I’m moving to Calgary this weekend. The rest of the family will join after Chuck pops in to the world.

In between then and now there will be many visits to YVR and YYC. After Chuck is born and the family moves, there will still be many airport stops as my in-laws from Hamilton and my parents from White Rock will want to come out and see the baby and help our transition.

Christmas is a hectic time to move, but these airport visits make the PERFECT Christmas gift: plane tickets for the grandparents!! Except you can’t buy gift certificates for WestJet.

It seems odd to me. I’ve received travel vouchers worth a dollar amount after being bumped from flights before, so I asked @WestJet on Twitter why I can’t buy them.

@buzzbishop Disappointed @westjet doesn’t offer gift cards. Would love to get grandparents vouchers to visit us in Calgary for Christmas. AC is out too.

These are the direct messages I received back.

@buzzbishop: But I can use save on foods points to get vouchers. Why not buy gc’s?! I want to give you money. Let me!

@WestJet: We would like your money too It has to do with Travel Banks: http://www.westjet.com/guest/en/help/travelBankFAQs.shtml

@WestJet: Previously gift certificates were like a reservation with no itinerary. Pay money, and deduct money, only able to be used by calling us

@WestJet: now TravelBanks are housed within a guest profile, which is unique to one person, and able to be used online. It’s a plus, but we need to..

@WestJet: organize a ‘legal’ way to be able to credit someone else’s travel bank without overstepping privacy act regulations, etc.

@WestJet: I hope that makes sense. 140 characters is too short sometimes.

That said, there is a workaround.

Have 42 000 Save On More points? You can cash them in for a $100 WestJet voucher, but you can’t buy that same voucher with your cash. Heck, you can even cash in 10 000 Save On More points and get $25 off a $100 WestJet voucher.

Other tweeps suggested getting Visa gift cards or buying them the tickets outright for specific travel dates.

@WestJet didn’t make my problem go away, but gets big brownie points for answering my Twitter queries within minutes. +1!

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Tags: calgary, save on foods, save on more, travel bank, vancouver, voucher, westjet