WestJet today released the airline’s 10th holiday video, WestJet Christmas Miracle: A Wish Come True. This year’s theme focuses on the emotional and sentimental moments that guests missed celebrating last year due to the pandemic.

Over the course of two weeks, undercover and operating as a documentary film crew, WestJet interviewed Canadians in Toronto, Calgary and Vancouver asking them how the pandemic impacted their Christmas traditions and what they wished for the most this holiday season.

The spot features surprises ranging from round-trip tickets and all-inclusive vacation packages to a global reunion between mother and daughter.

Additional Christmas Miracle content including a WestJet’s Christmas Miracle surprise for the airline’s WestJet Cares for Kids partner, Make A Wish, will be available in the coming days.

WestJet today announced route details for its new non-stop service to London’s Heathrow Airport (LHR), from the airline’s largest, global hub, Calgary International Airport. The new route provides access to London’s largest airport with close and rapid access to important destinations in London. Flights between the two global hubs are set to operate four-times weekly, beginning March 26, 2022.

Details of WestJet’s service between Calgary and Heathrow:

As confidence in business and leisure travel continues to rise, WestJet’s newest route will operate this spring on the airline’s 787 Dreamliner. WestJet’s 787 service features the airline’s Business Cabin including lie-flat pods, dining on demand and elevated Premium and Economy Cabin options.

With the addition of Heathrow to WestJet’s network this spring, WestJet will connect Calgary to 77 nonstop destinations throughout the year.  WestJet will also continue to offer non-stop flights between Calgary, Vancouver, Toronto and Halifax to London, Gatwick.

The WestJet Group today announced a significant expansion to its COVID-19 testing program through AZOVA, a leading digital health technology platform, giving guests the confidence to book their holiday travel knowing all their COVID testing requirements are available through a convenient and easy-to-use site at https://www.azova.com/westjetswoop/.

With AZOVA’s app-based program, guests have access to a vast network of approved testing locations across Canada and the majority of WestJet transborder and international destinations. Additionally, AZOVA offers rapid molecular self-administered testing options with video proctoring services that allow for testing and validation certificates. Guests can take these tests from the comfort of home, or in any destination to meet the Government of Canada’s pre-entry PCR test requirements AZOVA’s COVID-19 testing services meet entry requirements for each destination and enable travellers to take self-administered or in-person tests prior to departure.

“As many of our guests look to book holiday travel outside Canada for the first time in almost two years, it’s critical that we provide our guests with the peace of mind knowing that all the COVID testing requirements they will face throughout their journey can be conveniently booked, conducted and stored in the AZOVA app,” said Dr. Tammy McKnight, WestJet’s Chief Medical Officer. “We’ve heard from our guests that pre-departure testing, and entry requirements are confusing, complex and inconsistent. We are confident that AZOVA’s easy-to-use self-testing options and network of testing locations will give guests the confidence they need to plan their next flight or vacation.”

“COVID testing requirements can be overwhelming and confusing with different requirements for every destination. AZOVA provides an end to end and seamless solution to enable guests to quickly identify what test is needed for any destination and to quickly purchase or schedule the tests that are needed anywhere in the world through a single application. We are thrilled to be working with WestJet and Swoop to bring this solution to guests and travellers everywhere,” said Cheryl Lee Eberting, MD, CEO and Founder of AZOVA. “Once you have received your test results, enter your AZOVA Credential ID into the AZOVA WestJet and Swoop site and receive a travel clearance on the AZOVA app for your destination. You can simply show your travel clearance at the gate with no paperwork and no confusing forms required.”

Portable Self-Administered Testing & In-Destination Lab Testing

Guests who are traveling outside of Canada for a period of more than 72 hours after November 30th will be required to present a negative molecular test taken within 72 hours of their flight. AZOVA offers an at-home RT-LAMP test, called the Lucira Check-It COVID-19 test kit with video proctoring which can be purchased and delivered to your home in Canada. These tests can be taken in the comfort of your home to meet the entrance requirements of most destinations, and can be packed and taken with you to be taken in destination to meet the requirements for return travel back to Canada.

In addition to availability in Canada, AZOVA also offers the Lucira Check-It COVID-19 test kit to be purchased and delivered to your destination in the United States.

