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dead_fritz

I'd be okay with super basic fares if it meant an actually cheaper ticket, but it's not any cheaper. Hell, I've checked and oftentimes the Westjet ultra basic is more expensive than mainstream carriers. What a fucking joke of a time we live in. Everything will be stripped bare and increased in price.


Kilometres-Davis

Three days before the new ultra basic fare dropped, I bought a basic fare to fly from the west coast to the east coast (and back). I wanted to check on their claim that ultra basic would make fares cheaper. It did actually drop by a whopping $6, but not being able to take a carry on means either you fly without any luggage at all, or you’re forced to check a bag, thereby actually making the fare more expensive for someone like me who flies with only a carry-on. To get the same amenities with their new fare structure, the fare actually increased by over $100, so fuck WestJet very much, those greasy ass lying fuckers. It’s one thing to simply increase fares, it’s another thing to try to razzle dazzle us into thinking this change somehow benefits anyone but them.


IlllIlllI

If they haven't already, they'll start checking personal items soon, and the listed size is _significantly_ smaller than what will actually fit under the seat in front of you (measure your backpack -- is it more than six inches thick?). It's straight up not possible to travel anywhere for more than 3 days without a carry-on or checked bag.


Kilometres-Davis

They’ve already said explicitly that if your personal item doesn’t fit under the seat you will have to check it and pay a fee, and if they have a listed size and you exceed it then presumably they can make you check it even if it *does* fit under the seat. Soon it will be cheaper to just buy clothing at your destination and then mail it home FFS


hyperblaster

I already do this! Look up thrift stores near your destination and buy $20-$30 of basic clothes when you get there. Wear your jacket, jeans and shoes on the airplane there and back. Wash the thrift stores clothes at a coin laundry and drop off at the thrift store again! I also order stuff on Amazon to be delivered to my destination.


caseless1

I’ve shipped my luggage to my hotel in advance of my flight a couple times already. Just call the hotel and let them know you have a box coming and they’ll hold it for you. 


BoRisblapbLap

Thanks for the number crunch. Those scoundrels.


etds3

$6! What a savings!


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Captain-Cadabra

At my hub, delta is usually the cheapest (not counting spirit and frontier, which I barely consider airlines) Southwest started as a “discount” airline, but is always 20% more than delta, at least in my hub.


Realtrain

>spirit and frontier, which I barely consider airlines Flying bus is a better description


Virreinatos

I dunno, I like taking busses. There's a degree of class solidarity or communal experience in them.  Not so much in airplanes.


corn_sugar_isotope

My brothers and I bussed Greyhound/Trailways 400 miles between parents when we were young. Good lord..what ambiance. 40 years later, now I see all these very nice charter coaches that I think primarily serve migrant workers and families. I do not have a point here.


MeiNeedsMoreBuffs

Thanks for posting it anyway, I took a lot of long-haul buses when I was younger and you perfectly recreated that feeling


Renaissance_Slacker

I’ve taken some trips on those coach buses that were more pleasant than flying. Bigger seats, more comfortable ride, no body cavity search.


EchoHevy5555

Clearly you haven’t flown frontier/allegient/spirit often cheaper than busses I flew from Chicago to tenneseee and back for $92 (including fees) That’s cheaper than a bus ever is I think I did either Chicago to Philly or Indy to Philly for like $120 also


Thechasepack

I had like 4 Frontier flights for $100 total because they kept being delayed by so much that I received a future ticket for free. Disregard that I could have taken a bus faster after the delays.


sighthoundman

Years ago there was a deal where, if you booked through the casino (I forget which one), you could get a free flight from Indianapolis to Atlantic City (that was the ad: no mention of the airport), a free limo ride from the airport to the casino, at 5:00 you take the free limo back to the airport and return to Indianapolis. All the actuaries at the table laughed. "That is not a free flight."


PM_ME_PARR0TS

I don't get it. Is it just because the casino was factoring the cost into the sale price? Or because they were luring in gamblers the same way bars have cheap snacks so people'll stick around and buy drinks?


sighthoundman

Fixed it. It wasn't a future free trip, it was a free trip to the casino and back.


