WestJet

Perhaps WestJet Airlines follows the Southwest Airlines business model while soaring over Canada -- and beyond -- because so many Canadians are fond of flying south and west out of the cold. Many of the low-fare carrier's approximately 95 destinations lie in Canada, but even more are scattered around the US (especially the Sunbelt and Hawaii), the Caribbean, and Mexico. WestJet operates a fleet of about 90 Boeing 737s that feature live seatback satellite TV (from BCE's Bell ExpressVu). Most of its destinations outside Canada are vacation spots, and subsidiary WestJet Vacations allows customers to book hotel accommodations along with their airline tickets. WestJet was founded in 1996.