Westjet to charge $20 fee for second bag

[Boblobla]

Originally Posted by bizaro86

I'm going to go have a soda.

WTF. This is Canada. It is called 'pop'.

[Claeren]

Originally Posted by billybob123

This isn't quite the perfect analogy. It would be more like one restaurant (let's call it Westrestaurant) sent out a series of TV, bus, and print ads that say their competitor (let's call them Air Restauranada) charges for soda. We don't. We promise we won't charge you for soda. That's one of the many reasons we're better than Air Restauranada.

And then, less than a year later, inform your customers that you're now charging for that soda you said differentiated you from the others.

Why go to Westrestaurant anymore? They're no different than Air Restauranada.

Fair enough, no analogy is perfect.

But as other have already said, they would already fly Air Canada if it were cheaper (end of sentence, no qualifiers - cheapness is the lone deciding characteristic in far too many purchasing decisions). And since the VAST majority of people don't check two bags, and of those that do a huge number is discretionary, it became apparent that guests (no doubt like yourself) don't buy a fare with one airline over another simply because they offer things you don't need for free (like a second free bag you don't have) - but rather for that low fare.

This allows WestJet to continue to fight for the lowest fair while not impacting the vast majority of their guests.

You say 'why go to westrestaurant anymore?' but the real question was how many people were going there for that free bag (or soda/pop) in the first place?


Obviously there has been a change in leadership at WestJet, and across the industry, not just at WestJet, the industry is becoming about having guests pay for what they actually use. I find it funny that many of the same people that get this weird feeling of anger around 'being nickle and dimed' are also staunch conservatives who believe in a user pay free market... (Resistance and alarm to the prospect of change no doubt being the linking characteristic.)



Claeren.

[billybob123]

Originally Posted by Claeren

You say 'why go to westrestaurant anymore?' but the real question was how many people were going there for that free bag (or soda/pop) in the first place?

Agreed completely. I rarely (if ever) check a second bag; in fact this extra $20 will almost never bother me, and even if it did, it's $20. That's nothing, really; compare to the first and second check bag charges on US airlines - usually $25 and $35, each.

My only point was that Westjet advertised that this was part of their "care-antee" that made them stand out from Air Canada. Not so much anymore - AC seems to match everything (no phone reservation fee, free soft drinks, one free bag in North America, etc). So much for that ad campaign!

[Claeren]

Originally Posted by billybob123

My only point was that Westjet advertised that this was part of their "care-antee" that made them stand out from Air Canada. Not so much anymore - AC seems to match everything (no phone reservation fee, free soft drinks, one free bag in North America, etc). So much for that ad campaign!

What is being left out is that the only reason AC does so is because WS made them.

As a consumer one might not notice the difference when making a day-of purchasing decision but I think a top-down macro view of the Canadian airline market would show that WestJet has done an incredible job building market share against a much larger and entrenched carrier and that consumers are the prime beneficiaries. That applies to pricing, service and fees.

It is unfortunate that it was part of a ad campaign last year, but things move quickly these days...



Claeren.

[Travis Munroe]

^^^ 100% agree, If WJ just vanished then I guarantee AC would be right back to higher prices and charging for EVERYTHING.
WJ has driven the competition to actually compete which is a win for us as the consumer.

[Sliver]

Originally Posted by Claeren

What is being left out is that the only reason AC does so is because WS made them.

As a consumer one might not notice the difference when making a day-of purchasing decision but I think a top-down macro view of the Canadian airline market would show that WestJet has done an incredible job building market share against a much larger and entrenched carrier and that consumers are the prime beneficiaries. That applies to pricing, service and fees.

It is unfortunate that it was part of a ad campaign last year, but things move quickly these days...

Claeren.

Not even. It was true at the time and now it isn't. We could probably dig up an ad for a Big Mac when they were $0.25. It doesn't mean today's price of $3.99 or whatever is dishonest.

[squiggs96]

Originally Posted by billybob123

This isn't quite the perfect analogy. It would be more like one restaurant (let's call it Westrestaurant) sent out a series of TV, bus, and print ads that say their competitor (let's call them Air Restauranada) charges for soda. We don't. We promise we won't charge you for soda. That's one of the many reasons we're better than Air Restauranada.

And then, less than a year later, inform your customers that you're now charging for that soda you said differentiated you from the others.

Why go to Westrestaurant anymore? They're no different than Air Restauranada.

Wouldn't it be more like Westrestaurant says free refills on pop and now wants to charge you for each glass you have? The first pop is free with dinner, but each additional glass of Coke will now be $2. If you want an extra large Coke as your first glass, that will also be a charge.

[billybob123]

Originally Posted by squiggs96

Wouldn't it be more like Westrestaurant says free refills on pop and now wants to charge you for each glass you have? The first pop is free with dinner, but each additional glass of Coke will now be $2. If you want an extra large Coke as your first glass, that will also be a charge.

Much better analogy. (question - if Westrestaurant doesn't deliver your coke during your meal, can you go to the lost Coke counter, fill out a form, and have them courier you the glass the next day?)

Reminds me how angry I get at restaurants that don't give free refills!! I'll absolutely never return to a restaurant that charges me for a Coke refill.

[Ryan Coke]

Claeren has a good take on things. And Bigtime, not sure who you are talking too but most of the pilots are on board with the 757 wet lease.

By and large WestJet sets the price, then AC matches. They discovered long ago that if they charged more they would get slaughtered. With similar pricing they lose market share, but not as quickly. The exception is usually when dealing with nearly full flights, when every airline starts increasing the price of the tickets substantially.

I have no problem when someone I know buys with another airline because of a substantial price difference--price is king. The reason is likely that the WestJet flight is nearly full, while the other flight (maybe United through Denver to Vegas for example) was very light at the time of booking.

And charging for bags in unfortunate, but a reality in the industry now. Most US carriers charge for both and AC started then dropped it when we didn't match.
But it will apply to very few people, and baby related items ARE excluded.

[TopChed]

Originally Posted by Sliver

You keep saying you can't campare the two companies - my point was you can. In fact, it's because of the operational differences that makes for an interesting comparison.

Anyway, I'm sounding like the airline version of fanin80, when in fact I'm a cheapskate. If the price difference is within $20, I choose WestJet because I do like them better. If Air Canada (or anybody else) is more than $20 cheaper, I'd take them.

I flew with AC Jazz to Kelowna this summer for the first time, because it was slightly cheaper than WestJet. I regretted it instantly. It was a prop plane which was cramped and super old. Thankfully it wasn't a packed flight, or else I woulda been shoulder to shoulder the whole time with some large dude. The other thing I didn't even notice when I was booking was that it was a longer flight, since it was a prop plane. So I saved a small amount of money to be uncomfortable for a longer, noisier trip, without entertainment.

Bottom line, I agree about WestJet. I'll fly with them any time the cost is similar for a short domestic trip.