As It Happens5:44WestJet will charge more for reclining seats on some flights. This expert calls it a ‘cash grab’
If you want to recline your seat and catch a little shut-eye on your next WestJet flight, you may have to pay more for the privilege.
The airline has announced it’s reconfiguring its 43 Boeing 737-8 MAX and 737-800 aircraft to offer a “refreshed range of seating options.”
Regular economy seats will have a “fixed recline design,” which means won’t be able to put your seat back — unless you upgrade to a better seat.
WestJet says the new design saves space and “caters to our guests’ diverse preferences” while keeping rates affordable for those who just want the basics.
Others have a more cynical take.
“I would say it is a cash grab,” John Gradek, a faculty lecturer in supply networks and aviation management at Montreal’s McGill University, told As It Happens host Nil Kӧksal.
“They’re trying to somehow, some way, you know, create another echelon of service that would allow them to charge more.”
Here’s how it works
Currently, all of WestJet’s seats on its 737-8 MAX and 737-800 aircraft are economy fare, and the vast majority can recline.
Under the new design, according to a WestJet press release, the cabin will include a new “premium” section at the front with 12 seats that have “ergonomically contoured seat cushions, reclining seat backs and a large headrest with four-way adjustment capability.”
Behind that will be an expanded “extended comfort” section with 36 reclining seats that have more legroom than those in economy.
Behind that, separated by a divider, will be the economy section with no additional legroom, and no reclining seats.
“WestJet has always been a pioneer in making air travel available to more Canadians, largely through our ability to keep costs low and to offer affordable airfares,” a company spokesperson said in an email.
“To continue to do so, we need to be willing to try new products and see how they work for Canadians.”
WestJet is reconfiguring the layout in many of its planes removing the option for many economy passengers to recline their seats. Instead, the airline will add a premium cabin section to some currently economy-only planes which will allow some seats to recline.
Gradek says it’s already common on international budget airlines to have non-reclining seats. But in the Canadian market, reclining chairs have always been a standard feature, even in the cheap seats.
“The imagination of airline marketers never stops to astound me,” he said. “The depths they will go through kind of give people an impression that if I pay more, I get more. But, you know, right now, it’s like you pay more to get what you had.”
Passengers are divided
While nobody likes to pay the same for less, the etiquette of seat reclining is already a controversial topic. In fact, WestJet says the changes are based on its own audience feedback.
“Through our guest user testing, half indicated they preferred a fixed recline, to avoid feeling impacted by other guests encroaching upon their space,” the company said.
Those differing opinions were on display this weekend at the Vancouver International Airport, where passengers weighed in on the new policy.
Lissa Barek, 17, had just flown all the way from France, and for a significant chunk of that time, she says the man in front of her was leaning back so far he was practically in her lap.
“I was not OK with that,” she said.
But while she doesn’t love being reclined upon, she admits that on a long flight, it’s nice to have the option to lay back yourself. And with travel costs skyrocketing, she says she can’t condone yet another new fee.
Kyle Kuchma of Calgary, a regular recliner himself, was more blunt.
“I think it’s kind of gouging,” he said. “I don’t think it’s really fair.”
Traveller Albert McFadyen, meanwhile, says it makes sense to him that you pay more to get more, and he’s happy to do so.
“Any time you can improve your comfort on any plane, it’s well worth your while,” he said. “Why wouldn’t I pay for that?”
Passenger rights advocate Gábor Lukács says he doesn’t have a problem with WestJet charging more for more comfortable seats.
“As a consumer, I may perhaps like to recline,” he said. “At the same time, my concern is primarily about passenger rights, not passenger comfort.”
But he says it could become an issue if taller or larger passengers are forced to pay more just to get a seat they fit in.
“Comfort is a choice. Accommodating your physical size is part of transporting a passenger,” he said.
Lukács says if passengers don’t know their rights, they may simply do the easy thing and pay more for what should be a guaranteed accommodation.
WestJet says anyone who requires additional consideration should call the airline when they book.
Gradek, meanwhile, says this is just the latest in a long list of airline services that used to be free and now cost extra, like hot meals and checked baggage.
“Canadians are used to this tactic,” he said. “The question is going to be … how far do you go? And at what point do we say uncle?”
