Encore Inflight

As an Encore Cabin Crew Member, you’ll ensure the safety and well-being of our guests while flying with us. Cabin Crew Members (CCMs) are safety, security and service professionals, entrusted with the safety and security of our guests, crew members and the aircraft.  CCMs are not only ambassadors representing the company, but the face of our corporate culture and our people.

Next Steps

You've signed your offer letter, what happens next?

You will receive an email prior to your start date with all your training information and what to expect. In the meantime, please review the information provided on this site for a look at some things you can expect as you begin your Encore journey.

Should you have any questions or concerns in advance of this, please contact your Talent Partner.

 

Work environment

As a WestJet Encore Cabin Crew Member, you’ll ensure the safety and well-being of our guests while flying with us.  This includes: 

  • Providing a safe and comfortable environment for our guests, our corworkers and ourselves. 
  • Administer first aid and/or CPR when required. 
  • Deliver safety demonstrations, make announcements, and greet guests in a respectful, professional manner. 
  • Inflight service – offering and selling snacks and beverages (alcoholic and non-alcoholic). 
  • Ensure boarding requirements are met, and guests are fit to travel. 
  • Perform duties in an efficient manner to ensure a quick turn-around. 
  • Groom the aircraft.
  • Creating a remarkable experience for every guest on board by providing excellent customer service, assisting as required and answering questions throughout their travel journey. 
  • Interacting with other crew and helping to maintain a positive workspace for everyone.
  • Ensure the safety, security and comfort of all guests; which includes upholding and following all standard operating procedures to ensure compliance with WestJet Encore and regulatory requirements.
  • Operate safety and emergency equipment.
  • Ability to handle first aid situations onboard the aircraft.
  • Manage multiple situations such as distruptive and unruly guests with de-escalation techniques.
  • Submit reports as required.
  • Engage with Inflight leadership and bring forward feedback.

 

Calgary Campus/Hangar Video Tour

Whether you will be working or training at the YYC campus, or working on the frontline, this video will take you through all the key spots and fun facts that will help familiarize you with our campus and set you up for sucess for your next visit or workday. In this video we explore the many unique features of our Fred Ring Building (minutes 0:00-05:45), Russ White Hangar (minutes 05:45-09:07) and Wide Body Hangar (Minutes 09:07-11:32).

 

Training

Employment is conditional upon successful completion of Initial Cabin Crew Member training. Details of the five-week, full-time training program are as follows: 

  • Trainees will be paid $17.30/ hour at 40 hours per week during training. 
  • Training occurs for 5 weeks from 08:00 - 16:30 Monday to Friday. You will be provided with a schedule prior to the start of your training; however, the schedule is always subject to change. 
  • You will be responsible for your own travel, accommodation and meal costs for any training conducted at your designated base. 
  • If the training is held outside of your base, accommodation will be provided. 
  • As this is a fast paced, information packed program, 100% attendance and punctuality is mandatory. 
  • You must maintain a neat and professional appearance, as per uniform standards. 
  • There will be multiple exams and a passing mark of 85% must be achieved on each exam; only one exam rewrite is permitted for the entirety of the initial program.  Failure to achieve the exam criteria will result in the release from the program.
  • You must pass hands-on training such as emergency equipment operations, emergency scenarios, evacuation drills, and an on-board evaluation. 
  • Homework will be assigned on a regular basis and must be completed as assigned by the instructor. 
  • Uphold/adhere to WestJet Mission, Vision and Values.
  • Failure to attend and complete Initial Training in its entirety will result in release from the Initial Training program.

Welcome Aboard Orientation:

As a part of your onboarding, WestJet offers a program called Welcome Aboard. Welcome Aboard is a three-hour introduction to the mission, vision, values and culture of WestJet.

The class is designed to welcome and connect our new hires with WestJet in a virtual, interactive way. You will learn about where we’ve been, where we are, and more importantly the part you play in where we’re going.

You can expect an engaging virtual session, filled with media, activities and great discussion that will educate, motivate, and ignite their cultural spirit.

For this class we utilize the Micrsoft Teams Platform. Please find a how to get started document here.

Schedule

WestJet Encore operates 24 hours a day, seven days a week and 365 days a year. Cabin Crew Members must be available to work any hour of the day and any day of the week or year. 

  • WestJet Encore Cabin Crew Members are hired with full-time employment status, receiving a minimum monthly pay guarantee of 75 block hours at straight time rate of pay. Block hours are essentially defined as the hours worked from the time the plane releases the parking brake to the time it parks at the gate upon arrival. Full- time Cabin Crew Members may be scheduled up to a maximum of 90 block hours per scheduling month at straight time rate of pay. 
  • Schedule bidding will be based on seniority. 
  • Schedules are up to a maximum of 20 days per scheduling month. You can be blocked to a maximum of six consecutive days in a row (e.g., a three-day pairing plus a three-day pairing, back-to-back, etc.). 
  • Work schedules are published on the 20th of each month for the following month. 
  • The role is shift work and you are required to be available to work early morning, evening, weekends and statutory holidays. 
  • Frequent travel away from home with overnight stays of up to five nights is common. 
  • Check in at the designated airport departure gate for first flight is 45 minutes (domestic) and 60 minutes (international) prior to that flight
  • You could be assigned blocks of reserve.  Reserve is scheduled in 5 day blocks, in 10 hour windows each day.
    • AM 0330 to 1330
    • PM 1300 to 2300
    • Flex Block 0700 to 1700
  • When holding a reserve (on call) shift, you must ensure you can be contacted at any time during your scheduled call out time to work a pairing and be able to report to work within two hours of the request being made. If you are called but not available to answer the phone, you are given only 15 minutes to return the call. If you do not return the call or are unable to be at the airport within two hours, this is considered as not showing up for work, and will result in follow up from your leader.

