WestJet Airline Review – Is WestJet a Good Airline in 2024?

• Airline: WestJet
• Class: Premium Economy
• Aircraft: Boeing 737Max 8
• Route: Dublin (DUB) to Toronto (YYZ)
• Flight time: 7 Hours 30 Minutes

Welcome to another flight review. Today we are reviewing Canada’s second biggest Airline, WestJet, crossing the Atlantic for just $580 in premium economy on a tiny 727 Max from Dublin to Toronto.

I don’t want to give away too much but barely anything was functioning on this Boeing airplane and if it wasn’t for the great deal I wouldn’t really recommend it but let me break down my experience with WestJet.

Just a few weeks ago, WestJet introduced daily flights from the Irish capital, Dublin, to Toronto for a reasonable price of $250 in economy or $500 in the premium cabin.

Since I’ve never really had a good flight on Air Canada, I wanted to try an alternative and here I was travelling to Canada again.

The check-in experience was smooth and easy, and once I was handed my boarding pass, I made my way to the gate. Since it was sold as premium economy, I didn’t get lounge access, so that’s something to keep in mind. 

And there she is, the infamous 737 Max 8, the backbone of WestJet’s fleet. 

Smaller planes mean less staff and less fuel, making it much more affordable to cross the Atlantic Ocean, and one of the reasons why they sell some of the cheapest tickets from Europe to North America. But now let’s get on board and see what it was like inside the Boeing.

I received no welcome at the door and immediately got Air Canada vibes. However, the Premium Economy cabin looked decent, featuring 12 recliner seats in a 2-2 configuration. 

Ready at my seat was a blanket, a pillow, as well as an amenity kit and a bottle of water. 

The legroom situation was decent, and each seat came with a universal power outlet as well as a USB slot. There were no built-in screens, but usually, you can stream entertainment to your personal device or even access the internet. 

I also had a quick look at the Economy Class cabin, which featured 162 seats in a 3-3 configuration. 

Once I settled into my seat, the crew announced that their streaming system was broken and not available on this flight, which left everyone without entertainment for the next 7 hours. 

We then pushed back with a 45-minute delay and a fully booked flight.

After takeoff, we were handed a wet towel, and the menu was given out as well. However, chicken was the only meal loaded on the flight, so there wasn’t really a point in handing out the menus. 

The crew couldn’t care less and weren’t very apologetic about the lack of meal choice or the broken in-flight entertainment, and this attitude continued throughout the flight. Overall, the WestJet crew friendliness and service was a real letdown.

2 hours into the flight, we were served the only meal option which was the chicken. Despite the lack of choice, the meal was fresh, and the quality was good. 

With a price tag of $540, you can’t complain too much as the hard product for that price is decent given it’s a 7-hour flight. 

But I can imagine that some people might be really annoyed that the vegetarian option wasn’t available or that they have to sit through a 7 hour flight not being able to watch any movies or access the internet.

This was a good time to have a look at the amenity kit on this flight which featured a lip balm, eye shades, ear plugs and a pair of socks.

With 3 hours to go in the flight, we cruised over Greenland which had some beautiful views. At this point though, I was getting pretty bored without in-flight entertainment to say the least.

After enjoying the great views over Greenland we were served a round of snacks which was cheese and crackers, a flapjack served with some awful tasting coffee. 

We then finally started our descent into Toronto, and to round up my flight experience, it was very, very average, to say the least. 

If you sell a product, you should deliver. But with the broken internet and in-flight entertainment and no food choices, I felt a little cheated. 

It would have been nice if the airline compensated its passengers for their shortcomings, but customer service doesn’t really seem to be a thing with this airline, so keep that in mind when flying WestJet. 

The crew were rather below average, lacking motivation and passion for their jobs.

The positives that stood out were the cheap ticket price and the smooth check-in experience. Also, the seat is pretty good for what it is.

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This is it, wherever you’re off to, have a safe trip.

About the Author

Josh Cahill is an award-winning Aviation YouTuber who is reportedly one of the most-watched flight reviewers on the internet. He organised Afghanistan’s first all-female flight together with Kam Air in February 2021 on a flight from Herat to Kabul for which he received the Aviation Achievement Award. His favourite hobby? Flying exotic airlines nobody has ever heard of.