Canada’s WestJet, Southwest Airlines’ latest airline partner, plans to launch a frequent flyer program in the second quarter of this year. The airline recently severed its ties with AIR MILES. The Globe and Mail reports that Sean Durfy, WestJet’s CEO, says, “It will be simple and easy to use. If you spend CA$1,500, you would get a certain percentage of value in a credit file.” Members could then use that amount on any flight at any time or on WestJet Vacations. “If you built up the file to have $600, you could use that $600 toward a flight. The real treat for most people who are acquiring points is free flights and vacations.”

Durfy also said that the airline is looking for more partnerships. “We want to have some announcements soon on codesharing agreements for implementation in 2010, depending on the complexity of them. They are the usual suspects that we’ve talked about–Air France, KLM, British Airways, Cathay Pacific.”