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Business Profile

Airlines

WestJet Airlines

Headquarters

This business is NOT BBB Accredited.

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Important information

  • Customer Complaint:
    Due to the volume of complaints received, BBB is publishing the details (text) of 50% of complaints as a representative sample. 

Complaints

This profile includes complaints for WestJet Airlines's headquarters and its corporate-owned locations. To view all corporate locations, see

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WestJet Airlines has 10 locations, listed below.

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    Customer Complaints Summary

    • 562 total complaints in the last 3 years.
    • 173 complaints closed in the last 12 months.

    If you've experienced an issue

    Submit a Complaint

    The complaint text that is displayed might not represent all complaints filed with BBB. Some consumers may elect to not publish the details of their complaints, some complaints may not meet BBB's standards for publication, or BBB may display a portion of complaints when a high volume is received for a particular business.

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    Complaint status

    Complaint type

    • Initial Complaint

      Date:13/12/2023

      Type:Customer Service Issues
      Status:
      AnsweredMore info

      Complaint statuses

      Resolved:
      The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.
      Unresolved:
      The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.
      Answered:
      The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.
      Unanswered:
      The business failed to respond to the dispute.
      Unpursuable:
      BBB is unable to locate the business.
      I booked a one-way flight with Westjet on Dec *, 2023, for $****** from ****** to ******. i have received an email with flight details right away and payment was deducted from my bank immediately. on Dec **, when I tried to check in online, it said reservation not found. called Westjet and explained the situation to customer service, she said that there was no flight booked under my name and that I had to rebook it. when I asked why the payment was deducted from my account, she said it didn't show on her system and that I should call my bank and ask for a refund. since I was going to see a doctor in ****** the next day, for which I had taken medication for weeks, and had paid $****** for my Airbnb, I decided to contact WestJet again and try to book the same flight, but again they took $******** from my account immediately and after a few minutes the agent said the connecting Airline didn't want to sell the ticket at this price so it didn't go through. I asked why the flight had shown on the Westjet website for weeks, she said there was nothing she could do and I should expect a refund within * or * hours. it's been over * hours Westjet has not refunded me a dime. I called my bank to refund the first payment that WestJet took from my account, they said it would *********** days to investigate and receive payment and it could take up to * weeks to receive the other payment that westjet took from my account. I have booked flights with several airlines and have traveled to different continents, I have never seen a shit-show airline company like WestJet. it has cost me thousands of dollars, from payment to the doctors, ultrasounds, and several tests, and because of Westjet my entire plan is canceled and the customer service was horrible, not even showing compassion, and was acting like it was all my fault. I demand my money immediately and Westjet should compensate me for my ****** and all the inconvenience caused. I will never book flight with this company again.

      Customer Answer

      Date: 14/12/2023

      I have attached screenshot of my bank account that both * payments were deducted from Westjet and the email that i received after booking flight.

      Business Response

      Date: 19/12/2023

      The business responded to this complaint but requested that their response not be published

      Customer Answer

      Date: 21/12/2023

       
      Complaint: ********

      I am rejecting this response because: i never put the payment on hold, i have attached pictures for your reference, when i was booking the air ticket on Sep *,2023, it clearly says that payment was processed. its the Airline that did false advertisements and wasn't able to confirm the ticket, even if that was the case, they should have send me an email stating the problem and i could have booked another flight so at least my medical procedure wouldn't get cancelled and i wouldn't have lost the money for the Airbnb that i had paid for which was non- refundable. 

      The second payment that was deducted on September ****, for the same flight was through an agent, she didn't send me an itinerary #, all she said was that the connecting Airline (which was Air ****** didn't want to sell the ticket at that price, (again false advertisement), WestJet records every customers voices, if they took the time and check they can easily find that it wasn't my fault. 


