Years ago when it was announced that Air Canada was going to split from Aeroplan and create their own loyalty program we predicted that the winners would be the consumers and in particular those utilizing credit cards. Fast forward to the present and while Air Canada didn't technically launch a new program since the bought back Aeroplan and revamped it, it was that revamping that helped our prediction come true. This year so far has been one of the best ever in terms of new credit card offers and credit card enhancements that are benefiting the consumer. That leads us into this post where WestJet and RBC have now added a new permanent benefit on the WestJet RBC World Mastercard that takes aim at the new Aeroplan co-brand cards. Not only does the card have a new benefit but as of September 1st we see the return of the 450 WestJet Dollar + $0 companion fare welcome bonus on the card! Read more about the new welcome offer here.
The new benefit - Status Lift
As of today (September 1, 2021) all existing and new WestJet RBC World Mastercard cardholders will be able to earn WestJet Rewards tier qualifying spend simply by making purchases with their card. Entitled Status Lift, the new benefit awards $500 in tier qualifying spend after spending $15,000 in purchases on the WestJet RBC World Elite Mastercard. This is awarded up to three times in a qualifying year meaning you can earn a maximum of $1,500 in tier qualifying spend annually. That is halfway to Silver status on credit card purchases alone. If you are flying with WestJet frequently or semi-frequently this new benefit can easily help you achieve that first level of status or help you to reach Gold or Platinum status even sooner.
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| Tier qualifying spend requirements |
Limited time introductory offer
To celebrate to launch of Status
Lift all WestJet RBC World Elite Mastercard cardholders will earn that
$500 in tier qualifying spend with only $5,000 in purchases instead of
$15,000! This offer runs from September 1 to December 31, 2021. It resets to $15,000 on January 1, 2022.
How this compares with Air Canada Aeroplan credit card status earn
When you look at the WestJet RBC World Mastercard's direct competition with Aeroplan (the American Express Aeroplan card and TD & CIBC Visa Infinite Cards) you'll see that WestJet's credit card tier qualifying spend can be compelling. For example if you spend $45,000 on your WestJet card you'll receive $1,500 in tier qualifying spend which is halfway to Silver Status. $45,000 in spending on one of the comparable Aeroplan cards will earn you 4 status qualifying segments and 4,000 status qualifying miles which is less than 1/5 the way to Aeroplan 25K and you still need to earn status qualifying dollars. This is what makes WestJet's Status Lift benefit compelling. Yes, with both airlines you'll still need to fly to reach that first status level but WestJet's credit card benefit does provides a bigger boost to get there.
That being said, that's strictly a head to head comparison of getting to the first level of elite status in each program. Both statuses are somewhat comparable in benefits like priority check-in, checked baggage allowances and such. There are differences however such as WestJet Silver getting you more lounge passes but 25K provides eUpgrade credits that can definitely get you an upgrade and it provides a discount on Aeroplan award redemptions. For those tossing up either program you'll have to weigh the benefits, estimate how much flying you'll complete and do the math on your spending to see which airline and card makes the most sense for you.
Wrapping it up
If you don't have this card right now you might want to think about the getting the card sooner than later if the new Status Lift benefit appeals to you since you only need to spend a third of the amount on the card between September and December to get the tier qualifying spend. That means that first $5,000 spend mark to earn the 450 WestJet dollars will also earn you $500 in tier qualifying spend. On top of that don't forget that the WestJet RBC World Mastercard also offers your first checked bag free on WestJet flights (for you and up to 8 passengers on the same reservation), provides complimentary Boingo Wi-Fi access (which means wi-fi on WestJet flights is free) and of course the annual companion vouchers.
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