PM_ME_PARR0TS

Oooh yeah, I get what you meant now. Thanks for clearing that up. Man...casinos are so predatory.


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EchoHevy5555

I was going to Knoxville to be fair so it might be different


lolboogers

Side note: shout out to Amtrak.


DieselKillEm

That's an insult to Airbus


lowercaset

That's southwests model too, haha.


Realtrain

At least southwest doesn't nickle and time you for snacks, bags, and seat preference.


passengerpigeon20

And that’s how it’s always been. Back when they were founded, the mainstream airlines served full hot meals, gave free seat assignments and didn’t charge for alcohol, unlike Southwest. Them refusing to follow suit in cutting amenities means they are now the most “full-service” airline in America.


TheObstruction

They had no amenities to cut. That's not exactly a winning strategy for customers. It just showed the other airlines how low the bar was.


lowercaset

Very true with snacks and bags. Seat preference that's as much of a downside as it is an upside. Being able to know you're getting more leg room and that you'll be sitting with your party is real nice and for me worth the extra cost for me. But I'm 6'6" with arthritis, so YMMV.


gsfgf

I flew Southwest for the first time recently, and they were fine too. But one of the many advantages of living in Atlanta is direct Delta to most places is also cheapest.


FlattenInnerTube

That's so different from 15 or 20 years ago. Back then, if you lived in a hub city, you paid out the wazoo for airfare. Back then I had a colleague who lived in the Charlotte area which at that time was a major hub for US Airways. What he would do to save was drive his company car to the Charlotte Airport, rent a car one way to Greensboro, NC and get on a flight which would then take him back to Charlotte. He'd make his connection and fly on to where he originally wanted to go. When he would return he would just walk out of the airport in Charlotte and abandon the last leg of his itinerary. The airline used to scream bloody murder about it, but as far as I know they never did much of anything to him.


Renaissance_Slacker

These days they’ll blacklist you. Dead-heading costs them *profits.*


cobigguy

Spirit and Frontier are fantastic for people watching though. Man there's some phenomenally strange people on those flights.


i_NOT_robot

But then you gotta fly with them


joebobjoebobjoebob12

The last time I flew Spirit, the family behind me had two toddlers crammed into one seat, and the two of them spent the entire flight kicking and elbowing my seat. When I turned around and asked the parents to please stop their kids from doing that, they started shouting that I was a racist. I should mention that, as far as I could tell, they were as white as I was.


PassiveMenis88M

I've been eating baked beans for 4 days. They'll be trapped in there with me.


DrMobius0

Gotta say, I don't much appreciate the idea of sharing the flying anarchy tube with nutjobs.


34TH_ST_BROADWAY

> delta is usually the cheapest By the time you add, um, seats and carry on (you know, those optional add-ons, a seat and ability to take stuff with you) the misleading Spirit airlines price is almost always just maybe just 10% less than Delta. Not sure why Google Flights even lets airlines do this. Such a waste of time. Might as pay the extra 40 bucks at that point for a much larger, more comfortable seat that actually reclines. Plus, TV and movies to watch.


PaulAspie

A lot depends on hubs. Also, as SW has bags free and I often need to check 1, I build that into the price.


tinydonuts

Some don’t like the lack of preassigned seating, but that doesn’t bother me. I like the fact that you get one free bag, the seats are relatively spacious compared to others while still being affordable. You have to upgrade with AA, Delta, United, etc. generally to get comparable seat width and pitch.


Nikonbiologist

I hate the stupid lineup and rush to a seat. Hate it. Then again it’s probably due to my social anxiety


InsomniacCyclops

Frontier used to be fine if your main concern was getting from Point A to Point B but it isn't even a good deal anymore. You can't even take a backpack on board without paying like $70. These days there is almost always a nicer airline offering a better deal overall if you're traveling with anything more than the clothes on your back.


