How does it happen5:44WestJet will be charged with a large number of places on some flights. This expert calls this “seizure of money”
If you want to reset your place and catch a little closure on the next flight of WestJet, you may have to pay more for privilege.
The airline announced that it will reconfigure its 43 Boeing 737-8 Max and 737-800 aircraft to offer an “updated assortment of seating options”.
Regular economic places will have a “fixed opening design”, which means that you can’t return your seat – if you do not update for the best place.
WestJet says that the new design saves space and “serves a variety of preferences of our guests”, while maintaining bets available to those who just want the basics.
Others have a more cynical double.
“I would say that this is the capture of funds,” said John Gryuk, teacher of the faculty of proposal networks and aviation management at the University of Montreal in McGill. How does it happen Leading Neil Caesal.
“They are trying in some way, in some way, you know, to create another echelon of service that would allow them to charge more.”
This is how it works
Currently, all WestJet places on its 737-8 Max and 737-800 aircraft are economic swimmers, and the vast majority may lean back.
Under the new design, According to the press release of WestJetThe cabin will include the new premium section in front with 12 places that have “ergonomic conditioned seats, folding the backs of the seat and a large submarine with four -sided adjustment”.
There will be an expanded section of “expanded comfort” with 36 places that have more legs for the legs than in the economy.
Behind this, divided by a divided by a separator, there will be a section of the economy without additional legs for the legs and without any places.
“WestJet has always been a pioneer in providing air travels available for more Canadians, mainly thanks to our ability to maintain low expenses and offer available flights,” the company representative said in an electronic letter.
“To continue to do this, we must be ready to try new products and see how they work for Canadians.”
WestJet reconcuts the layout in many of its planes, deleting the option for many passengers of the economy to throw their places. Instead, the airline will add a premium cab section to some of the currently economical aircraft, which will allow some places to leach.
Gryuk says that indecisive places are often found in international budgetary airlines. But in the Canadian market, folding chairs have always been a standard feature, even in cheap places.
“The imagination of marketing airlines never stops to hit me,” he said. “The depths that they will lead through something like the impression that if I pay more, I get more. But, you know, right now, as if you are paying more to get what you had. ”
Passengers are divided
While no one likes to pay the same for fewer, etiquette of the seat's discidation is already a controversial topic. In fact, WestJet says that the changes are based on his own feedback with the audience.
“Thanks to our guest user testing, half indicated that they preferred a fixed post to avoid the feelings that other guests encroaching on their space affect,” the company said.
These different opinions were demonstrated this weekend at Vancouver International Airport, where passengers weighed a new policy.
17 -Lissa Berek just flew out of France, and for a significant amount of that time she says that the man was leaning back in front of her, he was almost on her knees.
“I was not fine with this,” she said.
But although she does not like to break away, she admits that on a long flight, it is pleasant to be able to return herself. And with the growth of road expenses, she says that she cannot justify another new fee.
Kyle Kuchma from Kalgary, the usual chair itself, was more stupid.
“I think this is a kind of trembling,” he said. “I don't think this is really fair.”
Meanwhile, the traveler Albert McFadien says that it makes sense to him that you pay more to get more, and he is happy to do it.
“Every time you can improve your comfort on any plane, it costs your time,” he said. “Why don't I pay for it?”
The lawyer of the rights of passengers Gabor Lukach says that he has no problems with charging WestJet more for more comfortable places.
“As a consumer, I probably would like to look back,” he said. “At the same time, I am concerned about the rights of passengers, not the comfort of passengers.”
But he says that this can become a problem if higher or large passengers are forced to pay more to get the place in which they fit.
“Comfort is a choice. The adaptation of your physical size is part of the passenger transportation, ”he said.
Lukak says that if passengers do not know their rights, they can simply do it easily and pay more for what should be guaranteed housing.
WestJet says that anyone who requires additional consideration should call the airline when they are booking.
In the meantime, it says that this is only the last in the long list of airline services, which used to be free and now cost additional, such as hot dishes and proven baggage.
“Canadians are accustomed to this tactics,” he said. “The question will be … how far will you go? And at what point do we say uncle? “
