WestJet: The Secret Airline At Sky Harbor That Phoenix Needs To Know About

On the first leg of my recent WestJet flight to Japan via Calgary International Airport, the passenger in front of me said to another passenger “I’d never heard of WestJet until I booked this cruise package!”

Like many people living in Phoenix, this guy has obviously missed out on the very handy seemingly-secret airline serving Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport. After taking my first WestJet flight about 10 years ago, I’ve used pretty much any excuse to fly with them. And not just to Canada, but to intercontinental destinations like Paris.

Here’s some info about where you can go on WestJet from Phoenix, plus information about what our Westjet flights to Tokyo and back were like.

What Is WestJet And Where Do They Fly?

WestJet is a Canadian low-cost carrier. They seem to focus less on business travel and more on leisure flights.

Westjet has plenty of flights to Canadian destinations. But they also fly to some great international destinations. According to FlightConnections.com, WestJet flies to:

• South Korea
• Japan
• Iceland
• Scotland
• Ireland
• England
• France
• Spain
• Italy
• Mexico

Most of the intercontinental flights will fly from Calgary International Airport, though there are several flights to Mexico and Europe from Halifax Stanfield International Airport.

5 Good Reasons To Consider WestJet For International Flights From Phoenix

So why should you consider WestJet for overseas flights? Consider the options: You can get some nonstop flights to destinations abroad — American Airlines, Air France and British Airways all serve London or Paris. Sometimes, low-cost German carrier Condor offers flights to Frankfurt.

Let’s take a look at a few reasons why I think WestJet is a great alternative to these other airlines serving Phoenix.

1. WestJet’s Calgary Hub Is Easy And Low Stress

Aside from the coolest airport name ever, Phoenix Sky Harbor doesn’t offer much for people flying to international destinations. Most of the time, we have to connect through another airport to reach an intercontinental destination.

That usually means absolutely mosh-pits of airports like Los Angeles International Airport or Chicago O’Hare International Airport. Not only are the runways and taxiways absolutely packed with planes, but the customs/immigration and security lines are massive and inefficient. Also, they have that typical noisy, stressful American airport vibe.

Calgary International Airport, on the other hand, processes incoming flights efficiently. They also have people on-hand to point you to the right lines.

Once you’re out of the customs/immigration area, you can wait for your flight in a spacious, naturally-lit concourse without a never-ending array of TVs blaring cable news at you. You can grab a bite to eat, pick up and last-minute travel essentials or — and I’m not making this up — read a book while seated around a fake fire.

2. WestJet Often Wins On Price

It’s tough to beat a nonstop flight to Europe. But that nonstop flight might command a higher price. Two years ago, I compared dozens of flights from Phoenix to several different European destinations. The flights from Phoenix to Calgary to Charles De Gaulle handily beat everyone else on price.

This time around, my wife booked the flights for our trip to Tokyo Narita International Airport. She checked All-Nippon Airways (ANA), JAL, Asiana and WestJet, among all the usual suspects. Again, WestJet was significantly less expensive.

Note: Asiana and ANA are absolutely terrific airlines. It’s hard to beat their amenities and in-flight service. If the prices were just a few percentage points closer, this would’ve been a harder choice.

3. WestJet Has A Nice 787-9 Dreamliner Fleet

I am so glad the Dreamliner was on the drawing board before Boeing went from being an aircraft manufacturer to … well, whatever the hell it is today. Because the 787 is a terrific airplane, and WestJet’s 787 fleet is definitely comfy.

The 787’s carbon fiber fuselage allows more humidity in the air, which helps stave off dehydration. The 787 also has a lower cabin altitude than conventional commercial planes, which can help you avoid some physical side effects.

But as to anything WestJet-specific, the seat pitch (distance between seats), width and overall construction of seats in the Premium and Economy cabins were both reasonably comfy. Obviously, the Premium cabin is even far beyond just adequate.

4. You Won’t Have To Re-Check Your Bags

Let’s say you score a great deal on a flight from Phoenix to South Korea on Asiana Airlines. You’re in luck — Asiana is terrific (they’re in-flight meal of bi bim bap is still the best thing I’ve eaten on an airplane, and that was in economy class).

Chances are, you’re flying through LAX. You’ll have to check your bags in Phoenix, then pick them up in Phoenix and then re-check them in LAX.

I’m not picking on Asiana here. This is common any time you mix and match airlines. It’s been awhile since I’ve tried this in a codeshare situation, so I’m not sure if codesharing helps at all — please comment and let me know if you have some recent experience with this situation.

