YXUFlyboy

Book on KLM and credit to WestJet. Won't count as WestJet spend but you should get an enhanced earn if you have status. WestJet doesn't market KLM fares it would seem so you have to buy direct.

Arthurrs

Yeah, I think that's probably the easiest way to do it now, either Delta or KLM. I'll mull over it for a couple of weeks, a WestJet/Skyteam alliance can't happen fast enough!! You can spend WestJet dollars for this flight, but cannot earn Westjet status dollars for the same itinerary.

YXUFlyboy

Not qualified spend ("status dollars"), no. But you can get WestJet dollars credited for flying KLM.

The Real Joe Blow

I've been gold for 2-1/2 years, and now Platinum - never had baggage tags ever.

Cheers
TRJB

I checked in yesterday for my flight this afternoon at T24 + 10 seconds... no upgrade to plus seating with a standard Econo fare as I suspected... You now have to pay 80% of the extra cost for the chance at a "free" upgrade (IE, buy a Flex fare). Seems like WJ's definition of making the system "better" is different than mine.

Cheers
TRJB

Sunny Day

Even if passengers are on expensive Flex fare, there is no comp upgrade anymore. It changed sometime mid year 2018. WJ employee has been told through company wide memo not to comp upgrade any Gold or Plat members to a Plus seat at the airport even if those seats are going out empty. Our loyalty ain't worth much these days.

The Real Joe Blow

Well, I just finished my first trip as a Platinum member... 4 WJ flights, ZERO recognition as a Plat (no call for platinum/gold at boarding, just a generic "Now boarding Zone 1"; no "thank you for your loyalty" at any of the gate checks, which I actually got 90% of the time previously as a Gold member; no "Welcome Mr. Blow" which I used to get frequently - just some anonymous passenger with a platinum logo on his boarding card largely ignored by all WJ employees...

And no upgrades on any of the 4 flights - even though my flight this morning had 9 (yes,,, NINE) empty seats in Plus, and the flight at noon had 2 empty Plus seats.

Thanks WJ - I feel sooooo much more special as a new Platinum member now than I did as a Gold under the old system... NOT.

Way to f'up the rewards program. I know I shouldn't feel entitled to anything, and really I don't, but you made such a big deal about the new system and how great it was going to be, and honestly, all you did is raise expectations and then totally fail to deliver, pissing me and likely a lot of other FF's off in the process. I might just seriously switch to AC now since you don't seem to care about people who spend $10-20K flying with you every year, but follow company policy by booking standard econo fare.

TRJB

james dean

Like I said before "change is GOOD; until it happens"

ricktoronto

How about the idea of buying a Plus seat vs. expecting it for free on a non-Plus fare. I have 100% success rate since 2003 across all airlines sitting in J or (PE until WS ups the game with real seats) of paying for what I want. I want a J or on WS, PE seat, that's what I book.

james dean

What a concept! you actually pay for your J/PE/plus seat! & no stress worrying/thinking about getting the upgrade: I'm in...

juddstreet

Good on ya. I don't have that kind of money, but I think that's a totally reasonable choice for those who do.

But, what a bunch of people here are saying is this: There are many, many airlines where loyalty is rewarded with upgrades. When I'm on Delta, for instance, even as a lowly Gold I'm batting somewhere in the 1/3-1/2 upgrade to first range. This is an important and valuable feature of airlines for some, like me (not to mention obvious perks like free seat selection at booking and lounge access on US-Can itineraries). If WestJet is going to claim to have a "loyalty" program, but then fail to provide any of these benefits, it doesn't hit the lowest bar for passengers who care about this. And, it really sucks to be stuck in a country with, effectively, the choice only between an evil airline and an airline who can't seem to meet this lowest bar to provide a viable alternative.

Your priorities and choices are totally legitimate, but so are mine/ours. Please don't condescend or cast those who care about good loyalty programs as petulant for expecting upgrades as a reward for that loyalty. You're welcome to decide to not play the loyalty game and just buy J fares, for instance, and we're welcome to try to push WestJet to have a loyalty program that's actually attractive. Perhaps we'll end up disappointed, perhaps we won't, but we're certainly entitled to respect for our views.

Sunny Day

Real world data point, Platinum status doesn't mean much to WJ despite the new tier. Just another way to make you feel better and a new carrot dangling in front of you without giving you anything in return. I was told by WJ employee that the system will randomly upgrade passengers and WJ memo told them not to do gate upgrade for either Gold or Platinum. Your real life example just blew a hole in their promise. I know I am one person but I have shifted my travel spend back to Air Canada after being denied upgrade at gate when Plus seats were going out empty. Certainly AC doesn't provide comp upgrade either, but that was one thing that pushed the balance towards WJ for me for a while. Now that carrot is gone, I don't have as much warm and fuzzy feeling for WJ.

ricktoronto

And many with few or none, with nowhere near 1/3 to 1/2 success rate and I think they are measuring the value and cost of all this and rationalizing. CX is happy to leave with empty seats vs. hand them out like Halloween candy.

Nobody goes to McDonalds and gets the large size for small, 2 kilos of carrots for the price of one at Wal-Mart, only airlines seem to be demons for not giving away a service they sell.

james dean

"evil airline" really??

Error 601

You aren't wrong, but it is difficult to be the outlier on this. There has always been an implied bargain between the airlines and frequent flyers that in exchange for their loyalty they will help them work around their travel policy.

It appears to me that WestJet absolutely does not want their foray into the premium market to unleash a savage competitive response from Air Canada or just start a race to the bottom. That is certainly a reasonable position to hold, but it still doesn't explain how they're going to get paying passengers into those seats which will invariably require shaking loose existing loyalties all the while offering nothing all that enticing.

Frequentlander

I think (hope) that because they're new to this they're still finding their feet. The rollout of Plat status has been haphazard and the in-airport/in-flight benefits of Plat are nebulous. My guess is that the slow rollout is being done in such a way that full in-airport/in-flight benefits will coincide with the first bums in 787 seats. I think that if they don't do something to REALLY attract business flyers, they are going to be flying empty pods around. I think they will fill the econ and Premium seats on the Dreamliners but the J seats may be a tougher sell unless they can bleed at least a few bodies from AC J class seats.