Celebrating Winglet Wednesday

Waving goodbye to the sun Miami, FL January 2011 Please click photo to embiggen Please click here for more in-the-foreground Thematic

WestJet is a delightfully successful Canadian airline that seems to do both the big stuff and the small stuff with more panache than virtually any other modern-era airline. Considering how reviled most airlines have become, it's quite a pleasant surprise to see how many folks really enjoy flying with WestJet.

They fly Next-Generation Boeing 737s. If you're an AvGeek, you know that these planes, with the exception of some older -600s, come with winglets. These wingtip extensions don't just look neat. They reduce turbulence and drag, which improves aerodynamic performance and, consequently, fuel economy.

An additional benefit is easy to see here: it's a great surface for branding. And WestJet has done a nice job making its logo easily visible to all passengers. They've also created something called Winglet Wednesdays, where they invite passengers to share their winglet-themed pics with them every week. Maybe I should drop this one into the mix.

Your turn: I think that boat down there wants to race the plane. Who wins?

One more thing - okay, actually, two:

1. For more In The Foreground-themed Thematic, click here.
2. Winglet Wednesday resources:

• Facebook page
• Flickr group
• @WestJet Twitter handle
• Boeing Randy's Journal blog entry.