After returning from Mexico to Edmonton, Mahala Swisterski and her husband were relieved to notice a difference in the seating arrangements as they boarded the plane. Swisterski observed that the legroom on the flight to Mexico was significantly less comfortable, requiring her to sit with her legs angled and feet tucked under, despite being five-foot-eight. She took note of the reduced legroom on the reconfigured seats under WestJet’s new seating plan, which has been temporarily halted due to public backlash.
Swisterski found her return flight to be much more comfortable, estimating a few inches of extra legroom compared to her previous flight, both of which were on Boeing 737 Max 8 planes. WestJet introduced the new seating layout in September, offering premium reclining seats at an additional cost, followed by extended comfort seats with more legroom, and standard seating with varying space.
By mid-December, WestJet had reconfigured approximately half of its all-economy fleet, pausing further changes during the busy winter travel season. The airline plans to resume the seating overhaul in the spring after evaluating customer feedback and operational performance. WestJet also highlighted that about half of its customers prefer fixed recline seating to avoid interference from other passengers reclining.
The Canadian Union of Public Employees expressed concerns regarding the impact of the new seating on passengers with mobility issues and potential guest frustrations. While some passengers criticized the seating changes as another instance of airlines charging for upgrades, aviation analyst John Gradek emphasized that ancillary fees are lucrative for airlines.
Gradek noted that without the entire fleet reconfigured, passengers may face uncertainty when booking tickets, as different planes with varying seating configurations could be deployed. Air passenger rights advocate Gábor Lukács highlighted the lack of regulations stipulating minimum legroom requirements, emphasizing that airlines are only obligated to provide seats that passengers can fit into comfortably.
Swisterski, although pleased with WestJet’s pause on the seating overhaul, expressed reluctance to fly with the airline again, considering canceling her WestJet credit card. She criticized the notion that premium seating is necessary for comfort during flights, reflecting sentiments shared by others dissatisfied with the trend of airlines charging for enhanced services.