NEED TO KNOW
- WestJet is reversing its controversial “densified seating” arrangement in select economy cabins
- The Canadian airline announced on Friday, Jan. 16, that the company would return to its prior seat maps on recently reconfigured aircrafts
- Videos on social media showing the reconfigured seating arrangement drew stark criticism
WestJet has decided to reverse course on implementing its controversial “densified seating” arrangement.
Last September, the Canadian airline announced “major” plans to reconfigure the cabins on the company’s previously all-economy Boeing 737-8 MAX and 737-800 aircraft. As part of the changes, the new “ultra slim-line seats” would offer enough room to add one additional row of seating.
However, on Friday, Jan. 16, the company announced it would abandon those plans.
“Following a review of operational data and feedback from guests and WestJetters, the airline will return to its prior standard seat pitch for economy cabins on these recently reconfigured aircraft by removing one row of seats,” the company said in a press release.
WestJet
According to the statement, WestJet had actually paused the reconfiguration effort back in December 2025 and “planned to finalize its evaluation of the new interior layout mid-February.” However, the company “has now accelerated the review to address feedback and provide clarity sooner.”
The criticism of “densified seating” surfaced on social media, including a
“>▶ عرض المحتوى المضمّن
by user Amanda Schmidt. In the clip, Schmidt’s father struggles to fit in his economy-class seat. The video has since garnered over 1 million views and thousands of comments criticizing the airline.
“If they’re selling a seat for a human, it should fit a human,” Schmidt told CBS News. “It’s inhumane, basically, to make people travel like this.”
Andrew Chin/Getty
“WestJet tried seat pitches that are popular with many airlines around the globe as they serve to provide affordable airfares,” Alexis von Hoensbroech, WestJet Group CEO, said in the press release. “At the same time, it is just as important to react quickly if they don’t meet the needs of our guests.”
CUPE 8125 — a labor union located in Calgary, Alberta, which represents over 4,700 cabin crew members at WestJet and its regional subsidiary Encore — celebrated the decision. Alia Hussain, CUPE 8125 WestJet component president, said cabin crew members were often on the receiving end of frustration caused by the new seat configuration.
“Our members have been telling us very clearly that these reconfigured aircraft led to increased tensions onboard, frequent escalated interactions with guests, and significant physical and emotional strain,” Hussain said in a press release.
“We remain hopeful that this signals a shift toward a collaborative dialogue going forward,” she added. “When frontline realities are taken seriously, everyone benefits: the operation, the guest, and the workforce.”
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According to the CBCfederal safety regulations in Canada do not specify a minimum seat pitch — the space between seats.
WestJet currently flies to 19 U.S. states, plus Washington D.C., and Puerto Rico, per the company’s website.
Disclaimer: This news article has been republished exactly as it appeared on its original source, without any modification.
We do not take any responsibility for its content, which remains solely the responsibility of the original publisher.
Disclaimer: This news article has been republished exactly as it appeared on its original source, without any modification.
We do not take any responsibility for its content, which remains solely the responsibility of the original publisher.
Author: uaetodaynews
Published on: 2026-01-19 21:39:00
Source: uaetodaynews.com