Accessible travel
We’re dedicated to providing an excellent travel experience for every guest. That’s why we’ve gathered everything you need to know about accessible travel and the services available to support you.
Our accessibility services
Our accessibility services include help with seating, medical needs, mobility aids, and more.
Know what to expect when flying with allergies.
Get support for your journey if you’re blind or have low vision.
Access support if you’re deaf or have partial hearing.
Travel confidently with medical equipment or medication.
If you have a non-visible disability, you can request support through the Sunflower program.
See what’s required when flying with a Portable Oxygen Concentrator.
Get everything you need to travel with your service dog.
Reserve seats that meet your accessibility needs.
Request mobility assistance, including traveling with your wheelchair or mobility aid.
Additional services
Get the help you need at the airport, on board, and during your trip.
Find out what is required and how to prepare when traveling with an attendant.
If you have a medical condition, review all information prior to flying.
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Accessible Contact Information
TTY: If you have a teletypewriter (TTY), you can contact us with a few simple steps:
- Dial 711.
- After the operator gives you the go ahead, type in 1-888-937-8538 and then type GA.
- The operator will dial the number for you and will let you know as soon as someone answers the call.
- You will then proceed to use teletype to communicate with the operator, and the operator will act as a translator to WestJet.
Guests with disabilities experiencing difficulties accessing WestJet.com:
- Toll-free: 1-866-693-7853
- Connect with us using our Contact us form
If you encounter an accessibility issue, it is helpful to let us know the specific web page and nature of the issue in your email or phone call. We will investigate and make every reasonable effort to ensure that the page or information meets our Accessibility standards.
Accessibility questions or concerns
We’re dedicated to providing the best guest experience. If we’ve missed the mark in spite of our best efforts, and you have a complaint or concern about the services we provide, there are several ways to let us know.
Contact us
Contact centre:
- Toll-free: 1-888-937-8538
TTY for heading impaired:
- Toll-free: 1-877-952-0100
Guests with disabilities experiencing difficulties accessing WestJet.com:
- Toll-free: 1-866-693-7853
- Connect with us using our Contact us form
If you have a complaint or concern during your travel, please contact an airport agent for assistance. If they are unable to assist with a disability specific complaint, they will be able to contact a complaint resolution officer (CRO) who is available by phone for all flights that start or end at airports in the United States.
The CRO will resolve disability-related issues regarding discrimination, accommodations, or services in accordance with the U.S. Department of Transportation's Rule on "Non-Discrimination on the Basis of Disability in Air Travel" (14 CFR Part 382).
If you would like to provide us with a general comment or a complaint after you have travelled, you may do so using any of the following methods identified in the Contact Us section.
Written confirmation of services
After you have completed making a reservation, accessibility services will be indicated on your emailed itinerary. If you request services at the airport, one of our agents will be able to assist you and provide you with a written confirmation of these services.
We will provide confirmation of services for WestJet and WestJet Encore operated flights. If you have reserved travel on another carrier or partner airline please contact the other carrier directly to request and confirm any accessibility-related services.
Group bookings
If you are travelling as part of a group of 10 or more individuals, and anyone within your group is a person with a disability, you may need to provide WestJet with advance notice if you require services beyond the assistance services we provide for all guests with special needs. Advance notification requirements are outlined on each page for specific disability requests. You can identify required services by reviewing our guests with special needs section.
Refusal of transportation
WestJet will make every effort to accommodate guests with special needs, however, in the event we have refused to transport you, your mobility aid, or your service dog, we will advise you of the reason for denial and provide you with a written explanation for the denial no later than 10 days after the day of the refusal. In any explanation, we will include a detailed reason for the denial, any relevant policy or regulation, the duration of the refusal and any conditions under which we could accept you, your mobility aid or your service dog for transport.
We will work with you to identify alternative transportation whenever possible. In cases where an alternate trip is booked with WestJet, we will charge the lesser of the original fare and the fare of the alternate trip. In the case where we are not able to accommodate travel on any WestJet flight, we will provide a refund of the full fare and taxes (as permitted) to the original form of payment.
Retention of documents
To assist you in future service requests, we will offer to keep an electronic copy of all personal health information or documentation provided for at least three years.
We may need new or updated documentation during this three-year period to ensure safe travel:
- for medical conditions that may improve or deteriorate over time
- if your mobility aid, battery or accessories change
All information is retained and handled in accordance with the WestJet Privacy Policy.
