Preferred seating on 737s - Change to Preferred seats?
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: The World
Programs: WS Platinum, Marriott Titanium, DL Gold, UA Silver
Posts: 1,582
Preferred seating on 737s - Change to Preferred seats?
Has something changed?
The 737s used to designate the first few rows of Y as being "Preferred" seating ... still a 3x3 configuration, but with a little bit of extra legroom in the first few rows of the Y cabin. (Exit row seats were designated as, well, "Exit row". Not "Premium".)
Now, the WestJet website shows:
737 Max: "Preferred" seating = the two exit rows, and nothing else. Rows 4, 5, 6 now show as standard Y seating.
737-800 version 73H Ditto. Only the two exit rows are classified as "Preferred".
737-800 version 7S8 aka the Flying Yellow Schoolbus. Lots of "Preferred" seating on the D/E/F side of the cabin in this new and concerning all-Y layout (heck, fewer Premium seats than a Q400). Only this aircraft uses the different "Exit row" designation for exit row seats.
737-700 Preferred seating = the single exit row only .. a measly 6 seats.
Is "Preferred" seating now gonzo, other than on the new single class flying schoolbus? Is it now just the exit rows, a la Allegiant, on all of the other 737s?
What happened to the separate "Exit row" seat designation on the Max, 73H, and 700??
Or are the seatmaps on westjet.com not accurate?
The 737s used to designate the first few rows of Y as being "Preferred" seating ... still a 3x3 configuration, but with a little bit of extra legroom in the first few rows of the Y cabin. (Exit row seats were designated as, well, "Exit row". Not "Premium".)
Now, the WestJet website shows:
737 Max: "Preferred" seating = the two exit rows, and nothing else. Rows 4, 5, 6 now show as standard Y seating.
737-800 version 73H Ditto. Only the two exit rows are classified as "Preferred".
737-800 version 7S8 aka the Flying Yellow Schoolbus. Lots of "Preferred" seating on the D/E/F side of the cabin in this new and concerning all-Y layout (heck, fewer Premium seats than a Q400). Only this aircraft uses the different "Exit row" designation for exit row seats.
737-700 Preferred seating = the single exit row only .. a measly 6 seats.
Is "Preferred" seating now gonzo, other than on the new single class flying schoolbus? Is it now just the exit rows, a la Allegiant, on all of the other 737s?
What happened to the separate "Exit row" seat designation on the Max, 73H, and 700??
Or are the seatmaps on westjet.com not accurate?
#2
Join Date: Mar 2010
Location: Calgary
Posts: 1,510
Has something changed?
The 737s used to designate the first few rows of Y as being "Preferred" seating ... still a 3x3 configuration, but with a little bit of extra legroom in the first few rows of the Y cabin. (Exit row seats were designated as, well, "Exit row". Not "Premium".)
Now, the WestJet website shows:
737 Max: "Preferred" seating = the two exit rows, and nothing else. Rows 4, 5, 6 now show as standard Y seating.
737-800 version 73H Ditto. Only the two exit rows are classified as "Preferred".
737-800 version 7S8 aka the Flying Yellow Schoolbus. Lots of "Preferred" seating on the D/E/F side of the cabin in this new and concerning all-Y layout (heck, fewer Premium seats than a Q400). Only this aircraft uses the different "Exit row" designation for exit row seats.
737-700 Preferred seating = the single exit row only .. a measly 6 seats.
Is "Preferred" seating now gonzo, other than on the new single class flying schoolbus? Is it now just the exit rows, a la Allegiant, on all of the other 737s?
What happened to the separate "Exit row" seat designation on the Max, 73H, and 700??
Or are the seatmaps on westjet.com not accurate?
The 737s used to designate the first few rows of Y as being "Preferred" seating ... still a 3x3 configuration, but with a little bit of extra legroom in the first few rows of the Y cabin. (Exit row seats were designated as, well, "Exit row". Not "Premium".)
Now, the WestJet website shows:
737 Max: "Preferred" seating = the two exit rows, and nothing else. Rows 4, 5, 6 now show as standard Y seating.
737-800 version 73H Ditto. Only the two exit rows are classified as "Preferred".
737-800 version 7S8 aka the Flying Yellow Schoolbus. Lots of "Preferred" seating on the D/E/F side of the cabin in this new and concerning all-Y layout (heck, fewer Premium seats than a Q400). Only this aircraft uses the different "Exit row" designation for exit row seats.
737-700 Preferred seating = the single exit row only .. a measly 6 seats.
