WestJet Is Buying Sunwing & It Means 'More Affordable Fares' For Canadians

Get ready, folks! WestJet is buying Sunwing and that means "new travel options" and "more affordable fares" will be available for Canadians soon.

It was announced on March 2 that WestJet and Sunwing have reached an agreement that will see the WestJet Group of companies acquire both Sunwing Vacations and Sunwing Airlines.

According to the Calgary-based airline, this merger will allow WestJet to create jobs, rebuild the Canadian travel industry and "deliver new travel options and greater value for travellers."

Also, a new tour operating business will be created to include both Sunwing Vacations and WestJet Vacations Inc.

With the acquisition of Sunwing, Canadian travellers will have access to "more competitive airfares" along with affordable vacation packages.

Since the WestJet Group of companies will expand to include Sunwing Airlines, that will mean increased capacity because what were once seasonal aircraft will be used year-round in Canada.

That increased capacity will also lead to the creation of more jobs in Canada.

The airline also said that it will be "immediately expanding" its low-cost footprint in Canada and that will improve its ability to offer "more affordable fares."

While the acquisition is still subject to regulatory approvals, it's expected that the deal will close in late 2022.

There are lots of options for Canadians looking for low-cost flights. Lynx Air recently announced new routes and there are one-way tickets starting at just $39. Plus, low-fare airline Swoop is expanding its routes to the U.S. for the summer with one-way tickets starting at $99.

If you're looking for more travel options, Air Canada has also announced that it's ramping up service for the summer and relaunching international flights that were cancelled because of COVID-19 travel restrictions around the world.