WestJet’s Surprising “Other ATC” Fees: What’s Really Behind Them?

WestJet ranks as the second-largest airline in Canada and thoroughly commands Western Canada from its primary hub situated in Calgary.

As a result, most Canadians will have to fly with WestJet at least once in their lifetime, accumulating WestJet’s loyalty currency, known as WestJet dollars (WSD). While the WestJet Rewards program can offer great value, there are also some hidden taxes and additional fees that one should be cautious of.

Today, we will explore and clarify the enigmatic line item labeled “Other ATC” that appears on specific WestJet award flights.

What Constitutes the “Other ATC” Fee on Various WestJet Flights?

You can earn WestJet dollars on qualifying revenue WestJet flights, through credit cards like the WestJet RBC World Elite Mastercard, or by transferring into the internal WestJet Rewards Program via qualified partners such as RBC Avion Rewards.

These WestJet dollars are then redeemable for various products, including WestJet flights and WestJet Vacations. The latter is an ideal option for those with substantial balances as it covers hotels or even experiences.

However, most Canadians are likely to use their collection of WSD for flights, including the reduced Member Exclusive fares available at a lower rate on qualifying flights for WestJet Rewards members.

As observed in the sample itinerary below from Edmonton (YEG) to Victoria (YYJ), taxes and fees such as airport enhancements or sales taxes like GST and HST must be settled with actual cash and cannot be paid using WSD:

This indicates that while WestJet dollars can provide good value and assist in reducing out-of-pocket expenses, certain items will always necessitate cash payment.

Nevertheless, the aspect I find limiting within the WestJet Rewards program is a non-transparent line item named “Other ATC” that, although not listed under taxes & fees, is treated similarly and must be paid with cash instead of WSD. This Other ATC fee can be substantial, as evident in this flight from Calgary (YYC) to London (LHR):

Whoa! That’s a hefty fee. As observed, this flight is a “Mixed itinerary,” so the Member Exclusive segment must be settled with WSD. Any remaining line items tagged as “Base Fare” can also be paid using WestJet dollars. However, the ceiling amount is just $70!

So, what is the Other ATC? It isn’t the Air Passenger Duty levied on all outgoing UK flights, as that’s specified below. Nor can it be other taxes and fees clearly defined on the price.

That’s because Other ATC (an unknown “Air Transit Charges”) is essentially an unspecified Fuel Surcharge (or YQ in airline code). What the tax, WestJet?

On Which Routes Does WestJet Impose “Other ATC” Fees?

WestJet’s Other ATC fee isn’t very frequent and rarely appears on domestic routes. This is likely because WestJet feels it can’t justify passing fuel costs onto customers within its primary market of domestic flights inside Canada and the US.

We see an example of a direct flight on a mixed itinerary between Membership Exclusive and a regular Econo fare from Edmonton (YEG) to Las Vegas (LAS):

However, once we venture outside North America, heading toward sun destinations or international trips, the Other ATC section becomes noticeable. Take, for instance, a Christmas trip from Toronto (YYZ) to Montego Bay (MBJ) in bright Jamaica, which shows a $92 Other ATC fee:

Likewise, examining another of WestJet’s proposed routes from Vancouver (YVR) to Paris, France (CDG), we notice a rapid and even steeper increase:

As illustrated, the Other ATC fees total $500 compared to a base fare of $400 – indicating Other ATC alone is only 25% higher than the base fare. Therefore, the highest redemption we could possibly make on this journey is $400 WSD, resulting in an out-of-pocket expenditure of $649.63.

If this scenario wasn’t demeaning enough, the Other ATC fees escalate with the level of cabin, as demonstrated by the identical flight to CDG on similar dates but in WestJet’s Premium (economy) product:

This seems contradictory to the essence of a rewards scheme from my view, even if it aligns with WestJet’s policies. Actually, this extent of fee implementation is illegal in nations such as Brazil, among others. Nations like Japan which historically had regulations against this also appear to be performing poorly.

Let’s see how Calgary (YYC) to Tokyo Narita (NRT) fares:

As with the other examples, traveling to Japan on WestJet is not a great value proposition if you aim to erase a substantial part of the cost with a WestJet dollars redemption.

How to Sidestep “Other ATC” Fees on WestJet Flights

This concealed fuel surcharge is one of the most vexing components of the WestJet Rewards scheme, yet WestJet continues to offer fantastic value to Canadians.

As shown above, there are no Other ATC fees within Canada and the USA to WestJet’s entire network of appealing destinations. Therefore, the first strategy to avoid this is to consider utilizing WestJet Rewards solely for North American redemptions so you’re not paying for the luxury of using your own rewards.

The second approach to tackle the Other ATC dilemma is to evade the high Other ATC destinations and travel to those that have lower costs. The sun destinations serve as a great example of this, as demonstrated by our Jamaica example.

Other seasonal choices like Barbados, with similarly reduced Other ATC charges, are also available.

Regrettably, the third option you have is to treat your WestJet dollars as more of a discount voucher than a legitimate way to fly nearly for free and resign to using them to reduce small amounts from larger flights to Europe.

If all this discussion of dodging the ambiguous Other ATC hasn’t deterred you from WestJet Rewards, and you believe that using our strategies can help you optimize your WestJet award flight possibilities, consider applying for the WestJet RBC World Elite Mastercard, presently offering a promotional welcome bonus of up to 700 WestJet dollars.

How Do “Additional ATC” Fees Affect WestJet Companion Vouchers?

Having established what Additional ATC is and methods to avoid it, let’s delve into one of the primary attractions of the WestJet RBC World Elite Mastercard, and consequently the WestJet Rewards program: WestJet Companion Vouchers. 

These vouchers are advertised as capable of saving you a notable sum on flights reserved with another passenger on the same itinerary, since the second traveler will only pay a predetermined amount rather than the entire base fare. In principle, this should lead to cost savings and make the itinerary less expensive than without using a companion voucher.

But does this withstand examination? One benefit is that the Companion Voucher fare can be covered in WSD, thus lessening some expenses even if you’re merely taking a brief trip permitting you to redeem only $99 WestJet Dollars. 

A positive aspect is WestJet’s site now alerts you with a warning if using your Companion Voucher on a specific itinerary results in higher costs than the qualified base fare:

Taking into account our earlier criteria, let’s examine a fare within North America, specifically a one-way Premium fare from Edmonton (YEG) to Los Angeles (LAX):

Here, using the Companion Voucher reduces around $100 off the base fare of a Premium flight. You could then utilize WSD against it. Whether this justifies the $119 annual fee on the WestJet RBC World Elite Mastercard is up to your judgment, though it’s not a major savings. Yet, using WSD halves the cash expense of the itinerary, signaling fair value.

Next, let’s review how Companion Vouchers operate on international itineraries, such as this one from Calgary (YYC) to Barcelona (BCN):

As observed, the cost stands $200 below the base fare. Consequently, considering the WestJet World Elite annual fee, the savings approximate $80. You could potentially apply up to $1015 WSD on this flight, with an overall out-of-pocket cost amounting to $1314.60 in Other ATC, taxes, and related fees. 

Is $1314.60 for two passengers in Economy justified? Possibly, but it’s likely not as advantageous as loyalty programs from other airlines, notably Air Canada Aeroplan.

Conclusion

WestJet’s Additional ATC fees are a considerable drawback in their loyalty program. They incrementally charge customers on regular redemptions, compelling them to pay extra for the benefit of using their own WestJet dollars.

Nevertheless, by strategically using the program and meticulously observing where Additional ATC fees apply, you can maximize your WSD value for your travels.

Until next time, steer clear of unlisted fuel surcharges like the plague.