      Sincerely,

      ***************************

      Business Response

      Date: 03/01/2024

      The business responded to this complaint but requested that their response not be published
    • Initial Complaint

      Date:08/12/2023

      Type:Product Issues
      Status:
      AnsweredMore info

      Complaint statuses

      Resolved:
      The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.
      Unresolved:
      The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.
      Answered:
      The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.
      Unanswered:
      The business failed to respond to the dispute.
      Unpursuable:
      BBB is unable to locate the business.
      We purchased our WestJet tickets to ****** including travel insurance through ******* and due to lingering Covid issues decided to cancel our trip November **, 2021. Since it was our choice to cancel trip, a refund by insurance claim was not possible and we were given " airline credits " totaling $ ******** and with a new trip planned, tried to use the credits. ******* advised that WestJet had the funds and when I tried using them was advised that the credit was " expired " . I know that in ******* and maybe all ****** , prepaid " gift cards " never expire !Talking with Westjet, I was advised that airline credits have different expirey dates and to my best knowledge was never given that information.

      Customer Answer

      Date: 09/12/2023

      thank you for following up on my complaint,

      As you my have guessed , I am not a " frequent flyer " so have a relatively short expire time , is questionable !

      As mentioned , I booked through ******* as I have found them to be competitive and with good customer service.

      Our , airline confirmation numbers are ******  for $ ****** and ****** for $ ****** received form ******* November **, 2021.

      please advise if you required additional information

      sincerely

      ***************************

      Customer Answer

      Date: 13/12/2023

      further more, WestJet has a promotion on now , promoting their gift cards ! 

      interesting that they NEVER expire , 

      best regards

      ***************************

      Business Response

      Date: 19/12/2023

      The business responded to this complaint but requested that their response not be published
    • Initial Complaint

      Date:20/11/2023

      Type:Product Issues
      Status:
      AnsweredMore info

      Complaint statuses

      Resolved:
      The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.
      Unresolved:
      The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.
      Answered:
      The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.
      Unanswered:
      The business failed to respond to the dispute.
      Unpursuable:
      BBB is unable to locate the business.
      Travelling earlier this year WestJet made numerous logistics and customers service errors which caused ** to miss * flights and delayed our arrival over * hours and extra flight costs. A complaint was submitted for reimbursement using their online form and nobody reached out. We called in to customer service and they said they dont handle reimbursement and yo fill out the form online. This happened multiple times just a loop back and forth with no service or acknowledgement of the requests filled out online.

      Customer Answer

      Date: 21/11/2023

      ******

      *************

      Business Response

      Date: 23/11/2023

      The business responded to this complaint but requested that their response not be published
    • Initial Complaint

      Date:14/11/2023

      Type:Customer Service Issues
      Status:
      AnsweredMore info

      Complaint statuses

      Resolved:
      The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.
      Unresolved:
      The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.
      Answered:
      The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.
      Unanswered:
      The business failed to respond to the dispute.
      Unpursuable:
      BBB is unable to locate the business.
      I booked a direct flight (booking code ******)from ******* to ******* for Nov. **** using a third party site ****.com. Westjet cancelled the flight, and **** informed me of the change. The change included a time change, and connection through ******* with a very short connection time. The new flights did not work with my travel plans and I requested a change to a flight that (has availability) and departed ******* earlier in the day. Westjet said I had to deal with ****, and **** was unable to change the flights. Westjet's own website indicates the connection time will likely be insufficient, and there is a high likelihood I will miss my connection. I have asked for a full refund, or change to an earlier flight, but both have been denied. I realize the travel date is near, but any help to remedy the issue before I depart will be greatly appreciated.

