WestJet introducing Extended Comfort travel experience with preferred seating, priority boarding & a free alcoholic drink

On April 10th WestJet will be introducing a new product option called “Extended Comfort” which will be available for purchase for anyone flying on an economy class fare.

This new feature will be replacing the preferred seating seat selection option with a packaged offer for those same preferred seats that will also include priority boarding and a complimentary alcoholic beverage. Extended Comfort will be offered onboard WestJet’s 737 and 787 aircraft

The Extended Comfort Experience

The new Extended Comfort experience from WestJet will include the following:

• Seats with extra legroom (3-6 inches) at the front of the Economy cabin.
• Priority boarding (Zone 2) – Which should provide better access to coveted overhead bin space
• A complimentary alcoholic beverage during inflight service (based on flight duration, aircraft type and destination)

This new option can be selected by WestJet travellers at time of booking or anytime in advance of travel right up until check-in through WestJet’s Manage Trips or on the WestJet app.

Extended Comfort Pricing

Much like the pricing for tickets and other options with the airline, the pricing for Extended Comfort is dynamic as it is based on the distance, city pair, time of day etc.  WestJet has told Rewards Canada the prices will start at $30 but can go higher based on the aforementioned factors.

As this option is replacing the current Preferred seat product we can assume the top end pricing will likely be higher than the maximum $250 currently being charged for Preferred seats:

Extended Comfort is eligible for Elite Status Upgrades & Seat Selection Vouchers

In our discussions with WestJet we asked them if the Extended Comfort product will be eligible for space available free upgrades at the gate that they provide to their Elite Status members. They told us that yes, it will be eligible:

Elite status members will be eligible to be upgraded to Extended Comfort similarly to how cabin upgrades are done today.  If they can’t be accommodated in Premium or Business they can be moved to Extended Comfort instead based on availability.

 

The same goes for the free seat selection vouchers that elite members receive:

Elite status members with seat selection vouchers will be able to use those on Extended Comfort just as they can with Preferred seats today.

Wrapping it up

The new WestJet Extended Comfort product is a good option for those travellers who are not able to purchase Premium or Business Class fares for whatever reason, but do have it within their budget to make their travel experience a little more comfortable.

Personally, I think the biggest selling point of the new feature is the Zone 2 Priority Boarding. With so many travellers trying to bring as much luggage as possible into the cabin to avoid paying checked bag fees, the overhead bins have become prime real estate. Thus by getting early access to the bin space along with an extra legroom seat, this new option will be seen as a goldmine by some.

Click here to learn more about Extended Comfort

 

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