This is a heads-up before you take your next flight: WestJet might consider your jacket or coat a personal item.
Last year, the Calgary-based carrier confirmed to Daily Hive through a direct message on social media that if you aren’t wearing it, your coat could count toward your personal item allowance.
“Guests can only have one carry-on and one personal item,” read WestJet’s message.
Under the company’s carry-on baggage policy, personal clothing items like jackets, coats, and umbrellas can be considered additional items that don’t count toward the carry-on allowance.
Waiting to board and @WestJet staff just announced that a -jacket- counts as a personal carry on item.
So, if you’ve dressed for the weather and have a backpack on you, that’s going to be an issue. 🙄
— Shifrah Gadamsetti (@GettinShifDone) November 24, 2023
However, a spokesperson with WestJet told Daily Hive in an emailed statement that cabin crew members or flight attendants may ask guests not to place jackets in the overhead bins to ensure everyone’s bags can fit.
The carrier’s carry-on policy states, “Guests can bring one item of carry-on baggage and one personal item for no fee on WestJet and WestJet Encore flights.”
All carry-on items must meet the size requirements: a maximum of 53 cm x 23 cm x 38 cm for a carry-on bag and 41 cm x 15 cm x 33 cm for personal items.
If you have a carry-on, don’t forget to put on your coat or jacket before you get to the counter.
This article was originally published on November 24, 2023. It has since been updated.