New WestJet Rewards tiers: Teal, Silver and Gold

I am not a big WestJet fan (I usually fly Air Canada as I try to use Aeroplan)!

They have made some major changes to their rewards program.

This is effective October 29.

On October 29, 2014, WestJet Rewards will take off with new tiers. With Teal, Silver and Gold, you can enjoy higher WestJet dollar earn rates and milestone awards.

When you reach Gold, you’ll also get another free checked bag, priority security screening, advance boarding and even more milestone awards.

With the new tiers there will be higher WestJet dollar earn rates on WestJet flights, additional companion flights awarded and new easy-to-use flight benefits for our most frequent guests.

• Our new tiers are Teal, Silver and Gold and come with a variety awards and benefits, based on how much you spend on WestJet flights in your individual qualifying year.
• You’ll be eligible to earn up to 5% back in WestJet dollars on WestJet flights. That’s double the maximum of 2.5% back today.
• The qualifying flight spend required to earn your first companion flight each year will be lowered from $4,500 to $4,000.
• Companion flights awarded in a year will be expanded. Instead of a maximum of two companion flights each qualifying year (one domestic and one system-wide), you’ll have the ability to earn an unlimited number each year. You’ll receive a domestic companion flight at $4,000, a system-wide companion flight at $6,000 and another system-wide at $10,000. You’ll then continue to earn system-wide companion flights for each additional $5,000 increment of flight spend in your qualifying year, with no limit.
• Companion flights will have one-year expiry dates, reduced from two years today. But since you’ll now be eligible to earn more companion flights, you’ll have more to use, more often. Companion flights awarded prior to October 29, 2014 will maintain the original expiry dates.
• Along with lounge vouchers and advance seat selection, members in Silver and Gold will receive their first checked bag free. This will be available to the member and up to eight (8) additional guests travelling on the same reservation (valid for member only when travelling on a group booking, which is a booking of 10 or more guests on the same reservation). Members in Gold will also receive a second checked bag free, as well as additional flight benefits such as priority security screening, advance boarding and the ability to change to an earlier or later flight on the same day of travel without a fee.

Once you achieve Silver or Gold, you’ll get to keep your flight benefits until the end of your next qualifying year, unless of course you achieve a higher tier, in which case you’ll enjoy that higher tier’s benefits. The ability to keep your Silver or Gold tier and benefits in future years will be based on your total qualifying flight spend in the second year and each year following.

I still am not sure if they will do status matches but I am more loyal to Air Canada.