Canadian airlines scramble to make economy class less wearying

Canada’s airlines are in a race to provide an improved economy flying experience, promising cushy upgrades in an environment that has become notorious for its frustrations.

However, it may be prudent for the economy traveller not to be quickly seduced by the promised upgrades.

“It isn’t about restoring pleasure to economy, it’s about premiumization,” says John Gradek, aviation industry specialist and lecturer at McGill University. The upgrades are more likely to attract premium and loyalty flyers, he suggests.

Recent upgrade announcements have come from Air Canada, WestJet, Air Transat and Porter Airlines covering a range of items such as seating, headrests, USB ports, screens, tray tables and phone/tablet holders.

However, says Gradek, the airlines are “not making flying more pleasurable, so much as turning pleasure into a product line … the mass leisure traveller still chooses on price and schedule. A sharper screen won’t change that.”

They have “worked out that the money is at the front of the plane, and in getting economy passengers to pay up — premium economy, preferred seats, extra legroom. Premium economy is the fastest-growing cabin in the business, and the industry is quietly splitting into a buy-up premium tier and a stripped-down basic one.”

That means, says Gradek, that the “genuinely substantial moves are all up front.” For example, he points to Air Canada putting lie-flat seats on the new Airbus A321XLR, a long-range, narrow-body jet. That and its Signature Plus suites on the 787 “are real, industry-notable steps,” he says.

On the other hand, he suggests that WestJet’s recently announced “transformation” is mostly about bringing the former Swoop and Sunwing airline planes up to a normal WestJet cabin, premium seats included.

“What the person in economy actually gets is a refresh, not a revolution,” says Gradek. That includes, he notes, bigger 4K screens, USB-C power, tablet holders, nicer lighting and lighter seats.

“All welcome, all overdue, but that’s table stakes in 2026, not a leap,” he insists.

Moreover, Gradek points out that the one thing that “defines economy comfort, the pitch and width of the seat, isn’t moving.” The pitch is the distance from a specific point on one airplane seat and the same point on the seat in front or behind. It provides a sense of a passenger’s personal space, legroom and overall comfort.

For example, Gradek says, while Porter’s new seats “are genuinely nice and about 30 per cent lighter, the legroom is exactly what it was.”

Meanwhile, he chalks up Air Transat’s recent upgrade announcement as really being “an aircraft-delivery announcement, the A321XLR arriving in 2027, wearing a comfort headline.”

Air Canada and Air Transat are both taking receipt of the Airbus A321XLR. And both focus, as a result, on the ability to launch new international routes and improve their present offerings.

In its recent announcement, Air Transat suggests upgraded economy cabin lighting will reduce the effects of jet lag and there will be 50 per cent reduced noise. One of its claims is that the cabins will have a “palette of over 16 million colours that adjusts to night and day in real time, enhancing relaxation.”

Otherwise, Air Transat says “spacious seating” will come with a backrest and four-way headrest. And economy flyers will get the “largest-in-category” 25.7-cm personal touch screens, as well as 110-volt sockets, USB-A ports and bathrooms with a changing table.

Air Canada upgrades across all its cabins promise new ergonomic seats with built-in tablet holders, larger 4K OLED screens and Bluetooth audio available, USB-C and AC power outlets. Air Canada Premium Economy cabins will include new extended privacy wings for added comfort.

Otherwise, Air Canada is adding new premium bedding and amenities for customers on international flights (with variations for different classes).

WestJet says it aircraft that “previously operated with an all-economy layout will now feature thoughtful design elements and modern amenities.” Its Premium, Extended Comfort and Economy cabins have been upgraded with free Wi-Fi, a headrest with four-way adjustment, phone/tablet holders, updated charging ports and coat hooks.

Porter promises customized new seats with redesigned seat and back cushions, updated tray tables and phone/tablet holders.

When it comes to comparing Canadian airline travel with European and Asian airlines, Gradek says Canada is falling behind and “the gap is widening, not closing.”

He states that the best airlines based in Asia and the Persian Gulf, including Singapore, ANA, Cathay, Qatar, Emirates, “remain the global benchmark on both the seat and the service. But the European majors have pulled away too.”

He points to Lufthansa’s new Allegris cabins and Air France’s redesigned business class as a “genuine step up in both the hardware and the service, and that is the standard now.”

And while Air Canada made meaningful upgrades, they’re “nowhere near that level,” states Gradek. “Its new business product is better than what it replaced, (but) not a match for what Lufthansa or Air France are now putting in the air.”

However, he does point out that Canada “still shows well … against Europe’s short-haul economy, which has gone tight and no-frills even at the flag carriers. So, we are better than a cramped intra-Europe hop, but a clear step behind the European mainlines on the premium long-haul product, and further behind the best of Asia again.”

Ultimately, he says, while these upgrades “narrow the technology gap — the screens and the plugs — they don’t close the one that matters, which is the seat and the service.”