WestJet Offers Lie-Flat Seats in Business Class with Dreamliner Arrival

Canadian low-cost carrier WestJet will soon extend to business class with the arrival of their first Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner. The airline showcased a preview of the new aircraft on their website, featuring a video tour of the business class cabin complete with lie-flat seats coming in 2019.

WestJet is offering business class flyers an alternative starting in early 2019, when the airline begins flying their first Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner. On their website, the carrier debuted a video tour of their newest aircraft, showcasing all three cabins across the widebody airframe.

Early renderings of the business class cabin show a 1-2-1 reverse herringbone configuration, comprised of all lie-flat seats. The interior, designed by PriestmanGoode of London, draws inspiration from the Canadian landscape. Seats and paneling are comprised of cool earth tones inspired by colors naturally found in Canada during the summertime.

In addition to a cabin with lie-flat seating, passengers in the front will access touchscreen service and dining on demand. When it comes time to rest, flyers can request to have their bed made with turndown service.

In the premium economy cabin, it won’t be the seats alone that have more space. Passengers can help themselves to snacks at any time with a self-service social area. Upgraded flyers will also have access to a premium meal menu. Back in economy, flyers get all the amenities they expect from the Dreamliner, including improved humidity for comfort, self-dimming windows and charging outlets in the seat.

WestJet is taking this opportunity to update the aircraft exterior as well. The new Dreamliner will feature the new logo and livery, reimagining the stylized maple leaf on the tail and introducing a new font for the company’s wordmark. Also appearing on the fuselage is the airline’s slogan, “The Spirit of Canada,” in both English and French.

“The introduction of Boeing’s 787-9 Dreamliner, a state-of-the-art aircraft, is the dawn of a new era for WestJet and the next step in our transformation to a global network airline,” Ed Sims, chief executive of WestJet, said in a press release. “The updated livery is modern and dynamic while the interior is world-class, distinctly Canadian and uniquely WestJet.”

WestJet has 10 firm orders for Dreamliner aircraft on the books, all of which will be outfitted with the new cabin. While the new 787-9 will have the new livery, flyers will first see it fly later this year with the introduction of the Boeing 737 MAX-8 arriving in June 2018.

[Photo: Shutterstock]