Program Guides
How to Redeem WestJet Points: Simple Currency, Three Rules
WestJet points are the most literal loyalty currency in Canada: 100 points = $1 CAD off any WestJet flight or WestJet Vacations package. No award chart, no dynamic pricing, no blackout dates, no transfer partners — our index carries them at a fixed 1¢ per point. (They replaced WestJet Dollars at 1:100 in April 2025 — same math, smaller unit.) That simplicity means redeeming well isn’t about hunting sweet spots; it’s about three rules. The full breakdown, including a calculator, is in our WestJet points value guide.
The ranking
| # | Redemption | Value |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Member Exclusive fares (base fare) | Face value, stretched further |
| 2 | Any WestJet flight (base fare) | 100 points = $1 — a fixed 1¢ each |
| 3 | WestJet Vacations packages | 100 points = $1 — same fixed rate |
| 4 | Taxes, fees, and surcharges | 105–110 points = $1 (0.91–0.95¢) — a slight haircut |
Rule 1: they’re pennies, not dollars — and they now cover the whole ticket
Since the April 2025 relaunch, points apply to more than the base fare: taxes, fees, and surcharges are redeemable too, at a slightly reduced 105–110 points per dollar. Take a $520 Calgary–Toronto round trip that breaks down as a $420 base fare plus $100 in taxes: 42,000 points cover the base at exactly 1¢ each, and roughly 10,500–11,000 more can cover the taxes. A genuinely free flight is now possible — the only cost is that sub-1¢ rate on the tax portion. Partial redemptions are allowed with no minimum on most fares, so there’s no reason to hoard toward some magic threshold.
Rule 2: redeem against Member Exclusive fares when you can
WestJet publishes Member Exclusive fares — discounted cash fares for logged-in WestJet Rewards members. Because points come off the fare at a fixed rate, redeeming against a cheaper fare doesn’t change the per-point value, but it stretches a fixed balance across more trips. A 40,000-point balance covers a $400 base fare or two $200 Member Exclusive base fares. Same currency, more boarding passes.
Rule 3: a WestJet-only point is worth slightly less than a penny
WestJet points spend at exactly one airline. If WestJet flies your routes anyway, that constraint costs you nothing. If your travel splits across carriers, the honest discount is real: a currency you might not use for eighteen months is worth less than cash you could deploy today. That’s the whole earn-side decision — the WestJet RBC World Elite Mastercard (currently up to 70,000 WestJet points, roughly $700 at our index, for a $139 fee) is one of Canada’s best airline keeper cards if and only if WestJet is your carrier. Its business case is the annual companion voucher (from $119 round trip in North America, with qualifying spend) and free first checked bags for you and your companions — perks that routinely outvalue the earn rate for a WestJet household. If you split airlines, a transferable currency wins; see our Amex Membership Rewards guide for the benchmark.
What to avoid
- Hoarding. WestJet points no longer expire, but a fixed-value currency never appreciates either — there is zero reward for waiting, and program terms can always change.
- Forcing WestJet routings to burn points. Paying $150 more in cash and connections to "use points" on an awkward itinerary is the fixed-value version of a bad redemption.
- Ignoring the haircut on tax-heavy tickets. On deep seat sales where taxes dominate the price, the blended value of a full-points booking dips below 1¢ — consider covering just the base fare with points and paying the taxes in cash.
The bottom line
Redeeming WestJet points well takes about ninety seconds: log in, check the Member Exclusive fare, apply your balance, done. The strategy all lives on the earn side — whether to be in this ecosystem at all. Start with the WestJet points value guide, then the WestJet RBC World Elite review if the answer is yes.
Valuations are editorial estimates; program terms are WestJet’s and change without notice. Methodology: The Points Standard Index.