WestJet Halts Plans for New ‘Densified’ Seating After Backlash on Legroom

WestJet has announced it will reverse its decision to decrease passengers’ legroom in order to accommodate more seating, following unfavourable feedback from customers.

The airline announced last September its plan to reconfigure some of its cabins to add more seats by reducing space between rows in its economy class, and adding in seats with fixed-back designs. The company said at the time the move would offer more seating options for its Boeing 737-8 MAX and 737-800 aircraft, and help preserve personal space.

The change saw some rows in the economy class feature a 28-inch pitch, which is the distance between one point on a seat and the same point on the seat in front. Most other airlines’ lower-tier seats have a 29- or 30-inch pitch.

WestJet said it made the decision to return to its prior seat design for economy cabins rather than “densified seating,” following a review of operational data and feedback from travellers.

“WestJet tried seat pitches that are popular with many airlines around the globe as they serve to provide affordable airfares,” company CEO Alexis von Hoensbroech said in a Jan. 16 news release.

He added that though it was important for the company to try new products, it was “just as important to react quickly if they don’t meet the needs of our guests.”

WestJet said it would be converting its seat layout back to the original configuration after receiving regulatory certification, which will see it remove a row of seats, adjusting its 180-seat cabins to 174-seat configurations. The airline said that the timeline for the change was still being determined.

Backlash

The move comes about three weeks after a viral video posted on social media by an Alberta woman showing her parents sitting in the new seat style and unable to bend their knees.

The Dec. 27, 2025, video was captioned “the seats should at least fit normal sized humans.” It garnered more than 1.1 million views.

WestJet previously confirmed to The Epoch Times that the video was recorded on one of the newly reconfigured aircraft, and added that the seating space was in line with other North American airlines. The airline also said it had modified 21 of its aircraft with the new seating layout.

WestJet also noted that the new configuration on the aircraft had been through an “extensive safety and certification process” and was in accordance with Transport Canada standards.

WestJet paused the installation of the non-reclining seats in December 2025, prior to the holiday travel season. It said at the time it had completed the changes in about half its economy fleet.

The pause followed a flight during which representatives, including flight attendants, pilot union representatives, and company executives, evaluated the new seats on a journey from Toronto to Calgary.

The WestJet section of the Canadian Union of Public Employees previously compared the reduced leg room of the updated design to “ultra-low-cost carriers” like Spirit, Wizz Air, and Frontier in a bulletin to its members. The union also said the seating changes would be difficult for guests with “varying mobility,” and those travelling with car seats or pets.

It added that the change raised the risk of “guest frustration.”

The Canadian Press contributed to this article.