CALGARY — Saskatchewan travellers flying on WestJet this winter will be enjoying new and refreshed cabin experiences on a number of WestJet aircraft.
WestJet confirmed in a news release Tuesday that it has completed the cabin-refresh transformation of its remaining all-economy aircraft. The airline said this fulfils its commitment to update the interiors of all aircraft formerly operated by Swoop or Sunwing Airlines, both of which were acquired by WestJet.
Swoop was an ultra-discount carrier, while Sunwing was most associated with routes to sun destinations in Mexico or the Caribbean during the winter months.
WestJet says its cabin refresh includes upgraded Premium seating, an expanded Extended Comfort cabin, enhanced amenities and a refreshed interior look and feel. The airline says its Premium, Extended Comfort and Economy cabins now include features such as fast and free WestJet Wi-Fi, updated headrests with four-way adjustment capability, seatback personal phone and tablet holders, modernized charging ports and coat hooks.
These changes apply to the all-economy planes in the fleet. For other aircraft, WestJet said it will begin refurbishing its legacy narrowbody aircraft to include enhanced amenities and expanded Extended Comfort cabins as well.
The refurbishment program will begin in September, with approximately 14 Boeing 737-800 aircraft set to receive upgrades, and is expected to be completed by the end of 2027.
"Unifying our narrowbody fleet is an important step in delivering the reliable and welcoming experience our guests and WestJetters expect from us," Samantha Taylor, WestJet Group executive vice-president and chief experience officer, said in a statement. "This milestone creates a stronger foundation for our teams to focus on delivering exceptional service and a seamless travel experience for our guests."
The airline also said that, by the end of this year, all WestJet aircraft will be flying in the airline's familiar teal and navy colours, so don't expect to see the remaining aircraft in Sunwing orange or Swoop magenta colours for very much longer.
In a related move, WestJet also announced that it recently restored the legroom on its Boeing 737 aircraft, reducing those aircraft from 180 seats to 174.
That reverses the controversial move toward non-reclining seats earlier this year, which was met with major backlash from WestJet customers. That plan was quickly abandoned, and the airline said it completed the restoration of the previous legroom in June.
The announcement this week of cabin upgrades comes after WestJet released its new schedule of sun destinations for the winter months. WestJet announced Monday a 12 per cent overall growth in year-over-year capacity, including its most extensive schedule to Latin American and Caribbean destinations.
WestJet announced 77 per cent year-over-year capacity growth for Saskatoon John G. Diefenbaker International Airport, adding a weekly flight on each of its Saskatoon routes to Puerto Vallarta and Cancun, Mexico. The airline said it is increasing weekly frequencies on both routes from four to five flights during peak travel periods.
The airline also announced 64 per cent year-over-year capacity growth in Regina, including a non-stop route to Los Cabos for the first time.
