WestJet reversing move to install tight seating layout
In the wake of a backlash sparked by a viral video, WestJet has cancelled a new seat configuration that squeezed an extra row on board many of its planes and left passengers with less legroom.
In a major about-face, the country’s second-largest carrier announced on Friday it would return the cabins to a more spacious layout — a pricey reinstallation process — after harsh feedback from travellers and employees.
In a phone interview from Calgary, CEO Alexis von Hoensbroech said he made the final call when the blowback began to show up in surveys and sales figures.
“We saw that this was all trending in the wrong direction,” he said of data on customer loyalty and guest satisfaction.
“It just didn’t land the way we were anticipating … and that’s why we’re correcting it.”
The overhaul will likely be completed by year’s end, he said.
WestJet has reversed its cramped new seating plans after a widespread consumer backlash, triggered in part by a viral social media video showing a family struggling to even fit into their seats.
Already installed on nearly two-dozen of WestJet’s Boeing 737s, the non-reclining seats in a majority of the cabin’s economy section featured the smallest amount of legroom on any large Canadian carrier.
The configuration, which had been planned for at least 20 more aircraft — 43 all told, or more than a quarter of the jet fleet — went on to draw national attention after a TikTok video showing the tight fit for passengers drew more than 1.1 million views.
Staff and travellers warned that the cramped cabin curtailed safety, particularly in the event of an evacuation, and hurt the customer experience.
WestJet has pointed out that the reconfiguration underwent a full certification process.
It plans to convert all of its tight-packed 180-seat jets to a 174-seat layout after receiving regulatory certification.
Fares could rise
The change could come with trade-offs for travellers, including a slight uptick in fares owing to the lower chair count.
“It sucks to have to pay more to fit into a seat. I get that. But also some people are just not well off financially enough to be able to afford more, and if they can have that cheaper option, why not?” said Andrew D’Amours, founder of flight deal site Flytrippers.
“But it is certainly very, very tiny.”
Whatever the effect on fares, the decision marks a direct response to customer feedback — and bad publicity.
“It’s one of the rare occasions where people’s voices and opinions have an actual impact on how airlines treat us,” D’Amours said.
Still, a push to win back disillusioned travellers could prove difficult.
“I’m still not convinced they won’t just start charging us a carry-on fee for our legs,” said Edmonton-based radio host Courtney Theriault in a social media post Friday, alluding to a quip in the viral video.
John Gradek, who teaches aviation management at McGill…
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