WestJet, together with TELUS, trialled Trusted Boarding, a touchless process that uses safe and secure facial verification technology to verify travelers’ identity prior to boarding a flight. The trial was the first-of-its-kind in Canada and took place at the YYC Calgary International Airport.

WestJet’s Trusted Boarding trial demonstrated that the responsible use of biometric boarding technology provides sufficient document validation and prevents non-authorized individuals from boarding an aircraft. Trial guests boarded WestJet flight 8901 through facial verification with their digital identity wallet on Embross’ Canadian made biometric hardware and boarding application at Gate 88. The trial marked the first step towards the implementation of the technology as WestJet works with the Government of Canada to seek full approval for its use as a safe and secure alternative for future WestJet boarding at Canadian airports.

WestJet’s Trusted Boarding trial demonstrated that the responsible use of biometric boarding technology provides sufficient document validation and prevents non-authorized individuals from boarding an aircraft. Trial guests boarded WestJet flight 8901 through facial verification with their digital identity wallet on Embross’ Canadian made biometric hardware and boarding application at Gate 88. The trial marked the first step towards the implementation of the technology as WestJet works with the Government of Canada to seek full approval for its use as a safe and secure alternative for future WestJet boarding at Canadian airports.

WestJet, together with key government and industry partners, on November 4 launched its newest route connecting guests for the first time between Calgary and Seattle/Tacoma.

The departure of flight WS3612 marked a major recovery milestone for WestJet as the airline’s first transborder inaugural since pre-pandemic.

WestJet YYC-SEA inaugural ribbon cutting with, Richard Bartrem, John Fleming, Cindy Ady, Tim Patterson, Roger Reid, Carmelle Hunka and WestJet Crew of flight WS3612. (CNW Group/WESTJET, an Alberta Partnership)

The departure of WS3612 carrying 69 guests marked WestJet’s first new international route departure under the Government of Canada’s new traveller and employee vaccination policies.

WestJet’s newest transborder flight will operate four times weekly to begin and will increase to two-times daily by spring 2022.

Details of WestJet’s new service between Calgary and Seattle:

WestJet made this announcement:

This winter, WestJet is set to restore service and connectivity to more than 95 destinations across the airline’s domestic, transborder, sun and international network as of December.

Strengthening sun service and transborder flights from Toronto

With the addition of seven returning flights from Toronto, WestJet will offer non-stop service to 55 destinations including 26 international, 17 domestic and 12 transborder this winter from Toronto.

• Toronto – Boston
• Toronto – Miami
• Toronto – Grand Cayman
• Toronto – Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago
• Toronto – San Juan, Puerto Rico
• Toronto – Roatan
• Toronto – Kelowna*

Increasing sun flights and non-stop options to Hawaii from Calgary

As the airline with the most flights this winter from Calgary, WestJet is set to offer non-stop service to 61 destinations from Calgary including 30 domestic, 19 transborder and 12 international destinations from YYC with the addition of the following non-stop flights.

• Calgary – Fort Lauderdale
• Calgary – Punta Cana, Dominican Republic
• Calgary – Lihue
• Calgary – Kona

WestJet continues to be the Canadian carrier that offers the most flights to Hawaii to the four major islands from Western Canada.

New nonstop sun flights for Winnipeg and Regina connectivity

WestJet is adding non-stop options to Cancun and Orlando with the return of international flights to Winnipeg. The airline will also restore four-times weekly non-stop service between Regina and Winnipeg.

• Winnipeg – Cancun
• Winnipeg – Orlando
• Winnipeg – Regina

Connecting Edmonton and Honolulu non-stop

WestJet will connect guests between Edmonton and Honolulu beginning December 18, 2021. This winter the airline will serve 24 domestic, international and transborder destinations non-stop from Alberta’s capital city.

• Edmonton – Honolulu, Hawaii

Service between Kelowna and Toronto to return for peak holiday travel

WestJet is increasing Kelowna’s non-stop options with the return of three-times weekly service between Toronto and Kelowna from December 17 to January 5, 2022.

• Kelowna – Toronto*

Frequency and start dates of returning service added to WestJet’s winter schedule: