WestJet Baggage Fees

WestJet baggage charges swing by hundreds of dollars depending on fare and route. The airline publishes them as ranges, not one flat price. A UltraBasic traveler flying to Europe can pay close to $94 for a first bag at the counter.

An Econo traveler on the same route who prepays online pays far less. Premium and Business fares check two bags free. This page goes past the headline numbers on the WestJet baggage rules record and lays out what WestJet actually charges.

Every figure below comes from WestJet’s own baggage fees page, read today.

What WestJet baggage charges look like by fare and route

WestJet prices checked bags in bands, not one number per fare. A first bag fee is really a range. It depends on the specific route inside that region.

The table below shows the prepaid online price. Paying online is always cheaper than paying at the airport.

WestJet does not publish a third bag price on this page. Extra bags beyond the second are billed as excess baggage. Book your actual dates before you count on the low end of any band.

The width of each range comes from the fact that WestJet sets the exact price per specific flight, not per fare alone. Two Econo passengers flying the same route on different days can see slightly different numbers at checkout.

That is normal, and it is worth checking your own itinerary rather than assuming the low end always applies. The table above tells you what to expect, not the single number you will pay.

Does WestJet charge for carry-on bags

WestJet does not charge a separate fee for the standard carry-on box on most fares. Econo and above include one bag in the 22 x 14 x 9 inch carry-on size plus a personal item.

UltraBasic is the exception. That fare drops the carry-on entirely and only keeps the personal item, unless the flight is to Europe or Asia, or unless Extended Comfort is purchased on every flight in one direction.

Mixing up carry-on rules with checked baggage fees is the single most common way a WestJet traveler ends up surprised at the gate. The two allowances are governed by different rules, and only one of them shows up in the fee table above.

Prepay online, or pay more at the airport

WestJet’s own page states that airport check-in bag fees run higher than the prepaid online rate. Buy the bag during booking, or from Manage Trip, rather than waiting for the counter.

Paying at the gate tends to cost even more. Treat prepayment as the default whenever your fare does not already include a free bag.

Overweight and oversize charges

WestJet groups overweight and oversized penalties into a single published band on its fees page. That band runs roughly USD 150 to 177 per bag, on top of whatever the checked bag already cost.

The standard cap is 50 lb (23 kg) and 62 linear inches (157 cm), per the WestJet baggage rules record. A bag a few pounds over that line can turn a cheap Econo bag into the most expensive item in your budget.

An Etekcity digital luggage scale at home settles the question before you fly. Weighing a packed bag at the door costs nothing. The overweight band above shows exactly what guessing wrong can cost.

Who skips WestJet baggage charges entirely

WestJet’s fees page lists the WestJet RBC World Elite Mastercard as covering a free first checked bag. That covers the primary cardholder and up to eight guests on the same reservation.

Silver, Gold and Platinum members in WestJet Rewards also get a free first bag. So does EconoFlex, with no card or status required.

Compare that against the full list of cards that cover baggage fees before you assume your existing travel card does the same.

How WestJet compares to nearby carriers

Air Canada is WestJet’s main domestic rival. It runs a similar structure where prepaying online beats paying at the airport, with its own set of waivers by fare; see the Air Canada baggage record for its current numbers.

WestJet’s UltraBasic tier plays the same role as the cheapest US fares. It charges for a first bag where a legacy carrier’s basic economy might still include one.

Spirit Airlines ceased operations in May 2026. The closest current US matches for a low fare with paid bags are Frontier, Allegiant and Avelo. None of them include a free carry-on the way WestJet’s Econo fare does.

Packing to avoid a second bag

A second bag is where WestJet baggage charges add up fastest, since the fee often doubles or more compared to the first. Fitting everything into one checked bag, or into the free personal item, is the cheapest way around that.

Packing cubes will not shrink a bag’s outer size, but they compress soft items enough to leave room that would otherwise force a second suitcase. That matters most on longer trips where laundry is not an option and every extra shirt competes for space.

A well organized personal item can also carry more than it looks able to. Since every WestJet fare, including UltraBasic, keeps that allowance free, using it fully before reaching for a second checked bag is free capacity worth claiming first.

How to avoid or reduce WestJet baggage charges

• Prepay online during booking rather than at check-in. WestJet’s own page confirms the airport price is higher for the same bag.
• Book EconoFlex instead of UltraBasic or Econo when you know you will check a bag. The free first bag can cost less than the standalone fee.
• Weigh and measure at home so the bag never crosses into the overweight or oversize band.

The general guide to avoiding baggage fees covers packing strategy that applies here too. The baggage cost calculator can total up what your fare and route will actually charge before you book.

The bottom line

The cheapest honest way to fly WestJet with bags is to book EconoFlex or higher when checking one. Holding the WestJet Mastercard works too if you fly the airline often enough to justify it.

Either route turns a WestJet baggage charge that can run past $90 on some routes into zero. Prepaying online keeps whatever is left as low as WestJet allows it to be.

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