WestJet RBC World Elite MasterCard: Should You Keep It?
/WestJet RBC World Elite MasterCard Review
First Published Date: July 19, 2015
The WestJet RBC World Elite MasterCard is a MasterCard Elite series
high-end travel rewards credit card that lets you earn WestJet for everyday purchases that can be used towards WestJet flights and vacations without any blackout periods or restrictions.
The Cost
Annual Fee = $99. Additional cards = $49
Minimum annual income required = $70,000 (or household income = $120,000)
Rewards Points Snapshot
– Earn 2 WestJet dollars for every $100 spent on WestJet flights and vacations.
– Earn 1.5 WestJet dollars on everything else.
– There is no limit or restrictions on earning.
First Time Bonus
A $250 WestJet dollars welcome bonus when you use your card for the first time.
Anniversary Bonus
An annual companion flight for $99 (plus applicable taxes, fees and charges) to fly anywhere in Canada or the United States (excluding Hawaii and Puerto Rico).
Features & Benefits
– The primary cardholder (and up to 8 additional guests on the same reservation) awarded 1st checked bag for free on all WestJet flights.
– Emergency Medical Insurance (15 days<65, 3 days>65 or older).
– Travel Accident Insurance (Up to $500,000 CAD).
– Auto Rental Collision/Loss Damage Insurance.
– Trip Interruption Insurance ($5,000 each, maximum $25,000).
– Emergency Purchases (After 4 hrs,$250 day, maximum $2,500 per occurrence).
– Flight Delay Insurance (After 4 hrs,$250 day, maximum $500 per occurrence).
– Hotel/Motel Burglary Insurance ($2,500 per occurrence).
– Purchase Security (For 90 days, up to $50,000)
– Extended Warranty Insurance (1 additional year)
What’s Missing
Some of the important benefits this card does not offer:
– Price Protection Insurance
– Trip Cancellation Insurance
– Delayed and Lost Luggage Insurance
– No Concierge services
My Take
Although The WestJet RBC World Elite MasterCard is missing some elements of insurance and services you would expect from a high-end credit card, its anniversary bonus makes it a card to consider adding to your credit card portfolio.
You can easily offset the annual fee and still stay on the plus side if you use the annual companion flight for $99 each year. Here is one example from my Las Vegas trip: Regular return trip fare from Toronto to Las Vegas = $600 (includes base fare, taxes, and fees)
My companion return trip would cost only $250 ($99 plus fees and taxes)
My total round trip cost for 2 = $850
That’s a $350 savings ($1,200 – $850)
Plus I would save on checked bags = $25×4 = $100
As you can see, you can save at least $450.00 on an average trip. Your savings can be lower or higher based on your trip distance. If you are not planning to use the annual companion flight feature every year, keeping this card makes no sense, as you can make more money with other cards that offer better returns and more benefits.
I personally hold this card as of this writing and I’m planning to hold it as long as I make one trip on WestJet every year. I use this card for some of my expenses as well. However, if I were not to use this card for any transactions, I would still hold it and would not mind paying $99 just to get the annual companion fare.
Disclosure: Information provided here may not be accurate and no longer valid. The mentioned card provider is not related to A Dawn Journal and neither monitor this site nor responsible for any inaccurate information. Contact the card company directly for accurate and updated information. A Dawn Journal or my YouTube Channel are not compensated by or affiliated with any credit card companies. All credit card articles are 100% unbiased and honest.
