We’re excited to officially introduce Altitude, the brand-new crew centre for WestJet Virtual. This project has been in development since January and represents a major step forward for the airline as we move into 2026.

Altitude features a clean, modern, and fully functional interface built to replace our previous systems. More than just a crew centre, Altitude serves as the central platform for pilot activity, operations, and future expansion.

What Altitude Brings

With the launch of Altitude, pilots now have access to a wide range of new features, including:

  • PIREP submission directly through Altitude
  • ACARS integration and live flight tracking on Discord via the WestJet Virtual Assistant
  • Advanced gate selection for future events
  • A refreshed and competitive leaderboard
  • A fully updated and refreshed route list

If you notice a missing route, you can report it through our ticket system and earn a 1.25× multiplier on your next flight.

Important Changes Taking Effect March 1, 2026

With the launch of Altitude, we are also introducing Activity Requirements and Rank Restrictions. These changes are designed to keep the airline active while providing clear progression goals for pilots.

Activity Requirements

Starting March 1, 2026 at 12:00 AM ET, all pilot activity timers will reset. Activity will be monitored on a 30-day cycle.

If no flights are logged by March 30, 2026 at 12:00 AM ET, a warning will be issued. Pilots will then have 14 days to file a flight before being removed from the virtual airline.

Thanks to Altitude, all pilot hours are saved. If a pilot is removed and later wishes to rejoin, their previously logged hours will be restored.

New Rank Structure

Rank restrictions will officially take effect starting March 1, 2026 at 12:00 AM ET. Ranks are based on total hours logged and transferred from Atlas.

  • 0–5 Hours: Encore First Officer (Dash 8-Q400 – WestJet Encore)
  • 5–20 Hours: Encore Captain (B737-700 WestJet, B737-800 Swoop)
  • 20–50 Hours: First Officer (B737-800 WestJet / Sunwing + all narrowbody codeshares)
  • 50+ Hours: Captain (B737-8 MAX, B787-9 + all widebody codeshares)

Mandatory Transition to Altitude

All pilots must transition to Altitude by February 14, 2026 at 12:00 AM ET. After this time, pilots who have not transitioned will be removed from the airline.

Additionally, all new PIREPs must be filed through Altitude. No new PIREPs will be accepted through Atlas after the transition deadline.

Access Altitude here: crew.westjetvirtual.ca

We thank all pilots for their cooperation during this transition and hope you enjoy Altitude as much as we enjoyed building it.