WestJet execs tried tight seats weeks before online backlash

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Just weeks before WestJet experienced viral online backlash for its cramped seating, a number of company executives personally tried out the new arrangement to see what the fuss was all about.

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Last November, WestJet CEO Alexis von Hoensbroech, along with five executives, the company chairman and union representatives, boarded a plane from Calgary bound for Toronto to try out the super-tight configuration in the back of the cabin of the Boeing 737 jet.

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The assignment was requested by union officials after the new seat configuration, which had less legroom compared to other economy seats, went viral with videos showing passengers sitting uncomfortably.

One of the viral videos was posted on TikTok by an Alberta woman, who showed her parents squeezing into the tight row of seats that left little to no room to move. It garnered 1.1 million views.

The online controversy questioned whether safety and comfort on narrower WestJet planes that can fit more passengers at lower fares came at the expense of the experience.

How was the experience for them?

Executives on board the plane acknowledged that the new seating arrangement “would present challenges” on longer or evening trips due to “limited comfort and mobility,” a union executive noted in a bulletin, as reported by Canadian Press.

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The bulletin also noted that the “configuration was generally acceptable” outside of longer flights by WestJet officials.

The company’s CEO said she “personally felt OK” in the cramp seat, noting the configuration is popular in many Europe and North American airlines.

“However, I understand it is subjective and many people may feel different, we are actively listening to this feedback,” von Hoensbroech told The Canadian Press.

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How are the seats configured?

WestJet announced last September that it would reconfigure seating on 43 of its Boeing 737 jets, adding one extra row and dividing the cabin into more tiers. Only 21 planes have been reconfigured so far.

Twelve of the 22 rows in the economy class have a 28-inch pitch, which is the distance between a point on the seat to the same point of the seat in front, cutting two inches of room compared to other carriers.

Also, the seats have a limited recline.

The changes allow for cheaper fares, WestJet said, with space coming at a premium price tag.

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Passengers and workers alike have been vocal, stating the changes negatively affect safety and customer experience.

The tight seats puts WestJet on par with other budget carriers such as Spirit Airlines, Frontier Airlines and Wizz Air.

No other Canadian airline has 28-inch pitch seats.

WestJet had paused installing the new configuration after backlash, but plans on resuming the operation this upcoming spring.

– With files from Canadian Press

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