Why this Canadian lounge opening matters for American travelers
Canadian carrier WestJet is going high class with its own lounge at Calgary International Airport, scheduled to open in late summer in 2020. It's the airline's first proprietary lounge, and the news matters to US flyers too, since this lounge opening also benefits Delta travelers.
WestJet is a partner of Delta, thanks to a partnership formally inked just a few months ago. While WestJet isn't part of any alliance, the Delta-WestJet relationship means that northbound travelers will now have an additional lounge option in Calgary. And with WestJet now flying brand-new Boeing 787s across the Atlantic, it's an interesting option to Europe for Delta flyers.
The lounge will be located near Concourse B in the domestic terminal at Calgary (YYC), and with food and drinks from local sources. The design aesthetic is rustic chic, with a number of contemporary elements mixed in with accents that channel refined "mountain living."
Up until now, WestJet's business travelers, top-tier WestJet Rewards members and premium cabin travelers from partner airlines have had access to WestJet's network of partner lounges in Calgary and other major Canadian cities as well as in Europe and the Caribbean. But this proprietary flagship lounge in WestJet's home airport signifies a big step in the airline's growth.
WestJet has ordered 10 Boeing 787 Dreamliners, the first of which was delivered in January 2019. The aircraft offers a "very competitive" business class product between Canada and Europe, according to TPG Reviews Editor Nick Ellis.
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