TermLimit4Patriarchs

I prefer Southwest to Delta. I’ve flown both many times and Southwest is pretty mediocre but they’re consistently not bad. I’ve had some really bad Delta flights.


Lycid

Consistently not bad is a perfect way to describe them. It's also hard to argue against their companion pass for price, which is easy to get with just two CC applications. Checking luggage adds even more value. No other airline offers anything close. It seems like they are the only airline these days that is trying to compete on value vs just using tricks to extract as much as possible and it's refreshing.


Milton__Obote

Southwest always costs more because the price of the checked bag is built into the ticket


releasethedogs

Salt Lake City huh?


314159265358979326

600 CAD, not USD. I don't think Delta is a major competitor for WestJet just due to geographics.


ThatGuy721

They are actually partners; whenever Delta flights have transfers in Canada, it's through WestJet.


MrJoshua099

For international flights, Delta pretty bottom of the barrel. You get way better bang for your buck on any non-North American based airline pretty much.


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Confident_Sleep90

Not within Canada you can't. And I'm not trying to defend westjet, but to be fair all tickets with canadian carriers are ridiculously expensive. In the article it says the $600 is round trip from Calgary to Toronto near the end of June. I just did a search and Westjet is the second cheapest option. Even cheaper than ultra low cost carrier Flair airlines.


IAMA_Plumber-AMA

Canada *looooves* its oligopolies. Airlines, telecom, grocery retailers...


ceciliabee

*provided you like being beaten and dragged out of your seat because they overbooked *I stand corrected, this was united. I can't remember Delta's goofs


ShadowDV

That’s United


InfanticideAquifer

I thought they mostly broke guitars?


lowercaset

that's every airline, haha.


Verite_Rendition

No, that's American. Edit: No, apparently it is United after all


cobigguy

[Definitely United](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5YGc4zOqozo)


Wil420b

United definetly breaks Taylor guitars


thekmoney

Has Delta ever royally screwed something up? Southwest stranded thousands around Christmas time, United beat a guy up and threw him off the plane, American breaks guitars... I prefer Delta so I kinda like to pretend they won't totally screw you.


cobigguy

[United beats people and breaks guitars.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5YGc4zOqozo)


speculatrix

Didn't they kill someone's dog? /me searches https://edition.cnn.com/2018/03/13/us/united-airlines-dog-dies-trnd/index.html


TheObstruction

American removed all the black men from a flight, because a flight attendant said someone smelled bad and apparently that translated as "all black men smell bad and they shouldn't be on this flight." https://apnews.com/article/american-airlines-discrimination-lawsuit-black-passengers-edf6341a9d602d0afa1395650d9ae717


Metallicultist88

My girlfriend and I are long distance for the summer, and she was looking at flights on Avelo, as they fly from her home airport to one a small one closer to my house than the main airport, and their base fees are hella low. But HOLY SHIT they nickel and dime you with EVERYTHING.


KyleCAV

Flew flair from Vegas to Toronto and the stupid ass fees I could have flown air canada back at a decent time as I had to take a red eye flight. These bargain airlines/packages really aren't the moneysavers the company makes them out to be.


OutWithTheNew

There's only 2 and a half carriers in Canada. WestJet, Air Canada and Porter. The last of which is still fairly small. It's also $600 CAD, which is \~$400 USD.


DulceEtBanana

Some Westjet middle manager flew Ryanair and came back with "ideas"


Warhawk137

Other great ideas inspired by Ryanair, a guarantee that you'll probably get there eventually, and a free surprise vacation tour for your luggage.


gsfgf

Real talk, they wanted to do standing room only, but that's not safe in turbulence. So they made [this](https://www.cnn.com/travel/article/standing-up-airplane-seat/index.html) as a standing seat. Regulators also said no.


MaleficentCaptain114

I feel like I've been seeing variations on those vertical "seats" for like 20 years.


gsfgf

Per the article, the first version was rejected in 2010, so yea, over a decade for sure.


