WestJet seating overhaul will take close to a year: CEO

After facing sharp backlash from travellers and employees, WestJet’s decision to bring back more spacious cabins may be good news for passengers, but the overhaul will take time.

Speaking to the Canadian Press on Friday (Jan. 16), WestJet’s CEO Alexis von Hoensbroech said the reinstallation process will likely be completed by year’s end.

"We saw that this was all trending in the wrong direction," von Hoensbroech told CP, referring to the blowback, which was reflected in surveys and sales. "It just didn't land the way we were anticipating...and that's why we're correcting it."

As previously reported, WestJet will abandon a new, densified seating layout that added an extra row to many aircraft, significantly reducing legroom for passengers.

READ MORE: WestJet reverses decision to cut legroom after customer feedback

Already installed on nearly two dozen of WestJet’s Boeing 737s, the fixed, non-reclining seats provided the tightest legroom of any major Canadian airline, with a seat pitch of just 28 inches.

The layout was slated for at least 20 additional planes — 43 in total, representing more than a quarter of the fleet — but attracted nationwide scrutiny after a TikTok video highlighting the cramped seating surpassed 1.1 million views.

Employees and passengers also cautioned that a tighter cabin compromised safety — especially during evacuations — and diminished the overall travel experience.

"They have to rebuild the brand”

WestJet has said the seating changes went through a full certification process. Transport Canada also says the modifications complied with federal regulations.

READ MORE: WestJet speeding up review of non-reclinable seats amid backlash

But WestJet will now reconfigure its densely-packed 180-seat aircraft to a 174-seat layout once regulatory approval is granted.

The costly shift back to how things were could bring trade-offs for customers, including slightly-higher fares due to the reduced number of seats.

John Gradek, an aviation management teacher at McGill University, says WestJet has work to do to repair its reputation.

"They have to rebuild the brand," he told CP. "The social media onslaught was amazing, and people were basically saying, ‘That's it, we're done with WestJet, we're walking.’”

WestJet’s fixed-recline seats were initially intended to improve affordability by offering travellers “options that fits every comfort and budget level,” the airline has said.

The tighter configuration also applied to aircraft inherited from former low-cost subsidiary Swoop, the recently-integrated Sunwing Airlines and Lynx Air, which ceased operations last year.

But the controversial seats have widely been viewed as a test of how far airlines can push paid add-ons.

While traditional adjustable economy seats remained available to customers, passengers had to pay an additional fee to select them.

WestJet pilots welcome reversal 

WestJet's pilots are applauding the decision to reconfigure the seats.

“Following the stated employee concerns and widespread public backlash, the decision by WestJet Airlines to stop their fleet configuration plan that included cramped, non-reclining economy seating and return to the previous standard of seating is welcome news for our flight crews and our passengers," said Captain Jacob Astin, chair of the ALPA WestJet Master Executive Council, in a statement. 

“Our union’s consistent advocacy—highlighting concerns such as reduced passenger comfort and operational impacts—played a key role in amplifying pilot, crew, and guest feedback that supported this reversal.

“This reversal by our employer also demonstrates the power of a united pilot voice in protecting WestJet’s brand and service standards ahead of our upcoming contract negotiations.”

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