On Monday, WestJet announced its two new reward programs: the WestJet Credit Card Program and the WestJet Frequent Guest Program.

Partnering up with Royal Bank and MasterCard, the WestJet Credit Card Program enables card holders to obtain “WestJet Dollars” with every purchase they make with the credit card. These dollars can then be used as cash (rather than points) toward flights and vacation packages.

The second reward program is geared toward people who fly with the airline on a consistent basis. The WestJet Frequent Guest Program earns the member WestJet dollars when the purchase airfare. The more you purchase per year, the more WestJet dollars you earn.

The programs take a different approach to rewarding its customers. Other reward programs offer points rather than “dollars”, meaning the customer must accumulate so many points to redeem a flight. So it will be interesting to see how WestJet’s model is accepted by Canadians, and if other airlines follow suit.

You can learn more about the programs here at WestJet’s website.