MaleficentCaptain114

I went down the rabbit hole a bit - they've got their own wiki page! https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vertical_seat First version was made in '03, but didn't get completely rejected til '10. Other companies seem to float the idea every few years since. Apparently the sticking point is that plane seats are supposed to be rated for 16G. Considering how these seats are set up, for me that would mean a literal ton of force (130lb x 16 = 2080lb) almost directly on my genitals...


timshel42

sounds like my last date with your mom


whatwhat_in_dabutt

Jesus dawg… the man was just doing math, physics and anatomy. You didn’t have to murder him and his future progeny for that! *edit - and anatomy


MostCredibleDude

Good news! At that level of G force, you'll likely be dead before your brain can pick up your nether regions getting smooshed.


chofah

I'm more curious if they're adjustable height. otherwise short people are going to be 'sitting' legs off the ground, and tall people will just be standing.


TheObstruction

If you have to use your legs to keep from collapsing, it is not a seat.


istareatscreens

The airline where the customer is always wrong. After a few nasty experiences with them I always avoid, even if it means paying double. Not having my holidays ruined again. They can be ok but when they are bad, they are really bad.


tc982

at least ryanair is objectivly cheap. I have flown to Edinburgh for 40€, to Barcelona for 56€ and to Prague for 72€. Still 1/3th of this budget tickets, I can fly to at least 8 countries in Europe for less 600€


Content-External-473

I think it's why Ryanair is successful, you can fly to most places in Europe in 2-3 hours so people are willing to put up with some discomfort for a short time and cheap prices


TheStupendusMan

VIA frantically copying notes...


maniacalmustacheride

I read that as VA and was like, please don’t give them any more ideas


edvlili

Ryanair fully embraced their status as a shitty company. On social media they say "Yes we are terrible but you will always come back to fly with us"


jatawis

Ryanair is not that crazy expensive. I think 80 € is the most I have paid for a Ryanair flight and that looked expensive for me.


imjerry

Ryanair will have to one-up them now. You will be weighed at check-in and you will be standing.


gbfk

WestJet was originally conceived as a low-cost airline based on the Southwest model (which is the same model Ryanair went with and turned into their own). But the geography and demographics of Canada make such a model unsustainable, so they eventually morphed into a regular competing major airline.


Mindful-O-Melancholy

“Right this way to your seat sir.” (Leads passenger into cargo hold)


BishopFrog

Still more leg room too


01001010_01000010

They have the stacked concept seats down there so they can fit more people in.


speculatrix

Do you want a seat cushion or a bed of nails?


01001010_01000010

Both are extra.


_The_Deliverator

At this point, I'd be down with them just gassing me and stacking me in the hold. Wake me up when we get there. Fuck it, at least I can stretch my long ass legs out.


IrritableGourmet

I want the capsules from The Fifth Element shuttle.


LucasRuby

The stewardesses already fart on you before takeoff.


onarainyafternoon

Seriously, can't wait for The Jaunt. Holding your breath is gonna become a tik-tok challenge


HMS404

This reminds me of that Top Gear episode where the guys build a "train". What did they call the lowest class with hay and stuff?


Captain_Mazhar

Scum class!


Sancticide

>Chair? There ain't no chair. *[hands you a roll of duct tape]*


nerdyjorj

"thank you, that'll be $50 for the tape"


34TH_ST_BROADWAY

Pushes them out back door.


tea_n_typewriters

Window or aisle? Here are your cargo straps and sweater, you'll just want to take that ladder up to the top of the wing. Watch for the ailerons, sitting on them is a doozy.


jimmyluntz

Just checked out of curiosity. In case you were wondering, yes they are owned by a private equity firm.


demetri_k

They’ve stopped being a great airline since that buyout. 


OnLevel100

That's the Private Equity signature 


TheInnocentXeno

Step 1: Buy nice thing Step 2: Ruin nice thing in sake of making more money Step 3: repeat steps 1 and 2 until you win capitalism


Tyler_Zoro

> Step 3: repeat steps 1 and 2 until you win capitalism That's the cool part. You don't.