Is "Preferred" seating now gonzo, other than on the new single class flying schoolbus? Is it now just the exit rows, a la Allegiant, on all of the other 737s?
What happened to the separate "Exit row" seat designation on the Max, 73H, and 700??
Or are the seatmaps on westjet.com not accurate?
![](https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.flyertalk.com-vbulletin/1314x794/seats_22023_06_16_at_7_56_06_am_c55765725db900d9ca0bd679af6204ef0e02e3ee.jpg)
Some more new config info here: https://news.paxeditions.com/news/ai...aft-memo-shows
#4
Join Date: Mar 2010
Location: Calgary
Posts: 1,510
The MAX 10s are scheduled for 2024-2028 delivery (assuming they ever get through certification) and it is not clear if WS will take MAX 7s anymore. I can see the 737-700s just fizzling out of the fleet as they become ready for lease return or just ready for scrap, without any changes to the current config.
#5
Join Date: Jun 2008
Location: YYC, Canada
Programs: AC 35k
Posts: 1,915
Ryanair is using 28" pitch on most of the 17 rows of seats behind the over-wing exits on their 737-8-200 aircraft, together with the rear bathrooms switched position with galleys: https://www.aerolopa.com/fr-7m8.
#6
Original Poster
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: The World
Programs: WS Platinum, Marriott Titanium, DL Gold, UA Silver
Posts: 1,582
Rouge is a 29" seat pitch. It's an utterly awful experience. But that's still better than WestJet's 28".
WestJet's new seat pitch, if this is accurate, will be worse than Rouge, worse than Allegiant, and equal to Spirit and Frontier and some (but not all) Ryanair aircraft.
Spirit, Frontier, Ryanair, Rouge ... all awful, bottom-feeder airline experiences ... soon to be on par with mainline WestJet.
So this is the new WestJet?!??!?
Holy @$!%.
As a Calgary-based (tall) frequent flier ... how do we start campaigning to get Air Canada to come back to YYC??? (Without Rouge, though.)
#7
Join Date: Nov 2019
Location: YMJ (YQR)
Programs: Qantas LTG, WestJet Plat
Posts: 354
You fly Porter at every practical opportunity (admittedly very limited) to promote paxex-based (rather than just price-based) competition?
#8
Join Date: Feb 2007
Location: YVR
Programs: Erstwhile Accidental AC E35K
Posts: 2,963
100%.
Rouge is a 29" seat pitch. It's an utterly awful experience. But that's still better than WestJet's 28".
WestJet's new seat pitch, if this is accurate, will be worse than Rouge, worse than Allegiant, and equal to Spirit and Frontier and some (but not all) Ryanair aircraft.
Spirit, Frontier, Ryanair, Rouge ... all awful, bottom-feeder airline experiences ... soon to be on par with mainline WestJet.
So this is the new WestJet?!??!?
Holy @$!%.
As a Calgary-based (tall) frequent flier ... how do we start campaigning to get Air Canada to come back to YYC??? (Without Rouge, though.)
Rouge is a 29" seat pitch. It's an utterly awful experience. But that's still better than WestJet's 28".
WestJet's new seat pitch, if this is accurate, will be worse than Rouge, worse than Allegiant, and equal to Spirit and Frontier and some (but not all) Ryanair aircraft.
Spirit, Frontier, Ryanair, Rouge ... all awful, bottom-feeder airline experiences ... soon to be on par with mainline WestJet.
So this is the new WestJet?!??!?
Holy @$!%.
As a Calgary-based (tall) frequent flier ... how do we start campaigning to get Air Canada to come back to YYC??? (Without Rouge, though.)
#9
Join Date: Mar 2010
Location: Calgary
Posts: 1,510
I don’t know what everyone expected when WS, WO and WG were announced as being a single entity and still have ULCC competition in their market. In the 737-8 or -800, just pay the extra for one of the 48 extra legroom or 12 premium seats if you don’t want a ULCC 28 or 28.5” seat pitch. If you do it at booking time there generally shouldn’t be an availability issue, as most people don’t want to pay the seat reservation fee.
#10
Join Date: Feb 2007
Location: YVR
Programs: Erstwhile Accidental AC E35K
Posts: 2,963
I don’t know what everyone expected when WS, WO and WG were announced as being a single entity and still have ULCC competition in their market. In the 737-8 or -800, just pay the extra for one of the 48 extra legroom or 12 premium seats if you don’t want a ULCC 28 or 28.5” seat pitch. If you do it at booking time there generally shouldn’t be an availability issue, as most people don’t want to pay the seat reservation fee.
