Random seat, no bag, last to board: the world’s worst airline ticket has landed

But wait, there’s more. Or rather, less. Selecting your seat will cost you more than usual. If you don’t pay, you’ll automatically be given a seat at the back of the plane. You will receive no points, nor rewards. Adding a check-in bag also costs more than usual. And finally, to rub salt in the wound, you will be the last to board the plane, while the seated passengers chant “shame” as you skulk, head bowed, clutching a basketball, to row 32.

Fine, we took some creative licence with that last bit. But other than the privilege of travelling with your emotional support pet or GoPro, and that 24-hour cancellation window, you really aren’t getting much. But at what price?

We looked at a flight from Vancouver to Toronto, departing on Wednesday June 19. The Econo ticket cost $330.18 Canadian Dollars, EconoFlex (with flexibility, seat selection and a check-in bag) was C$393.18, and the UltraBasic fare came in at C$288.18. Other tickets we checked offered similar savings of around 12 per cent, which is not to be sniffed at. WestJet argue they are simply offering passengers more choice.

“We are committed to air travel affordability, and UltraBasic is an innovative cost-effective solution that strengthens WestJet’s ability to offer guests budget-friendly airfares to more destinations,” said John Weatherill, WestJet’s group executive vice-president and chief commercial officer. 

Innovative, certainly. But the question, surely, is: who on Earth is going to actually book this ticket? People travelling between two homes would presumably be happy to cough up for the glamour of Economy, day-tripping execs travelling to a meeting or conference will surely bag the highest available fare on expenses. So really we’re looking at young people travelling home, perhaps? Care-free budget travellers taking a short trip with zero belongings in tow? Unhappy people, leaving their sorry existence behind?