25% Conversion Bonus to WestJet Rewards (February 1, 2016 and March 13, 2016)

Royal Bank of Canada’s Avion (or RBC Rewards) program is once again offering a 25% transfer bonus to WestJet Rewards. In the past, we have seen this promotion fluctuate with either a 20% or 25% bonus for the transfer. The conversion bonus to WestJet usually happens twice a year. The past few times have been 20%, so I’m glad to see the 25% back. 

How the Bonus Works

You need to convert a minimum of 1,000 Avion points. Normally, 1,000 Avion points converts to 10 WestJet dollars. Now you can get $12.50 for every 1,000 Avion points.

Whether it is Worth it

If you have been continually transferring your Avion points to WestJet Dollars to begin with, then definitely take advantage of this promotional period.

Another way to look at this is that 1 Avion point will net you a 1.25% return with WestJet Rewards, instead of the normal 1% return.

Personally, my favourite Avion transfer bonus is the 50% transfer bonus with Avios, though we only saw 30% bonus last time around. I value Avios at 1.7 cents a piece, so a 50% transfer bonus gets me closer to a 2.5% return, which is double the WestJet deal.

WestJet Dollars Expiry

Keep in mind that WestJet dollars expire after a period of 5 years from when they were deposited. Just remember that you can start redeeming your WestJet Rewards when you hit 25 WestJet dollars. So if you are getting close to the expiry and don’t have enough WestJet dollars to redeem, then you can consider topping up your account to make the redemption.

Conclusion

With all this in mind, I would say, do what’s best for your travel needs. As usual, always do the calculations first!