FlyerJ

Here's what I saw today:

• In the WestJet app on my iPhone, all of my itineraries from November through March now show the little yellow "caution" symbol ... meaning something's changed. When I go into each upcoming trip, the warning message appears: "Your reservation and flight times have been changed. If you need to make a modification please contact us..." But none show any change in flight numbers or flight times or flight dates. All of the details displayed in the app are exactly as initially booked.
• As of today, the seat maps on both TripCase and ExpertFlyer (my two go-to sources to see live WestJet seat maps) no longer show the Plus section. The Plus rows are now cut off in the seat maps via those two sources. They only show 'regular' Economy now, while the front of the aircraft isn't visible.
• And early this morning, ExpertFlyer sent me a bunch of "aircraft change" alert emails for all of my WestJet 767-operated segments, plus one 737 segment. The alerts from ExpertFlyer showed all of my 767 flights as now being operated on some aircraft called "M6W"!? The 737 segment that popped up as an alert, according to ExpertFlyer, is now operated on some aircraft called an "M3H".

• Concerned about all of the above ... I went to WestJet's website to do dummy bookings that mirror my upcoming flights -- i.e. those that show as having changed. What I found: (1) their website still shows the same aircraft on the routes (i.e. 767), but (2) when I do a dummy Plus booking (matching flights where I already have an existing, confirmed Plus reservation) ... the Plus cabin map showed up on the website as being entirely empty. Every seat up for grabs, including mine!? In one of my dummy bookings, I clicked on my confirmed seat (it showed as available). The website let me choose it and continue.

(Naturally, for most of my upcoming flights, I can't actually see the seat maps or confirm my seat assignment or use the 'select your seat' function when I log in to WestJet's website and look at my existing bookings. Because, well, that web functionality only rarely works.)

What the heck? All in one day ... changes to how seat maps display on third party sites, weird changes to aircraft types popping up in ExpertFlyer, and WestJet's own web-site showing that my booked/paid-for/confirmed Plus seats as now being up for grabs?!

(I haven't called in. Wait times showed as over half-an-hour, which I wasn't ready to give up on what I hope is only a short term IT glitch.)

Anybody else see glitchiness today?

keitherson

Something big is probably coming this week. They are probably launching Business Class sales and announcing 787 routes/service and FFP changes all in one day/week. They just changed their fare classes and pushed this out to partners (I just posted about this).

keitherson

What 767 route are you booked on: LGW? It may be a swap to a 787 or a 7M8, if it's not just an IT glitch from all the changes coming.

FlyerJ

keitherson

It's possible that it's a downgrade to a MAX and that you would be looking at Plus seating (blocked middle) instead of Premium Economy recliner seats.

FlyerJ

YYCguy

aerobod

Fare class re-alignment is in progress, planned to continue this week, based on the info I have from my IT friends. Expect some disruption in the seat maps and pre-reserved seats until this is complete.

FlyerJ

aerobod

I don't think so, they may have to do some manual fix-up, but they do know things are not showing up as they should be. I would say if you see a problem with your pre-reserved seat next Mon, call the contact centre and let them know.

This change is the biggest reservation system change since Sabre was introduced, but necessary to do true split cabins and support the move to business class. In the past reserved seats were not protected between Plus and Economy when equipment change happened and system seat assignment took place (requiring manual processing that was far from fool-proof), in the future the true split cabins will ensure seat class protection with equipment and other changes when automated seat re-assignment takes place.

calgaryhhr

What you might be seeing is a glitch in the system. I don't fully understand what happens but I read that when a tail swap occurs the Sabre system reaccommodates all guests into economy and it doesn't transfer Plus into Plus. I've read that this happens quite a bit and passengers often upgrade into freshly "available" Plus seats while the passengers that initially booked those seats are screwed. It is a glitch that Westjet knows about.

Ace Cdn

I think plus in Sabre is being separated into its own cabin ( in preparation for business class) that is probably why it's not showing in the economy seat map.

FlyerJ

No -- I was referring to flights as far out as March 2019. There are no 'tails' assigned that far out.

Aerobod addressed the issue and explained what's going on in the post above yours.

(Aerobod: thanks again! Your contributions here are fantastic and very much appreciated.)

newfbc

Westjet is trying to be like Air Canada in every way.. it's only fair that they copy Air Canada's fantastic IT!

Ron.

shore9

so is this why i can't book a Plus (lowest) fare and only Plus (flexible) are available for $400 more for flights that are at least 3 months away?