WestJet RBC World Elite Mastercard Review

WestJet RBC World Elite Mastercard review

Name: https://money.ca/author/barry-choi
Item: WestJet RBC World Elite Mastercard review
Rating: 4.7
Author: Barry Choi

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4.7

2% Earn 2% back in WestJet dollars on WestJet flights or WestJet vacation packages.

1.5% Earn 1.5% back in WestJet dollars for everyday purchases.

Wi-Fi access to over 1 million Wi-Fi hotsports around the world with Boingo Wi-Fi for Mastercard

1 annual companion voucher (starting at $119)

3¢/L savings at Petro-Canada and 20% more Petro-Points

$0 delivery fees for 12 months from DoorDash

$119 Annual Fee $59 for additional cards

20.99% Purchase APR

22.99% Cash Advance APR

Good Recommended Credit Score

$80,000 Required Annual Personal Income

$150,000 Required Annual Household Income

4.7

WestJet RBC World Elite Mastercard review

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By Barry Choi & Cory Santos

Fact Checked: Scott Birke

🗓️

Updated: May 09, 2024

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Quick Overview of the WestJet RBC World Elite Mastercard

If you want to save big on your next flight, then take a look at the WestJet RBC World Elite Mastercard. For starters, the welcome offer is worth up to 700¹ in WestJet dollars. The card’s standard earn rate is another way to help you save. Earn 2% back in WestJet dollars on WestJet flights or WestJet Vacations packages using your card⁸. Earn 1.5% back in WestJet dollars for everyday purchases you make on your card⁸. Given that 1 WJ dollar equals $1 CAD, your rewards can go a long way. Redeeming West Jet dollars is also easy, as you don’t need to worry about redemption charts, blackout dates, or seat availability.

Who can benefit from the RBC WestJet World Elite Mastercard?

Frequent flyers who prefer to travel with WestJet can greatly benefit from the WestJet RBC World Elite Mastercard. The card offers the highest earn rate for dollars spent on booking WestJet flights and vacation packages and offers an accelerated 1.5% back on all other purchases. The addition of lounge access (fees apply), a yearly companion voucher, and a first checked bag free add additional value that is sure to please the WestJet aficionados everywhere.

WestJet RBC World Elite Mastercard: Pros and cons

Pros

A generous welcome offer of up to 700¹ welcome WestJet dollars (a value of up to $700 CAD)
Good earn rate of up to 2% back in WestJet dollars
Good travel insurance coverage
Includes free Boingo Wi-Fi¹¹

Cons

High annual income requirement: Personal: $80,000 or Household: $150,000
Insurance doesn't include trip cancellation coverage or delayed/lost baggage
Reward redemptions are restricted to WestJet

RBC WestJet World Elite Mastercard welcome bonus

The WestJet RBC World Elite Mastercard comes with a very enticing welcome bonus. New accounts can get up to 300¹ welcome WestJet dollars (a value of up to $300 CAD) upon your first purchase; 300 WestJet dollars when you spend $5,000 in the first 3 months¹; 100 WestJet dollar one-time anniversary bonus¹

How to earn cash back as WestJet Dollars with the WestJet RBC Word Elite Mastercard credit card

The WestJet RBC World Elite Mastercard provides a generous rewards earn rate aimed at assisting WestJet customers in reaching their next destination faster with every purchase made using the card. Cardholders earn the following cash back rewards in the form of WestJet Dollars:

2% back in WestJet dollars on WestJet flights or WestJet Vacations packages
1.5% back in WestJet dollars on everyday purchases

Those rewards are a significant improvement on the $39 annual fee WestJet RBC Mastercard and are ideal for anyone who frequently travels with WestJet and wants to rack up some serious WestJet Dollars to reach their next dream vacation or flight.

One of the best features of WestJet Dollars is that they never expire as long as your account remains open and in good standing. Also, there are no blackout dates or periods when redeeming for WestJet flights.

How to Redeem WestJet Dollars

Redeeming WestJet Dollars is a simple and straightforward process. You can use WestJet dollars to pay for the base fare of eligible WestJet flights and vacation packages. In addition, WestJet Dollars can be used for the following:

Seat selections and seat upgrades
Gift cards and merchandise through the WestJet Rewards portal
Charitable donations to select organizations

Furthermore, WestJet Dollars can be used towards rewards with WestJet partners, including hotels, car rentals, and more.

Key benefits of the WestJet RBC World Elite Mastercard credit card

As a high-end airline credit card, the WestJet World Elite Mastercard prioritizes enhancing the comfort of flights with WestJet. One of its key benefits is providing complimentary first checked bags for cardholders and up to 8 guests on the same itinerary.