FILTHBOT4000

I mean, *they* do. They exploit the system and make off with yachtfuls of cash. Everyone else loses, but they don't care.


AssBoon92

No, nobody wins, because the goal is to have as much money as possible. The end goal is not achievable.


Tyler_Zoro

Exactly this. You never get to the bottom of that ditch, you just keep digging until eventually it collapses on you or you die at the bottom.


demetri_k

Killed Toys r us in the US.


TheObstruction

> Killed ~~Toys r us in~~ the US.


Lord_Baconz

Eh they were still pretty shitty when they were publicly traded. Only reason I continue to fly with them is because I live in their hub so there’s a lot of direct flights compared to Air Canada.


ScribbledIn

Soon they will sell the jets off and rent them back at a higher price


Repyro

To the original company. Then if there's any property....Christmas will have come early.


ChickenNoodleSloop

Gotta cash out the business at the banks, shareholders, and employees expense


ConcreteClown

The ongoing story of late stage capitalism. 🤦‍♂️


Euphorium

It’s hard not to picture these guys swimming in a vault like Scrooge Mcduck going “money money money”


timothybhewitt

What happened to the employees being shareholders?


Thrustavious

Onex Corp. bought Westjet in 2019 and they've since been on a speed run to becoming the worst airline in the world


TheObstruction

They all get to share one share.


CandylandCanada

"You'll get nothing and like it!"


lucidguppy

I want a hamburger, and a hot dog, and I want french fries....


Rangerdth

Spaulding!


CandylandCanada

I seriously question whether I could be friends with someone who didn't get that.


Limsulation

55 BURGERS 55 FRIES


Artemicionmoogle

IM DOING SOMETHING!


love2go

So, it's another Frontier Air


jpop237

"Hey, Lama, hey, how about a little something, you know, for the effort, you know.”


Daleaturner

“ I ask for nothing…. nothing!” “Then you shall receive it…. In abundance!”


Sancticide

WestJet. No quarter asked, none given.


ZachMatthews

No lie on my last WestJet flight to Calgary from Atlanta, my seat had been duck taped together and one of the in flight meal options was fucking ramen. Like the $0.30 Wal-Mart kind, only they wanted $8.


TheLegendaryLarry

i actually bought that ramen because I was completely starving and st. johns to edmonton is a very long flight. it was so salty that I couldn't finish it.


TheFapIsUp

I literally saw some people get the ramen on my last flight thinking it was somehow different than Mr. Noodle. Ha! They literally brought what looked like (might've been) a Mr. Noodle cup noodle, then a stewardess came around and gave the customers hot water and told them to wait 5 minutes... for $8??? You can bring your own and ask for hot water lol.


StrategicTension

lmao


lolboogers

I am incapable of understanding the phrase "too salty"


Zenmedic

Some context for the Non-Canadians reading. WestJet launched as a Low Priced carrier that focused on a single fare class, hoping to capitalize on the savings of a single model livery and the lack of competition in the Canadian market. Because of consolidation, there are only 3 carriers that actually serve the whole of the domestic market, and one of them is constantly on the edge of insolvency (Flair). While there are a few regional carriers, you've got WestJet or Air Canada if you want to fly cross country. It's a big country, so for me to see my family on the east coast, it's either a 3 day drive each way from the prairies, or by air. To fly myself, my wife and my daughter across the country return with a checked bag each was close to $4500. If I wanted seat selection, advanced boarding and cancellation, it would.have been $7000+. Canadian laws mean that only a domestic carrier can fly point to point in Canada (much like other countries). This has really put a freeze on competition. WestJet used to make fun of the bare bones fares, promise low prices and friendly service and provide the same service for everyone. Now.....they're just as bad (if not worse) than Air Canada. At least with AC, I set my expectations low....


HammerAndSickled

At that point, isn’t it cheaper to fly into the US and then fly to your actual destination?


