7mo ago

'Give us $600 and also we hate you': WestJet's new UltraBasic fare gets roasted online

www.cbc.ca /news/canada/westjet-ultrabasic-fare-1.7227809

If there's anything people can agree on these days, it's that flying sucks.

And between the delays and cancellations, extreme turbulence, and jets literally falling apart in the sky, it seems that some people have had about enough of flying experiences getting ostensibly worse instead of better.

Which may partially explain the online roasting of WestJet's new UltraBasic fare, where you can board the plane and that's about it.

Announced Tuesday, the new "no-frills fare option" doesn't permit carry-on baggage (unless you're flying overseas), has pre-assigned seats at the back of the plane, and those who select the fare will be the last to board the plane. They also can't collect WestJet Rewards.

Even then, an UltraBasic round trip from Toronto to Calgary at the end of June costs about $650.

32 comments

Just so everyone is clear on this, the airline isn't trying to sell to a lower market. They're trying to normalize higher prices for standard fares. By itemizing the things that are normally included, they can pin values on all of them and then make it seem like a deal to "upgrade".
- Ah so they are Delta.
  What, you wanted to sit?! Extra money. Bag? Extra money. Oxygen? Extra money.

Dear antitrust folks... where the fuck are you.
Sincerely, Canadians when buying anything.
- Whaaat you don’t like high prices and poor service?
  The propagandists said Air Canada would be better off privatized.
  
  Can we backsies? I'd honestly love a serious conversation about nationalizing Air Canada.
  
  they're also saying that health care will be better off privatized.

God damn it's so stupid that we fill plans front to back just so people can feel special about sitting down first.
- Front is the best so you can get off the plane immediately
  I never understood why people dick around with their bags after a 10 hour flight, I want to get the fuck out immediately
  
  I'm the opposite. I've already spent 10 hours so what's another 15 minutes waiting for the corridor to clear up.
  
  If you're the type who immediately stands up and blocks everything, then you're definitely on the list of flying gripes; sorry to say.
  Boarding back to front, windows-in, was definitely really cool when I was on a plane with that rule.
  A way to lock the overheads and publicize that info would go a long way, I think.
  
  Front row is the best because I’m tall and it’s the only place with leg room

The other thing WestJet has been doing lately is charging you full price for a ticket and then shoving you on one of the cramped former Swoop planes.

So... You wear 10 layers of clothing, and shove everything else into a CPAP bag? (Medical things are often excluded)
- Oh man I had a friend that did the clothes thing. It was his first time flying and the didn't bother to learn or ask about carry-on stuff. He flew to visit his girlfriend's family wearing all the clothes he would use that week.

This is why having classes in transportation is bad. You are literally in the same vehicle, but companies are trying to convince people to pay more. The only way for this to actually work is to make the cheaper options suck ass.
Airlines have ended up with a business model that depends on them providing bad service.

Meanwhile..
Oh how the turntables.

What about personal items?
- You are allowed to bring one personal item, that is, you can bring yourself.
  
  Unless I’m going on a really long trip I never bring carryon. Just my small backpack with enough clothes for the trip (plus 2 socks and underwear). I feel like I should be given a cheaper [e] ticket for that.
  
  But can I get personal with it? snaps fingers as lights dim, smooth jazz starts to play

You know what? Good, the less people fly the better it is for the environment.
- Not of they choose to drive
  
  Actually, you can put four passengers in a Chevy Suburban with a big V8 and they'll be polluting less to travel the same distance compared to doing it in a passenger plane, the shorter the trip the better as well because planes burn a shit ton of fuel for takeoff.

32 comments