WestJet reservations go through 1-888-937-8538, Canada’s second-largest carrier’s toll-free North American line. It’s open 24 hours a day, every day of the week, and handles new bookings, changes, cancellations, and general inquiries. For Vacations packages use 1-877-737-7001, and for group bookings over nine passengers call (403) 444-2581 during Mountain Time business hours. All numbers verified against the WestJet help centre in April 2026.
In This Article
The number to call
The main reservations line is 1-888-937-8538. When the automated greeting plays, say “new booking” or “existing booking” depending on what you need. For new bookings the agent will ask for origin, destination, dates, number of passengers, and preferred fare class. Have all that ready — the call moves fast when you do, which matters because WestJet’s reservations agents handle a target number of calls per hour.
A heads up on fees: WestJet adds a phone-booking service charge when an agent books for you. It runs roughly $30 per passenger for Economy and $40 for Business. If your booking can be done on westjet.com or in the app, do it there instead — you keep the $30. The phone is really only worth it for multi-city itineraries over five segments, complex group bookings, unaccompanied minors (ages 8-17), and flights with pets in the cabin. Everything else is cheaper online.
WestJet doesn’t publish a separate international line, but the 1-888 number works free from Canada and the US. From outside North America, you can call the same number via a paid international connection, though most travellers find the social care channels faster and cheaper for overseas inquiries.
When to call
Thursday mid-morning Mountain Time is the easiest window — average hold is around 5-8 minutes then. Tuesday mornings are nearly as light. Mondays before noon and Wednesday afternoons are the worst, with waits stretching past 30 minutes. Weekends are middle-of-the-road. See our WestJet hold-time guide for the full day-by-day breakdown.
Avoid calling during or right after a major weather event. Calgary and Vancouver routes get hit hardest by winter storms, and the queue can balloon past four hours. If you’re trying to rebook a disrupted flight, the airport counter is faster than the phone during active irregular operations — same tools in their reservations system, much shorter queue.
If you absolutely need to call and it’s peak, open a parallel conversation with the Social Care Team on X or Facebook Messenger. The two queues are independent, and whichever replies first is the one you use. See our talk-to-a-person guide for the exact voicemail shortcuts that shave a minute or two off the pre-agent time.
What to have ready before dialing
Reservations calls are quicker if you’ve prepared. Have all of this within arm’s reach:
- Passport numbers for every passenger. Required for international bookings and some connections through US airports.
- WestJet Rewards number if you have one. Earns you points on the booking and sometimes gets you better queue priority on future calls.
- Credit card details. WestJet accepts Visa, Mastercard, and American Express. Debit is accepted online but not reliably by phone.
- Dates and flexibility window. If you can accept +/- 1 day, say so up front. Agents have access to promo pricing that’s sometimes not available through the website filter.
- Seat preferences. Aisle, window, bulkhead, extra legroom. Easier to request at booking than on a separate seat-change call later.
- Connection preferences. If you want a long layover or a short one, say so — the default system picks the shortest, which isn’t always what you want on a long-haul.
- Dietary requirements. Kosher, Hindu, vegan, gluten-free all have to be flagged at least 24 hours before departure. Easier to do at booking.
For name exactly-as-on-passport input, spell it out phonetically (“B as in bravo, R as in romeo”). A typo of more than three characters on the booking requires a full name-change at around $100 per passenger — it’s cheaper to get it right the first time than to correct it later.
Booking online instead
For straightforward trips — one or two passengers, up to three flights, standard Economy or Business — the website beats the phone on both price and speed. You skip the $30 surcharge. You can compare fares on a full calendar view. And WestJet Rewards members get exclusive online-only promos that phone agents often don’t even know about.
The app is worth installing either way. Same booking tools as the website, plus real-time check-in, boarding pass storage, and flight-status push notifications. If your flight’s delayed, the app knows before the airport monitors usually do, which matters if you’re trying to decide whether to head to the airport.
A thing to watch: WestJet’s fare classes are easy to misread on mobile. UltraBasic looks like Economy but comes with zero changes, zero carry-on, and zero refundability. Economy is the lowest fare with a change option. Premium, Business, and Plus have more flexibility but cost more. Know which one you’re buying before you click — arguing with a phone agent won’t grant you change rights you didn’t pay for.
The short version
Main line: 1-888-937-8538, 24/7. Vacations: 1-877-737-7001. Best time to call: Thursday 10am MT. Worst: Monday morning and Wednesday afternoon. Phone booking adds a $30 surcharge per passenger — use the website or app unless your booking is complex. Have passports, Rewards number, credit card, and dates ready before you dial.
For cancellations or changes, WestJet’s 24-hour flexible policy lets you refund or modify most fares within one day of booking without penalty. After that, change fees apply unless you hold a Plus or Business fare. The exact refund rules depend on fare class — the agent will read them out, but you can cross-check on the WestJet fare comparison page before the call.
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