News Releases

Canada's low-fare leader offers non-stop service from Calgary and Edmonton along with fares on connecting flights from select cities for only $20 more

CALGARY, Sept. 15, 2015 /CNW/ - WestJet today announced it will launch new non-stop service between Calgary and London (Gatwick) and between Edmonton and London (Gatwick), beginning in May 2016.

"Canadians have been paying far too much to fly to Europe for far too long and today, as we have throughout our history, we're going to fix that," said Bob Cummings, WestJet Executive Vice-President, Commercial. "We are offering non-stop flights at very low prices and we're proud to once again lower airfares and make travel more affordable."

One-way fares between Calgary and London (Gatwick) and between Edmonton and London (Gatwick) are available starting from:

*Some restrictions apply. Please see westjet.com/londongatwick for details. Advertised taxes and fees for European destinations may fluctuate based on exchange rate.

WestJet will also be offering introductory pricing that adds only an additional $20 one way to connect from select airports into the six cities serving London (Gatwick). Guests are encouraged to look for these introductory prices from these communities on westjet.com or contact their travel agent.

Details of WestJet's new non-stop service to London from Edmonton and Calgary:

"As a key hub for WestJet, Calgary International Airport is extremely proud to be a significant part of WestJet's newest service between Alberta and the UK with the five flights per week to London-Gatwick from YYC", said Garth Atkinson, President and CEO of the Calgary Airport Authority. "Calgary has been home to WestJet since 1996 and YYC is delighted to once again celebrate another milestone in the airline's growth."

"WestJet has been an incredible partner for Edmonton, and this flight is great news for our region because it gives business and leisure travelers a new option to the UK.  WestJet's new wide-body aircraft are the latest milestone in an amazing success story, and we're very pleased to continue to be a part of it," said Tom Ruth, President and CEO of Edmonton International Airport.

All London flights from Calgary and Edmonton will be operated by one of WestJet's four 767-300ERW extended range aircraft. Featuring a new teal and blue maple leaf-themed logo, which will eventually appear on all WestJet aircraft, each 767 seats 262 guests and has a range of approximately 11 hours. The aircraft will include a Plus cabin with 24 premium seats in a two-by-two configuration, hot meals and all  other amenities associated with our new enhanced Plus offering. The main cabin has 238 seats, with two seats on either side of the aircraft and three in the middle. By next spring all four 767s will be equipped with WestJet Connect, the airline's new inflight entertainment and wireless connectivity system.

WestJet's non-stop flights from Canada to London all operate as overnight flights leaving late afternoon or evening, which is ideal for travellers connecting to all six airports from other regions in Canada. Some 45 airlines operate from Gatwick airport, offering WestJet guests low fares and easy connections to and from approximately 200 destinations in 90 countries, more destinations than from any other airport in the UK. Located just 30 minutes from all of Central London's many attractions, Gatwick is also one of the easiest London airports to navigate, with a monorail connecting its two terminals.

About WestJet
We are proud to be Canada's highest-rated airline for customer service, powered by an award-winning culture of care and recognized as one of the country's top employers. We offer scheduled service to 100 destinations in North America, Central America, the Caribbean and Europe. Through our regional airline, WestJet Encore, and with partnerships with airlines representing every major region of the world, we offer our guests more than 120 destinations in more than 20 countries. Leveraging WestJet's extensive network, flight schedule and remarkable guest experience, WestJet Vacations delivers affordable, flexible travel experiences with a variety of accommodation options for every guest. Members of our WestJet Rewards program earn WestJet dollars on flights, vacation packages and more. Our members use WestJet dollars towards the purchase of WestJet flights and vacations packages on any day, at any time, to any WestJet destination with no blackout periods ̶  even on seat sales. For more information about everything WestJet, please visit westjet.com.

Recent recognition includes:
2015 Best Employers in Canada (Aon Hewitt)
2015/2014/2013 WestJet RBC MasterCard ranked #1 in Canada (Money Sense magazine and RewardsCanada.ca) 
2014 Interbrand Canada's Best Canadian Brands (Rank #20)
2014 Brands of the Year (Strategy magazine)
2014 Canada's Most Preferred Airline (Ipsos)
2014 Value Airline of the Year (Air Transport World magazine)
2014/2013/2012 Canada's Most Attractive Employer (Randstad)
2014/2013/2012/2011 Highest equity score: airline, vacation package supplier brands (Harris/Decima EquiTrend Study)

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SOURCE WestJet