Is WestJet Prolonged Consolation Price It?

Final 12 months, WestJet debuted Prolonged Consolation as a paid possibility for passengers within the economic system cabin to contemplate.

In change for a charge, anybody who opts in may benefit from precedence boarding, a bit of additional area, a complimentary beverage, and preferential entry to overhead bin area (amongst different inclusions).

On a latest work journey from Toronto again to my residence on Vancouver Island, I made a decision to check out WestJet’s Prolonged Consolation to see what the fuss was all about.

When WestJet launched Prolonged Consolation in Spring 2024, it was largely only a fast makeover and rebranding for what it used to name Most well-liked seats.

In case you’re not acquainted, these are seats within the first couple of rows of the economic system cabin, which have a bit of additional legroom (3–6 inches, relying on the plane).

Many different airways additionally characteristic these Most well-liked seats, which anybody pays for prematurely, they usually’re additionally typically assigned to passengers with elite standing without charge or included with larger fares.

What’s totally different about Prolonged Consolation is that along with a barely roomier seat, passengers get the next inclusions:

• Precedence safety in some airports
• Precedence Zone 2 boarding
• Early entry to overhead bin area (by means of Zone 2 boarding)
• A complimentary alcoholic beverage throughout inflight service (based mostly on flight length, plane sort, and vacation spot)
• Faster exit upon arrival (because you’re on the entrance of the economic system cabin)

In different phrases, apart from a seat with a bit of additional legroom (which hadn’t modified from earlier than), you’ll be within the second group to board, offering coveted entry to the overhead bin area earlier than everybody else takes it up. Plus, you’ll get a drink (normally), and also you’ll be in your manner at your vacation spot earlier than everybody else behind the bus.

The beginning value for Prolonged Consolation is listed as $30 (CAD), and varies based mostly on the fare you bought, the size of your flight, and so forth.

In my case, I booked a one-way flight from Toronto to Comox by way of Edmonton on an UltraBasic fare ($183.58 CAD, of which $95 CAD was the fare and the remaining taxes and costs). I opted for Prolonged Consolation on the primary leg of my journey from Toronto to Edmonton, which value me about $95 (CAD).

Provided that the flight from Edmonton to Comox is comparatively brief, I made a decision to not pay for Prolonged Consolation on each legs, opting as a substitute to take in the genuine UltraBasic expertise for a change.

For essentially the most half, my overwhelmingly robust desire is to fly with Air Canada or Porter Airways (or Pacific Coastal, for that matter); nevertheless, Porter doesn’t fly to my neck of the woods, and the one possibility for Air Canada’s connecting flight in Vancouver that day would get me residence too late (I needed to be residence within the early afternoon for a vital lunch date with my spouse). 

And so, I bid my in-laws farewell in Toronto and headed to Terminal 3 for a change, curious to see if Prolonged Consolation lived as much as the hype of “enhancing my journey from begin to end” and “including further consolation and comfort,” as per WestJet’s advertising materials.

My Expertise with WestJet Prolonged Consolation

Previous to analyzing whether or not or not I feel Prolonged Consolation is price it, I ought to point out that I in all probability don’t match the avatar for somebody who could be within the product within the first place: 

• I’m not significantly tall (so further legroom in economic system doesn’t transfer the needle for me)
• I checked my carry-on bag and simply took my backpack on the airplane (I’d been gifted a bottle of Georgian wine to deliver residence, and I’ve a free checked bag as a cardholder of the WestJet RBC World Elite Mastercard)
• It was a morning flight (so a free drink wasn’t crucial)
• I had a cushty connection time (so being on the entrance of the economic system cabin didn’t actually matter)

After breezing by means of precedence safety (which I loved with my NEXUS card, and never Prolonged Consolation), I paid a quick go to to the Plaza Premium Lounge (which I loved entry to with my Enterprise Platinum Card from American Specific and never Prolonged Consolation) after which waltzed over to Gate B24 to queue up for my fancy Zone 2 precedence boarding.

After passing by the passengers within the Premium cabin, envious of their ample legroom and no center seats, I quickly discovered myself on the Prolonged Consolation seats, marked with a teal flap of cloth to visually distinguish themselves from the usual seats.

For comparability, right here’s what WestJet’s normal seats appear to be on the identical airplane (Boeing 737-800).

At first, I tossed my backpack into the delightfully empty overhead bin, solely to comprehend moments later that I’d quite have it beneath my seat for comfort through the flight.

