Category: WestJet

The latest route, aircraft, and in flight service news and developments from WestJet on routes to and from London airports.

WestJet to fly Boeing 787 Dreamliner from London Gatwick

WestJet will fly its Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner from London Gatwick to Calgary from Monday 29 April 2019, featuring WestJet’s first international business class.

London Air Travel » WestJet

Business Class, WestJet Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner
Business Class, WestJet Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner (Image Credit: WestJet0

For the past two years, WestJet has been flying from London Gatwick to a number of Canadian cities.

It is fair to say it did not get off to the best of starts, with significant reliability issues with its fleet of Boeing 767 aircraft.

However, from next year, WestJet will radically improve its competitive position in London. At least on one route.

WestJet confirmed today, Wednesday 10 October 2018, that from Monday 29 April 2019 its daily flight from London Gatwick to Calgary will be operated with its new fleet of Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner aircraft.

By any measure, this will be a substantial upgrade. The Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner will feature WestJet’s first international business class cabin. The cabin features fully flat seats in a 1-2-1 configuration, all with direct aisle access. WestJet also promises on-demand dining and a turndown service in business class. This will make WestJet extremely competitive against Air Canada and BA.

The aircraft also has a premium economy cabin with 2-3-2 seating and a self-service bar area and an economy cabin with 3-3-3 seating and in-flight entertainment. Full details of WestJet’s Boeing 787 Dreamliner are available on a dedicated microsite.

WestJet will also fly the Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner from Paris and Dublin to Calgary later in 2019.
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WestJet launches London Gatwick – Halifax

WestJet is to launch a new summer seasonal route from London Gatwick to Halifax, Nova Scotia from Monday 30 April 2018 to Saturday 27 October 2018. Flights will be operated using a single aisle Boeing 737-800 MAX aircraft.

London Air Travel » WestJet

WestJet Boeing 737-800 MAX Aircraft
WestJet Boeing 737-800 MAX Aircraft (Image Credit: WestJet)

WestJet is to launch a new route from London Gatwick to Halifax in the summer of 2018.

The Canadian airline will fly from London Gatwick to Halifax, Nova Scotia (Halifax Stanfield International Airport) daily from Monday 30 April 2018 to Saturday 27 October 2018.

Flights will be operated using the single aisle Boeing 737-800 MAX aircraft which, as pictured above, has a distinctive set of split winglets.

The aircraft has a single cabin with 168 seats. This includes three rows of WestJet’s premium economy cabin “Plus” in a 2-2 configuration (the middle seat is kept free). WestJet also promises 11 rows of extra-leg room seats with a pitch of 34 inches in a 3-3 configuration.
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WestJet confirms transatlantic routes from London Gatwick

London Air Travel » WestJet

WestJet Boeing 767 aircraft
WestJet Boeing 767 aircraft (Image Credit: WestJet)

Canadian airline WestJet has today confirmed it is to launch summer seasonal direct flights from London Gatwick to no less than six Canadian cities: Toronto, Calgary, Vancouver, St John’s, Edmonton and Winnipeg.

Flights will operate from the week beginning Monday 4 May 2015 to the end of October 2015.

Flights to Vancouver will operate six times weekly, Edmonton will operate twice weekly, Calgary five times weekly and Winnipeg once weekly. Flights to Toronto and St. John’s will both operate once daily.

In total, this represents 28 return trips from London Gatwick total each week.

This represents a significant expansion in capacity between London and Canada, and significant competition to British Airways and Air Canada from London Heathrow and Air Canada Rouge and Air Transat from London Gatwick. This, combined with the expansion of Norwegian at London Gatwick means that the airport is carving out a niche for low cost transatlantic travel.

In the case of Winnipeg, WestJet’s service will also be the only direct route between the city and London.

All London flights, with the exception of flights to St John’s, will be operated by one of WestJet’s four Boeing 767-300ERW extended range aircraft.

Each Boeing 767 seats 262 passengers. The main economy cabin has 238 seats in a 2-3-2 configuration. Passengers in the main cabin will be offered complimentary snacks and non-alcoholic drinks and the option to purchase hot meals. The cabin does not also feature seat back in flight entertainment. Instead, the aircraft will be equipped with WestJet Connect, the airline’s inflight entertainment and wireless connectivity system which can stream entertainment to your smartphone/tablet. Passengers are also offered one complimentary checked bag. However, seat selection fees will apply.

The aircraft will include a “Plus” premium cabin with 24 seats in a 2-2-2 configuration and complimentary hot meals.

Flights are on sale now and to mark the launch, WestJet is offering special introductory fares which it claims are the lowest on the market for bookings made by Wednesday 16 September for travel between 6 May 2015 to 28 June 2015.

WestJet to launch transatlantic flights from Gatwick

London Air Travel » WestJet

WestJet Boeing 767 aircraft
WestJet Boeing 767 aircraft (Image Credit: WestJet)

Canadian airline WestJet has announced it is to launch transatlantic services to Canada from London Gatwick in spring 2016.

The airline has yet to confirm which routes will be served (though Toronto seems an obvious choice) or any scheduling, pricing and product information, other than to say flights will be operated by Boeing 767-300 aircraft.

This will be welcome news for London Gatwick which has lost a number of transatlantic airlines to Heathrow over the past few years. It will undoubtedly use this as a case for a second runway at Gatwick.