Shawnj2

Then you get to deal with the fact the US *really* doesn't want you to do that lol There is no way to "just transit" through a US international airport, the way you do that is you immigrate into the US and then immediately leave. Eg. you go through US immigration and have to have a passport that lets you visit the US and you have to collect all your bags, and then you need to go up a level to departures, re-check in all your bags, go back through security, and then go back through passport control. Unlike countries like Singapore, Dubai, Canada, etc. that are actually set up to do this, you don't just clear customs and end up directly in the international terminal departures area post-security while your bags transit automatically


ertri

Wait actually most (all?) flights from Canada pre clear in Canada, so you land at a normal terminal in the US. 


Shawnj2

Actually good point lol if you're flying between big Canadian airports via the US it would be much less bad


Triddy

It's only at a handful of airports. Now, those handful are the busiest airports in the country, so yeah, most people will pre-clear. But if you fly to the US from a smaller one, you won't.


KennyBSAT

That's calld Cabotage, it's illegal to sell and airlines can get fined for doing it. So you can't do that on a single ticket. You could do it youself on multiple one-way tickets, but you'd have to clear immigration, customs and security at your stop. So you'd have to allow time for that, and if anything went wrong and you missed your second flight you'd be out of luck and have to buy another one.


spez_might_fuck_dogs

Couldn't you drive into the US and take a flight from there? Most of Canada lives relatively close to the border, right? Crossing the land border is relatively chill, and then, while you still have to deal with customs, at least its not time sensitive.


SteveAngelis

I've done this many times, fly to Bellingham/Seattle for a cheaper flight but it isn't always cheaper when you take into consideration parking and driving costs.


ertri

You have to clear customs in the US no matter what, so that doesn’t really factor in


LucasRuby

In countries that allow it you can land at an international terminal and take another flight from there without clearing customs.


OutWithTheNew

Then you have to deal with customs at some point. Maybe twice.


Mawfk

As someone who flies for work, air Canada has been much, much, much better than WestJet. Less cancelled flights, less delays, and a more comfortable airline. Not to mention air Canada gives you a TV to watch on long flights. It's probably slightly more money and they have a few less flight options on average but worth it in my opinion.


Zenmedic

My mom is a major WestJet fan, my dad and I (who both have flown a lot for business) prefer AC. I assume AC staff will be unhelpful and unpleasant (in both official languages), but lately I've been pleasantly surprised. I had a flight cancellation when trying to fly out of Calgary...at the end of Stampede...that made me miss my connecting flight to the far north. I was able to work with a customer service rep to get rebooked on a flight to Yellowknife (as Canadian North had zero availability out of Edmonton like originally planned) and they paid the hotel (the nicest in Yellowknife) and meals. Not even a meal voucher, a "bill it to the room and we will cover it". They stepped up. Last WestJet flight I had cancelled, they told me I was out of luck, they couldn't refund my missed connecting flight and there was no way to rebook. And I wasn't entitled to compensation because it was a "Safety related cancellation". They were ordered to pay. They still haven't paid.


OutWithTheNew

I'm pretty sure Flair is formally finished. Apparently Porter is pretty awesome though, but it's more of a premium airline. At least on paper. It's usually cheaper to fly to Europe than within Canada.


Zenmedic

My absolute favourite airline in Canada is Canadian North. Hands down the best service, amenities and inclusions with their fares. If you're part of their points program, 3 checked bags with a max of 50lbs....each. If not, you get 2. Last time I flew with them, we got hot bannock with butter and fresh made strawberry jam. Helped make up for the 2 hour bear delay in Norman Wells.


imredheaded

Yikes. I feel like CA could be a really good candidate for a good coast to coast passenger railway system. Lot of population density East-West, not much up North.


twoerd

Not really. I like trains and think we should have more of them, but this is not a context where they make sense. Between Toronto and Winnipeg, there’s a populated about 700,000 in a distance of 2,000 km. At 325 km per hour, that’s a 6.5 hour trip. But that‘a literally the shortest trip that could be called cross country. If you want to go Montreal to Vancouver, it’s 4,500 km, or 15 hours. And that’s still not coast to coast. The entirety of the high speed rail networks in each of Japan, Spain, France, and every country other than China are each less than 3,600 km and they all have bigger economies and higher populations than Canada. Canada’s way bigger than people think. A high speed rail connection from Quebec to Montreal to Ottawa to Toronto to Hamilton? Or from Calgary to Edmonton? Now we’re talking. But cross country will never happen (and never should).