      Business Response

      Date: 15/11/2023

      The business responded to this complaint but requested that their response not be published
    • Initial Complaint

      Date:06/11/2023

      Type:Product Issues
      Status:
      AnsweredMore info

      Complaint statuses

      Resolved:
      The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.
      Unresolved:
      The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.
      Answered:
      The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.
      Unanswered:
      The business failed to respond to the dispute.
      Unpursuable:
      BBB is unable to locate the business.
      I booked a flight from *** to *** (flying on Oct **** at ****) for both my friend ****************** and myself on Sept **** on WestJet website for $****** each (total $******). Oct **** morning we checked in on my WestJet app on the way to the airport. Once we arrived at the WestJet area, the WestJet lady who directs traffic asked us where we were flying to. I told her that we were flying to ***********. Then she directed us to the kiosks on the side. We went through on the machine to try to check in our luggages. We tried several times but the machine kept giving us an error. We then asked her what to do, she directed us to the kiosks further down at the American Airlines area. We ran there and tried to check in our luggages but the kiosks didn't seem to work. My friend *************** ran back to her to ask and she insisted that we were supposed to use the kiosks at the American Airline area as those were for the people who are flying to the States. I asked the staff nearby and they had no idea as they were not WestJet employees. We tried and tried on those machines and it still didn't work. We ran back to the WestJet area and went into the line hoping that a real person could check in our luggages. By the time we went through the line got to the counter, it was around **** and the girl said it was too late to check in luggages and if we wanted to fly with our luggages we had to purchase another ticket. We asked if there are other ways as we were okay with receiving our luggages the next day in LA if other flight could take our luggage. The girl said absolutely no as it's law that the luggage travels on the same plan with the traveler. We ended up not boarding the plan. We had to check in to our hotel in ********* on the **** but WestJet has no other flight that could get us to LA in time, we had to book with American Airlines for $****** each (total $*******). If the lady who directs traffic would lead us the right way, we wouldn't need to spend the extra $*******!

      Business Response

      Date: 09/11/2023

      The business responded to this complaint but requested that their response not be published
    • Initial Complaint

      Date:31/10/2023

      Type:Product Issues
      Status:
      AnsweredMore info

      Complaint statuses

      Resolved:
      The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.
      Unresolved:
      The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.
      Answered:
      The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.
      Unanswered:
      The business failed to respond to the dispute.
      Unpursuable:
      BBB is unable to locate the business.
      My wife and I flew on the **** of December 2022 and WestJet lost our bags. Two bags with items inside. A claim was submitted and bags were never found to this day. WestJet has refused to reimburse or contact about this situation and has been unprofessional in this matter. Multiple contact attempts have been made.

      Customer Answer

      Date: 31/10/2023

      These are our tickets for the flight 

      Customer Answer

      Date: 31/10/2023

      This is the WestJet reservation code requested ******

      Business Response

      Date: 06/11/2023

      The business responded to this complaint but requested that their response not be published

      Customer Answer

      Date: 06/11/2023

       
      Complaint: ********

      I am rejecting this response because: 

       

      It is not true. I have sent a response back. WestJet has a problem and needs to address it. There is a reason this has taken so long and been handled in a very unprofessional way. I have attached a screen shot of my response. 

      Sincerely,

      *****************************

      Business Response

      Date: 06/11/2023

      The business responded to this complaint but requested that their response not be published

      Customer Answer

      Date: 07/11/2023

       
      Complaint: ********

      I am rejecting this response because:

      An automatic reply was sent on November ***. As shown in my screenshots, the last actual human interaction was on November *** when ***** sent an email, to which I replied with my information. No further emails have been received from WestJet in regards to this, aside from what I have provided. Nothing is in the junk or **** folders. Email address is correct. 
      Sincerely,

      *****************************

      Business Response

      Date: 08/11/2023

      The business responded to this complaint but requested that their response not be published
    • Initial Complaint

