rehoult

Not so fast...

NOV4, 2014 - WestJet Airlines is considering adding another row of seats on its planes to drive higher revenues after it puts in a new entertainment system beginning next year.

Chief executive Gregg Saretsky said Tuesday passengers won't notice any change in leg room after it installs new slim line seats equipped with the Wi-Fi system. The new seats will give an extra inch of leg room, but would be removed if the airline adds six extra seats in its Boeing 737 planes.
"The impact on our brand is going to be positive because we're going to provide more features for our guests... and the opportunity to densify the fleet gives (us) a chance to further reduce our fares," Saretsky said after the company reported its third-quarter results.

aerobod

As Gregg said in the Analysts call, no seats will be added with the slimline seat install, but the option to add another row of seats in the future is a possibility, but this would have to be applied for as a separate certification program, if it was done. The current slimline seat install certification does not allow for any more seats. Any press report to the contrary is just inaccurate. Here is the Analysts call audio: http://services.choruscall.ca/links/westjet141104.html

YYCguy

The newest aircraft in the fleet are coming with no TVs as there is no economic benefit to installing the TV system just to rip it out in a few months to install the new WIFI system with power/usb installed in the seats. The tablets that are available to rent are not tiny. And the movies are not crappy. That's a very subjective opinion. But yes, if you have your own device, as many people do, bring it along with your favourite movies downloaded and the unit charged up and you should be fine!

traacs

WestJet said Tuesday it plans to lower airfares on select economy-class tickets as its redirects a portion of the money being collected from new baggage fees toward more competitive prices.

“We think that by unbundling and charging for bags separately we have an opportunity to lower our econo fares,” said Gregg Saretsky, the Calgary-based carrier’s chief executive.

aerobod

The interesting thing about the tablets is that it is a lot harder to certify a 10" tablet compared with a 7" one due to the fact that the certification looks at the volume of lithium ion batteries in the confined space of a service cart draw, then increasingly applys tougher fire standards as the volume increases. In terms of fire containment, space and battery life, the 7" tablets are much easier to store and certify.

At this point the first aircraft install has been completed for Transport Canada certification, it is now just a matter of time to complete the process, but unfortunately they are busy as we head into the Christmas period. In any case installations will proceed on schedule with about 4 aircraft a month being fitted with IFEC, slimline seats and power at the seats, the system just won't be switched on until the certification is complete.

hazcaddy

If these are the same slimline-no-AVOD seats as UA has installed: they are awful.

YYCguy

From what I understand, the new seats are being customized to a WS specification in order to increase the comfort level.

superangrypenguin

They are WS spec. That means no one will know until they implement it...I wonder if the seats ordered on the Boeing AC metal will be similar.

WestonC

Then You must fly a different wesjet than I do. I flew wesjet this weekend to Hawaii and back. 5.5 hours on a plane with no avod but I brought my iPad. The bloke next to me rented a tablet and it was tiny. Smaller than my iPad. So yes they are small. He said the movies sucked. I looked in the book and what I saw weren't that great. But everyone has different taste. The other tablets I saw them renting out were small.

Anyway. Wesjet is in it for the money and not for the passenger. They are a business. Cant expect more.

WestJet

True story. It's Recaro's BL3520 and we've designed our own "underneath you" seat cushion.

We did have a few aircraft arrive after the old system was effectively discontinued, and the signing of the contract for the new system. The tablet-rental system was designed for the interim. The first aircraft to receive the new system is being reconfigured right now. Here are details of what you can expect: http://fly.ws/WestJetWiFi.

Cheers,
Darren

WestonC

And more fees to rent a tablet where we didn't have to pay to watch tv before. Fees to check baggage. Fees to select seats. I'm just waiting for the fees to speak to an air hostess and ask them how much the fee is to open the window shade.

Stop the corporate spin - it's not all about adding something new - it's about taking away what you already offer to charge us more and more and more for what was once fun travel. Again - business greed - not an airline for the people.

aerobod

Could you tell us what line of business you are in and what you think a reasonable profit a business should make in a free enterprise economy?

WestonC

Actually I cannot.

I agree business is out to make money - that's what business is. But all the nickel and diming is crazy. This breaking down of fees is crazy. Just set the price of the ticket - charge everyone the same and voila.

When I go into a store and buy shirt, I don't have to pay extra for the buttons and extra for the thread that is used to make the shirt. It's 1 product. That's all I'm looking for.

To say they are giving passengers the choice to unbundle is corporate speak. This makes people think they are not paying for baggage if they are not taking it. Get real - there is very little additional cost to carry bags. They are making air travel extremely uncomfortable. That's all my rant is about.

aerobod

The issue, especially in North America, is that the most business is now done on the Internet, whether by OTAs or direct to airline websites. The primary search listing for a given route is by price, then by number of stops. If an airline is not on the first page of the search on an OTA or web consolidator, then they are not likely to be looked at, I believe this is the primary reason that we now see airline fares as a commodity on many routes, price being the only differentiator. Without having a low price entry fare with unbundled products, an airline is no longer competitive in the online booking world. In the case of WestJet and others, there are classes that can be chosen (such as Flex and Plus} for those who want a bundled and flexible product, not just the lowest price.

In areas of the world where online booking is less prevalent (such as South America), unbundling is less prevalent too. More complex routes where competition is less intense are also less unbundled. With the entry of Norwegian on to the North Atlantic routes, you will see unbundling become more common on trans continental routes, too, as other airlines strive to offer competitive pricing to compete with them.

HangTen

Very little cost to carry bags? Are you kidding?

Everyone of those bags has to be handled by at least 7 employees from the time of drop off to the time of pick up. Do you work for free?

I can assure you the airports do not provide all the baggage systems and space for free. Then there 's also a cost of lifting that weight to cruising altitude.

I have news for you. When you go to the Old Spaghetti Factory and have the "free salad", it isn't free. You are paying for it.

If you think $25 to ship a 44lb bag across the country in a day is outrageous, give Canada Post, Purolater, UPS or FedEx a call and find out what they charge for the same service.