Earlier this week, WestJet introduced that it has accomplished the all-economy cabin refresh throughout its former Swoop and Sunwing plane. Broadly talking, the commerce press has handled it as an unambiguous win: new Wi-Fi, upgraded Premium seating, an expanded Prolonged Consolation cabin, and a repair for the legroom fiasco that made headlines again in early 2026.
It is value noting that the majority of that framing is truthful, particularly relating to the selfless good deed of giving of us in financial system a few inches of legroom again. Nonetheless, the protection is lacking an vital half that might truly have an effect on how you’re feeling three hours right into a six-hour flight.
Whereas the cabin refresh means you’ll be able to now not get Swooped, your seat nonetheless will not recline, no less than should you’re flying in many of the financial system cabin.
WestJet’s Reversal Fastened Pitch, Stored Fastened Recline
Again in September 2025, WestJet introduced that it will reconfigure its former all-economy Swoop and Sunwing 737-800s to carry them in step with the broader fleet.
A part of this reconfiguration meant including an additional row of seats to make for a denser financial system cabin. The unique plan was for 180 seats, with ultra-slimline seating within the again rows at a 28-inch pitch, completely mounted in place with no recline in any respect. WestJet referred to as it a “mounted recline” at 1.5cm, which is simply one other means of claiming that you simply get a seat that does not recline.
For what it is value, WestJet’s press launch claimed that the ultra-slimline seats allowed for one more whole row of seats to be put in, subsequently providing a diminished value per seat. My tackle that’s that taking 2 inches of legroom away from a lot of the financial system cabin additionally contributed to the addition of one other row and some extra rows of Prolonged Consolation.
Apparently, the press launch additionally shared that the seats had been examined by WestJet Rewards members and workers in 2023, and their suggestions was included to “assist form rollout, coaching and preparation for the launch.” I might have liked to be part of that course of.
As soon as the cabin went dwell within the skies, the backlash was quick and loud. A TikTok displaying a passenger’s knees jammed into the seat-back in entrance of them picked up over one million views, and flight attendants and pilots raised security considerations about evacuation in a cabin that cramped.
As a consequence of public outcry, WestJet reversed course in February, and by all accounts, they moved rapidly because it’s now full. The additional row got here out, the cabins went again to 174 seats, and pitch in Normal and Most well-liked financial system seats was restored to a modest 30 inches.
That is the half everybody’s reporting on this week because the milestone: the repair is completed, all of the affected plane are up to date, transfer alongside now.
Nonetheless, what did not get reversed course on is the fixed-recline seats. The brand new seat mannequin WestJet put in throughout Normal and Most well-liked financial system is similar design from the unique controversial plan – they only gave it a bit extra room to be mounted in.
With the brand new configuration, 21/27 rows in financial system have seats that do not recline. In different phrases, should you aren’t in Premium or an Prolonged Consolation seat, the place your seat is in whenever you board is the one which will probably be in all through the flight.
This Is not Only a Swoop Hand-Me-Down Downside
The preliminary intuition right here is to deal with this as a quirk of the ex-Swoop and ex-Sunwing planes which are changing into civilized. That is not fairly proper, and I believe it misses what’s taking place subsequent.
WestJet has described the all-economy refresh as a part of its effort to “unify” its narrow-body fleet. Certainly, that is simply the beginning.
Beginning this September, WestJet begins refurbishing its legacy 737-800 fleet – the plane that had been all the time mainline WestJet, by no means Swoop or Sunwing – with the identical cabin normal, a course of anticipated to wrap by the tip of 2027.
WestJet’s legacy financial system seats on these soon-to-be-spruced-up plane at the moment recline about 5 centimetres. Beneath the brand new normal, that turns into a “mounted recline” at roughly 1.5 centimetres, no less than to the Most well-liked and Normal financial system seats.
In different phrases, the fixed-recline seat design is changing into the usual WestJet financial system seat.
After all, the principle exception right here is Prolonged Consolation seats, which retains real recline (8 cm) as a paid upsell for folk in financial system. Everybody else in financial system is trending towards the identical exhausting product, no matter which airline their plane initially belonged to.
