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Airline's people-driven brands ranked highest among Canadian brands in their categories

CALGARY, Oct. 1, 2012 /CNW/ - WestJet today announced that both WestJet and WestJet Vacations have received the highest brand equity scores among airline and vacation brands respectively in the 2012 Harris/Decima EquiTrend® Study.

"Our people-driven brands continue to set a new standard for friendly and caring service," said Bob Cummings, WestJet Executive Vice-President, Sales, Marketing and Guest Experience. "Whether it's our airline or our vacations division, our people, together with the value our guests receive from our lower price structure, continue to win over more guests every day. We are immensely proud of our WestJetters and I thank them for their tireless efforts to deliver a remarkable guest experience."

Harris/Decima's Equity Score is a composite of three measures: familiarity; perceptions of quality; and consideration. The study, which is based on the opinions of 13,384 Canadian consumers aged 15 and over, was conducted by Harris/Decima online during July and August 2012.

"Familiarity, quality and consideration are the foundations of a strong and profitable brand, explained Richard Cooper, Senior Vice President, Harris/Decima. "Our study identifies those brands that Canadians from all walks of life know and respect."

"Our core is our people and the caring service they deliver," continued Bob Cummings. "The future is bright, as we take our people-driven service and combine it with more products and services in order to expand further into the business segment as well as into smaller markets in Canada. At the same time, we continue to introduce more people from around the world to our brand via our airline partnerships."

About WestJet
WestJet is Canada's most preferred airline, offering scheduled service to 81 destinations in North America, Central America and the Caribbean. Powered by an award-winning culture of care, WestJet has pioneered low-cost flying in Canada. Recognized nationally as a top employer, WestJet now has more than 8,600 WestJetters across Canada. Operating a fleet of 99 Boeing Next-Generation 737 aircraft with future confirmed deliveries for an additional 36 Boeing Next-Generation 737 aircraft through 2018 and plans to launch a low-cost regional airline in 2013, WestJet strives to be one of the five most successful international airlines in the world.

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About WestJet Vacations
WestJet Vacations provides affordable, reliable and flexible travel experiences to 50 destinations in 15 countries, including the United States, Mexico and the Caribbean. Leveraging WestJet's fun and friendly image and commitment to a great guest experience, WestJet Vacations is rated highest in guest satisfaction and loyalty among the most used tour operators in Canada. Offering a great flight schedule and a wide variety of hotel and resort options, WestJet Vacations is dedicated to making your travel experience fun and memorable from the moment you book to the moment you return home. For more information, visit westjetvacations.com.

About Harris/Decima
Harris/Decima is a long-established Canadian research company and a subsidiary of Harris Interactive - one of the world's leading custom market research firms, leveraging research, technology, and business acumen to transform relevant insight into actionable foresight. Harris/Decima offers expertise in a wide range of industries and fields including Financial Services, Food Service and Retail, Business Services, Travel, Automotive, Lottery and Gaming and Public Affairs. Serving clients in multiple global markets through our North American and European offices, Harris Interactive and Harris/Decima specializes in delivering research solutions that help us - and our clients - stay ahead of what's next. For more information, please visit www.harrisdecima.com or contact:

SOURCE: WestJet