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A Canadian airline is encountering backlash due to significantly reduced seat distances. The airline mentioned, “This is to cater to passengers at every price level.”

As reported by local media, including Daily Hive on the 7th, the Canadian airline WestJet has updated the seating on 21 Boeing 737 planes since last September. In economy class, the space between seats was decreased from 38 inches (about 96 cm) to 28 inches (around 71 cm), and an extra row was added to boost capacity. Fixed-back seats were also introduced, preventing passengers from adjusting how far the seat reclines. To access seats with adjustable recline, travelers need to pay for premium seating options.

After this seat update, travelers have voiced complaints about the reduced leg space. Recently, a Reddit user posted a review saying, “Since WestJet altered the seating layout, the legroom on basic fare bookings is extremely restricted.” The video they uploaded depicted an elderly couple having difficulty moving as their knees were firmly pressed against the seat ahead. The couple joked, “It looks like we’ll need to pay an additional charge to have more room to stretch our legs.”

The video received more than 1 million views on social media. Internet users voiced concerns such as, “It could be risky during sudden turbulence or emergency landings,” “The seats seem narrower than a chicken coop,” “I’d rather drive for hours than sit like that,” and “That’s a death trap.” Another user commented, “When my partner and I traveled to Cancún, the legroom on WestJet’s flight was exactly like this. At 165 cm tall, I barely had enough space, and my fiancé, who is 193 cm tall, didn’t have proper room to sit throughout the flight.” There were also criticisms that although airlines have the right to redesign seats, excessively small seats greatly limit passenger comfort.

WestJet claims that these seats are intended to cater to passengers with different financial options. Samantha Taylor, vice president, said, “They were thoughtfully created to meet the needs of all customers.”

The trend of decreasing aircraft seat space is becoming more common throughout the aviation sector. As per information from the American Economic Freedom Association, leading airlines including American Airlines have decreased the distance between seats by 2 to 5 inches (about 5 to 12 cm) when compared to the 1980s. Budget airlines like Spirit Airlines, based in the U.S., and Wizz Air from Europe offer legroom as limited as 28 inches (around 71 cm). Such a small amount of space can lead to discomfort even for adult men with their knees bent.