Here is a breakdown of what of us who fly WestJet can anticipate throughout the whole narrow-body fleet as soon as the reconfiguration is full.
| Cabin | Seats | Recline | Pitch | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Premium | 12 (3 rows of 2×2) | 13 cm | 38 inches | Positioned on the entrance of the plane |
| Prolonged Consolation | 36 (6 rows of 3×3) | 8 cm | 34 inches | Situated simply behind Premium on the entrance of the financial system cabin |
| Normal Economic system | The rest of financial system cabin | N/A | 30 inches (restored from 28 inches) | Consists of “Most well-liked Economic system,” which is the equivalent seat, simply additional ahead. Exit row seats have 38 inches of pitch |
How Is WestJet’s New No-Recline Economic system Seat?
This 12 months, I’ve had an opportunity to present WestJet’s new no-recline financial system seats a strive on a number of events.
Importantly, I ought to notice that these have been on comparatively quick flights of roughly two hours or so.
Let’s begin with the positives. General, the cabin aesthetic is sweet, and I believe the teal-blue headrests come out and add good hits of color to the house. I grew up in Alberta, and the teal blue all the time jogs my memory of the lakes within the Rockies.
On my flights, I did not discover the ultra-slim seats to be significantly uncomfortable, which is a criticism I’ve examine on-line for longer flights. I additionally did not have seat-mates for my flights, so there was no contest for elbow room.
The system holder is a superb choice for folk to maintain themselves entertained, since WestJet would not supply seat-back leisure. On that notice, having quick, free Wi-Fi (in addition to each USB-A and USB-C shops) are nice perks, and I am blissful to see them rolled out.
Apart from the mounted recline, which does not trouble me an excessive amount of on quick flights since I am 5’9″ and subsequently not significantly vertically gifted, I discovered a few quirks within the cabin.
The primary is that the under-seat storage for aisle seats is diminished by the seat attachment. I discovered it cumbersome to retailer a standard-sized backpack, which is unhealthy information for anybody on an UltraBasic fare who’s technically “not allowed” to make use of the overhead bin.
Talking of overhead bins, there is not sufficient room for carry-ons to be saved on their sides. Relatively, they have to lie flat, which takes up more room (and doubtless contributes to the Starvation Video games environment for overhead storage).
I really feel like each of those points may have been factored right into a cabin refresh, particularly if the purpose is to streamline and standardize the passenger expertise.
In its preliminary announcement, WestJet shared that there could be a cabin divider to separate the oldsters in Prolonged Consolation. On my flights, I have never observed that but, nor have I observed any kind of divider for the Premium cabin.
Throughout service, anybody in financial system whose pathway to the 2 rear toilets is blocked is allowed to make use of the one on the entrance of the plane. Nonetheless, with out a divider in place, it looks like that is simply the extra handy choice for anybody within the ahead half of the aircraft at any level all through the flight.
In sum, I do not assume these new seats are something to be involved about for shorter-haul flights, no less than in case your physique can fairly deal with a 30-inch pitch.
Nonetheless, I can not assist however marvel how terrible you’d really feel after a six-hour hop from Calgary to Cancun (or any red-eye) when a number of extra inches of recline may no less than enable for some prolonged consolation.
Certainly, WestJet flies these jets on routes which are in extra of 5, 6, and even 7 hours.
In my view, that is the place you may discover the mounted recline essentially the most, particularly if that you must sit at an angle to get your legs beneath the seat in entrance of you.
Conclusion
WestJet’s accomplished refresh of all-economy plane is an enchancment over the model that prompted the backlash, and it is value giving credit score the place it is due. The pitch repair was quick, the aesthetic replace is sweet, and small touches just like the system holder and free Wi-Fi are wins for passengers in financial system.
Nonetheless, the headline being reported – “WestJet fixes its all-economy cabin” – solely tells you concerning the criticism that went viral. The seat that does not recline was all the time the plan, and it is the plan for the remainder of the fleet, too.
If you happen to’re flying WestJet financial system on a brief hop, I would not assume twice about being within the new cabin (should you can simply match into the seats).
For anybody settling in for an extended flight, it is value realizing what you are truly getting earlier than you are three hours in and realizing your seat hasn’t moved since takeoff – and is not going to.