Fortuitously, no one occupied the center seat, which meant I had ample elbow room for the flight, along with the couple further inches of legroom that I didn’t actually need.

I spent the overwhelming majority of the roughly four-and-a-half-hour flight getting forward on some writing work.

When the flight attendants got here round for final name, I had a fast look by means of the menu and opted for a personal-sized bottle of prosecco – which was included with my Prolonged Consolation fare.

In spite of everything, the Plaza Premium Lounge in Edmonton doesn’t precisely have the most effective popularity, and I believed I’d take pleasure in some bubbles earlier than stretching my legs throughout my layover.

Once we arrived in Edmonton, I used to be amongst the primary passengers in economic system to deplane, and I headed into the terminal to move a while earlier than my connecting flight again to Comox.

For what it’s price, there was ample overhead bin area on each the Toronto–Edmonton and Edmonton–Comox legs, because the flights weren’t significantly full. My flight was additionally not throughout peak journey season.

Whereas I used to be amongst the final to board my second flight with Zone 9 boarding resulting from my UltraBasic fare, the expertise was in any other case vastly related, albeit with a bit much less legroom.

There wouldn’t have been any points discovering overhead bin area, and deplaning first didn’t actually matter to me since I needed to wait a couple of minutes to gather my bag anyway.

Once I arrived at my residence airport, my checked bag promptly arrived, and I headed off for my lunch date no worse for put on after a visit throughout the nation.

Is WestJet Prolonged Consolation Price It?

For my part, I don’t actually see the worth supplied with WestJet’s Prolonged Consolation product, and there’s a robust probability that I gained’t go for it once more ought to I select to fly with WestJet.

In reality, I actually solely see the advantage of having a seat with some further area, because the different Prolonged Consolation perks may be accessed by totally different means or occur by probability to start with.

Along with getting precedence safety with my NEXUS card, many different Canadian bank cards provide the identical profit. In case you don’t have standing with an airline and journey typically sufficient, the perks supplied by means of premium bank cards can usually justify the playing cards’ larger annual charges.

Plus, with companies like Specific obtainable in most airports, you possibly can in all probability get by means of safety rapidly with out having to pay for it (both by means of an Prolonged Consolation fare or with a bank card’s annual charge). 

In terms of Zone 2 boarding, the one time this actually issues is when flights are full and overhead bin area really turns into a difficulty. Except you’re travelling on an UltraBasic fare – which doesn’t enable for a carry-on bag and has Zone 9 boarding – it is best to have the ability to find overhead bin area normally.

Alternatively, you possibly can skirt the psychological problem of jostling for overhead bin area by checking a bag (which you will get for “free” with a co-branded bank card).

In case your bag doesn’t arrive at your vacation spot as deliberate, you’re additionally lined by the Air Passenger Safety Laws, the Montreal Conference, and/or bank card insurance coverage, which implies you possibly can improve your wardrobe with some new stuff till your bag arrives.

In case you’re a taller particular person travelling in economic system, then the additional 3–6 inches of legroom may very well be the distinction between arriving comfortably or in discomfort. Simply make sure to verify the plane sort previous to paying for Prolonged Consolation (since there’s loads of variability in WestJet’s fleet, together with legacy ultra-low-cost service planes), and in addition look to see if there’s an exit row seat obtainable for a lower cost.

Alcoholic drinks value (at most) $10.99 on WestJet flights, so in case you’re thirsty, think about simply getting assigned an everyday seat and paying for a drink as a substitute.

If deplaning first is vital to you (which actually solely means on a decent connection or needing to depart the airport instantly), think about paying for a seat simply behind Prolonged Consolation. The additional minute or so probably gained’t make a distinction (and with minimal connection occasions, you’re in all probability going to make your connection normally anyway). 

Conclusion

In 2024, WestJet launched Prolonged Consolation as an possibility for passengers travelling in economic system.

In case you select to pay for it, you’ll profit from a handful of additional perks, together with precedence safety (at some airports), precedence Zone 2 boarding, a bit of additional legroom, a drink, and fewer hassles in the case of overhead bin area and deplaning.

Based mostly on my expertise, I don’t actually see a number of worth supplied by the product, and I don’t see myself paying for it once more sooner or later. 

Except you’re a taller particular person for whom legroom is a vital consideration, make sure to crunch the numbers and analyze whether or not or not this product is an effective match for you.