Multiple formats policy
The WestJet Multiple Formats Policy was created to meet the needs of our guests with disabilities, by providing alternative formats that complement or replace conventional print and video products used to describe the services provided by WestJet, wherever it is practical to do so. We will update this policy as new technology, products and services are introduced.
Information we provide
WestJet provides guests with disabilities information and documentation in multiple formats regarding the services WestJet provides. All information is offered free of charge, and can be provided in more than one format, if requested, and multiple copies may be requested of any available format. If we are not able to provide the information or documentation you request, we may offer alternate formats, when available and appropriate to do so. However, some information may not be immediately available.
DVDs, CD-ROMs, emails and information on the website containing text and descriptions of graphics that are compatible with text readers and browsers.
Printed publications using a 14-point font size or larger with sans-serif font and good contrast will be used where practical.
Audio recordings of printed documents will be made available upon request within a reasonable time frame.
Safety briefing cards are currently available onboard in English and French and rows are marked with tactile indicators.
WestJet does not currently use video products in our regular operations. This means that captioned (closed or open) film and video, sign language or descriptive video is not available. Considerations for these types of enhancements for future promotional material and any video releases to the general public will consider incorporating this as practicable.
Please contact us toll-free at 1-888-937-8538 for assistance and additional information on the range of services provided to our guests with varying abilities.
1 Available on approximately one week’s notice
2 Jaws enabled
Disability entitlements
In Canada, you are entitled to certain accommodations and services under the “Accessible Transportation for Persons with Disabilities Regulations”.
As a large Canadian carrier, WestJet follows Parts 1, 2 and 3 of this regulation for all flights operated to, from and within Canada.
For flights to or from the United States WestJet also follows the Airline Passengers with Disabilities Passenger Bill of Rights under the U.S. Air Carrier Access Act and its implementing regulation, 14 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Part 382.
For more information about accessible transportation for persons with disabilities operated flights, please contact us.
WestJet is committed to facilitating and improving the accessibility and usability of its website. WestJet strives to ensure that its website services, applications, and content are accessible to persons with disabilities including users of screen reader technology.
To accomplish this, WestJet has engaged UsableNet Inc, a leading web accessibility consultant to help test, remediate, and maintain our website in-line with the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG).2.0 AA conformance. This commitment to accessibility ensures we meet the Canadian Transportation Agency’s Accessible Transportation for Persons with Disabilities Regulations, and the U.S. Department of Transportation Ruling under 14 CFR Part 382, Non-discrimination on the Basis of Disability in Air Travel. Further, we are working towards WCAG 2.1 AA conformance which will exceed the Canadian and U.S requirements and will meet the requirements under the European Union Web Accessibility Directive.
Disclaimer
Please be aware that our efforts to maintain accessibility and usability are ongoing. While we strive to make the website as accessible as possible, some issues can be encountered by different assistive technology as the range of assistive technology is wide and varied.
The WestJet Group strives to maintain a welcome, inclusive, barrier-free environment for all our guests and employees. Our priority is to meet various accessibility needs by working towards removing obstacles that prevent people with disabilities from working and travelling with WestJet. We are committed to meeting the requirements outlined by the Accessible Canada Act (ACA) and Accessible Transportation for Persons with Disabilities Regulations (ATPDR) by:
- Collecting feedback from our guests and employees related to accessibility; and
- Adhering to and updating this accessibility plan and reporting schedule.
This plan outlines our commitment to improving accessibility throughout all facets of our organization by identifying accessibility barriers and creating or amending policies and procedures that impact our employees and guests travelling with us.
Link to Accessibility Plan that also includes our feedback process: https://www.westjet.com/accessibility-plan
Link to Accessibility form: https://www.westjet.com/accessibility-form
Some WestJet and WestJet Vacations documents are provided in a PDF format. For any accessibility assistance, we recommend downloading Adobe Reader.
Supporting Invisible Disabilities through the Hidden Disabilities Sunflower Program
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At WestJet, we believe travel should be welcoming and accessible for all. Whether in the airport or onboard, WestJetters trained in the Sunflower program will recognize the symbol and provide you with the respect, patience, and support you may need.
WestJet is proud to participate in the Hidden Disabilities Sunflower program, which allows individuals with non-visible disabilities to discreetly indicate that they may need additional assistance, time, patience and support while travelling. By wearing a Sunflower lanyard you can signal to our team that you may require extra support throughout your journey.
Request a complimentary Sunflower Lanyard at WestJet check-in counters across Canada.
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