      Date:10/10/2023

      Type:Customer Service Issues
      Status:
      AnsweredMore info

      Complaint statuses

      Resolved:
      The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.
      Unresolved:
      The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.
      Answered:
      The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.
      Unanswered:
      The business failed to respond to the dispute.
      Unpursuable:
      BBB is unable to locate the business.
      On the WestJet app they have tiers, and if you spend a certain amount of money you move up a tier, I had to spend $**** to move up a tier, and I spent over and above that amount..closer to *******, I have reached out to WestJet several times now and they keep saying that theyre going to rectify the problem, although I never get a response. I spent about $**** above the required amount to move up to the silver tier, they advise that they would fix the problem and get back to me and that was over a month ago.. and I havent heard back from anybody. I called them again last Friday and they said that it shouldve been fixed and that somebody would get back to me the next day and its five days later and I still havent heard from anyone. Even after reaching out several times. So I have all the information on my app, I have confirmation of purchases, I purchased two trips one was a vacation through WestJet, the other one was flights through WestJet. I would like them to honour their own program, and move me up a tier, so I can continue to reap the benefits for the money that I spend, to move up tiers. I can provide confirmation numbers of my trips if required.

      Customer Answer

      Date: 10/10/2023

      I have submitted photos of my west jet account number 

      and the two trips that I have booked upcoming. 

      Business Response

      Date: 12/10/2023

      The business responded to this complaint but requested that their response not be published

      Customer Answer

      Date: 12/10/2023

      I need to clarify

      when I read the message from WestJet it sounds like to me, that they will honour my purchases and move me up a tier once I have completed my travel, am I correct in that?

      because it makes no mention of having to travel within the same calendar year, it just talks about qualify spending, within that calendar year, and I certainly did do that.

      if that is the case, then I accept the response if that is not the case; then I do not.

      Customer Answer

      Date: 23/10/2023

      I haven’t heard anything back as you can see in the emails dated this year of 202* I purchased one vacation and two flights both equalling oh just shy of $**** which exceeds the $**** limit that I need it to spend.

      it does not stipulate that the trips have to be taken within the same year it just says spending amount so I would like follow up please as I responded within your two days and I’ve heard nothing since and that was since October **** 

      they need to honour their own programs, I should be moved up to a silver tier.

      Business Response

      Date: 31/10/2023

      The business responded to this complaint but requested that their response not be published

      Business Response

      Date: 01/11/2023

      The business responded to this complaint but requested that their response not be published

      Customer Answer

      Date: 01/11/2023

       

      Complaint: ********



      I am rejecting this response because: 

      nowhere on the app, in regular print, does it specify that you have to also travel within the same year. If that is the case they need to put that in bold letters, so people are aware and that is not written anywhere. all it specifies is the spending amount only. 

      All it says is that you have to spend $**** within that year, and I spent close to 4. So if they’re trying to say that you also have to travel within that year they should specify that because it’s false advertising otherwise.. 

      I don’t agree that they’re trying to change their rules now. 



      Sincerely,



      Tonya *******

    • Initial Complaint

      Date:02/10/2023

      Type:Product Issues
      Status:
      ResolvedMore info

      Complaint statuses

      Resolved:
      The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.
      Unresolved:
      The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.
      Answered:
      The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.
      Unanswered:
      The business failed to respond to the dispute.
      Unpursuable:
      BBB is unable to locate the business.
      I already paid for the airfare through sunwing vacations, but westjet charged me again for seats. When ******* is a sister company of Westjet and these seats should have been guaranteed.Both the receipts are attached. I tried contacting Westjet for a refund, but they failed to respond.Thank you,******

      Customer Answer

      Date: 05/10/2023

      I finally received a response from WestJet and they are claiming they do not see the amount in dispute. (Copy attached)

      I would like to file a ***** complain against T***** ******* " for charging me the amount below when my seats were already booked with ******* Vacations:

      Proof of payment for the amount below was already submitted:

      Contact Information at *************:  ****** [**************] who claimed he is working for WestJet.

      Notes from email:

      Due to some system restrictions, your VISA card ending with ********* got charged on *******-2023, for the amount of  $****** CAD in two split charges out of which  $****** CAD under  the name of   WestJet and the amount of $ ****** CAD under the name of  T***** ******* ".

