Seating accommodations
If you are flying with us, and you require special seating due to a disability or require the assistance of a personal attendant, we are happy to help out any way we can.
While some requests require 48 hours advance notice, we will make every reasonable effort to accommodate requests made within 48 hours.
Accessible seating
Accessible seating is available if you need to be transferred using the Eagle lift device or a slide board to move into your seat. Seating with armrests that lift can be assigned for accessibility if requested a minimum of 48 hours in advance, and we will make every reasonable effort to provide this type of accessible seating if 48 hour's-notice is not provided.
Standard seating accommodations for guests with special needs
Depending on your special need, the fare you have purchased and the seats available, if you have not purchased a seat during your reservation, our system will attempt to seat you in the following locations. Our seating suggestions are listed below based on the accommodation type. Should the seat assignment not meet your needs, please contact us at least 48 hours before departure and we will make every reasonable effort to accommodate requests made within 48 hours. Please note: under Canadian Aviation Regulations, seats located at the emergency exit cannot be occupied by anyone whose presence can adversely affect safety.
| Saab aircraft |
Rows 4 and 5 |
| Dash 8 aircraft | Rows 5 to 8 |
| Boeing 737-700 aircraft | Rows 6 to 9 |
| Boeing 737-800 and 737-8 aircraft | Rows 6 to 11 |
| Boeing 787 aircraft | Row 9 and rows 25-39 in seats DEF Note: guests cannot be seated in row 26 ABC/HJK |
| Saab aircraft | Rows 4 and 5 |
| Dash 8 aircraft | Rows 7 to 10 |
| Boeing 737-700 aircraft | Rows 6 to 9 |
| Boeing 737-800 and 737-8 aircraft | Rows 6 to 11 |
| Boeing 787 aircraft | Rows 15 to 23 and rows 28 to 38 Note: guests cannot be seated in row 26 ABC/HJK |
| Saab aircraft | Rows 4 and 5 |
| Dash 8 aircraft | Rows 7 to 10 |
| Boeing 737-700 aircraft | Rows 6 to 9 |
| Boeing 737-800 and 737-8 aircraft | Rows 6 to 11 |
| Boeing 787 aircraft | Rows 15 to 23 and rows 28 to 38 Note: guests cannot be seated in row 26 ABC/HJK |
| Saab aircraft | Row 5 |
| Dash 8 aircraft | Rows 7 to 19 |
| Boeing 737-700 aircraft | Rows 6 to 9 |
| Boeing 737-800 and 737-8 aircraft | Rows 6-11 |
| Boeing 787 aircraft | Rows 15 to 23 and rows 28-38 Note: guests cannot be seated in row 26 ABC/HJK |
| Saab aircraft | Rows 10 to 12 |
| Dash 8 aircraft | Seats 20A or 20B |
| Boeing 737-700 aircraft | Rows 6 to 9 |
| Boeing 737-800 and 737-8 aircraft | Rows 6-11 (cannot be in row 4 if lap-held) |
| Boeing 787 aircraft | Row 16, seats DEF Note guests cannot be seated in row 26 ABC/HJK |
| Saab aircraft | Row 4F and 5F |
| Dash 8 aircraft | Rows 7 to 10 |
| Boeing 737-700 aircraft | Rows 6 to 9 in seats DEF |
| Boeing 737-800 and 737-8 aircraft | Rows 7 to 11 in seats DEF |
| Boeing 787 aircraft | Rows 15-23 and rows 28-38 Note: guests cannot be seated in row 26 ABC/HJK |
If you believe a standard seating accommodation will not meet your needs, we may, based on a case-by-case pre-travel assessment, provide you with an additional adjacent seat. We are unable to accommodate these requests at the airport. Please see “Requesting additional seating” below. Additional adjacent seating may be provided at no charge on WestJet marketed and operated flights within Canada only, and may be purchased for all other flights if you require:
- help that exceeds the assistance services that we can provide and you must have a personal attendant accompany you in order to travel safely
- additional seating due to disabling obesity or disabling medical conditions
We do not provide seating approvals if you:
- want a travel companion for reasons other than a disability
- only require a personal attendant at your destination, but not in-flight
- are travelling on a WestJet Vacations package
- have needs that can be met with the assistance services we provide
We require completion of the WestJet Medical information form, and a minimum of 48 hours (not including weekends or holidays) for adequate review time and processing.
Your physician must complete and submit the WestJet Medical information form to us by email at meddesk@westjet.com, or via fax at 1-866-737-1202. Any charges incurred for the completion of this form will be at your expense. WestJet will not provide you with compensation if you are not approved for an accommodation.
Our medical team reviews each completed form to determine if you are fit to fly, and whether a seating accommodation is required. Please be aware that we may need to contact your physician for more information before making a final decision.
- Although we will do our best to review submissions received with less than 48 hours' notice, WestJet cannot confirm the form will be reviewed before your travel.
