WestJet RBC credit cards compared

How does Status Lift work on WestJet RBC cards?

Status Lift is an annual benefit for primary cardholders on two Royal Bank of Canada accounts: the WestJet RBC World Elite Mastercard and the WestJet RBC World Elite Mastercard for Business. [4] An eligible cardholder earns the equivalent of 200 CAD in tier qualifying spend for every $5,000 in eligible purchases charged to the account during a Qualifying Year, which runs from 1 January to 31 December. [4] For a newly opened account, the Qualifying Year runs from the first monthly statement date to 31 December. [4]

Nothing needs to be registered for: purchases made by any cardholder on the account are tracked automatically, including purchases made outside Canada. [4] Each lift is normally added about ten business days after the monthly statement date on which the $5,000 threshold is reached, and progress can be followed in the transaction history of the WestJet Rewards account. [4]

Tier qualifying spend itself is built from four parts: purchases of WestJet eligible fares on WestJet-marketed flights, prorated across flown segments according to IATA prorate standards; WestJet-eligible ancillaries; WestJet Vacations eligible packages; and any amounts earned through Status Lift. [4]

Which WestJet Rewards tiers do these cards help you reach?

Tier qualifying spend tracks progress towards Silver, Gold or Platinum status in each calendar year, and Status Lift simply adds to it. [4] WestJet publishes the thresholds as follows, as of 18 October 2026. [4]

At Silver, which begins once $4,000 in tier qualifying spend has been reached, the earn rate on WestJet flights rises to 3 WestJet points per $1 spent. [7] Silver members also receive two checked bags free, and up to eight guests on the same reservation receive up to two checked bags free if they are within WestJet's baggage allowance standards. [7] The tier adds four advance seat selection vouchers for Standard or Preferred Economy seats where a fee normally applies, but not for Exit Row, Extended Comfort, Premium or Business seats. [7] Priority check-in and last-minute gate upgrades to Extended Comfort or Premium also form part of Silver. [7]

At the entry Teal tier, members earn 1 WestJet point per $1 spent on WestJet flights, seat selection, baggage and upgrades, and 1 point per $1 on WestJet Vacations and Sunwing Vacations packages. [6] Members without complimentary checked bag benefits can instead pre-pay their first checked bag(s) at a lower fee by attaching their WestJet Rewards ID when paying on westjet.com or through Manage Trips up to 24 hours before departure. [6]

Who receives the Status Lift on a shared account?

Only the primary cardholder is credited with tier qualifying spend from Status Lift, although purchases made with every card on the account count towards the $5,000 threshold. [4] A supplementary cardholder therefore does not collect lifts on their own WestJet Rewards account. [4] If the same cardholder holds two eligible RBC World Elite accounts, spending on both is combined towards the $5,000 threshold. [4]

Exceptions and limits

• Which purchases count. Net purchase transactions count, minus returns, other credits, fees, interest charges and cash advances, which include balance transfers, cash-like transactions and bill payments that are not pre-authorized charges set up with a merchant. [4]
• Year-end cut-off. Lifts in a Qualifying Year are based on purchases posted up to the December statement date, so a December purchase made after that date falls into the next Qualifying Year; lifts and eligible purchases reset to zero at the start of each Qualifying Year. [4]
• Annual cap. A Status Lift can be awarded up to 50 times per Qualifying Year, equivalent to 10,000 CAD in tier qualifying spend. [4]
• Account status. The eligible account must be open and in good standing when a lift is awarded, and WestJet reserves the right to remove lifts and any resulting tier upgrades if the account is closed before the end of the Qualifying Year. [4]
• No transferable value. Tier qualifying spend earned through Status Lift has no monetary or other exchange value and cannot be sold or transferred. [4] WestJet and Royal Bank of Canada reserve the right to change or withdraw the benefit at any time. [4]
• Status timing. Status earned is available for the remainder of the calendar year in which it was reached plus the whole following calendar year, and tier qualifying spend resets to $0 on 1 January. [4] Silver travel benefits apply on itineraries sold and operated by WestJet with the member's WestJet Rewards ID on the booking, and gate upgrades depend on aircraft type, route, availability and an eligible fare. [7]
• Bag fee discount conditions. The lower first checked bag price at Teal applies only when the bag fee is pre-paid with the Rewards ID attached; regular pricing applies at online check-in or at the airport. [6]

Frequently asked questions

Do both WestJet RBC World Elite cards earn Status Lift?

Yes. Primary cardholders on the WestJet RBC World Elite Mastercard and the WestJet RBC World Elite Mastercard for Business both earn lifts, and if a cardholder holds two eligible accounts the spending on both is combined. [4]

How much spending does one Status Lift require?

$5,000 in eligible purchases charged to the account during the Qualifying Year, which produces 200 CAD of tier qualifying spend. [4]

How many Status Lifts can I earn in one year?

Up to 50 in a Qualifying Year, equal to 10,000 CAD in tier qualifying spend, after which the benefit resets at the start of the next Qualifying Year. [4]

Can tier qualifying spend from Status Lift be spent on flights?

No. It counts towards tier qualification only and has no monetary or exchange value. [4]

What happens to Status Lifts if I close the card?

The account must be open and in good standing when a lift is awarded, and WestJet reserves the right to remove lifts and tier upgrades received through the benefit if the account is closed before the end of the Qualifying Year. [4]

Related pages

Programme: WestJet Rewards. Terms: WestJet dollars, glossary of frequent flyer terms. Comparisons: Aeroplan vs WestJet Rewards, Canadian card points programmes compared.

Sources

Sources accessed on 18 October 2026. Cards issued outside Canada, other WestJet Rewards partner earning, and other Canadian card families, including Aeroplan cards, are not covered here.

1. WestJet World Elite Status Lift page and terms, checked 18 October 2026
2. WestJet Rewards Teal tier benefits, checked 18 October 2026
3. WestJet Rewards Silver tier benefits, checked 18 October 2026