WestJet (Calgary) hasย announced even more nonstop flights between Vancouver and Toronto as Canadians prepare for the busy summer travel season.
WestJet will add nearly two dozen more flights between May 3 and October 24, increasing overall capacity between Vancouver and Toronto by more than 10 percent. The schedule features up to 10 daily flights in the spring, 11 during the peak travel months of July and August, and nine in the fall.
WestJet also offers up to 12 daily nonstop flights between Calgary and Toronto, nine from Edmonton to Toronto and six from Winnipeg to Toronto.
Copyright Photo: Chris Sands/AirlinersGallery.com. Boeing 737-8CT C-GWSZ (msn 37092) in the special Magic Plane scheme of Walt Disney World departs from Calgary.
WestJet (Calgary) has announced its third quarter 2014 results, with record adjusted net earnings of $85.4 million (all amounts in Canadian dollars), or $0.66 per diluted share. This compares with the net earnings of $65.1 million, or $0.50 per diluted share reported in the third quarter of 2013, up 31.2 per cent and 32.0 per cent, respectively. Based on the trailing twelve months, the airline achieved a return on invested capital of 13.8 per cent, compared with the 13.7 per cent reported in the previous quarter. These adjusted results exclude a pre-tax non-cash loss of $45.5 million associated with the previously disclosed sale of 10 of our oldest Boeing 737 aircraft.
In September, WestJet announced the launch of its new WestJet Rewards tiers program, which will make frequent guests eligible for higher WestJet dollar earn rates on WestJet flights, additional companion flights, and new easy-to-use flight benefits. Here is a video of “Profit Share” from two years ago:
Video Above:ย Twice per year, in November and May, WestJet shares a portion of its profits with its employees. According to the airline, “We make a fun video to play at our profit share party and this is just one of a long list of videos we’ve made over the past few years. Enjoy!”
Top Copyright Photo: Michael B. Ing/AirlinersGallery.com. Boeing 737-8CT C-GWSZ (msn 37092) in the special “Magic Plane” color scheme promoting Walt Disney World arrives in Los Angeles.
WestJet (Calgary) today announced its fourth quarter and year-end results for 2013, with record net earnings ofย $268.7 million (all figures in Canadian dollars), orย $2.03ย per diluted share, up from the net earnings ofย $242.4 million, orย $1.78ย per diluted share reported for the full-year 2012. For the fourth quarter, the airline reported diluted earnings per share ofย $0.52, up fromย $0.46ย reported last year. This represents WestJet’s 35thย consecutive quarter of profitability, and based on the trailing twelve months, the airline achieved a return on invested capital of 13.9 per cent, compared with the 13.8 per cent reported in the previous quarter.
Operating highlightsย (stated in Canadian dollars)
Q4 2013
Q4 2012
Change
Full-year
2013
Full-year
2012
Change
Net earnings (millions)
$67.8
$60.9
11.3%
$268.7
$242.4
10.9%
Diluted earnings per share
$0.52
$0.46
13.0%
$2.03
$1.78
14.0%
Total revenues (millions)
$926.4
$860.6
7.6%
$3,662.2
$3,427.4
6.9%
Operating margin
11.0%
10.6%
0.4 pts
10.9%
11.0%
(0.1 pts)
ASMs (available seat miles) (billions)
5.942
5.487
8.3%
23.971
22.064
8.6%
RPMs (revenue passenger miles) (billions)
4.769
4.493
6.1%
19.591
18.263
7.3%
Load factor
80.3%
81.9%
(1.6 pts)
81.7%
82.8%
(1.1 pts)
Segment guests
4,557,606
4,314,024
5.6%
18,485,144
17,423,352
6.1%
Yield (revenue per revenue passenger mile) (cents)
19.43
19.16
1.4%
18.69
18.77
(0.4%)
RASM (revenue per available seat mile) (cents)
15.59
15.68
(0.6%)
15.28
15.53
(1.6%)
CASM (cost per available seat mile) (cents)
13.88
14.01
(0.9%)
13.61
13.83
(1.6%)
CASM, excluding fuel and employee profit share (cents)*
9.29
9.32
(0.3%)
9.06
9.12
(0.7%)
*Refer to reconciliations in the accompanying tables for further information regarding calculations.
WestJet also declared a 20 per cent increase to its quarterly dividend fromย $0.10ย toย $0.12ย per common voting share and variable voting share.
WestJet expects continued strong traffic and revenue growth in the first quarter of 2014, and to achieve continued earnings growth for the full-year 2014.
Dividend declaration
Onย February 3, 2014, WestJet’s Board of Directors declared a cash dividend ofย $0.12ย per common voting share and variable voting share for the first quarter of 2014, to be paid onย March 31, 2014, to shareholders of record onย March 19, 2014. All dividends paid by WestJet are, pursuant to subsection 89(14) of the Income Tax Act, designated as eligible dividends, unless indicated otherwise. An eligible dividend paid to a Canadian resident is entitled to the enhanced dividend tax credit.
Copyright Photo: TMK Photography/AirlinersGallery.com. Another view of WestJet’s new Walt Disney World “Magic Plane” at Toronto (Pearson).
WestJet (Calgary) today announced its most comprehensive schedule release since the airline took to the skies in 1996. As part of the 2014 summer schedule, the airline is adding five new routes, increasing frequency on 20 existing routes across the network, while five seasonal routes move to year-round service.
Following its successful launch inย Western Canada, WestJet Encore moves east to start service inย Toronto with flights betweenย Toronto (Pearson) andย Thunder Bay. WestJet Encore will also offer service betweenย Thunder Bayย andย Winnipeg.
