Canadian discount airline cuts fuel surcharge

In a move that is certain to get weary and frustrated passengers smiling again, Canada’s second largest airline, WestJet, has decided to drop its fuel surcharge on all domestic routes. The discount carrier– which has built a reputation for folksy and friendly service and tends to offer prices that are identical to its larger rival Air Canada–decided that the significant decline in the price of oil on the world market warranted the elimination of the fuel surcharge.  According to a report in the Edmonton Sun, both WestJet and Air Canada dropped their fuel surcharges at around the same time.

But the one major difference between the two carriers is that while WestJet announced an elimination of the dreaded fee altogether, Air Canada appears to have simply lowered it, before folding it into the basic airfare. As such, passengers who book tickets with Air Canada may notice a slight uptick in the price of airfare, but will not have the originally quoted price then rise once the fuel surcharge is calculated, those travelling with WestJet will actually be paying noticeably less. The Alberta-based airline confirmed that the fuel surcharge is gone, while its base prices have remained unchanged. This new developments means savings of around $20 each way on short-haul flights operated by WestJet, $30 for medium range flights and $45 in the case of longer journeys. As such, passengers will save as much as $90 on roundtrip tickets.

Thank you to Lauren Krugel of the Canadian Press for the initial report, as well as the Edmonton Sun.

www.westjet.com