WestJet: My First Flight

WestJet Airlines Limited — which is better known as simply WestJet — is an airline which is based in Calgary. I have written about WestJet in articles in the past at The Gate primarily because of the creative videos; and I have even poked fun at the Canadian accent of Richard Bartrem, who is the the vice president of marketing communications and community relations at WestJet…

…but I have never flown as a passenger on one of their airplanes — until now.

WestJet: My First Flight

Photograph ©2017 by Brian Cohen.

The counters for WestJet at Calgary International Airport were not busy…

Photograph ©2017 by Brian Cohen.

…probably because more people were using the kiosks to get their boarding passes — myself included.

Photograph ©2017 by Brian Cohen.

Once I passed through the security checkpoint and arrived at the gate, I decided to take photographs of airplanes.

Photograph ©2017 by Brian Cohen.

This particular Boeing 737-700 aircraft landed on the runway…

Photograph ©2017 by Brian Cohen.

…and arrived at the gate at which I was to depart for the flight to Toronto.

Photograph ©2017 by Brian Cohen.

Flight 664 eventually departed on time from gate A12.

Photograph ©2017 by Brian Cohen.

The interior of the aircraft was clean; and the members of the flight crew were friendly.

Photograph ©2017 by Brian Cohen.

The seats were the “slimline” type; but they were reasonably comfortable.

Photograph ©2017 by Brian Cohen.

I wondered for a moment if I was secretly in another one of those infamous WestJet videos — this time, where the carry-on bags doubled as in-flight meals. Richard Bartrem better not get any ideas from the photograph shown above.

Photograph ©2017 by Brian Cohen.

The upper pocket in the back of the seat contained literature — such as the in-flight WestJet Magazine and the safety information card.

Photograph ©2017 by Brian Cohen.

I was satisfied with the leg room.

Photograph ©2017 by Brian Cohen.

Be forewarned that if you sit in a middle seat, your leg room might be impeded upon by a metal box located on the floor in front of you.

Photograph ©2017 by Brian Cohen.

Access to power outlets — which included a USB port — was available at every seat aboard the airplane, which is a very nice touch.

Photograph ©2017 by Brian Cohen.

Traditional adjustable air vents were thankfully available above every seat aboard the airplane.

Photograph ©2017 by Brian Cohen.

The choice of snacks included Biscoff cookies and Krispy Kernels pretzels — which is reminiscent of the similar choices offered aboard airplanes operated by Delta Air Lines — and yes, the flight attendant was kind enough to give me one of each snack.

Photograph ©2017 by Brian Cohen.

Krispy Kernels is a company based in Québec.

Photograph ©2017 by Brian Cohen.

The pretzels are not only larger than those manufactured by the King Nut Companies — which are typically served abroad airplanes operated by airlines such as United Airlines and Delta Air Lines — but there are also more of them.

Photograph ©2017 by Brian Cohen.

The pretzels tasted marginally better than those offered by the King Nut Companies.

Photograph ©2017 by Brian Cohen.

The flight — whose duration was three hours and 53 minutes — was uneventful all the way to Toronto.

WestJet Videos

Please see the articles I have written pertaining to past creative videos produced by WestJet for April Fools’ Day, Christmas and other occasions — plus a heartwarming video for the tragedy which occurred in Fort MacMurray — including…

• WestJet Rebrands as Canada Air For 150th Birthday of Canada
• Meet #RALFH
• New SmartSeats by WestJet Can Change the Way You Fly
• Furry Family Service
• KargoKids Service
• Must-Watch Video: WestJet Honors Residents of Fire-Ravaged Fort MacMurray For Christmas
• The Battle of the Canadian Airline Christmas Videos 2015: Which is Better?
• The Battle of the Canadian Airline Christmas Videos: Which is Better?

Summary

This article is a continuation of a series of articles written in honour of Canada Day, which marks 150 years since Canada became a confederation on Monday, July 1, 1867.

I did not specify a seat assignment when booking my flight reservation because I was under the impression that I had to pay extra for an assigned seat — otherwise, the booking process was not complicated. WestJet assigned to me a seat on the aisle, which was fine with me even though I would have preferred a window seat.

After I arrived in Toronto, I went through the security checkpoint because I was on my way to the United States. Even though I went through security checkpoints twice in one day in Calgary and Toronto, I had no issues — and I was even mysteriously granted a similar experience to the TSA Pre✓ program, which resulted in the process being even easier for me.

The flight to the United States was operated by Delta Air Lines, which currently has a reciprocal partnership with WestJet — meaning that I earned 838 SkyMiles as a result of my experience aboard an airplane operated by WestJet from Calgary to Toronto.

My experience with WestJet was pleasant and uneventful; but it was also nothing extraordinary — similar to the general experience of domestic flights in the United States. I would have no hesitation booking a flight with WestJet in the future; and I also recommend WestJet as an airline to consider for future travel.

All photographs ©2017 by Brian Cohen.