This US Airline Wants To Charge You Extra To Recline Your Seat
Travelers flying with WestJet are going to have to start paying extra if they want to lean their seat back at all during a flight. The Canadian airline is removing reclining seats from its standard economy cabins. This will impact 43 of the airline's Boeing 737-8 Max and 737-800 aircraft currently traveling to 19 U.S. states, Puerto Rico, and other various destinations around the world.
That is fewer than one-third of WestJet's entire narrowbody fleet, but the change is nevertheless significant. Starting in October 2025, WestJet passengers will find three new seating options in place of the reclining seats: Premium, Extended Comfort, and Standard Economy. Only the Premium and Extended Comfort passengers will get reclining seats (with an added cost), while those in Standard Economy seats will be in fixed-recline chairs.
The new Premium seats also include extra legroom, a four-way adjustable headrest, in-seat charging ports, and built-in snack trays. A privacy partition will also separate this new Premium section from other cabins.
The reason behind WestJet's seating switch-up? Making room for more passengers
Though you won't be able to recline in them anymore, WestJet's new Standard Economy seats still come with adjustable headrests and more comfortable cushioning. The reason behind this major switch-up? Taking away the reclining feature from those Standard Economy seats lets the airline add an additional row of seats to each plane. Ideally, this move will help the airline keep its tickets affordable by reducing the total cost per seat.
WestJet is defending its decision (per The Hill) by saying that, in user testing, half of the respondents said they'd prefer a fixed-recline chair if it meant they could avoid having their personal space invaded by other passengers. Regardless of whether that's what those passengers actually said or not, the move is still part of a growing industry trend that's seeing major North American airlines take away amenities that were once standard. (See also: Southwest's decision to start charging for your first checked bag and their elimination of open seating.)