#11
Join Date: Mar 2010
Location: Calgary
Posts: 1,510
The WS strategy seems to be 2/3 ULCC and 1/3 Legacy carrier in their new 737 cabin configurations, probably the only way they can compete effectively with both with AC and the main ULCCs in their domestic and sun markets.
#12
Original Poster
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: The World
Programs: WS Platinum, Marriott Titanium, DL Gold, UA Silver
Posts: 1,582
I don’t know what everyone expected when WS, WO and WG were announced as being a single entity and still have ULCC competition in their market. In the 737-8 or -800, just pay the extra for one of the 48 extra legroom or 12 premium seats if you don’t want a ULCC 28 or 28.5” seat pitch. If you do it at booking time there generally shouldn’t be an availability issue, as most people don’t want to pay the seat reservation fee.
For me, I'm a YYC-based business traveller who typically flies every second week to destinations across the U.S. and Canada, often on short notice. Sometimes on very short notice. And, as mentioned above, I'm tall. When I book last minute, I'm often left with a choice of a middle seat in 'preferred' or an exit row ... or an aisle seat further back in the cabin. On mainstream carriers like DL, AC, UA or the previous version of WS, I'd be ok taking any of those options -- although trying to avoid a middle seat unless no other option existed -- typically on an airline where I either have or am trying to obtain FF status/benefits. (Currently, I have status on WS, DL and UA.) Now that WS is doing this, I don't see myself ever flying in the back half of their aircraft. Ever. There's no doubt that it will impact how I choose a flight and how I select an airline.
#13
Original Poster
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: The World
Programs: WS Platinum, Marriott Titanium, DL Gold, UA Silver
Posts: 1,582
And if this ongoing downgrading of WestJet's product is to be able to capture Lynx and Flair flyers, why? ULCC customers are also ultra low revenue per person, and ultra, ultra low margin -- unless you're able to squeeze lots of ancillary revenue out of them. Is it really worth downgrading everything about your product - from the Premium experience to the seat pitch in most of the Y cabin - to win those customers over?
#14
Join Date: Mar 2010
Location: Calgary
Posts: 1,510
Makes sense for WestJet's new target market ... i.e. Johnny and Sally on their annual trip to Vegas who book a few months in advance. Their transition from mainstream to some weird ULCC hybrid won't impact the occasional vacation flyer -- which is who "new WestJet" seems to focus on now.
For me, I'm a YYC-based business traveller who typically flies every second week to destinations across the U.S. and Canada, often on short notice. Sometimes on very short notice. And, as mentioned above, I'm tall. When I book last minute, I'm often left with a choice of a middle seat in 'preferred' or an exit row ... or an aisle seat further back in the cabin. On mainstream carriers like DL, AC, UA or the previous version of WS, I'd be ok taking any of those options -- although trying to avoid a middle seat unless no other option existed -- typically on an airline where I either have or am trying to obtain FF status/benefits. (Currently, I have status on WS, DL and UA.) Now that WS is doing this, I don't see myself ever flying in the back half of their aircraft. Ever. There's no doubt that it will impact how I choose a flight and how I select an airline.
For me, I'm a YYC-based business traveller who typically flies every second week to destinations across the U.S. and Canada, often on short notice. Sometimes on very short notice. And, as mentioned above, I'm tall. When I book last minute, I'm often left with a choice of a middle seat in 'preferred' or an exit row ... or an aisle seat further back in the cabin. On mainstream carriers like DL, AC, UA or the previous version of WS, I'd be ok taking any of those options -- although trying to avoid a middle seat unless no other option existed -- typically on an airline where I either have or am trying to obtain FF status/benefits. (Currently, I have status on WS, DL and UA.) Now that WS is doing this, I don't see myself ever flying in the back half of their aircraft. Ever. There's no doubt that it will impact how I choose a flight and how I select an airline.
Without WestJet doing this change, they will wither in time in the west due to ULCC competition having gained a significant toe-hold compared with the negligible impact in the east so far. The fact AC is reducing frequency and point-to-point routes in the west to better deploy into more profitable eastern routes indicates this, too. it will be interesting to see how Porter fares in their expansion, with a naturally higher cost model than Flair and WestJet (but likely a large cushion left in the remains of their $750m slush fund), as competition gets more intense with the number of scheduled aircraft deliveries.
#15
Original Poster
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: The World
Programs: WS Platinum, Marriott Titanium, DL Gold, UA Silver
Posts: 1,582
Middle seats with good legroom? Sure. There will almost always be some middles in preferred or exit rows just prior to T-24, but that's hardly a win. I often find myself in an aisle seat behind the wing when booking last minute.