
- a personal item to be stored under the seat
- a pre-assigned seat at the back of the aircraft
- the option to add checked baggage and seat selection for additional fees
- the option to purchase Extended Comfort for additional benefits
- the same friendly service, onboard food and beverage offerings, and access to the WestJet Connect inflight entertainment and connectivity system as before
The UltraBasic fare differs from what existed with WestJet’s Basic fare offering:
- guests are not permitted a carry-on bag* (UltraBasic guests flying on transpacific and transatlantic routes only will be permitted to bring a carry-on bag in addition to a personal item)
- guests will be last to board**
Interesting they felt the need to reimagine their existing "Basic" fare into something.. worse.
I'm guessing this is a play by WestJet to service/compete with the ULCC segment without having to create a whole new subsidiary (like Swoop).
Ultimately, if this doesn't dilute the benefits to existing fare types, or pushes the pricing up of existing fare prices (e.g. pricing Basic fares at the current level of Standard/Flex fares, and pushing the latter up even more) then as much as it's a race to the bottom, I think this is the current trend in the airline industry and as much as I hate to say it, should capture another demographic for WestJet.