MONTREAL – A viral video showcasing a lack of legroom on WestJet planes has sparked concerns over safety and comfort from staff and passengers.
In a TikTok post by an Alberta woman that has racked up more than 1.1 million views, her parents can be seen squeezing into economy seats that leave barely enough room to move their legs.
“Impossible to straighten out my knees to the front,” says her father in the Dec. 27 post.
“I’m going to be sharing my leg space with him,” adds her mother.
WestJet announced in September it would reconfigure the seating on 43 Boeing 737 jets to install an extra row and divide the cabin into more tiers. So far, 21 planes furnish the tighter configuration.
More than half of the economy seats would have less legroom than the previous layout — or than any other jet at major Canadian airlines.
Workers and passengers have pushed back, warning that the cramped cabin curtails safety, particularly in the event of an evacuation, and hurts the customer experience.
“WestJet pilots believe this reconfiguration erodes the guest experience and devalues our brand,” said Jacob Astin, who chairs the WestJet contingent of the Air Line Pilots Association, in an emailed statement.
He noted that Transport Canada had approved the change, but said it nonetheless “reduces the superior safety margins of previous layouts due to increased cramping.”
A dozen of the 22 rows in the planes’ economy class feature 28-inch pitch — the distance between one point on a seat and the same point on the seat in front — versus 29- or 30-inch pitches on most other carriers’ lower-tier seats. They also have what WestJet calls a “fixed recline design,” meaning they cannot be tilted back.
WestJet has stressed that the overhauled layout allows for more affordable fares. More spacious rows are also available at a higher price.
“Because safety is so important to us, it’s worth noting as part of the reconfiguration the aircraft underwent an extensive safety and certification process. All modifications were completed in accordance with Transport Canada’s rigorous airworthiness standards and WestJet’s own high internal safety requirements,” said WestJet spokeswoman Julia Kaiser in an email.
“We are closely monitoring guest and employee feedback to assess the product’s performance, comfort and suitability.”
For cabin crew, the more confined environment can make it harder to clean after a flight, carry out emergency procedures such as helping with oxygen masks and amount to a more uncomfortable trip when they commute to or from an upcoming shift, according to the Canadian Union of Public Employees.
The changes may also aggravate passengers already frustrated by the flying experience generally, said Alia Hussain, who chairs the union’s WestJet contingent.
“Flying inside the cabin is no longer what it used to be, and people are kind of intense,” she said in an interview.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 9, 2026.