But either way, once you check your bag with WestJet in Phoenix, you won’t have to worry about it again until you arrive in Narita.

5. WestJet Is Just Easy To Deal With

While booking, somehow there was an error on my wife’s ticket. At 9pm or so local time, she called WestJet. She was able to deal with an actual real human who helped her fix the problem.

At the airport, the line to check your baggage for your WestJet flight will be far shorter than what you’ll deal with at the American Airlines, Delta or United counters.

One Drawback To WestJet Flights To Europe

WestJet flies to some of its European destinations using Boeing’s MAX series of 737 narrowbody aircraft.

I really, really hate this plane. And I hated it before any of the crashes. Here’s the deal:

• I don’t like the idea of transoceanic flights on narrowbody airplanes. I like to get up and walk around a bit on long flights.
• The MAX exists because Boeing and most airlines are way too concerned about maximizing shareholder profits. Boeing cheaped out and decided to yet again push the nearly 60-year-old 737 design past its limits.
• I’m sure Boeing has addressed the issues related to the MCAS system and door plugs, but I still wonder what other flaws will surface with the MAX. In the meantime, I’ll take a 737 NG or an Airbus A320/A220 if at all possible. This is more on general principle against the current Boeing management than about true safety concerns.

For the record, WestJet was still using an NG for the Phoenix to Calgary flight every time I checked.

How Is WestJet In The Air?

In-flight service is very solid on WestJet. We flew in the Premium cabin on the way out and opted for the regular Economy cabin on the way back. In Premium, the seats are arranged 2-3-2 compared to 3-3-3 in Economy.

The WestJet Premium Cabin Vibe

The seats in Premium are wider and have more pitch. The flight attendants will offer you a drink when you sit down, and you’ll find an amenity kit, blanket, pillow and headphones waiting at your seat. They’ll also take your order for the meal services.

The crew serves the premium meals with white tablecloths and metal cutlery. It’s presented nicely, and definitely seemed higher quality than the meals served in Economy.

What It’s Like In The WestJet Economy Cabin

When you board, you’ll find a pillow and blanket at your seat. But you’ll have to wait for the flight attendants to hand out earbuds. On the plus side, you’ll have complete access to the same in-flight entertainment that’s available to the passengers in the Premium class. That’s not the case on Condor, where you get a basic selection of entertainment and might have to pay to access a broader variety.

The Westjet in-flight meals won’t have you raving, but I’ve found them better than what I’ve had on Condor or United.

A Suggestion For WestJet’s Cabin Service

I’m obviously from Arizona. I drink water constantly and I like to stay hydrated even when I’m  flying. When I flew Asiana, they had water fountains on its 777 aircraft where I could refill my water bottle. This is an amazing convenience. ANA was also good about offering bottled water, even in economy class. I seem to remember a self-service area near the galley where passengers could also grab a snack or water.

WestJet was a bit behind on this. The flight attendants — while friendly and helpful — didn’t seem to come through the cabin as often. That means less water. And I didn’t see any sort of self-serve area.

Keeping the water flowing is a healthy move and shows some extra consideration.

What About Hawaiian Airlines From Phoenix To Asia Or The South Pacific?

Hawaiian Airlines is another carrier that people might overlook if they’re flying from Phoenix to Asia. They’re also worth considering based on the number of destinations Hawaiian and their partners fly to.

The good news is that Hawaiian is now flying a 787 from Phoenix to Honolulu. Unfortunately, you might wind up on one of Hawaiian’s older A330s. As a tall guy, I really didn’t like flying the Hawaiian A330 from Honolulu to Auckland and back. The seat pitch was pretty awful.

A few other considerations:

• You might find a good deal on Hawaiian, but they sometimes cost a good chunk. That said, WestJet can’t get you to many of the Pacific destinations that Hawaiian can.
• Arrival from Pacific destinations to Honolulu was awful last time I flew through. Maybe it’s gotten better, but I remember a a customs/immigration area that looked like a cage fight.
• Hawaiian definitely has good cabin service.

The Bottom Line: Don’t Overlook WestJet If You Fly From Phoenix Sky Harbor

I’m not telling you that you should definitely pick WestJet to fly abroad from Phoenix or that it’s the perfect airline. But you should definitely have WestJet on your list of airlines to check. Their in-flight service is solid and connecting in Calgary is a breeze during the summer months. You might also score a better price than you will from the other airlines.