WestJet says it’s reducing its fuel surcharge by $20 on companion vouchers, citing “movement” in fuel costs.
The fuel surcharge applied to companion vouchers is now $40 per round trip or on a one-way fare after the airline originally introduced it in April at $60, WestJet media spokesperson Julia Kaiser wrote in an email statement to the Star.
The company’s companion voucher is a WestJet RBC Mastercard program that lets eligible members bring a second passenger for a reduced price on the same trip.
“This adjustment reflects a recent movement in fuel costs and the airline’s ongoing effort to balance affordability with the realities of the current operating environment,” Kaiser said.
“WestJet remains committed to transparency and will continue to monitor market conditions and adjust its approach as conditions evolve,” she added.
On Tuesday, WestJet Alexis von Hoensbroech wrote on social media that crude oil has returned to its long-term average, attaching a graph showing the monthly averages since 2006. The post also jabbed at the “regulatory burden” around Canadian aviation and urged the government to “rethink” directing tax dollars to airlines.
That same day, Porter Airlines halved it’s fuel surcharge, originally $40, on new reward flight bookings, it said in an email sent out to VIPorter members.
It noted that the global fuel market was also starting to normalize after the war between U.S.-Israel and Iran caused prices to jump earlier this year.
The war in the Middle East caused the oil and gas market to spike after Iran shut down the Strait of Hormuz, where around 20 per cent of the world’s oil traffic passes, and caused consumers around the world to bear the costs.
Those disruptions have since appeared to level out after the U.S. and Iran signed a deal earlier in June aimed at ending the war which saw shipping vessels pass through the strait, though at a slower pace than before the war.
Porter, alongside Air Canada Vacations and WestJet, introduced the surcharges in the spring to offset aviation fuel prices that were much higher than usual. At the time, the airlines said it expected the surcharge to be temporary.
