WestJet adds $60 surcharge on some bookings, reduces select flights amid fuel cost surge

Calgary-based WestJet says it will introduce a temporary $60 surcharge on certain bookings and consolidate some flights as fuel prices rise.

In an email to customers, the airline said the surcharge will apply to bookings made using a companion voucher starting Wednesday. The company did not specify how long the surcharge will remain in place.

WestJet also confirmed it has combined flights on lower-demand routes, reducing its schedule by about one per cent in April and three per cent in May. The airline said most affected passengers have been offered alternative travel arrangements.

According to the company, fuel remains one of the largest operating costs for airlines, and the adjustments are intended to help manage higher per-barrel prices.

Wayne Smith, a hospitality and tourism professor at Toronto Metropolitan University, said multiple Canadian airlines have been trying to offset rising costs following fuel supply pressures linked to the war involving Iran.