Airlines are not required to tell you how much legroom you will have on your flight. Here’s what you need to know

It’s hard for most people to get an economy seat on a flight, but on some planes it’s even harder than usual. The kicker? You probably won’t be able to tell when you’re booking your ticket, because airlines aren’t required to tell you in advance.

Alexandra West, a frequent WestJet flier, said in an interview with CBC News that she first noticed last year that she couldn’t fit comfortably in their economy seats.

“I liked WestJet because I used to buy their economy tickets, and I had about two inches of clearance in front of my knees. So it was comfortable. It was just fine,” said West, who is a veterinarian living in central Alberta. “But now, I can’t sit on those seats with my legs straightT forward.”

WestJet’s new seat configuration rollout has been a hot topic after a video showing an Alberta family’s cramped seating position on a flight recently went viral. The video, posted by Amanda Schmidt, who goes by the username @amanda_rae.13 on TikTok, shows her father struggling to fit his legs on his seat.

Although WestJet did not respond to an interview request in time for publication of this story, the airline Said It said in a previous email statement to CBC News that the airplane seen in the video was part of its “newly reconfigured aircraft.”

The airline said that to make air travel more accessible, it is trying new products, such as changing seat pitch on some rows to accommodate an extra row on some of its aircraft.

Seat pitch is the measurement of the distance from the back of a seat to the back of the seat in front of it. The standard seat pitch for Canadian airlines is 30 inches. The seat pitch of some rows of economy seating in WestJet’s reconfigured aircraft was reduced to 28 inches.

West said the airline did not inform her about the difference in seat pitch when she booked her flight.

“I actually booked another one today. It doesn’t advertise what the pitch is for the ticket you’re buying. It only offers you to upgrade if you prefer more legroom. It says upgrading gives you an average of three inches of extra legroom, but it doesn’t specify what that number is,” West said.

John Gradek, an aviation expert at McGill University, said there is no current requirement for airlines to tell passengers what their seat pitch will be when they book a flight.

“When you make a reservation … there is no direct statement that the seat you requested or that is assigned to you has a 28-inch pitch,” Gradec said. “And that brings with it some level of comfort that, you know, you have to decide whether that comfort is acceptable to you or not.”

He said this differs from some low-cost European airlines, which “very, very clearly identify” that their seats have 28-inch pitch, even advertising it when customers are booking flights.

Captain Jacob Astin, Chairman of the WestJet Master Executive Council, which represents all WestJet pilots It was said in the previous statement told CBC News that although the 28-inch pitch seats are Transport Canada-approved, they may reduce the “improved safety margin of the previous layout due to cramped conditions”.

In a statement to CBC News, a representative from Transport Canada said WestJet’s modifications are in line with federal safety regulations, which do not specify minimum seat pitch.

Gradek said the short distance could create challenges for some travelers in emergency evacuation. ,If you are medium or large sized, sitting on seats that can slide out in the event of an emergency and preparing for an emergency will be very difficult,” he said.

health concerns arise

In addition to concerns about emergency evacuation, some travelers are also concerned about increased health risks, such as blood clots, from sitting in cramped quarters for extended periods of time.

Emily Janson, a legal analyst in Kingston, Ontario, said she suffered mid-flight cardiac arrest due to a blood clot while traveling from Toronto to Dubai last year.

“I was up for 10 hours. I was in the window seat with people next to me, and I honestly fell asleep. I watched a movie. I didn’t wake up, I didn’t really stretch or anything, and when I woke up, when I went to go to the bathroom, finally, again, 10 hours into the flight, I collapsed and went into cardiac arrest,” Jansen told CBC News.

She later learned that “cramping for so long” had caused a blood clot in her leg, which traveled to her lungs, causing a pulmonary embolism and cardiac arrest.

Jansen said he flew economy class on an Air Canada flight, which has not offered planes with adjustable seat pitch.

“By reducing legroom, they are effectively making it harder for passengers to follow official health guidance from bodies like the World Health Organization,” Jansson said. World Health Organization gives advice That people move their legs frequently during a journey of more than four hours.

“Beyond the obvious comfort concerns — it doesn’t seem to be a very comfortable and relaxing ride — there’s also a health component to it,” Jansen said.

Gradec said there should be rules to establish a basic level of service provided as part of an economy class flight ticket, including seat pitch.

“I’m saying, let’s do it in Canada, because I think we need it,” Gradek said. “Otherwise, it’s the Wild West.”