Air Passenger Protection Regulations
Effective December 15, 2019
WestJet’s guest care is central to our brand and fundamental to our business. For more than 23 years we have demonstrated our commitment to our guests. As a result, we continue to work closely with the Canadian Transportation Agency to implement additional Air Passenger Protection Regulations (APPR).
These regulations seek to ensure clearer, more consistent passenger rights by establishing minimum requirements, standards of treatment and, in some situations, minimum levels of compensation that all air carriers must provide to passengers.
More information can be found at www.westjet.com/canadian-passenger-rights.
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Delays/cancellations
For flights departing on or after December 15, 2019, guests may be entitled to certain standards of care and compensation under APPR if their flight is delayed or cancelled. The guest must qualify for compensation and file a request for compensation within 1 year from the day on which the flight delay occurred.
Please visit www.westjet.com/canadian-passenger-rights for more information on passenger rights.
Family seating
As per APPR, the family seating policy is as follows:
| Child age | Seating requirement |
| 0 – 4 | Directly beside one accompanying adult. |
| 5 – 11 | In the same row as accompanying adult; can be separated by no more than one seat or aisle. |
| 12 – 13 | Separated by no more than one row from the accompanying adult; does not have to be the same side of the aircraft. |
All children under 14 may be seated with an adult for no extra charge.
All travellers on the same reservation as the child will be assigned a standard seat at no cost. If a preferred or front of cabin seat is chosen, only the child seat will be assigned at no cost.
As of December 11, 2019, travel agents or their clients may select or purchase family seating on the My Trips page at westjet.com/addseats. If you are not able to use My Trips to add seats, please call the Travel Support Team at 1-877-664-3205.
If a guest is unable to select family seats together at airport check-in, they must self-identify. If family seating is not available at time of check-in, we will ask for volunteers to switch seats at time of boarding. If a flight is full and the adult and child cannot be seated together, the guest may:
- Choose to sit apart from the child.
- Change to the next available flight that has seats together (difference in fare and change fees are waived).
- Cancel the flight for a full refund to original form of payment (change fees are waived).
Please note that for WestJet Vacations bookings, unused nights will not be refunded, and WestJet will not cover extra nights in destination. WestJet Vacations guests who choose to cancel their booking will only receive a refund for the air-only portion of their itinerary.
If a guest chooses to change or cancel their flight, this is considered a voluntary change and not denied boarding. The guest will not qualify for the denied boarding standards of treatment or compensation under APPR.
Read more about WestJet’s family seating policy here.
Age of responsibility
As per APPR, the age at which a guest can be responsible for accompanying a child is as follows:
| Child age | Minimum age of accompanying adult |
| 0 – 4 | 16 |
| 5 – 11 | 12 |
For example:
- A guest travelling as the responsible adult for a child aged 4 must be at least 16 years of age.
- A guest travelling as the responsible adult for a child aged 6 must be at least 12 years of age.
Children who are 12 years of age or older can travel on their own.
Guests must follow the new age of responsibility regulations or they will be denied boarding. Guests who have been denied boarding because they do not meet the age of responsibility do not qualify for standards of treatment or compensation under APPR.
Read more about the age of responsibility here.
Mandatory action
As a reminder, the actions below were in effect on July 15, 2019 under the new APPR regulations and are mandatory for all travel partners:
- A carrier and third-party seller (travel agency) must provide information on the treatment of passengers and minimum compensation owed by the carrier and the recourse against the carrier available to passengers, in simple, clear and concise language on all documents on which the passenger’s itinerary appears.
To comply with this requirement, travel agents must include in the passenger’s itinerary and travel documents a link to WestJet’s passenger rights page at www.westjet.com/canadian-passenger-rights or to the Canadian Transportation Agency’s APPR page at https://rppa-appr.ca/eng
- As per IATA resolution 830d, travel agents must include their clients’ contact information using SSR CTCE (Special Service Request Contact Email) in their booking so WestJet may effectively communicate with passengers. Instructions for how to add a passenger’s contact information in a GDS booking are available on westjettravelagents.com.
Submitting a claim
If a guest believes they are entitled to delay or cancellation compensation, they must submit a claim via the form found at www.westjet.com/canadian-passenger-rights.
Travel agents may fill out the claims form on behalf of their client, but the client’s contact information must be provided in the claim.
Frequently asked questions
Q: Do all Air Passenger Protection Regulations apply to WestJet and WestJet Vacations bookings?
A: Yes. The new regulations apply to both WestJet air-only and WestJet Vacations bookings.
Q: Am I required to communicate the Air Passenger Protection Regulations to my clients?
A: Yes. Travel agents must ensure all clients are aware of their rights as per APPR. You must include one of the following the passenger’s itinerary or travel documents where the itinerary appears:
A link to WestJet’s passenger rights page (www.westjet.com/canadian-passenger-rights), or
A link to the Canadian Transportation Agency’s APPR page (https://rppa-appr.ca/eng).
Q: Am I required to add my client’s contact details to all GDS bookings?
A: Yes. Travel agents must add contact information for each guest who is booked via the GDS to allow WestJet to contact the guest in the event of operational disruptions. For more information, click here.
Q: Will my client receive an email notification if their flight is delayed or cancelled?
A: Your client may receive an email notification in the event of an operational disruption if their contact information has been added to the booking. Please refer to the “Mandatory Action” section for more information on adding contact information. Below is an example of a notification email. Please note this is a sample only.
Q: How can I add contact information to a WestJet Vacation booking?
A: When a guest is checking in for their flight, they will be prompted to add an email address so they may be notified in the event of a flight disruption.
Q: I’m a direct redemption partner. What do I need to add to my client’s booking?
A: Bookings made directly with WestJet will have the correct information added to the itinerary. If any secondary travel documents or rebranded itineraries are created, please include a link to www.westjet.com/canadian-passenger- rights or a link to the Canadian Transportation Agency’s APPR page at https://rppa-appr.ca/eng.
http://www.westjet.com/canadian-passenger-rights
Q: Are individuals travelling on complimentary flights entitled to compensation under APPR?
A: By redeeming a voucher for free travel, all individuals travelling agree to release and waive all claims against WestJet relating to any and all liability, damage, or compensation entitlement arising under Canada’s Air Passenger Protection Regulations. This does not include WestJet Rewards companion vouchers or milestone vouchers earned by WestJet Rewards members.
Q: Will WestJet be updating any documentation (e.g., itineraries) to reflect the new regulations?
A: If WestJet controls the travel documents, WestJet will add the required information. If a travel agent controls the document or rebranded itineraries are created, they must add a link to www.westjet.com/canadian-passenger-rights or a link to the Canadian Transportation Agency’s APPR page at https://rppa-appr.ca/eng.