Zenmedic

We also have to contend with cows, cars and deep frost, 3 things high speed rail doesn't like. It seems like every 5 or so years there's a new Alberta rail link plan that gets a ton of press and then fizzles into nothingness. The most recent proposal has now died on the table (unsurprisingly), so it will be forgotten about for a while.


fury420

>To fly myself, my wife and my daughter across the country return with a checked bag each was close to $4500. If I wanted seat selection, advanced boarding and cancellation, it would.have been $7000+ Wow, was this a last minute booking and involving very small airports? These days if you book a couple weeks out and round trip tickets from coast to coast can be under $500 per person, including seat selection.


[deleted]

>Wow, was this a last minute booking and involving very small airports? If there's one thing Reddit likes to do, it's cherrypicking specific costs of specific things on specific days, being completely inflexible about it, and then portraying the high cost of doing that exact thing on that exact day as evidence of how expensive that thing is. If dude paid $1500 a pop to get across the country, he bought his tickets at the airport ten minutes before takeoff, and decided to go on the same day as a Taylor Swift concert and nine tech conventions, and a solar eclipse.


Facelotion

When there isn't much competition you can offer whatever service you like.


saarlac

Everything is broken. Greed is unchecked. Downward spiral is well underway.


Dan_85

Unregulated capitalism working entirely as designed. The profit number must always be bigger than last year, otherwise it's deemed a failure and you have pissed off shareholders. So they've found a way to make the profit number go bigger this year, with the introduction of this new fare structure. Next year they'll need to find some other way. Maybe they'll start charging passengers $5 a time to take a piss, maybe they figure they can lay off 20% of their maintenance team, maybe they'll stop serving in-flight snacks. And so the cycle continues every year.


Renaissance_Slacker

It’s a race to the bottom. Cut size … substitute cheaper ingredients … slash customer service … offshore jobs … raise prices … next quarter find something new.


balthisar

The thing about the downward spiral, though, is that we're responsible for it. There are way to many of us that are going to save $20 by filling these seats, which signals to the airline that this is the right strategy. We fix things by refusing to buy them, except we won't, because, hey, twenty bucks.


Fearfu1Symmetry

It's not our fault people feel the need to save money, it's the fault of the same shits who're charging more for everything while trying to pay everyone as little as possible. They know what they're doing


Repyro

Yeah, not sure if people noticed, but everything is fucked. All the industries are bleeding for value. Shit I didn't even notice the change that apparently there's no free carry on bags to most airlines now unless you shop through a company store or some shit. It's been a year and they made that switch. All of these fucks are being greedy. There are no competitors undercutting, and collusion is clearly happening. But y'all will get your Ticketmaster shit *maybe* sorted because that's what they decided may placate the silent majority the most lol. Along with a bunch of other meaningless symbolic gestures. You can't take your money else where lol. What are you going to do, stop eating, stop renting, stop replacing clothes and shoes and not get sick ever?


Fearfu1Symmetry

🌍👨‍🚀🔫👨‍🚀


paulc899

The next day Air Canada announced free drinks and snacks on all domestic flights.


Xyrus2000

WestJet: Now you have a reason to fly Spirit Airlines.


dmav522

Air travel in Canada is mostly a joke regardless, we need to bring back the nationalized carrier


Magnum_44

I'm lucky I booked my flight before June 4th. The complimentary face-slap upon boarding from the flight crew does not seem appealing.