Additionally, the card offers complimentary lounge access through the DragonPass, which grants entry to over 1,300 global airport lounges, a number comparable to the popular Priority Pass network. Another major advantage of this card is an annual round-trip companion voucher for travel on WestJet.

WestJet World Elite Mastercard from RBC insurance coverage

Flight delay/interruption coverage: Flight interruption and cancellation insurance is an essential benefit provided to cardholders. In the unfortunate event of a flight delay or cancellation, cardholders can rely on this coverage to receive up to $5,000 in compensation.
Travel accident insurance¹¹: With the included travel accident insurance, you can have peace of mind knowing that you are covered for up to $500,000 in case of any unforeseen accidents that may occur during your travels.
Auto rental collision/loss damage insurance¹⁰: With this insurance, you can receive up to $65,000 in coverage for auto rental collision/loss damage for a period of up to 48 days. This ensures that you are protected in case of any unforeseen accidents or damages that may occur during your rental period.

Hotel/Motel burglary insurance: Cardholders are protected in the event of a break-in to their hotel room. The card provides up to $2,500 in insurance coverage for hotel/motel burglaries, offering an additional layer of security while traveling.
Emergency medical coverage: The card provides up to $500,000 in travel accident insurance and emergency medical coverage for up to 15 days (under 65) and 3 days for over 65s.

Purchase security insurance. The WestJet RBC World Elite Mastercard also comes with Purchase Security Insurance, which provides up to a maximum coverage amount of $50,000 coverage for direct accidental physical loss or damage to property purchased with the card. Plus, the card's Extended Warranty Insurance automatically doubles your original manufacturer’s warranty on purchased items for up to a maximum of one year.
Additional insurance. The WestJet RBC World Elite Mastercard features the following additional insurance protection: emergency purchases and flight delay insurance, auto rental collision/damage loss insurance, hotel/motel burglary insurance, travel accident insurance, out of country/province emergency medical insurance and trip interruption insurance.

To earn as many WestJet Dollars as possible, I use my WestJet RBC World Elite Mastercard to pay for nearly everything I buy. So when the 55" Samsung Frame TV I bought with this card needed its panel replaced after only 18 months of ownership (and just 6 months outside the protection of the manufacturer's warranty), I was pleasantly surprised to learn that I had an extended warranty for up to two years with the WestJet RBC World Elite Mastercard. To use this feature, I paid for the repair myself, filed the claim online with the card's insurance carrier and I was reimbursed with a cheque for the full amount within weeks. Now I run every major purchase I can through this card—not only to earn the 1.5% back in WestJet dollars—but also to gain the protection of an extended warranty, without paying extra for one.

—Scott Birke, Finance editor, Money.ca

RBC WestJest World Elite Mastercard advertises on Money.ca

Extra benefits of the RBC WestJet World Elite Mastercard

The WestJet RBC World Elite Mastercard provides a robust assortment of travel and everyday benefits designed to help you get the most out of the $119 annual fee (plus $59 for additional cardholders on the account). Beyond the solid rewards earn rate and essential insurance protections, you can expect the following additional benefits:

Round-trip companion voucher¹: You get an annual round-trip companion voucher starting from $199.
DragonPass Airport Lounge access: This RBC WestJet World Elite Mastercard entitles you to a complimentary membership to DragonPass Airport Lounges Program as long as you remain a World Elite Mastercard cardholder.
Free checked bags⁴: The first checked bag is free for the primary cardholder on WestJet flights and up to eight additional guests on the same reservation. Valid for primary cardholders of the WestJet RBC World Elite Mastercard and up to eight (8) additional guests travelling on the same reservation. Additional terms and conditions apply.
Boingo Wi-Fi: Cardholders have access to free in-flight Wi-Fi courtesy of Boingo. Register your card and get free Wi-Fi at more than 1 million Boingo hotspots.

Fuel discounts at Petro-Canada: All RBC credit cards, including the RBC Cash Back Mastercard, save their users 3₵ per litre at Petro-Canada, when you connect your RBC credit card to your Petro-Points account, you’ll earn 20% more Petro-Points.

Other security features of the card include:

Chip and pin technology for an added layer of security
Mobile wallet compatibility with Apple Pay, Google Pay, and more
Access to the RBC mobile app

How does the WestJet RBC World Elite Mastercard credit card compare?

While there’s no doubt that the WestJet RBC World Elite Mastercard is a great credit card, you should consider the competition before you sign up. The most logical comparison would be the TD^® Aeroplan^® Visa Infinite* Card. Aeroplan is the loyalty program of Air Canada, so you can quickly compare the earn rate and benefits.

