WestJet is being criticized for a reconfiguration of some of its planes, which gives some seats less legroom and a non-reclining backrest.Jeff McIntosh/The Canadian Press
Canadians griping about the new configuration of some WestJet planes, which cram even more seats onto its aircraft by pillaging legroom from its lowest-paying customers, have failed to consider that certain people actually benefit from these layouts.
Okay – maybe “benefit” is the wrong word, since the cost for a seat in these densely packed rows isn’t getting cheaper; instead, passengers will have to pay more to sit in rows that actually accommodate adult-sized humans. But never mind. Many are forgetting that there are Canadians for whom this layout is perfectly well-suited: Namely, above-the-knee amputees, toddlers whose feet don’t reach the end of the seat, and people who hate themselves and seek physical pain to mollify their deep internal unrest.
WestJet staff, passengers raise concerns over cramped seats after video goes viral
This new configuration – which features backrests that do not recline and a meagre 28 inches between seats – was announced back in September, but it didn’t really capture the public’s attention until December, when an Alberta woman posted a video on TikTok of her parents attempting to fit their legs into the space afforded them on their flight. The video showed that the couple could only extend their legs under the seats in front of them with great discomfort and difficulty (or not at all), since there was barely enough room in their own row to bend their knees (indeed, the ability to comfortably bend your extremities is now considered a premium comfort on WestJet flights).
The Canadian Press reported last week that WestJet executives had actually tested out the seats themselves a few weeks prior, undergoing a social experiment that challenged them to exist as their customers for an extended period of time. (Wow, people actually eat this food?! How delightfully common!) The executives acknowledged “that the seating configuration would present challenges” on long-haul and overnight flights according to a memo, but that the configuration was otherwise acceptable. It is unclear whether the WestJet executives have since changed their minds, mostly because they are reportedly still stuck on that same plane, trying to pull their legs out from the seats in front of them.
Advocates have raised concerns about both the accessibility and safety of the new configurations (which WestJet says will be limited to 22 planes, for now), since passengers may experience difficulty getting up to go to the bathroom, or exiting promptly in the event of an emergency evacuation. But the former will not be an issue when and if WestJet reserves bathroom access to upper-tier fliers only. Until then, UltraBasic passengers on flights may opt to line their seats with incontinence pads, which, based on the level of cushioning currently available on WestJet seats, might actually make their in-flight experience more comfortable. And while it is true that passengers might have a hard time exiting their rows during an emergency evacuation, it is important to remember that even the cheapskates still get free pretzels, which seems like a pretty good exchange overall.
WestJet pauses plan to install non-reclining seats after pushback
WestJet has made this change, which now allows for up to 180 seats on a single plane, because it is one of the two airlines that constitute Canada’s airspace duopoly. Or in other words: Because it can. Though Air Canada and WestJet’s dominance of the Canadian market has waned slightly in recent years, they still control between 56 and 78 per cent of domestic traffic at major airports across the country.
In June, the Competition Bureau released a report recommending a variety of measures to encourage competition in the industry, including allowing more foreign investment in Canadian airlines (it is currently capped at 49 per cent) and creating a new class of airline that only operates domestically but may be entirely foreign-owned. These sorts of recommendations will not be politically popular in our current “Elbows Up” era, but not being able to stretch your legs even slightly for seven hours isn’t particularly popular either. Nevertheless, officials from Transport Canada have not indicated a willingness to entertain either option, perhaps because they are busy stalling measures to make airlines pay for passenger complaints. Or maybe they are stuck on those newly configured WestJet planes, too.
Canadians, thus, get to enjoy all the features of ultra-low-cost carriers – no carry-on-luggage, less leg room, non-reclining seats, the inability to choose your seat, and that distinct yet intangible air of disdain for its customer – without the ultra-low-cost fare. It’s the worst of everything, just for you, dear Canadian, because you basically don’t have any other choice. But if you are a toddler (though, importantly, a toddler who is not flying in a car seat, which likely won’t fit in the new rows anyway), none of this will matter to you: Your legs don’t need to bend, you got free pretzels, and you’re probably already wearing a diaper. Thank you for flying WestJet.