Westjet alters policy on carry-ons

WestJet Airlines Ltd. said Tuesday it would be reducing the amount of carry-on luggage its passengers are allowed to bring on its plane as the Calgary carrier reported another record month of filling its aircraft.

WestJet said it would no longer allow passengers to carry on two pieces of luggage, effective April 4. Instead, customers will be allowed one carry-on bag and one smaller personal item, including purses, laptop bags, mobility or child restraint devices, the company said.

Anything over and above that allowance would need to be checked, the company said.

Bob Cummings, WestJet vice-president of sales, marketing and guest experience, said the changes would help faster, more efficient boarding.

“This, in turn, helps us stay on time,” he said. “It will also create a more consistent experience for guests travelling between WestJet and WestJet Encore beginning later this spring, as well as for guests connecting to and from flights offered by our codeshare and interline partners, most of whom have already adopted this standard.”

The changes bring WestJet ’s carry-on policy in line with Air Canada’s.

The news comes as WestJet reported another record monthly load factor — or average amount of seats filled by paying customers — in February.

WestJet reported 86.1 per cent load factor last month, up 3.4 percentage points from a year ago, as traffic grew 7.3 per cent and its capacity was kept in check at a gain of 3.1 per cent.

“We are very pleased with the record February load factor, as our capacity increases continue to be absorbed by the market,” said Gregg Saretsky, WestJet chief executive.