WestJet responds to viral video about “shrinking” legroom

A woman’s viral social media video showing her parents folded into two WestJet seats like carry-on luggage, with little leg room, has sparked online outrage, forcing the airline to respond to ongoing backlash to its new seating configuration.

In a Dec. 27 video filmed by a user named “amanda_rae.13,” the woman asks her father if he can straighten his legs, only for both parents to respond that it’s “impossible” as they awkwardly attempt to reposition themselves.

"New planes,” the woman says in the video. “Yeah, you have to pay for the other leg.”

The video, after circulating online, has now surpassed the one million-view mark – and travellers want answers.

Responding to X user “jrespoir6’s” request to explain the “shrinking seats,” WestJet acknowledged that the viral video was filmed on one of its newly-reconfigured aircraft, noting that a previous version of the plane had an all-economy layout.

“WestJet pioneered making air travel available to more Canadian[s], through our ability to keep costs low and to offer affordable airfares,” the airline wrote on X on Jan 6. “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.”

WestJet added that it has 21 aircraft in this configuration at this time.

“We are closely monitoring guest and employee feedback to assess the product’s performance, comfort and suitability, while ensuring our unwavering commitment to safety remains at the forefront of every decision we make,” the airline said, adding that the reconfiguration underwent “an extensive safety and certification process.”

“All modifications were completed in accordance with Transport Canada’s rigorous airworthiness standards and WestJet’s own high internal safety requirements,” the airline wrote.

In a thread of discussion, another X user, “shawnburgundy,” a frequent WestJet flyer, asked how customers can tell aircraft apart. In response, WestJet directed the user to review this flight guide when booking.

At any rate, the clip has sparked a nationwide discussion about airline legroom, passenger comfort, and whether airlines are prioritizing denser seating over travellers’ well-being.

A quick scan on social media shows widespread frustration among travellers, many of whom say air travel is becoming ever more cramped. The online reactions span from boycott calls to wider criticism of the industry’s shift toward denser seating.

Tighter seats, fixed recline

As previously reported, WestJet recently reconfigured parts of its Boeing 737 fleet, adding an extra row of seats and introducing slimmer seat designs to maximize capacity. 

With this came Standard Economy with a “fixed recline" (non-reclining seats). 

Space can vary from tighter seats at the rear to more generous legroom toward the front, with “upgraded” seats featuring a more dynamic design to maximize comfort.

The new layout allows WestJet to add an extra row of seating compared with the previous configuration. It was meant to improve affordability by offering travellers “options that fits every comfort and budget level,” the airline said at the time.

The plan applied to 43 Boeing 737s, including aircraft inherited from former low-cost subsidiary Swoop, the recently integrated Sunwing Airlines and Lynx Air, which ceased operations last year. Many of those planes did not previously feature a premium economy section.

Under the proposed layout, WestJet said it would add roughly a dozen premium seats and 36 extended comfort seats, alongside a larger number of lower-priced economy seats with reduced legroom. 

The airline, in a way, has integrated the pricing structure and experience of a low-cost carrier—such as Swoop—into one aircraft.

However, WestJet appears to have put the brakes on that strategy – at least for the time being.

As reported, the airline, in December, revealed that it will scale back from the 43 planes it originally planned to rework, pausing further installations of the new economy seats to collect feedback from guests and employees.

“We’re listening closely to feedback as we work to improve comfort and the overall travel experience,” WestJet wrote on X yesterday. “Your concerns matter to us.”

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