In a move that caused a media uproar: Canadian airline WestJet announced it would begin revamping some of its aircraft, including new non-reclining economy cabins and new first-class seats. The airline said this would help provide cheaper fares for some passengers. However, this trade-off comes at the expense of inclination for passengers…unless they’re willing to spend more.
While the airline is not the first low-cost carrier to introduce cheaper unbundled fares, it has been busy finding new ways to attract budget-conscious passengers. Non-reclinable seats are the latest example.
The airline claims it is simply trying to help passengers save money by offering newer, lower-cost fares.
One of WestJet’s signature experiences has always been its all-economy cabin, with seat pitch (that is, the distance between a fixed point on your seat and the same point on the seat in front of you) of just 30 inches (although this varies by aircraft and configuration).
The airline announced earlier this year that it would begin upgrading part of its fleet with new interior configurations. After the revamp, WestJet’s Boeing 737 MAX 8 and 737-800 aircraft will feature a new first-class cabin (called “Premium”) in addition to the more familiar economy cabin. For WestJet, the economy cabin will be available in two different seat configurations.
“Premium” cabin
First-class seats are located at the front of the plane and not only offer the most roominess and recline, they also come with power outlets, tablet holders, and snack and drink trays—just like most premium cabins on other airlines. The seats will be the same make and model currently used on WestJet’s Boeing 787-9 Dreamliners, providing a more consistent look and feel across the rest of the fleet.
Standard seat
Standard seats will provide passengers with the usual 30 inches of seat pitch, but starting with the new interior redesign, the seats will no longer have the additional recline; they will be in a fixed upright position. The airline claims that during user testing, some passengers said they preferred the fixed-recline seat option to avoid other passengers invading their personal space.
“Through our guest user testing, half said they preferred a fixed tilt angle to avoid being affected by other passengers encroaching on their space,” WestJet spokesperson Jennifer Booth told Nexstar in a released statement.
The airline believes this will lead to fewer onboard incidents or rows over tilting, as passengers can never seem to determine proper tilting etiquette. Of course, cynics will say this is just another way for airlines to make money.
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Standard seats are located at the back of the plane and become less spacious the farther away you are. Exit row seats are part of the standard seating options but offer more legroom.
Extended comfort
“Extended Comfort” seats, while still part of economy class, have a seat pitch of between 34 and 36 inches, allowing passengers to better stretch their legs in their own space. These seats also recline quite a bit, with a 2 to 4-inch incline. The Extended Comfort seats will be located at the front of the economy cabin, just behind the premium cabin. So, in addition to more space, passengers can board early while there is still room in the overhead bins and disembark before other seats in economy class.
Launch of new interiors
The first aircraft with the new cabin configuration is expected to enter service later in October. The airline hopes to reconfigure all 43 aircraft by early 2026. WestJet is a Canadian airline that operates most of its flights within Canada, but also flies to many destinations in the United States and Mexico as well as some locations in Central America and the Caribbean.
To identify which aircraft configuration will be on your flight when booking, WestJet designates flights with its older all-economy configuration as “economy only.” If you’ve purchased a flight and want to know what configuration you’ll see when you get on board, you can check the airline’s flight guide 72 hours before departure, read the check-in email 24 hours before departure, or find out when you check in.
reaction
As you can imagine, the reaction from passengers was decidedly mixed, with some saying passengers shouldn’t be tilting anyway, while others said they didn’t want to pay for something that was once free.
It remains to be seen whether long-term resistance will emerge. But one prominent airline analyst told TPG he doesn’t think the idea will work.
“Christmas is still two and a half months away, but WestJet is giving Air Canada an early holiday gift,” said Henry Harteveldt, industry analyst and president of Atmospheric Research Group. “This is one of, if not the dumbest, of all the stupid ideas I’ve seen airlines make in my career. I firmly believe WestJet’s decision will backfire quickly and severely. I urge airlines to abandon this reckless idea and look for ideas that actually attract, rather than repel, passengers.”
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