What is WestJet Encore?
For the first decade of its existence, WestJet operated the traditional low-cost airline model of only using one aircraft type to streamline costs in crew and maintenance… but by the early 2010s the airline needed to diversify into parts of the Canadian Domestic market not sustainable with the Boeing 737 family in order to compete with Air Canada more effectivly.
The solution came with WestJet Encore, a subsidiary operating solely the Bombardier Dash 8 Q-400 in 2013, this feeder network would allow WestJet to operate more effectively against Air Canada Jazz and introduce the airline into new markets. WestJet Encore operate more regional services alongside mainline WestJet hubs and bases across Canada.
WestJet Encore has operated for over 13 years using the Q-400, but another spin-off known as WestJet Link operated the Saab 340 from 2017 until 2024 in partnership with Pacific Coastal Airlines.
The Journey so Far…
Enchainement de vols
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- 5WS3303 - Economy - Edmonton to Calgary - Bombardier Dash 8 Q-400
Flying the Alberta Shuttle (Edmonton to Calgary)
My flight today would be on one of the many Dash 8 Q-400 operated by WestJet Encore for WestJet, with this mid-morning flight between Alberta's two major cities being operated by C-GWEU! Built in May 2015 for WestJet Encore brand new, its operated for the airline its entire life to date and now wears the current livery used by WestJet, though a lot of other Q-400 still wear the older pre-2016 livery!
WestJet boarded us in four groups, which to me seemed quite excessive for a Dash 8 Q-400 only carrying 78 passengers on a full load… You'd think WestJet Encore would only need two groups- Priority and the Rest!
Moaning aside though, it was a pleasure getting up close to a Dash 8 Q-400 on an open boarding… Something I've missed over in Europe since Flybe vanished from the skies…
WestJet Encore offers two seating products on their Q-400, a "Premium Economy" which is often marked on the planes by their tan-brown head covers and the standard economy class seats are these dark blue leather seats. I am not entirely sure how both products differ, but maybe I'll be back in Canada again and I can find out myself!
Seat 9A for my short flight across Alberta, I lucked out as it provided an epic engine view of the Dash 8 I was on! If you're an AvGeek- this is a seat to look out for! The legroom was good enough for myself, but with any flight on a Dash 8 or ATR-72, anyone over 6ft tall will have sore knees! WestJet Encore offered a streamlined café card, the safety card & the inflight magazine- same as the Boeing 737-MAX earlier!
Boarding was completed, I noticed this wasn't going to be that busy a flight with a good 60% of the seats occupied. Once the ground crew were off the aircraft, the engines were started up and we began a quick taxi to our departure Runway for this morning's flight.
We followed an Air Canada Airbus A321- which was likely going to either Toronto Pearson or Vancouver Airport. I got a good view of him from my seat as we sat on the taxiway waiting our turn to take off.
Eventually it was our turn to depart Edmonton Airport once the Air Canada A321 was gone and a safe distance away. We departed off Runway 20, our Q-400 made easy work of the initial climb out and we turned a South-Westerly heading passing Leduc, a small town just off Edmonton Airport.
Once we past a town called Edberg we turned a more direct South-route passing over Meeting Creek and Buffalo Lake… I noticed our flight path basically meant we avoided a town called Red Deer which is about half-way between Edmonton and Calgary as the crow flies.
Our flight had this stripped down version of the WestJet Menu, I'll share for context- but the service was not being done on this 50 minute flight and only a water service provided, which I am quite happy with… Though the Coffee Crisp chocolate for $3/CAD was very tempting!
There were some amazing views of Alberta as we crossed South towards Calgary! My phone and GoPro got some cool effect from the spin of the propeller of the Q-400 we flew on!
The flight passed really quickly and before long it was time for us to descend into WestJet's main hub and HQ of Calgary Airport! I even got a glimpse of Calgary's down town as we closed in for our arrival!
We landed on Runway 29 at Calgary Airport, we then had a long taxi over to the furthest away Gate Area where WestJet base most of their domestic Dash 8 Q-400 flights out of Calgary. If you look at a satellite map, its easy to spot as it looks like a thin blue line, as if it was built as an extension of the main Domestic Terminal building.
As you can see, we pulled up and it looked like a temporary school hut you'd see at a UK School that was there for more than a decade.
One last look at the seating of the WestJet Encore Dash 8 Q-400, as I usually practice- I was one of the last off the plane. Everyone had to disembark through the forward-port door that we all got on.
Here's an overlook of the remote stand for the Dash 8 Q-400 at Calgary Airport as I made my way landside. I had a 6 hour transit, so rather than stick it out in the Terminal, I opted to visit an Aviation Museum on the South of Calgary Airport, which I'll write a bit on in my next Flight Report, so watch out for that!
