At the moment, Cathay Pacific only operates service from Hong Kong to Toronto and Vancouver but passengers will be able to seemlessly transfer between airlines without having to pick up luggage. WestJet's president Gregg Saretsky says it's part of a vision to become one of the world's top 5 successful airlines.
For Cathay Pacific, this opens the doors to easier access to the Canadian market, with no Oneworld partners in Canada after Air Canada swallowed Canadian Airlines in 2001.
Air Canada is a member of the Star Alliance, the world's largest airline alliance. As part of such a large alliance, Air Canada currently holds a monopoly on seemless International air travel with connections to all continents.
"This latest partnership will further expand our network and give passengers seamless connections on a quality carrier to six more cities in Canada — a country that's popular both as a leisure and business destination for travellers from Hong Kong and mainland China," Cathay Pacific's CEO Tony Tyler said.