A couple thought they were getting a great deal on a low-cost flight with WestJet, a Canadian airline. However, they quickly regretted their decision when the woman’s 6-foot-4 fiancé tried to squeeze into the aisle seat.
Vanessa Maldonado (@vanessa.s.maldonado) sits in the middle seat in economy on the four-hour flight from Toronto to Edmonton, Canada. At just 5-foot-2, her knees press against the back of the seat in front of her.
Then, she pans over to her tall fiancé. His left leg jams into half of her leg space, while his other let sticks out into the aisle. There’s no way he could move them any closer without going knees-to-chest for the entirety of the flight.
She writes in the caption, “No wonder why they are getting such backlash.”
Is WestJet Getting Backlash For Small Seats?
In early Jan. 2026, WestJet made the decision to maximize how many passengers it could carry on its Boeing 737 airplanes, the New York Times reports. Some seat pitches, the space between one point on a seat compared to the same on the one in front of it, shrunk from 35 to 28 inches. And many seats no longer recline.
On the r/westjet subreddit, other angry passengers share their thoughts on the new layout.
“I flew with the new configuration and have vowed never to fly again on a plane with those seats,” one lamented.
Another shared, “I flew two weeks ago. My knee caps were jammed into the seat back for five hours. Will avoid flying again… will take AC Rouge over this WJ configuration.”
“Westjet has really gone to shit. I’m 6’6” and you will know if I’m sitting behind you,” a third remarked, sharing the same problem as Maldonado’s fiancé.
WestJet seems to have listened to passengers this time, announcing on Jan. 16 that it would be reversing its new cramped layout, according to CBC.
What Do Viewers Think Of The Cramped Seats?
In the comments, many viewers said they’re disappointed with WestJet’s recent changes.
“I remember when WestJet was a new airline and they were next level awesome,” one commented. “They are now moving in the wrong direction. All they care about is maximizing profit which is fine. But at the cost of comfort and safety.”
“I lowk used to like westjet,” another admitted.
“@WestJet when will you treat your customers with the respect you used to? We miss the original WestJet. Please stop making AC look good,” a viewer remarked.
Tall travelers say they’d consider other airline options to avoid paying for upgraded seats with acceptable legroom.
“I’m 6 ft. Guess no more West Jet for me,” a commenter said.
“My husband is 6’3, two sons are 6’3 and 6’5 and I have to pay for premium seats to fly comfortably,” one flyer lamented.
Others questioned if smaller seats could pose a safety issue.
A commenter asked, “This feels like a safety issue. How could he possibly brace if needed?”
“I’ve got a torn miniscus, this would be a serious issue if my knee was forced into this position for any amount of time. We were going to book Westjet to Mexico but second guessing that now,” a second wrote.
“You can’t even get into a crash position this is insane,” a third pointed out.
@vanessa.s.maldonado Flight from yyz to yeg with @WestJet. I’m 5’2 and my knees are basically touching the seat in front. My fiancé is 6’4 and his knees don’t fit in the seat area. No wonder why they are getting such backlash. @YEGWAVE
BroBible reached out to Maldonado via TikTok direct message and email and to WestJet via email for further comment. We will update the story when they respond.