WestJet launches new marketing campaign

According to a report in the Globe and Mail newspaper, WestJet appears to be trying to attract more passengers from Air Canada, the country’s legacy carrier, by making the point that its tickets and services offer better value for money than those of its main rival. Yet this may be easier said that done, considering that the majority of airfares on routes where WestJet competes with Air Canada are precisely identical in the case of both carriers, creating a situation that some in the industry have described as a duopoly.

The ad campaign will go ahead, despite the similar nature of pricing on both of the country’s largest carriers, with WestJet taking out ads in newspapers and on television stations throughout Canada. In each case, however, Air Canada will remain unnamed, although it will be obvious to most observers which company WestJet is alluding to.

What WestJet will argue is that its service is superior when compared to that offered by Air Canada. For example, WestJet passengers get to enjoy two free checked pieces of luggage, while AC permits only a single bag and charges $25 for a second one on all domestic flights. Unlike Air Canada, WestJet also does not charge extra for arranging flights through its call centre and it provides passengers on domestic flights with free light snacks, where AC offers little more than a free non-alcoholic drink. The irony, however, behind this ad campaign aimed at pointing out WestJet’s superior service, is that the carrier started off as a discount company, while Air Canada was once a full-service airline but now offers basic, no-frills service on all domestic and trans-border (Canada USA) flights.

www.westjet.com