WestJet RBC World Elite: Limited-Time $0 Companion Voucher (Now Through June 2021)

The WestJet RBC World Elite Mastercard has long differentiated itself with an annual WestJet companion voucher as a key benefit, allowing cardholders to book a second passenger for as little as a $119 base fare when they pay full price for the first passenger.

As a promotional benefit extended until June 30, 2021, new WestJet RBC World Elite cardholders will receive a special companion voucher that comes with a $0 base fare for the second passenger for travel to the majority of WestJet’s destinations.

Limited-Time $0 Companion Voucher

As a reminder, the standard companion voucher on the WestJet RBC World Elite Mastercard works as follows:

• Pay a $119 base fare, plus taxes and fees, for the second passenger when you pay full price for the first passenger on a round-trip flight in economy or premium class, within Canada and the US
• Pay a $399 base fare, plus taxes and fees, for the second passenger when you pay full price for the first passenger on a round-trip flight in economy or premium class, throughout the rest of WestJet’s network, including Mexico, Central America, the Caribbean, and Europe

(Premium class refers to WestJet’s premium economy product. Unfortunately, the companion voucher is not valid on WestJet’s 787 business class product.)

If you apply for or product-switch to the WestJet RBC World Elite Mastercard by June 30, 2021, you’ll receive a special $0 companion voucher for the first year of holding the card, in lieu of the standard companion voucher. You’ll continue to get the standard companion voucher from the second year onwards.

The $0 companion voucher is valid for economy class flights only throughout the WestJet network, with the exception of transatlantic flights to Europe. If you’d like to use the companion voucher for premium class flights or on transatlantic flights, you still have the option of doing so under the terms of the standard $119 companion voucher.

Essentially, the limited-time companion voucher looks as follows:

• Pay a $0 base fare, plus taxes and fees, for the second passenger when you pay full price for the first passenger on a round-trip flight in economy class, within Canada, the US, Mexico, Central America, and the Caribbean
• Pay a $119 base fare, plus taxes and fees, for the second passenger when you pay full price for the first passenger on a round-trip flight in premium class within Canada and the US
• Pay a $399 base fare, plus taxes and fees, for the second passenger when you pay full price for the first passenger on a round-trip flight in premium class to Mexico, Central America, and the Caribbean, or in economy or premium class to Europe

Compared to the standard companion voucher, the special $0 companion voucher allows you to save a further $119 on the second passenger’s flights within Canada and the US, or save a further $399 on the second passenger’s flights to Mexico, Central America, or the Caribbean.

Like the regular companion vouchers, the $0 companion voucher will also have a one-year validity period after you’ve earned it. You just need to make a booking before the companion voucher expires, and you can book travel for up to one year later, so that’s effectively a two-year travel period with the $0 companion voucher.

And remember, if you don’t find value even in the $0 companion voucher (perhaps you’re a solo traveller and rarely travel with a fellow passenger on the same booking), then you can now trade in your companion voucher for a set of four WestJet lounge access vouchers.

Also: Earn Double Rewards on Food

In addition to the limited-time $0 companion voucher, you’ll also receive double the WestJet points for all food purchases made in the first three months with your new credit card.

Grocery stores, restaurants, and food delivery services will all earn rewards at the bonus rate. Unlike with American Express, however, RBC claims that bars and nightclubs are excluded from the “dining” category.

You’ll earn a total of 3 WestJet points per $100 spent: the regular 1.5% rate which will appear on your monthly statement as usual, and an additional 1.5% which may be calculated separately and which you may receive later.

Unfortunately, as the current signup offer has no minimum spend requirement, I can’t see this being hugely beneficial. Given that you can earn the full welcome bonus when you make your first purchase with the card, I’d rather use a card like the American Express Cobalt Card for 5x Membership Rewards Select points on the same categories.

A Competitive Response to the Air Canada Buddy Pass

It doesn’t come as a surprise to me to see WestJet putting out a $0 companion voucher as a promotional benefit, as it’s very much a competitive response to the Air Canada Buddy Pass that has been in the market for the past few months.

For many years, WestJet has prided itself upon the annual companion voucher as a key benefit of their co-branded credit card, and Air Canada aimed squarely to undercut this advantage in offering the Buddy Pass as part of the welcome incentive on its new Aeroplan co-branded credit cards.

Indeed, the Air Canada Buddy Pass was marketed along the lines of “the only true buy-one-get-one voucher in Canada”, thanks to its $0 base fare for the second passenger compared to WestJet’s $119+ base fare.

Now, in launching a $0 companion voucher of their own, WestJet has taken the fight back to Air Canada. Not only does the $0 base fare match what Air Canada is offering, but it’s actually redeemable to a wider range of destinations, encompassing Central America and the Caribbean in addition to Canada, the US, and Mexico.

Travellers who are headed to WestJet’s destinations in Costa Rica or the Caribbean islands, who might otherwise have considered the Aeroplan credit cards and the Air Canada Buddy Pass, will now have a greater incentive to pick the WestJet card instead.

The $0 companion voucher was initially offered on new signups before May 31, 2021, and I’m not surprised that it’s been extended as Air Canada continues to feature the Buddy Pass as part of its own signup incentives through the summer season.

It’s always good to witness competition in the market playing out to the benefit of consumers, although it’s a shame that WestJet hasn’t shown the same competitive instincts on the redemption side of its loyalty program.

A reminder that WestJet is planning to add global partner redemptions on Delta, Air France/KLM, and Qantas sometime in 2021 – so we’ll have to wait and see if the airline is in the mood to compete in that regard. 

Conclusion

Until June 30, 2021, applying for or switching to the WestJet RBC World Elite Mastercard will earn you a limited-time companion voucher that comes with a $0 base fare for the second passenger for travelling in economy class within Canada, the US, Mexico, Central America, and the Caribbean.

Compared to the Air Canada Buddy Pass, WestJet’s $0 companion voucher offers a wider range of destinations, such as Costa Rica and the Caribbean islands for you to book a second passenger at no cost.

Meanwhile, if you apply now, you can also earn double rewards on food purchases for three months, although I imagine the utility of this bonus is limited for savvy points collectors.