aerobod

Although it adds extra clicks to view a flight, time to actually get to the seat maps is about the same when viewed in the WestJet app. As personal details are pre-populated you don't have to enter them, just navigate through that screen to the seat map. In a multi-segment booking, all seat maps are available together, as opposed to having to select each flight individually and then view the seat map.

Overall a different way of viewing the seat maps, but the direction is to bring the web browser and app capability closer together.

mahasamatman

Poor direction. More capable devices should not be crippled to bring them down to the level of a mobile device. The better solution is to bring the app up to the level of the more capable devices.

aerobod

Overall that will be the case. One of the major issues to tackle is the performance overall and proliferation of unnecessary orchestrated web service calls (which are paced by speed of light delays), this may mean a choice between modifying existing flows and accepting performance compromises.

TP3

I'm all for system enhancements/upgrades, but it sounds like this one is going to be a step backwards for desktop/laptop users. Very disappointing.

robsaw

Definitely a step in the wrong direction, two issues that in my mind wouldn't have made it past anything resembling a proper design review:
- seat availability - WAY too far down the chain,
- flight segment times - need to click on the "details" to see it (it pops-up nearly instantaneously, so it must be pre-loaded data anyway).

FlyerJ

+100

This is really an awful step.

I always, always, always look at the seat map when selecting a flight. And Westjet's tablet version of their site has always been bloody frustrating, specifically because I couldn't see seat maps when selecting my flights.

As a result, I absolutely never booked via the tablet version of the site. It frustrated the heck out of me. I would only book when I was at a desktop -- precisely because I need and expect the very functionality that's being eliminated.

This seems to be done, at least in part, to accommodate the extended "low fare finder" feature?? If so, that's prioritizing an (unproven) feature for leisure travelers over something that I see as important, and something that I think most frequent travellers would want and expect. (As a business traveller, I couldn't care less about seeing fare differences over a multi-week period. Frankly, nor do I ever base my leisure travel on cheapest airfare dates either.)

Did anyone consult with customers on this???

robsaw

Well, the old interface seems to have returned.

Sopwith

I just tried a dummy booking through the app on my iPad. It's a bit clunky, but it confirmed what I suspected. If I have to enter my personal details each and every time I want to look at a seat map I won't be doing it.

So long.

aerobod

If you login with your WestJet ID, all personal details will be pre-populated for you in the WestJet App, when the guest information screen is reached.

radnub

I haven't noticed the change on the website yet. Sure, it may be a bit silly to be bothered by this but when you're used to something that is quite handy I have to categorize this as 'mildly irritating'. I won't give up on WS and the seat preview still works the old way for now so we'll see the next time I go to book a flight.

WestonC

I don't really understand the whole month lowest fare thing. I would assume most people who are looking for travel tickets have about a week or 2 of flexibility in mind. It's simple enough to scroll through the week.

I just tried the website as I use that more than an iPad for looking up fares and it does show seat map still. So here's hoping it stays. I always check what seats are available before I go any further in the flight selection process.

Sopwith

Okay, if you say so. I still like the AC system better. The seat map is the first thing I look at after I select the flight I want. If I don't see a decent seat I select another flight. The whole thing seems to set up obstacles to my normal way of shopping for flights. Is that what you want?

FlyerJ

The "other airline" in Canada does allow for very easy previewing of seats at the very start of the booking process. On both their tablet and desktop sites (which are one and the same). Oh, and when booking via their iOS app, too. Nice, quick, easy and seamless.

Just saying.

(Apparently no unnecessary calls or performance compromises for them?)

aerobod

In the small picture, traditional airline systems are monoliths that are not very modular, expensive to run and difficult to change the backend. Typically though you can add basic functions easily in the front end and they do perform reasonably well - fundamentally mainframes with web services tacked on, running in the same datacentre. Some of the problems with this approach:

- difficult to change a business model, reducing business agility
- legacy airline IT costs are typically 4-5% of revenue
- data consistency across systems is often poor
- single data centre operations are the norm, leaving the risk of a major disaster shutting the business down

WestJet's IT systems are in a state of flux between limited functionality that is typical of an LCC and a more full service carrier with costs closer to an LCC. Ever wonder why "bags fly free" at SouthWest? - because their core systems are too inflexible to move from a 1970s business model. WestJet no longer has a monolithic reservation system since Open Skies was ditched in 2008 (due to the fact it could no longer meet the changing business model), instead the path has been to create a modular system that is distributed through many datacentres in different countries, at the moment core transactions are handled between Calgary, Toronto and Tulsa with some front end transactions handled by Amazon Web Services and Akamai. This federated data systems approach gives a lot of backend flexibility at a reasonable cost that is typical of an LCC IT cost in the range of 2-3% of revenue. As this is a many year evolution, there are a number of compromises:

- integration can be complex and performance has to be carefully watched (transactions normally involve multiple datacentres)
- module changes can remove existing functionality. Basically the issue with our seat map not being available from the flight results page is due to a vendor swap in the booking module, but other system benefits that will emerge as other modules are swapped should become apparent.
- moving to this distributed model in the airline industry is not the norm, so some experimentation will be needed
- user interfaces and experience can be disrupted, rate of change can be high and familiar functions can disappear and/or reappear in a different form.

Overall as the WestJet business model has evolved, there have been 2 completely different backend reservation systems since 2008, 3 different core booking systems, addition of many new GDS and loyalty channels and over 200 different systems integrated around the world that are needed to provide a full-function airline system in a modular fashion.

We will certainly listen and evaluate changes that are not liked (otherwise I wouldn't be on this forum!), but our big picture direction will sometimes cause (hopefully temporary) loss of functionality, as we strive to implement our 10 year vision.

FlyerJ

Understood. I get that it's incredibly difficult. And to be fair, while they get the seat visibility thing right, AC's web tools for customers are far from perfect.

Still, as a customer, it's really frustrating.

While seating might seem like a silly little detail (especially when a high proportion of WS customers don't even seem to care about advance selection), I dumped AC as my one-and-only, 100% loyal to them carrier over seats and seat availability. The catalyst for me was being forced to attempt to sit in one of the many no legroom seats on ACr 319s when I was Rouged. As a 6'4" Y class traveller, where I can sit on a plane is really important to me, and it's a big driver in my selection.

And Aerobod, I'm pretty sure the consensus among everyone here is that we absolutely love your participation and contribution to FlyerTalk. It's great having you here. Don't take any of our frustrations in this thread as anything to the contrary! Thank you!!!