Winnipegger surprised WS bag fees charged in CAD on trip to U.S. but USD on return
#31
Suspended
Join Date: Aug 2018
Posts: 669
#32
Join Date: Aug 2003
Location: Canada
Programs: Marriott Plat; Air Canada E75K; Westjet Platinum
Posts: 1,161
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).
#33
Join Date: Aug 2002
Location: YYZ/MGA
Programs: AA 1MM Lifetime Gold, AA Platinum, WS Gold, Marriott Bonvoy Gold
Posts: 7,607
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).
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.
#34
Join Date: Aug 2002
Location: YYZ/MGA
Programs: AA 1MM Lifetime Gold, AA Platinum, WS Gold, Marriott Bonvoy Gold
Posts: 7,607
Why do you have to mask parts of your credit card statements? Before I retired I submitted expenses based on the CAD amount once a US or EU charge was posted in CAD. Covering them up in Acrobat would look like some attempt at hiding these amounts.
#35
Join Date: Feb 2007
Location: YVR
Programs: Erstwhile Accidental AC E35K
Posts: 2,908
I do the same thing, but it’s all the personal expenses on the same statement that need to be covered up. My client doesn’t need to see how much I spent on flights for another client, or at the liquor store.
#36
Join Date: Mar 2010
Location: Calgary
Posts: 1,437
Doesn’t your company accept electronic entries? For personal credit card accounts RBC and TD (I’m assuming all other major banks, too) allow electronic download in a variety of formats with some filter options to select the relevant transactions, a lot quicker than masking printouts. Also, the corporate cards I have used over the past 15 years or so have provided all transactions in an electronic form for matching with a photo or scan of receipts, with the only manual input required being a one-line justification or list of people present in the case of meals or entertainment. For any company that thinks that the printout is harder to “alter” than the electronic records and hence more acceptable, image editing software is only a click away!
#37
Join Date: Jul 2014
Location: YVR
Programs: WS Nothing, AC Something, AS Gold. Too big for 737Max washrooms
Posts: 893
Doesn’t your company accept electronic entries? For personal credit card accounts RBC and TD (I’m assuming all other major banks, too) allow electronic download in a variety of formats with some filter options to select the relevant transactions, a lot quicker than masking printouts. Also, the corporate cards I have used over the past 15 years or so have provided all transactions in an electronic form for matching with a photo or scan of receipts, with the only manual input required being a one-line justification or list of people present in the case of meals or entertainment. For any company that thinks that the printout is harder to “alter” than the electronic records and hence more acceptable, image editing software is only a click away!
For self-employed people who travel for a number of client companies, conforming to each of their individual idiosyncrasies and how they want the taxes stripped out or not and reported or not is a nightmare.
As for currencies, I once did some work for a company in Little Rock, Arkansas and had to talk them through my expense claim because (and no hyperbole here) the person processing the claim had no idea that there was anything other than a USD and could not get their head around there being "other" currencies. That claim had USD, CAD and MXP so you might imagine how long it took me to get my expenses back.
#38
Suspended
Join Date: Aug 2018
Posts: 669
Some companies demand paper receipts for every single item. No receipt = no reimbursement. Some (most) accept scans but some actually want the physical original.
For self-employed people who travel for a number of client companies, conforming to each of their individual idiosyncrasies and how they want the taxes stripped out or not and reported or not is a nightmare.
As for currencies, I once did some work for a company in Little Rock, Arkansas and had to talk them through my expense claim because (and no hyperbole here) the person processing the claim had no idea that there was anything other than a USD and could not get their head around there being "other" currencies. That claim had USD, CAD and MXP so you might imagine how long it took me to get my expenses back.
For self-employed people who travel for a number of client companies, conforming to each of their individual idiosyncrasies and how they want the taxes stripped out or not and reported or not is a nightmare.
As for currencies, I once did some work for a company in Little Rock, Arkansas and had to talk them through my expense claim because (and no hyperbole here) the person processing the claim had no idea that there was anything other than a USD and could not get their head around there being "other" currencies. That claim had USD, CAD and MXP so you might imagine how long it took me to get my expenses back.
#39
Join Date: Aug 2002
Location: YYZ/MGA
Programs: AA 1MM Lifetime Gold, AA Platinum, WS Gold, Marriott Bonvoy Gold
Posts: 7,607
I guess smaller companies don't go for expense cards issued under their account in the employee's name. Still a good way to hoover miles if it's your own card vs. theirs.
#40
Join Date: Jul 2017
Location: YYJ
Programs: Air Canada 75K, WestJet Platinum, Marriott Titanium
Posts: 119
I fly to the US a lot with WJ. I don’t pay for bags but when I do pay for upgrades to Plus, and I am charged in USD when the flight originates in the US. WestJet charges me the same amount when converted between the two currencies (with a small amount for conversion fees).
It seems odd that WJ didn’t charge her a converted USD amount which is what they do with other fees.
It seems odd that WJ didn’t charge her a converted USD amount which is what they do with other fees.
#42
Join Date: Aug 2008
Location: トロント
Programs: IHG Gold
Posts: 4,809
Lukacs pointed to WestJet's own document, which states "all fares and charges are stated in the currency from which the passenger will initiate travel.
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Puzzle me this Batman. If I board a flight in the United States that is not a connecting flight, from what country am I initiating travel?
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Puzzle me this Batman. If I board a flight in the United States that is not a connecting flight, from what country am I initiating travel?
#43
Join Date: Jan 2007
Programs: No single airline or hotel chain is of much use to me anymore.
Posts: 3,275
You upload the credit card statement as a PDF and the software will create records for each visible transaction capturing the basic information as well as the exchange rate you were charged. That information then gets attached to the original expense and you're reimbursed based on the submitted transaction total.
Some particularly untech-savvy individuals prefer to cut up their credit card statement and tape the transaction to the appropriate receipt.
Of course if you just keep your transactions in the appropriate currency in the first place you don't have to do either.
Last edited by Error 601; Dec 16, 2018 at 7:21 pm
#44
Join Date: Aug 2003
Location: Canada
Programs: Marriott Plat; Air Canada E75K; Westjet Platinum
Posts: 1,161
Lukacs pointed to WestJet's own document, which states "all fares and charges are stated in the currency from which the passenger will initiate travel.
-----------
Puzzle me this Batman. If I board a flight in the United States that is not a connecting flight, from what country am I initiating travel?
-----------
Puzzle me this Batman. If I board a flight in the United States that is not a connecting flight, from what country am I initiating travel?
#45
Join Date: Dec 2008
Posts: 796
Why should I be forced to pay us$30 to check a bag on my Calgary - Toronto sector of my PHX - YYC - YYZ business trip when every one else is paying c$30?
Does anyone believe AA’s PHX - YEG flight charges c$30 for bags?
The Cdn sense of entitlement, esp when it pertains to airline travel, often defies belief.
Does anyone believe AA’s PHX - YEG flight charges c$30 for bags?
The Cdn sense of entitlement, esp when it pertains to airline travel, often defies belief.