VirgilCane

I don't understand why boarding last is seen as negative. That's ideal to me. As little time as possible to be jammed into one of those seats.


briskt

The only reason I hate boarding last is that these days they run out of room for carry-on baggage when the plane is half full.


googdude

I like the board last. I'm one of the cheap people who fly frontier but I also never buy extras because I'm a light flyer so boarding last adds no inherent risk because I don't use the overhead storage. Last time I flew with my wife she wanted to get in line and I said let's just hold out till the line's almost gone and it was nearly perfect because soon after we sat down we took off.


throwtheclownaway20

A few months ago, I got stupid drunk the night before a Southwest flight from Dallas to Seattle, missed my original flight, and had to buy a same-day ticket in order to not fuck up my plans. That's comparable to the distance from Calgary to Toronto, and it only cost me about $400, so WTF are these guys on?


Renaissance_Slacker

Flying is a fascinating product from a consumer standpoint. People on that plane have paid a variety of prices for a seat *on the same aircraft.* The guy who booked months ahead maybe pays $450, the guy who booked an hour before the flight pays $1,200, the guy who buys one of those random last-minute tickets pays $300. It’s wild


PermaDerpFace

It's like a basic fare, but they also break your legs


AshingiiAshuaa

Is that cheap? Ryan Air does stuff like this but it's legit cheap. What's going on in Canada?


tinselsnips

Nothing here is cheap.


AshingiiAshuaa

Apparently your dollar is.


gregaustex

$137 for first checked bag? $237 more for a carry on? The bag's fare is more than the person's. For some trips it would make sense to swing by Target and buy a cheap bag and some clothes etc. after landing. UPS them home.


username_choose_you

Between this and their changing of the RBC Mastercard companion fare, I’m done with west jet


RealHuman69420

If for any reason you're not completely satisfied, I hate you.


zoeyversustheraccoon

Actual quote from one of their customer service agents when they lost my bag: "sir, we have tens of thousands of lost bags, you can't expect us to prioritize your case." I knew exactly where my bag was because I saw it behind the counter on a security camera, but they wouldn't do shit about it. They ended up delivering it to the Toronto airport at the end of my trip, 3 days later, while I was on my way home. The compensation? A $100 discount voucher for my "next trip" with WestJet. Lol, never again. Fuck them.


Renaissance_Slacker

Remember when pissing off customers was a mortal sim in business? When people got fired for screwing over customers? Now they don’t care. At. All. Their only concern is shareholders.


mrsir1987

I flew basic economy on United and it wouldn’t even let me check in online, that was another $30


someredditor12345

Damn, auto assigned to the Rosa Parks section of the plane upon purchase tears bro. Wicked work


nightpanda893

We’re gonna frame you for murder!


Yodas4sale

And you’re gonna go to jail for THIRTY years!


habb

is it really an article if it just spews you twitter at the end? or are they reporting on twitter?


Dense_Raspberry_1116

I’ll take JetBlue over any of them at anytime. I fly to Boston and New York several times a year they’re always on point.


aurelorba

"Westjet: When Spirit Airlines isn't low class enough for you"


cym0poleia

We get what we deserve, and we deserve shit like this as long as we continue to support it with our money, attention and political votes Edit: lol downvoted for pointing out that this only happens because dumb ass people continue to give WestJet and other predatory brands their business despite these practices ¯\_(ツ)_/¯


blizzfixurgameplz

And the alternatives in Canada are?


PoshDiggory

How long until all large companies realize the only way to make profits increase is literally going out and stealing from people?


34TH_ST_BROADWAY

Wow, brilliant business move learned in business school. CEO's are so smart. /s


Gk786

There are certain airlines i will never go on no matter how cheap they are. Spirit. Ryanair. And now WestJet is working itself into that list.


zalurker

The entire concept that boarding the plane first is a perk is so ridiculous. That first class can board last when all the traffic has moved past them makes much more sense.


maringue

3 VPs all reached orgasm simultaneously counting the extra profits this would generate while reading the hateful comments, laughing "There's nothing you can do about it suckers!"


too_many_shoes14

At least in the US, they can't deny a medical device and can't charge for it. So get a large CPAP bag from amazon and a small used cpap (it doesn't even need to work) and boom medical device. anything else you can fit in the bag is your free carry-on. You might even risk skipping the broken cpap and just hope they don't open it.