Here’s a suggestion for Canadian airline regulators: maybe if foreign carriers were allowed to compete in the Canadian market, domestic airlines wouldn’t try to make their planes even more of a cattle car than they already are.
In the wake of a backlash sparked by a viral video, WestJet has cancelled a new seat configuration that squeezed an extra row on board many of its planes and left passengers with less legroom.
Already installed on 22 of WestJet’s Boeing 737s, the non-reclining seats in a majority of the cabin’s economy section featured the smallest amount of leg room on any large Canadian carrier.
Westjet hasn’t cancelled their seat reconfiguration program, they’ve only paused it, while corporate “reviews” their decision.
But, WJ’s problems are bigger than that.
Poor routing, poor schedules and routes, higher costs all around. Ever since they went private.
We were loyal with WJ after a mediocre experience with AC many years ago, but the tide has turned.
We flew AC twice last year, and it was a much better experience. Free wifi, courtesy wine/beer, and frequent app updates showing our luggage processing as we went along. Direct flights and fair costs.
Westjet doesn’t do any of that.
Westjet routes all their flights thru Calgary. Makes no sense when you’re flying from the west coast, back to Hawaii.
Onex is driving WJ into the ground.
Air Kanuckistan although pretending it’s private is a de facto crown corporation and is based in Montréal, Québec. It can do all that since it gets bumped up by the taxpayers. It never has to worry about shortfalls. No other carrier has that luxury.
Also, most decent WJ flights to HI are direct from Vancouver.
No argument about AC, its just a better choice at the moment, unless you want to spend lots more for an american flight, thanks to the Arctic Peso.
Youre wrong about WJ flights to Hawaii, check out their schedule choices, all but one or two route thru Calgary, from the west coast and arrive late. They are nixing their early morning flight with mid-afternoon arrival. Its the most popular but theyre eliminating it. Figure that out. Thats why were going AC, we get there at noon, and fly back during the day. WJ does not offer that option either.
WJ is really screwing up badly. Not a knock on Calgary, but on WJ operational decisions, driving their costs up.
Soon … Airlines will be selling SRO tickets. Or perhaps even create horizontal “sleeper” seats in the overhead carryon luggage space.
I remember a LONG bus trip to Young Life’s Malibu Club on the Princess Louisa inlet in the BC Sound … and the high school kids climbed up into the open overhead luggage racks … stretched out and slept their way through the long trip.
If you have to go somewhere and have the time. Driving is a much better choice. Except through Northern Ontario.
North of Superior is one of my favorite road trips. I’ve done it often, alone in a car and on a motorbike, and with my wife.
For your viewing pleasure:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K3MRcpAQJ-k
Just don’t use an electric vehicle!
This should end WestJet’s “Wheel-well Stowaway” idea.
It’s a wonderment given today’s business culture how many had to sign off on the idea to make it happen.
“At Westjet, you’ll feel like you’ve never left the ground, because we treat you like dirt.”
A little inconsistency….this posts trumpets the logic in opening up the airspace industry to foreign competition; while the post above it trumpets the good sense in tariffing imports to domesticate manufacturing.
What is good for the goose must be good for the gander. I am a firm believer in an open system so I agree that opening up to foreign airlines is a positive for Canada, while at the same time I would like to rid all tariffs and reap the benefits of an open market that optimizes specialization to the benefit of all.
I fear too many are falling into the trap of whatever Trump does is good, and whatever is going on here is bad. Dangerous. Makes people zealots. I agree with some of Trump’s stuff, but turning the US into a hermit kingdom does no one any good.