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‘Tis the season to announce a codeshare.
Canadian carriers WestJet and Air Transat are the latest carriers to announce a codeshare agreement.
The low-cost leisure airlines are joining forces for strength in numbers against the Canadian flag carrier, Air Canada.
“We are very excited to join forces with WestJet in what I am sure will be a successful collaboration,” said Annick Guérard, President and CEO of Air Transat.
The codeshare is planned to come into force sometime in 2022 with the exact date yet to be announced.
The codeshare means that passengers will be able to book 1 ticket itineraries on flights with both carriers.
For example, while WestJet has a strong domestic, North American, and Caribbean route network, it only serves these 7 cities in Europe: Barcelona (BCN), Dublin (DUB), Edinburgh (EDI), Glasgow (GLA), London (LGW), Paris (CDG), and Rome (FCO).
On the other hand, Air Transat has a far smaller domestic and North American footprint, but flies nonstop from Montréal (YUL) and Toronto (YYZ) to 25 destinations across Europe.
WestJet passengers from around the U.S. and Canada will now be able to connect onto nonstop flights with Air Transat to a host of European destinations.
“Confidence in travel is building and this new transatlantic cooperation will allow WestJet to offer even more destinations to travellers, connecting North America and Europe in new ways, and benefiting guests on both sides of the Atlantic,” said Ed Sims, WestJet President and CEO.
For the airlines, this new codeshare means they’ll benefit from tapping into each others’ route networks, which in turn should increase passenger numbers and revenue.
Hot Tip: Learn more about the best ways to fly to Europe with points and miles!
From its hub airports of Montréal (YUL) and Toronto (YYZ), Air Transat operates a fleet of only Airbus aircraft, with a mixture of A321, A330s, and the all-new A321neoLRs. It also offers a premium cabin called Club Class.
While Club Class doesn’t boast fully flat beds, passengers opting for a more premium experience do indeed benefit from more spacious seats, a choice of 1 of 2 gourmet 3-course meals, additional carry-on allowance, and, last but not least, a selection of wines.
WestJet’s wide-body aircraft of choice is the Boeing 787 Dreamliner, which features a small premium cabin of 16 lie-flat business class seats in a 1-2-1 configuration. Passengers can expect an inflight business class experience akin to, if not better than, some major transatlantic competitors.
The airline also has a large fleet of Being 737 aircraft, with several variations including the -700, -800, and MAX. These smaller Boeing aircraft also offer a business class, but the premium experience in these cabins does not include a fully flat bed.
The new codeshare between Air Transat and WestJet will benefit Americans, Canadians, and Europeans alike.
In a highly competitive and crowded market, striking up alliances such as this new codeshare is sure to benefit both airlines while providing more connectivity and travel options for transatlantic flyers.
