Qatar Airways has signed a codeshare deal with WestJet, the Calgary-based airline. Qatar says it will put its QR flight numbers on WestJet flights within Canada, so travelers flying in from Doha can book one ticket onward from Toronto or Montréal. The airline announced the deal on Oct. 26 in a release from Doha.
The tie-up arrives the same week Qatar grew its own Canada flying. Since Oct. 25, the airline says, it runs 14 flights a week to Canada instead of 12, with daily service to both Toronto and Montréal.
Photo: Acroterion via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0, cropped.
Which cities the codeshare covers
Qatar says its passengers can connect through Toronto Pearson (YYZ) and Montréal-Trudeau (YUL) to nine Canadian cities on WestJet:
- Vancouver
- Calgary
- Edmonton
- Halifax
- Ottawa
- Regina
- Saskatoon
- St. John's
- Winnipeg
That covers most of the country's big markets outside the two gateways. Until now, a Qatar passenger headed to, say, Saskatoon or Halifax had to piece the trip together. A codeshare usually means one booking, one check-in and bags checked through to the final stop, though Qatar did not spell out those details in its release.
The deal runs the other way, too. Qatar says WestJet passengers get access to its network of more than 170 destinations. It named New Delhi, Nairobi, Singapore and Jeddah as examples. Qatar does not fly to western Canada, so a WestJet flyer in Calgary or Vancouver would connect east to Toronto or Montréal and then on to Doha.
What the release leaves out
For travelers who care about points and lounges, the release is thin. It does not say:
- when the codeshare flights go on sale, or when the first ones operate;
- whether Privilege Club members can earn Avios or Qpoints on WestJet flights;
- whether WestJet Rewards members can earn on Qatar;
- whether either airline's elite members get lounge access or other perks on the partner;
- which routes, if any, WestJet will put its own code on.
Those details matter. A codeshare on its own sells seats. The loyalty and lounge benefits usually come from a separate frequent flyer agreement, and many partnerships launch without one. We will update this story if Qatar or WestJet publish the earning rules.
It also helps to know where each airline sits. Qatar is a member of the oneworld alliance. WestJet is not in an alliance, so oneworld status alone does not get you into WestJet's lounges, and WestJet status does nothing at oneworld lounges unless a specific partner deal says so.
Where to wait in Toronto and Montréal
If you connect from Qatar to WestJet in Toronto, Pearson's Terminal 3 has several lounges in our directory. The Plaza Premium Lounge (T3 International) is the best rated of them, with showers and a full bar, and it takes Priority Pass, LoungeKey and DragonPass. For a domestic connection, the Plaza Premium Lounge (T3 Domestic) is the one to look at. oneworld elites can also check the British Airways Galleries Lounge when departing internationally.
In Montréal, the Aspire Lounge (Domestic) scores well in our data and takes Priority Pass. On the international side, the Air France-KLM Lounge and the Desjardins Odyssée Lounge are worth a look, depending on which cards you carry.
WestJet's own lounge is the WestJet Elevation Lounge in Calgary, its home base. A traveler starting in Calgary and flying WestJet to Toronto to meet a Qatar flight would pass through it, if they have access.
The bigger picture
More frequencies plus a domestic feeder airline make the Doha route a more practical option for travelers across Canada, not just those who live near Toronto or Montréal. For WestJet, it adds a Gulf partner with a large network in Asia, Africa and the Middle East.
For now, treat it as a booking convenience. Check the operating airline on any ticket, and don't assume your status travels with you until the airlines say it does. See our pages for Qatar Airways and WestJet for more.
