WestJet Airlines is expediting a review of its non-adjustable economy seats this week, after highly publicised backlash from passengers complaining about a lack of legroom, according to a message to staff seen by Reuters.
Backlash Prompts Accelerated Review
A faculty lecturer in supply networks and aviation management at McGill University, John Gradek, told Global News:
“This is a cash grab by WestJet – pure and simple. These efforts are there to maximise revenue for the airline.”
Chief Experience Officer of WestJet Airlines, Samantha Taylor, let her employees know in an email on Monday that WestJet had been reviewing passenger feedback and data to find a solution regarding how to proceed further over the rollout of more seats on its aircraft.
Samantha Taylor, wrote to her employees:
“While we originally planned to make a decision in February, we’re now working to speed that up and come to an aligned plan forward as soon as next week.”
It is not yet clear what decision WestJet will take regarding the reconfigured seats, which are set in a fixed-reclining position.
WestJet paused the roll out of the reconfigured seats after videos of passengers with cramped legs arrived on social media in January.
Samantha thanked the carrier frontline teams, including cabin crew of WestJet Airlines for managing guests frustration for seating arrangements.
Seat Rollout, Staff Concerns and Regulatory Response
WestJet rolled out the seats last year on some of its Boeing 737-8 and 737-800 planes which reduced the space between the rows to 28 inches to create an extra row of seating and divide the cabin into several tiers, some with more space and therefore pricier tickets than others. This meant asking passengers to pay more for the available adjustable economy seats.
The pilots and flight attendants of the airline also pushed back against the new configuration as they feared the impact on health and safety.
According to a union memo seen by Reuters, WestJet CEO Alexis von Hoensbroech and other executives from the airline had tried the new seats during a November flight from Calgary to Toronto.
The memo said that Hoensbroech offered to take the middle seat so that he could experience the full extent of the cabin configuration.
Nevertheless, Regulator Transport Canada said WestJet’s seat modifications are “compliant with federal regulations”.
In another internal memo, WestJet vice-president Robert Antoniuk told staff that the new configurations would only go ahead on 22 planes for the time being, with 21 of those already having a tighter interior.
Have you ever travelled in WestJet’s new fixed-reclining position seat? What was your experience like? Let us know in the comments.
