‘Very unfair’: Kelowna travel agent reacts to uproar over WestJet’s new cramped cabins

Uproar over WestJet seats

Photo: amanda_rae.13 / TikTok

A video of WestJet’s new cramped cabins has taken off on TikTok

If you’ve ever felt like a sardine in a tin can while flying at 30,000 feet, you aren’t alone—but one WestJet passenger has the internet asking if the “tin” has finally become too small.

Last September, WestJet announced it would reconfigure 43 of its Boeing 737-8 MAX and 737-800 planes, adding an extra row of seats and introducing seats that do not recline, a move the airline claims is necessary to keep fares low.

A viral video with over a million views is putting WestJet in the hot seat after a passenger showed himself unable to fit in one of their newly reconfigured cabins.

A WestJet spokesperson responded to our request for comment, saying they want to make air travel available to more Canadians by keeping costs low.

“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. These pitches are in line with what you’ll find across North American airlines,” says WestJet spokesperson Julia Kaiser.

Most airlines have a seat pitch in the 30 to 32 inch range, making WestJet’s low of 28 inches below most aircraft. Air Canada’s smallest seat pitch on the Boeing 737-8 MAX is 29 inches.

WestJet has 21 aircraft in the new configuration at this time.

Kaiser says they are closely monitoring guest and employee feedback, but says the reconfigured aircraft underwent an extensive safety and certification process.

‘That’s very unfair’

Jodi MacDonald, managing partner of Uniglobe Direct Travel in Kelowna, has a hard time recommending the new seats to her customers.

“Our agency will be celebrating 30 years in business in Kelowna this year. We do not sell those basic fares to our clients at all. It’s just doing them a disservice,” says MacDonald.

MacDonald says the airline appears to be prioritizing cost-cutting over customer service,

“It’s scary. It’s beyond what I think is of value to any client that’s purchasing a ticket with them at the moment. How would a customer just booking online be able to differentiate which aircraft they are flying? They could possibly be stuck in these seats?”

MacDonald feels WestJet is putting the onus on the passenger to look at the seat map before booking, “that’s very unfair.”

When buying an economy ticket, WestJet says different rows offer varying levels of leg space. The back of the cabin, rows 20 to 31 offer the least, while the middle of the cabin in rows 15 to 19 offer “a bit more space.” Toward the front of the cabin, rows 10 to 12, is the most space.

WestJet briefly hit the pause button on the reconfiguration back in December, but have since signalled they will be resuming work to convert up to half its fleet this spring.