Important: Vacation requests during the period of December 21st through December 29th is limited and cannot be guaranteed. Vacation bidding takes place annually for the following year and is awarded based on seniority.

Crew rooms

Crew rooms are available to all crew.  These rooms contain kitchen amenities, seating, computers for crew use and during office hours there are crew support staff onsite.

Compensation

Refer to your offer letter and your Collective Agreement for more specific details around your pay. Please visit the People Portal Salary band for more detailed information once access has been granted to you.

Uniform

As outlined in your offer letter you must attend a uniform fitting prior to the start of training. Each WestJetter has been issued a specific garment allowance based on collective agreement language.  New to order: 

  • 3 pants, skirts or dresses (may be in combination) 
  • 4 shirts (take away 1 for every dress ordered) 
  • 1 belt 
  • 1 Blazer 
  • 1 Vest (if ordering rocky mountain) 
  • 2 Neckwear 
  • 1 Outercoat 
  • 2 Name brevets 
  • 1 Wing 
  • 1 Apron 
  • 1 Pocket square (RM only) 
  • 2 Lanyards 

 

You must attend a Uniform fitting prior to beginning your training. The Runway - WestJet's Uniform Fit Centre - is located on the first floor of the Russ White Hanger at the Calgary Campus at 22 Aerial Place NE.

Hours: Mon, Tues, Wed, Fri from 0900-1645 Alternating Thurs from 1100-1845

If you have not been issued a WestJet Employee ID Number yet, please leave this line blank in the form and ensure you arrive early and check in at welcoming desk in the Fred Ring building before your appointment.  Book your appointment by using this link:

The Runway - Uniform Fit Centre

Looking for a deal on shoes?  WestJet has some great companies we've partnered up with to create a simple and easy list of approved shoes.  Please visit the WestNet Uniforms page once access has been granted for further details. 

Our new nametags include pronouns 

We encourage all of our WestJetters to foster inclusivity by including your pronouns on your name tag. We've created the perfect space on your nametag for pronouns and we’re proud to create an inclusive environment for our diverse WestJetters and guests. 

Why are pronouns important? Not only are you able to identify how you would like to be addressed, but it signals to others that you will respect those with pronouns different from your own. 

Uniform guidance

Growth and Development

There are many opportunities for growth and development at WestJet. We encourage all WestJetters to reach out to their leader to discuss opportunities for advancement within the company.  Below are just a few of the possible opportunities open to WestJetters, and we encourage you to check Career Central often to see the most current opportunities accepting applications. 

  • Quality Check Flight Attendant (QCFA)  
    • The QCFA role engages and supports new and experienced CCMs to ensure consistent delivery, remarkable guest experiences, as well as adherance to Standard Operating Procedures.     
  • Inflight Instructional Assistant 
    • Our Instructional Assistants support the delivery of all training programs managed and supported by the Inflight Training Team. This position is an integral part of the training team and provides great opportunities for development.     
  • Inflight Instructor 
    • The Inflight Instructor team facilitates all technical and core skills for Cabin Crew Members through our various training programs. Through classroom based learning and hands-on practice our instructors ensure our CCMs are equipped with the knowledge and confidence to perform their roles. 
  • Cabin Operations Safety Auditor (COSA) 
    • This important role collects data through cabin safety audits, to help the Inflight Leadership team identify safety trends, deficiencies and create corrective action plans when needed.     
  • Peer Selection Team (PST) 
    • PST members will be responsible for selecting new CCMs alongside the recruiting team. This is an excellent opportunity for career development while gaining better understanding of our recruitment process.
  • Crew Support Coordinator (CSC) 
    • Our friendly CSC team provides support to our CCMs and Flight Ops team. You can find them in the YYC crew room and they are there to assist with things like luggage and uniform concerns, RAIC applications, day-of incidents and more. 
  • Development and Performance Manager (DPM) 
    • DPMs support, guide, and mentor CCMs but also ensure that guidelines, policies, process, values are being adhered to. 

Health and Wellbeing

Vacation 

Vacation is allotted using a "silent auction" style bidding system. Vacation allotment, sick leave and personal days are all detailed further in our corporate policies and your Collective Agreement. 

Health Benefits

We offer a flexible benefit plan for full-time employees which qualifies you for basic benefits coverage. Credits are given from WestJet that can be directed towards upgrading your benefits to flex to your infividual needs. Benefits include life, health, dental, short-term, and long-term disability. Health benefits are active 90 days post employment.

Inkblot 

Inkblot is a fantastic tool WestJet has partnered up with in our Employee and Family Assistance Program (EFAP), to provide confidential counselling and information to you and your family.   

You will receive access within your first 30 days of employment.  If you require access immediately, please reach out to your Leadership team or Training instructor.   

 

Leadership

​​​​You will be assigned a Development and Performance Manager (DPM) as a Cabin Crew Member at Encore. Your DPM is your direct manager and will be available to support you in the following ways: 

  • Answering questions, providing support, assistance, and development. 
  • Scheduled one on one conversations to talk about performance, career aspirations, feedback and guidance.
  • 3 month and 9 month reviews to discuss performance during your probationary period.

Union

Encore cabin crew must hold membership with CUPE upon successful completion of your initial training program.  A union representative will give a presentation during your initial training graduation to provide more information.