WestJet Encore will also launch new routes betweenย Fort McMurrayย andย Kelowna, British Columbia andย Fort McMurrayย andย Vancouverย as part of the largest single increase of flights toย Fort McMurrayย since WestJet first began service to the area. Theย Fort McMurrayย expansion also includes new WestJet nonstop flights toย Las Vegas, conversion of dailyย Torontoย nonstop flights to year-round service, and frequency increases to bothย Calgaryย andย Edmonton.
The summer of 2014 will see WestJet’s first foray into the European, trans-Atlantic market with direct flights betweenย Torontoย andย Dublinย beginning on June 15, 2014.ย Other summer highlights include new daily nonstop flights betweenย Calgaryย andย Prince George, British Columbia and fromย Calgaryย toย New York’sย JFK International Airport, as well as service increases to 15 popular southern destinations includingย Palm Springs,ย Los Angeles,ย Las Vegas,ย Fort Lauderdale/Hollywood andย Phoenixย in addition to well-travelledย Caribbeanย and Mexican spots.
Details of WestJet and WestJet Encore’s new routes for the summer 2014 schedule:
Route
Flights/Week
Departing
Arriving
Effective
Calgary-New York JFK
7
10:35 a.m.
5:00 p.m.
April 27, 2014
New York JFK-Calgary
7
5:55 p.m.
9:10 p.m.
April 27, 2014
Calgary-Prince George
7
10:00 p.m.
10:27 p.m.
April 27, 2014
Prince George-Calgary
7
6:00 a.m.
8:27 a.m.
April 27, 2014
Fort McMurray-Vancouver
7
11:00 a.m.
12:30 p.m.
May 12, 2014
Vancouver-Fort McMurray
7
1:30 p.m.
4:53 p.m.
May 12, 2014
Fort McMurray-Kelowna
7
10:25 p.m.
11:27 p.m.
May 12, 2014
Kelowna-Fort McMurray
7
7:30 a.m.
10:23 a.m.
May 12, 2014
Fort McMurray-Las Vegas
2
8:50 p.m.
11:21 p.m.
June 24, 2014
Las Vegas-Fort McMurray
2
3:23 p.m.
7:55 p.m.
June 24, 2014
Copyright Photo: Michael B. Ing/AirlinersGallery.com. Boeing 737-8CT C-GWSZ (msn 37092) in the Walt Disney World “Magic Plane” climbs away from Los Angeles International Airport.
WestJet (Calgary), WestJet Vacations and Walt Disney Parks and Resorts (Canada) today pulled back the curtain on their most exciting adventure yet — a custom-painted Boeing Next-Generation 737-800 series aircraft featuring Mickey Mouse in his most famous role, Sorcerer Mickey.
WestJet, WestJet Vacations and Walt Disney Parks and Resorts (Canada) first forged a relationship in 2004 based on a shared vision of creating memorable experiences for their guests. Known in the social media world as the #MagicPlane, the aircraft will perform its inaugural flight on December 3, 2013, from Calgary to Orlando, Florida, home of Walt Disney World Resort. Following the flight, the Magic Plane will fly throughout WestJet’s domestic, trans-border and international network.
“We are very proud of our work with Disney and everything we’ve done together over the years to enrich the lives of our guests,” said Gregg Saretsky , WestJet President and CEO. “With the Magic Plane, we are soaring to new heights, offering guests of all ages the chance to share the skies with one of the world’s most beloved and iconic figures. We also look forward to having fun with our guests on the ground as they see the Magic Plane flying over their communities and at airports across our expanding network.”
“Bringing this vision to life has been a true collaboration between our companies and it’s so exciting to see the final result — the aircraft is absolutely beautiful,” said Marlie Morrison , Managing Director, Marketing & Sales, The Walt Disney Company (Canada) Ltd. “WestJetters are the first point of contact for many of our Walt Disney World guests embarking on their memorable family vacation. ย We have a great appreciation for WestJet, which shares a similar culture in bringing guests an exceptional experience from beginning to end.”
Fun facts about the Magic Plane:
The two sides of the aircraft are mirror images of each other in all aspects but one. We’ll leave it to our guests to decide what that is!
There are a total of 36 different paint colours on the aircraft.
It took a team of 26 people 24 days working around the clock to paint the Magic Plane.
The painting crew consumed more than 150 doughnuts over the 24 days.
The painting crew consisted of people from four countries, five states, two provinces and 12 cities.
The cookies that will be served on board are a special treat in the shape of Disney characters.
Over the next five years, the Magic Plane will fly more than 400,000 guests a total of nearly eight million kilometres.
On board the Magic Plane’s inaugural flight on December 3 will be 16 members of the Boys and Girls Clubs of Canada from various cities across the country. Along with club chaperones and WestJet volunteers, the group will travel to Orlando for three days of fun at Walt Disney World Resort, “pay-it-forward” charity activities, teambuilding and leadership training.
WestJet serves Orlando, home of Walt Disney World Resort, with a total of 39 flights per week during peak winter months from Calgary, Edmonton, Winnipeg, Hamilton, London, Toronto Pearson, Ottawa, Montreal Trudeau, Halifax, Moncton and St. John’s , Newfoundland.
WestJet Vacations offers a variety of vacation packages to the Walt Disney World Resort. Play, stay, dine and save when you book a five- to 15-night vacation package at select Walt Disney World Resort hotels that includesย Magic Your Wayย tickets and a Disney dining plan. Offer is valid for bookings made by February 22, 2014 , for travel between January 5 and April 12, 2014 .
Copyright Photos: WestJet. The pictured Boeing 737-8CT C-GWSZ (msn 37092) “Magic Plane” was formerly painted in the special “Care-antee” color scheme.
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