WestJet’s simple strategy pays off

With the price of oil being what it is, most major airlines in the world have had to tighten up their belts and make some serious adjustments to their operations in the past few years.

A few major carriers have come out intact, a few have merged and some have simply disappeared.

This cost-cutting frenzy by major airlines has opened a new gap in the air travel market and has seen an explosion of low-cost airlines springing up across Asia, Europe and North America.

This no-frills concept has paid off in spades for Canadian carrier WestJet, who has seen its revenue passenger miles (RPMs) increase 30.4 per cent from April 2005 to April 2006.

“Our efforts to provide the highest quality service to our guests, while maintaining our low-cost structure, are clearly paying off”, said WestJet President and CEO Clive Beddoe.

WestJet has been North America’s pre-eminent low-cost airline for the past 10 years, and has been recognised as such in 2005, being named Canada’s most respected corporation for customer service.

The modern, fuel-efficient planes kitted out with leather seats and individual entertainment systems are luring travellers at a steady rate, and with services at such low cost, it seems WestJet will continue to lead the industry for a good while to come.

www.westjet.com