A major airline is now upcharging customers for seats that recline

To beryllium backmost and relax is simply a privilege connected this airline.

Budget Canadian hose WestJet has announced that customers will nary longer beryllium capable to recline seats connected their craft — unless they salary extra.

The hose said they are reconfiguring its Boeing 737-8 MAX and 737-800 craft to connection a “modern compartment experience” pinch caller seating options.

Economy seats will person a fixed recline creation to thief passengers “preserve individual space.”

While fixed-recline seating is not needfully a caller thought — Spirit, Allegiant and Frontier Airlines are among those who person sacrificed reclining seats — WestJet is asking flyers to salary other if they wish to recline.

The caller craft interiors will person a Premium compartment pinch 12 caller seats that person reclining spot backs, a ample headrest pinch four-way accommodation capacity and ergonomically contoured spot cushions — nan aforesaid exemplary arsenic successful WestJet’s 787-9 Dreamliner fleet.

Though there’s still nary reclining seats successful nan caller and larger Extended Comfort conception of nan system cabin, nan 36 seats located straight down Premium will person other legroom and will beryllium separated by a compartment divider.

“The compartment has been thoughtfully designed to connection WestJet’s welcoming work astatine each budget,” Samantha Taylor, WestJet Executive Vice-President and Chief Experience Officer, said successful a statement.

“It reflects our committedness to elevating each facet of nan recreation acquisition and gathering impermanent request for a broader scope of merchandise offerings.”

Economy seats will person a fixed recline creation to thief passengers “preserve individual space.” bunbok – stock.adobe.com

The caller spot layout will let nan hose to adhd 1 seating statement compared to nan anterior layout, which will yet trim nan costs per seat.

“The layout for our refreshed compartment caters to our guests’ divers preferences,” Taylor explained. “Whether they opt for Premium seating pinch other amenities and legroom aliases for much affordable summons prices pinch little space, we’re excited to present this scope of products for our guests to enjoy.”

According to WestJet, nan seats successful nan backmost of nan cabin, rows 20-31, will person nan slightest space, location will beryllium somewhat much abstraction successful rows 15-19, and nan seats successful nan beforehand of system will person nan astir abstraction wrong that cabin.

The caller craft interiors will person a Premium compartment pinch 12 caller seats that person reclining spot backs. apichat – stock.adobe.com

An hose rider authorities advocator told Canadian nationalist broadcaster CBC that this move is asking group to salary much for a characteristic they already had and now lost.

“The imagination of hose marketers ne'er stops to astound me: nan depths they will spell done benignant of springiness group an belief that if I salary more, I get more,” John Gradek, an aviation teacher astatine McGill University, said. “Right now, it’s for illustration you salary much to get what you had.”