Travel advisories

As other countries implement travel restrictions due to COVID-19, please check your destination country's entrance requirements before travel.  For additional information about Coronavirus please refer to the Government of Canada's website and the IATA Travel website.

Effective October 17, 2018, the Cannabis Act came into effect in Canada, allowing for legal purchase, use, and possession of cannabis for personal purposes. WestJet would kindly like to remind you that crossing international borders with cannabis remains illegal and guests are responsible for ensuring they follow all laws and regulations as it pertains to cannabis. Holding a medical authorization for cannabis in any country, including Canada, does not grant the ability to take cannabis into or out of Canada.  Please refer to the following Government of Canada website for additional information and resources.

Canada has introduced a new entry requirement, known as an Electronic Travel Authorization (eTA). If you are a foreign traveller and you do not require a visa to travel to Canada, you're expected to apply online for an eTA before travelling to Canada by air. Exceptions include U.S. citizens and any travellers who currently hold a valid visa.

The application process is affordable, doesn’t take long to complete, and in most cases the eTA will be granted within minutes of applying. To apply and find out more, visit Canada.ca/eTA.

You must have valid (not expired) identification to take any flight within Canada. Adhering to the Secure Air Travel Regulations, WestJet will not allow you to fly if you do not have proper, valid ID. In addition, the name on your identification must match the name on your airline reservation or boarding pass. Public Safety Canada has information available on its Documents Needed for Air Travel webpage. For more information on all ID requirements please visit WestJet.

On June 4, 2019 the Government of Canada began issuing Canadian passports using the code X in the gender field for non-binary Canadians.

WestJet welcomes the government’s announcement and is currently making changes to our systems and processes to fully support non-binary gender guests for domestic and international travel.

Until WestJet has completed the system upgrades to support the code X in the gender field you may be asked to provide your gender information as either male or female at time of booking and check-in.

Please visit the government of Canada’s website for further guidance on travelling with a gender X passport.

WestJet returned the Boeing 737 MAX aircraft to service in January of 2021 after months of rigorous testing and safety checks. We understand you may have questions about the MAX, and we want you to feel informed and confident when flying with us. Read more on our 737 MAX info page.

African Swine Fever is a serious viral disease affecting pigs that could harm the Canadian pork industry and Canada’s economy.

The disease can be spread very easily through pork products, as well as contaminated clothing and/or footwear.

Do not bring pork products to Canada. If you do, the Canada Border Services Agency will take them away for safe disposal.

Every passenger must declare all food, plant and animal products brought to Canada to a border services officer upon arrival. Failure to do so will have consequences, and may include a $1300 fine.

Travellers must also advise if they have recently visited a farm outside of Canada. Find out more on the Canadian Food Inspection Agency’s website at www.inspection.gc.ca

As a Canadian registered air carrier, WestJet is required by several countries to spray insecticide in the flight deck and guest cabin prior to traveling to those countries. This is a preventative measure against the importation of foreign insects that may carry disease or damage crops.

WestJet uses Permethrin #216, an insecticide approved by the World Health Organization (WHO) for application onboard commercial aircraft. According to the WHO, short-term exposure when spraying this insecticide has not been found to cause any adverse health effects.

More information on disinsection can be found on the Transport Canada website at:
http://www.tc.gc.ca/eng/civilaviation/standards/commerce-ohs-disinsection-westjet-2094.htm
or at the U.S. Department of Transportation website at:
https://www.transportation.gov/airconsumer/spray.

You can help create a great experience for everyone on board by consuming liquor responsibly.

It is our duty to let you know that it is unlawful to consume your own alcohol in the airport prior to departure and onboard any WestJet flight. If you would like to enjoy a drink on board, our aircraft are licensed to serve alcohol. To ensure the safety of all guests and crew, if you are believed to be impaired by alcohol or drugs, before your flight, our crew has the right to deny you boarding.

Canadian Aviation Regulations prohibit us from allowing any guest to board our aircraft when there are reasonable grounds to believe the person's faculties are so impaired by alcohol or a drug that they may present a hazard to the aircraft or to guests.

