According to foreign media including ABC News and CBC News on Wednesday, Westjet is planning to replace its basic economy seat with a fixed chair that can’t be tilted back. The recliner, which can adjust the angle of the backrest, is only available for upper class seats.
The change will be applied to 43 narrow-body aircraft, about one-third of the narrow-body aircraft Westjet is operating in. It will also include low-cost carriers Swoop, Lynx and Sunwing, which Westjet has acquired.
“As a result of the customer test, half of the respondents preferred a fixed seat to avoid the inconvenience of other passengers invading their space,” an airline official told ABC News. “The backrest adjustment function will only be applied to Extended Comfort or premium rooms.”
However, experts pointed out that the move is actually part of a rate hike strategy.
John Gradek, a professor of aviation management at McGill University in Montreal, told CBC News, “The airline is maximizing profits by paying more and more additional services,” adding, “It is an act of creating another layer to pay for reclining, which was a basic function of economic seats.”
WestJet currently operates routes to 19 U.S. states, including Hawaii, Puerto Rico, and Washington, D.C. The company said the newly reorganized first aircraft will begin operations later this month, and 42 modifications will be completed by early next year.
SALLY LEE
US ASIA JOURNAL
