Name: Viral video sparks WestJet legroom complaints
Uploaded: 2026-01-10T22:35:12.547Z
Duration: 1 min 45 s
Description: An Alberta family is speaking out after a video showing them struggling to sit in a tight new WestJet seating arrangement went viral. The airline is facing criticism for putting profits before people with the tightly configured, non-reclining seats.

An Alberta family is speaking out after a video showing them struggling to sit in a tight new WestJet seating arrangement went viral. The airline is facing criticism for putting profits before people with the tightly configured, non-reclining seats.

Alberta

A video filmed by Amanda Schmidt of her tall father struggling to fit in a non-reclining WestJet seat has gone viral, drawing attention to the issue of limited legroom on some of the airline's newly reconfigured planes. WestJet acknowledged the concerns, stating it is listening to feedback and has paused further installation of non-reclining seats following negative responses from passengers.

Passengers and experts have raised concerns about the comfort and fairness of reduced legroom, especially on long-haul flights, and have called for government regulation to set minimum seat space standards. CBC News reached out to Transport Canada regarding legroom as a passenger right, but the department did not respond by the reporting deadline.

Viral video sparks WestJet legroom complaints

Dad, could you just straighten out your legs there? Impossible. This video of a tight squeeze for an Alberta family on a recent WestJet flight has gone viral, showcasing passenger leg room or a lack of it. You have to pay for the other leg. Amanda Schmidt shot the video of her 6-foot, 3-inch tall father cramped into his non-reclining seat. If they're selling a seat for a human, it should fit a human. It's inhumane, basically, to make people travel like this. In an email, WestJet said the plane in the video is one of our newly reconfigured aircraft. Later responding on X, we understand that the reconfigured seating isn't ideal for everyone, and adding it's listening closely to feedback. Last month, WestJet paused the plan to install non-reclining seats on more planes after receiving negative feedback. Passengers have concerns. How can you sit like that for like a big, long-haul flight, like we're flying to the UK? So that would be pretty disastrous. It's terrible, really. If you want any sort of reasonable travel, you have to pay extra. One aviation expert says seats with reduced leg room are common in Europe, but less so in Canada, and thinks Ottawa should step in. There is no oversight. There is no governance. There is no regulation associated with the amount of space that customers are entitled to. Schmidt's father is also calling for change. I think the aviation authorities should have some play in kind of standardizing the requirements, or the minimum requirements. CBC News reached out to Transport Canada asking if leg room should be a passenger right. The department did not respond by our deadline. Julia Wong, CBC News, Edmonton.

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