Summary
- WestJet adds 9% more seat capacity for Winter 24/25, expanding services to US, Mexico, Central America, and the Caribbean.
- New route connects Kelowna with Seattle, providing access to Delta’s vast US network with convenient flight timings.
- WestJet to operate from Kelowna to 12 destinations during peak winter travel, with frequent flights to Calgary and Vancouver.
Just a few days ago, Canadian airline WestJet announced its 2024/2025 Winter schedule, which added 9% more seat capacity than was available in the previous winter. Many of the additional services were from the cold Canadian winter to warmer climes in the US, Mexico, Central America and the Caribbean, although it did also add 15% more domestic capacity.
Connecting the Northwest
On Thursday, WestJet announced another new service between Seattle and Kelowna, connecting the Okanagan region in British Columbia with the Pacific Northwest of the USA. While connecting these two popular regions will boost travel options, the added benefit is connecting WestJet customers to a vast network of US destinations through Seattle and beyond through the airline’s partnership with Delta Air Lines (Delta).
Photo: Brandon Farris | Shutterstock
Seattle-Tacoma International (SEA) is a busy airport for Delta, and the new WestJet service from Kelowna is timed to connect to 24 codeshare destinations throughout the Western United States, including Los Angeles, San Francisco, Portland, San Diego, Phoenix and many more. The daily service departs Kelowna International (YLW) at 09:00, and the return leaves Seattle at 11:30, arriving at 12:37 in Kelowna, giving visitors a whole afternoon to enjoy their Canadian break.
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The winter 24/25 schedules are appaearing, and the Westjet Group is increasing capacity by 9% compared to the 23/24 season.
The new route is open for booking on the WestJet website, which shows the route will be operated by WestJet Encore using a De Havilland Dash 8-Q400 turboprop. WestJet Encore has a fleet of 47 Dash 8-Q400s configured 2-2 in a two-class layout of 78 seats, including 10 in premium and 68 in economy.
Photo: sockagphoto / Shutterstock
WestJet Executive Vice President and Chief Commercial Officer John Weatherill said that as WestJet strengthens its service across Western Canada, it’s proud to connect Kelowna with new daily service to Seattle as part of the expanded winter schedule.
“This route will provide guests in the Okanagan and across the Pacific Northwest regions with new convenient and affordable options to easily connect between both popular regions for business and leisure year-round.”
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The new aircraft are set to be delivered in 2025, alongside 22 additional Boeing 737 MAX 8 jets previously ordered by WestJet.
A busy connection for WestJet
For the 2024/2025 winter, WestJet will operate services from Kelowna to 12 destinations, with up to 20 daily departures during peak winter travel. The new Seattle service will start on January 17, 2025, with five weekly flights and from February 17, it will increase to daily services.
Photo: Heather Dunbar / Shutterstock
The most frequent destination from Kelowna is Calgary with 49 weekly flights, followed by Vancouver (35), Edmonton (19), Cancun (6), Toronto (5) and Seattle (5), with services also to Victoria, Las Vegas, Phoenix, Mazatlan, Puerto Vallarta and San Jose del Cabo. WestJet has been operating at Kelowna International for 28 years, and its presence benefits the entire community, from access to business travel to economic development in the Okanagan region.
The partnership with Delta allows Westjet passengers connecting through Seattle to travel seamlessly on a single purchased ticket, with check-in for all flights at the first departure and baggage tagged through to their final destination. Frequent Flyers of both airlines will be able to earn and redeem points when they fly on either airline, and eligible WestJet passengers will enjoy access to Delta Sky Club lounges.