WestJet says cutting legroom on some of its aircraft helps “keep costs low,” following criticism over a video clip shared widely online that appears to show passengers pressed into a cramped seats on what the airline says is of “one of our newly reconfigured aircraft.”
In the video originally posted on TikTok and since shared widely on multiple social media platforms, two passengers are seen struggling to fit their legs and knees in the space of their seat while pressed into the back of the chair in front of them.
It comes after WestJet had previously announced it would remove the option to recline seats on some of its seats, then paused further installation over blowback.
“The video shared is of one of our newly reconfigured aircraft. Previously, this aircraft operated with an all-economy cabin layout,” WestJet said in a statement posted to social media.
“WestJet pioneered making air travel available to more Canadian, through our ability to keep costs low and to offer affordable airfares – to continue to do so, we need to try new products, these aircraft accommodate an extra row by varying seat pitch between 38 and 28 inches,” the airline said.
The airline says that is ” in line with what you’ll find across North American airlines” and that “all modifications were completed in accordance with Transport Canada’s rigorous airworthiness standards and WestJet’s own high internal safety requirements.”
The WestJet component of the Canadian Union of Public Employees last year launched a campaign called ‘UltraExtraBasic’ — a play on WestJet’s Ultra Basic fare — adding that flight attendants continue to do unpaid work while passengers suffer a bad flying experience.
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“WestJest has taken away ‘perks’ from their flights. You’re now left with no seat selection, no checked bag, no flexibility. But what you might not realize is that your flight attendants are stuck in their own hellish experience,” the union says on its website.
“While you’re navigating the ultra basic guest experience, your crew is navigating an ultra basic work experience. It’s a race to the bottom and everyone loses, except the billionaires,” the union says.
Last month, WestJet paused the move to install non-reclining seats on a big slice of its fleet after pushback from employees and passengers.
The airline announced in September it would reconfigure the seating on 43 Boeing 737 jets to install an extra row and divide the cabin into several tiers, some with more space — and pricier tickets — than others.
Many of the economy seats would have less legroom than the previous layout and feature what WestJet called a “fixed recline design,” meaning they could not be tilted back.
In an internal memo obtained by The Canadian Press, WestJet vice-president Robert Antoniuk told staff that the new configuration will only go ahead on 22 planes “for the time being,” with 21 of those already sporting the tighter interior.
In the meantime, the Calgary-based company will conduct a review and “continue to gather feedback from guests and employees,” he said in the message.
–with files from Canadian Press
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