      Thank you,

      Samara

       

       

      Business Response

      Date: 16/10/2023

      The business responded to this complaint but requested that their response not be published

      Customer Answer

      Date: 16/10/2023

       
      Better Business Bureau:

      I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me.

      Sincerely,

      ***********************
    • Initial Complaint

      Date:21/09/2023

      Type:Product Issues
      Status:
      AnsweredMore info

      Complaint statuses

      Resolved:
      The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.
      Unresolved:
      The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.
      Answered:
      The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.
      Unanswered:
      The business failed to respond to the dispute.
      Unpursuable:
      BBB is unable to locate the business.
      I booked a round-trip flight with Westjet from ******** to *******. I was to depart on Sept * and return on Sept **, 2023. Due to a family emergency, I had to modify the outgoing fight and still return on Sept **, 2023. I called Westjet on Sept * (the day before my flight) and was advised that my outgoing flight could not be changed and that I needed to book a new outgoing flight. At no point did I indicate that I needed my return flight to be changed or modified.Subsequently to booking a new outbound flight, I received an email indicating that my return flight has been cancelled as I was a 'noshow'. I spoke with a customer service representative and guest services, and I was informed that Westjet could have cancelled the outgoing flight and retained the return flight. This information was not communicated to me in anyway. I was not given any options to keep my return flight and after my call with Westjet on Sept *, my understanding was that I still had a return flight on Sept **. I was not told otherwise. I have spoken with Westjet guest services at length and have been advised that they could have cancelled the outgoing flight and kept my return flight, but now they cannot do anything from their end. Cancellation of my return flight without my knowledge nor consent after I had paid for the ticket is unreasonable. I had no communication nor information from Westjet that my return flight would be cancelled. I had to book a new return flight from ******* to ********.I am requesting for remuneration of my ticket price.

      Business Response

      Date: 25/09/2023

      The business responded to this complaint but requested that their response not be published
    • Initial Complaint

      Date:19/09/2023

      Type:Billing Issues
      Status:
      AnsweredMore info

      Complaint statuses

      Resolved:
      The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.
      Unresolved:
      The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.
      Answered:
      The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.
      Unanswered:
      The business failed to respond to the dispute.
      Unpursuable:
      BBB is unable to locate the business.
      My family of * was left stranded at the ************* along with over ** other people by Westjet for ** hours. This was a conscious choice made by the airline and was avoidable. They have attempted to claim that the issue was beyond their control, however provided no evidence to back up that claim. They sent me a dismissive generic email saying my claim was rejected and provided no relevant information whatsoever, nor any information regarding how to appeal the decision. The airline was having difficulty scanning passports and rather than delaying the flight to manually confirm passports; they left over ** people behind. This was a choice and entirely within their control. I expect the compensation that I am legally *********** under ** law, which is *** euros per person, totalling **** euros.

      Customer Answer

      Date: 19/09/2023

      Booking ID 
      ******
      Ticket # 
      ************* *************************
      ************* **************************** ********
      ************* ******** ******************************

      (they owe us for all 3 tickets and denied payment for each one)

      Business Response

      Date: 25/09/2023

      The business responded to this complaint but requested that their response not be published

      Customer Answer

      Date: 25/09/2023

       
      Complaint: ********

      I am rejecting this response because:

      The airline has continued to provide vague reasons for the delay without any evidence whatsoever to defend their claim that the delay was beyond their control. Information given by *** ****** staff representing them at *** as well as evidence I provided in follow up has shown that in fact they did have control of the situation and made a conscience choice to leave passengers behind and strand us at the airport for ** hours. If in fact the delay was out of the airline's control as they claim, they would be able to provide some sort of evidence to support their claim, as I have done, and they have continuously refused to do. Their response to my complaint was essentially "we have closed your file, the delay was out of our control, we won't provide any evidence to support that, and you are out of luck." My family is owed *** euros a person based on ** law, and Westjet has been unable to provide any evidence whatsoever to prove their assertion that this delay was out of their control.

      Sincerely,

      *************************

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