If you are travelling to Mexico and the Caribbean in the near future, it’s possible you will encounter a higher-than-normal volume of sargassum (seaweed). Please note; at any time of year, multiple locations can be affected, and the amount this year is above average.

WestJet and WestJet Vacations want you to be aware - before you book - of the possibility of sargassum during your vacation.

Hotels in the affected areas use different methods for removal of sargassum that may wash up on the beach. In some regions, beaches are considered natural reserves or protected areas, and there are limitations on what action hotels connected to these beaches are able to take.

We kindly ask that any guest allergic to nuts or peanuts, nut products or tree nuts, self identifies at the time of booking, at check-in and notifies inflight crew upon boarding any of our aircraft. WestJet food products do not directly contain peanut and/or derivatives; however, some items may contain traces of peanuts from manufacturing processes.

Please be advised that due to safety concerns; hoverboards, powerboards, airwheels and other self-balancing lithium battery powered scooters are forbidden from transport on any WestJet or WestJet Encore flight, in carry-on, checked baggage or cargo. The safety and comfort of our guests is a top priority and this rule will stand until further notice.

Phishing involves sending phony email messages to trick recipients into sharing sensitive information. These scams often ask for personal information such as usernames, passwords and email addresses — WestJet will never ask you to share any of this information through an email. Phishing scams may also make a false claim that your account is in urgent need of attention. Links in these emails will take you to a spoofed site, used to steal your credit card, account or other personal information. Avoid clicking on any attachments to these emails as they may have viruses or spyware.

Signs of a phony email are:

• a false claim you’ve won a prize or flight
• a false claim there’s a problem with your account that needs "fixing"
• the existence of typos or poor grammar, spellings such as "Westjet" instead of "WestJet"

The fraudster’s email address might look authentic, and the message may have official-looking links or documents and have our company colours and logo. If you have any doubts, report it to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre.

There are scammers pretending to represent WestJet who — in exchange for completing a survey and sharing it with your social network — claim they cheap sell flight tickets or give them away for free. These are often posts created by a fake WestJet account on Instagram, Facebook or Twitter, with the intent of gaining a large following and selling the account for profit.

If you’re interacting with us on social media, make sure it’s an official WestJet account:

Twitter: @WestJet

Facebook: @westjet

LinkedIn: WestJet

Instagram: @westjet

Snapchat: @westjet

Scammers will buy ad space on Google or other search engines to target people searching terms like “WestJet contact info” with the intent of providing false contact information. Once you call the number provided in these fraudulent ads, the scammers will impersonate a WestJet representative and try to steal credit card numbers, personal information, or account credentials. Fake ads like this can be found on social networks like Facebook as well.

If you’re searching for our contact information via Google, Bing or any other search engine, take care to avoid clicking on any listings identified as ads. 

Fraudsters will use fake social media contests or giveaways to solicit personal information from “winners” or to gain social media followers, with the intention of selling the social media account. These tactics will often require you to follow a specific social media account and/or to share something with your friends on Facebook or followers on Instagram in exchange for a free flight or vacation package.

While WestJet does offer the chance to win flights or vacation packages from time to time, we will always comply with sweepstakes laws by providing contest eligibility requirements, a contest end date and a link to the official contest rules.  

Auto-dialer scam

Scammers will auto-dial thousands of numbers at once. If you answer their call, you’ll be transferred to a live person in an attempt to steal credit card or other personal information.

Misdial traps

Guests trying to reach WestJet by phone have found themselves in the ‘Misdial Trap’ — a scheme used by fraudsters to profit off people misdialing our phone number. Fraudsters will then pose as WestJet employees to steal personal information and credit card details.

When you’re contacting us by phone, use only these numbers — and please dial carefully. 

Our phone number

Toll-free: 1-888-937-8538 (WESTJET)

WestJet Vacations phone number

​Toll-free: 1-877-737-7001

TTY for hearing impaired

Toll-free: 1-877-952-0100

Guests with disabilities experiencing difficulties accessing WestJet.com

Toll-free: 1-866-693-7853

Email: disabilityassistance@westjet.com