+1

Please, WestJet.

Alliance membership is a really big deal. And the delay (ie from what I think we all expected!) is both odd and frustrating.

I have DL and AM flights where I won’t get any useful credit, nor will I get any benefits or recognition. (I’ve tried booking some of those through WS codeshares, but (a) the WS pricing was always utterly out to lunch compared to buying from the actual flight operator and (b) WS doesn’t appear to codeshare any PY or J product.)

And for my US business travel to non-WS destinations, I’ve now made UA my go-to. Not Delta, and certainly not an overpriced WS codeshare ticket on Delta. The reason: my lowly United MP Silver status (initially earned via Marriott) almost always scores me Econo Plus seats, and I’ve even had a couple of comp upgrades to J. And I get J check-in, and generally a really nice experience.

As a lowly UA Silver, United is a way better business travel experience than it is being a WestJet Gold or Platinum member flying on Delta, AeroMexico, or any Skyteam carrier.

WestJet: Is Skyteam membership coming soon? Please???

I can’t speak to alliance membership, but I know that that a much closer alignment between Delta and WestJet is a done deal, but is pending regulatory antitrust approval.

Also, it hasn’t been mentioned exactly what that alignment looks like. But I would think reciprocal benefits would include things like lounge access, status recognition maybe?

WJ and DL are waiting for governmental approvals, hence they have to keep quiet.

There is anti-trust stuff to be sorted out by the regulators.

i predict as soon as jv is announced , skyteam join announcement will be made same day.

I agree ... but these are factors that might dictate the timing of joining an alliance — not “if”.

Take a close look at the full membership lists for each of the three global alliances ... and look beyond the big, global legacy brands at the top of each list. Their membership includes many mid and small sized carriers with smaller footprints and more limited breadth of offering than WestJet has today.

#1: In progress. There’s now one true WestJet Lounge, with plans for more to be built in the near future. In my view, that signals a significant step to joining an alliance.

#2: I think WS is already there. Look at the smaller carriers (and carriers from smaller countries) that are in all three alliances. WestJet has a bigger footprint and bigger route network than many. (Not everyone is Delta or United or Lufthansa. In fact, few are.)

#3: Not an issue. Every global-alliance-belonging European carrier offers “European business class” on most intra-Europe and domestic flights. That’s typically no more than a blocked middle seat ... most often with no cabin divider and awful legroom. That was the model for WestJet’s Plus — but with better legroom. And WS is already moving away from that — to a North American style 2x2 J class on narrow bodies.

#4: Also a non-issue. Pretty easy to find disgruntled status members of every single airline who feel they’re not getting value from their status. Face it, we all suffer from a “grass must be greener” mentality. No, WS Platinum doesn’t have some of the ultra-VIP features that some airlines offer their highest tier (like concierge service, private check-in area). But, objectively, I think the industry would view WestJet’s status program as on par with industry norms — albeit WS’s program is not all that exciting. And the biggest set of perks currently missing from WestJet’s program?? Those that come with alliance membership — reciprocal benefits with their codeshare partners!

Building their own lounges and going to 2x2 domestic J would indicate to me that they are chasing alliance membership pretty aggressively.