Feature	WestJet RBC World Elite Mastercard	TD^® Aeroplan^® Visa Infinite* Card
Welcome bonus	Get up to 700¹ welcome WestJet dollars (a value of up to $700 CAD) when you spend a minimum of $5,000 in the first 3 months on your card¹.	Best Offer yet for the TD^® Aeroplan^® Visa Infinite* Card: Earn up to $1,200 in value† including up to 50,000 Aeroplan points†. Conditions Apply. Account must be approved by June 3, 2024.
Annual fee	$119	$139
Travel insurance	Emergency medical²⁰, trip interruption²¹, hotel/motel burglary¹⁸, and rental car insurance¹⁹	Travel medical^†, cancellation/interruption^†, flight/trip delay^†, delayed/lost baggage^†, hotel burglary^†, rental car^†, trip accident^†
Other perks	Free checked bags⁴, companion voucher³, free Boingo Wi-Fi¹¹, get up to 700 WestJet dollars¹ with the WestJet RBC World Elite Mastercard, plus get a Round-Trip Companion Voucher Every Year	Free checked bags^†, mobile device insurance^†, NEXUS rebate^†
More info	Visit site	Visit site

The TD^® Aeroplan^® Visa Infinite* Card has a slightly higher annual fee of $139. Earn 1.5 points† for every $1 spent on eligible gas, grocery and direct through Air Canada^® purchases (including Air Canada Vacations^®) made with your card. Earn 1 Aeroplan point^† for every $1 spent on all other purchases made with your card. Redeeming points is arguably easier with Air Canada since they have more flights and airline partners. However, Aeroplan also uses dynamic pricing, which means during peak seasons, the cost for a free flight could cost you more points.

With both cards, you get free checked bags^†. While the WestJet RBC World Elite Mastercard gives you an annual round-trip companion voucher, the TD^® Aeroplan^® Visa Infinite* Card has the advantage in the travel insurance department since it includes trip cancellation† and delayed/lost baggage insurance^†.

While the earn rate and benefits are important, you could argue your travel preferences are more important. If you like to fly WestJet, get the WestJet RBC World Elite Mastercard. If flexibility is more important, then the TD^® Aeroplan^® Visa Infinite* Card might be the better pick. But there are plenty of other travel rewards credit cards to consider too.

†Terms and conditions apply.

The TD^® Aeroplan^® Visa Infinite* Card offer is not available for residents of Quebec. For Quebec residents, please click here.

Is the WestJet RBC World Elite Mastercard worth it?

The WestJet RBC World Elite Mastercardis an excellent card for frequent WestJet flyers. The welcome bonus is impressive, and you only need to make a single purchase to get it. The earn rate and additional benefits, including free checked bags⁴, will also be useful.

There’s no denying the card’s benefits, but you’re still restricted to WestJet or Delta code-share flights with your redemptions. This may not be an issue for some people, but those who prefer flexibility may want to see what other travel cards are out there. And if you're looking for a similar card from RBC and WestJet with less features and a lower annual fee, consider the WestJet RBC Mastercard instead.

Eligibility requirements for the WestJet RBC World Elite Mastercard

To be eligible for the WestJet RBC World Elite credit card, you must meet the following criteria:

Canadian residency: The card is available to all Canadian residents who have reached the age of majority in their province/territory of residence.
Credit score: A "good" credit score of approximately 660 is generally required to successfully apply for the card.
Income requirements: You must have a minimum personal income of $80,000 or a minimum household income of $150,000 to be eligible for the card.

Please note that meeting these eligibility criteria does not guarantee approval for the card.

Refer to the RBC Page for up to date offer terms and conditions.

Barry Choi Moneywise Contributor

Barry Choi is a Toronto-based personal finance and travel expert who makes frequent media appearances. When he's not educating people on how to be smarter with money, he's earning and burning miles and points for luxury travel.

Cory Santos Finance editor

Cory Santos is a finance writer, editor and credit card expert with over seven years of experience in personal finance. Formerly an Ontario resident, Cory currently calls sunny South Florida home, helping snowbirds find their ideal credit cards and financial products. Cory joined Wise Publishing from BestCards, with bylines in numerous n and digital publications across North America, including the Miami Herald, St. Louis Post-Dispatch, AOL, MSN, Medium and more. When he isn't scouring for the latest credit card deals and offers, Cory can be found working on his various historical research projects, jogging, or hanging out with his cats, Bentley and Cougar.