Flights can be cramped at the best of times, with a reclining seat often the only way to get comfortable and avoid a tray table digging into your chest. But for one airline, that piece of respite may now come at a price after it announced the reclining will be reserved only for more costly premium seats. Canadian airline WestJet announced the move as it undergoes a major “reconfiguration” of its Boeing 737 8 Max and 737-800 aircraft, which were previously economy seating only.
To enjoy a reclining seat on the new planes, passengers will need to book a Premium or “Extended Comfort” seat, at an extra cost that could range from around $50 to hundreds of dollars on longer flights. WestJet says the decision is part of a wider plan to offer “more choice” to customers, depending on their budget and needs, and to create a “cohesive look and feel” across all of its aircraft.
In addition to the new upright chairs, there will be a new “Extended Comfort section”, with options for extra leg room and a more comfortable chair, or what it calls an “ergonomically designed contoured bottom and back cushion”.
Speaking to People, a WestJet spokesperson said: ”Through our guest user testing, half indicated they preferred a fixed recline, to avoid feeling impacted by other passengers encroaching upon their space.”
Several planes in the fleet are undergoing a reconfiguration to make room for some extra seats, more passengers, and their new, more premium business-class style cabins.
The stuck seats won’t be the whole WestJet fleet, instead making up around one-third of their planes, which will mostly be aircraft it acquired from the now disbanded Swoop, Lynx and Sunwing airlines.
WestJet’s executive vice-president and chief experience officer, Samantha Taylor, added: “The layout for our refreshed cabin caters to our guests’ diverse preferences.
“Whether they opt for premium seating with extra amenities and legroom or for more affordable ticket prices with less space, we’re excited to introduce this range of products for our guests to enjoy.”
Speaking on Canada’s CBC, John Gradek, a faculty lecturer in supply networks and aviation management at Montreal’s McGill University, labelled the move a “cash grab”.
“They’re trying to somehow, some way, you know, create another echelon of service that would allow them to charge more,” Mr Gradek said.
“The imagination of airline marketers never stops to astound me,” he added. “The depths they will go through kind of give people the impression that if I pay more, I get more. But, you know, right now, it’s like you pay more to get what you had.”