This week, Canadian airline WestJet became one of the first to try to switch the ability to recline into a paid “perk” by announcing that it was reconfiguring 43 of its Boeing 737-8 MAX and 737-800 (BA) planes to have what it classifies as a “refreshed range of seating options.”
The airline industry figured out long ago that people will suffer the most miserable flights possible in order to save money but they will absolutely take free comfort upgrades. If they do this it’s to save money and make the flight cheaper because if other airlines offer reclining seats at the same price customers will take those instead as a free upgrade.
Please explain how this saves them money? All I see is finding ways to upcharge customers for what used to be standard options, while maybe cramming in one more row of passengers.
Cramming in one more row of passengers means you get more passengers per flight => each passenger costs less to fly.
I don’t actually know if they’re going to fit in one more row though. Maybe the non-reclining seats are lighter in weight? That would save money on fuel costs.
If the system for optional reclining seats actually adds weight to the plane then they’re taking a gamble that enough passengers will pay extra for the reclining to pay for the additional fuel costs. That could backfire!
In a lot of ways this seems like an experiment that could backfire, even if it doesn’t risk increasing flight costs on some flights. Only time will tell!
You mean “to increase profits”…
That’s less specific. You can increase profits by saving money (reducing costs) or you can increase profits by selling more (increasing sales).
This plan to take away reclining seats is unlikely to increase sales!