WestJet recently announced their decision to reverse their plans after introducing a new seating configuration on select Boeing 737-800 and 737 MAX 8. The new configuration introduced a decreased legroom which had a huge impact on the passenger comfort and several videos of passengers struggling went viral on social media.
What Changes Did WestJet Bring About In Their Retrofit Cabin?
The Canadian Airline, WestJet rolled out a new seating configuration since late October 2025 in an effort to increase their seating capacity in their Boeing 737-800 and 737 MAX 8 fleet. The aircraft which originally had 174 seats was fitted with an additional row taking the overall seating capacity of the aircraft to 180. As stated by WestJet Group Chief Executive Officer, it was en effort to try a new product to make air travel more affordable among the masses.
“WestJet tried seat pitches that are popular with many airlines around the globe as they serve to provide affordable airfares. As an entrepreneurial airline founded on making air travel affordable to Canadians, it’s in our DNA to try new products. At the same time, it is just as important to react quickly if they don’t meet the needs of our guests,”explained CEO Alexis von Hoensbroech.
This new seating had an overall impact on the Economy passengers with Rows 21-31 having only 28 inches of legroom that led to a large number of complaints about the lack of space and discomfort by frequent travelers. It has been reported that flight attendants and the crew had also reported it to the management after rising escalated situations with passengers. Along with new configuration, concerns about the recline in the seats were also raised by customers as only the first six rows featured a reclining function whereas the others had no provision to recline.
What is WestJet’s Next Course of Action After the Backlash
Several videos went viral on the internet which showed passengers struggling with the legroom in the new retrofitted cabins. About two months after rolling out the new configuration, WestJet released a statement about their decision to reverse the new setting of seats and announced that they will be removing the extra row that includes six seats altogether after customer feedback.
“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,” read the official statement from the company
WestJet will be returning to their 174 set layouts however, the timelines for the same is yet to be officially released by the company.