To better assist you in future service requests, we keep an electronic copy of all personal health information provided for as long as it is reasonably required for the purposes for which it was collected, and for a minimum of three years, following which it is securely destroyed or made anonymous. If you withdraw your consent to our retaining your personal information, we will advise you as to the consequences, if any, of your doing so.
We may need new or updated documentation to ensure safe travel for medical conditions that may improve or deteriorate over time. All information is retained and handled in accordance with the WestJet Privacy Policy.
- You must have received and have active approval to be eligible for a seat with a specific accommodation.
- Accommodation approvals are for future travel only; absolutely no refunds or compensation will be provided if you have flown before approval.
- All flights must be on WestJet marketed and operated flights. If you are travelling on a flight operated by an airline partner, you must contact that operating carrier to inquire about the accommodations they provide.
- We strongly recommend that you make all reservations by contacting us and selecting option 7 (Accessible Travel Team) when prompted. This team is available Monday to Friday from 6:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. mountain time and on Saturday from 7:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. mountain time).
- If you are unable to contact us by phone to make a travel request, you may select your desired flight and reserve one seat for yourself on our website. Once you have completed your reservation, use our online request form to have the additional seating for yourself or your attendant added to your reservation. Please be aware that if you choose to use the online form, processing may take up to 48 hours. We will make every reasonable effort to provide you with the flights you have selected, however, we cannot guarantee that sufficient seating will be available on the flight or date you have requested. Reservations booked through a third-party online booking company will be canceled and managed according to the fare type purchased, which may result in a service fee.
- Applicable taxes and fees will be collected on behalf of airport authorities and the federal government for personal attendant seating. However, if you have reserved an additional seat for yourself, you will only be charged taxes or fees for your seat.
- If you are approved for a seating accommodation, our team will work with you and assign seating on a case-by-case basis as required by your needs. If you are travelling with another guest that is not a personal attendant, you may not be seated together, as seating accommodations are only for the guest with the special need, not a guest's companion.
- Please note: if you are accommodated with extra legroom in an area of the aircraft that offers additional amenities, you qualify for the onboard amenities only. This accommodation does not entitle you to the other services available to guests that have purchased the fares associated with these seats (like extra baggage, priority screening and more). If you would like access to those services and amenities you are required to purchase the applicable fare option on all WestJet operated flights for each itinerary purchased.
- Seatbelt extenders: A seatbelt must be worn during take-off and landing, and at any time the "fasten seatbelt” sign is illuminated. Only seatbelt extenders provided by WestJet are approved for use on WestJet aircraft. Seatbelt extenders present a tripping hazard and may not be safely used in the emergency exit row. If you select an emergency exit row seat and request a seatbelt extender, you will be moved.
If you believe that a standard seat accommodation will not meet your needs, we may, based on a case-by-case assessment, provide a seat with a specific attribute or a seat in a specific location onboard WestJet-operated flights if you:
- cannot safely travel without this accommodation due to a medical disability
- require specific seat attributes due to a fused or immobile lower limb
We do not provide specific seating:
- if you are requesting additional legroom due to height.
- for your travel companion (unless they are your personal attendant).
We require completion of the WestJet Medical information form, and a minimum of 48 hours (not including weekends or holidays) for adequate review time and processing. We will make a reasonable effort to review requests submitted within 48 hours of flight departure.
Your physician must complete and submit the WestJet Medical information form to us by email at meddesk@westjet.com, or via fax at 1-866-737-1202. Any charges incurred for the completion of this form will be at your expense. WestJet will not provide you with compensation if you are not approved for an accommodation.
If you are travelling with children between 2 and 11 years of age, you can add children to bookings made on westjet.com to ensure that your child is seated beside you. Children 12 years of age or older must be booked as adults, but can be seated beside you by contacting us to advise us of their age.
Our medical team reviews each completed form to determine if you are fit to fly, and whether a seating accommodation is required.
WestJet's fleet of aircraft has many different seating configurations. If you are approved for a seat with extra leg room you will be seated in an appropriate seat for each flight, but the type and location of the seat may change on each flight. Please see our Aircraft page for more information about seating configurations.
All seat selections, changes and cancellations must be completed directly with WestJet and can be done by contacting us.
We strongly recommend that if you are approved for a specific seat, that you make all reservations by contacting us and selecting option 7 (Accessible Travel Team) when prompted. This team is available Monday to Friday from 6:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Mountain Time and on Saturday from 7:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. We want to ensure you have the best guest experience and we can manage your requirements appropriately.
If you are unable to contact us by phone to make a travel request, you may select your desired flight and reserve a seat for yourself on our website. Once you have completed your reservation, use our online request form to have the specific seating under your accommodation added to your reservation. Please be aware that if you choose to use the online form, processing may take up to 48 hours. We will make every reasonable effort to provide you with the flights you have selected, however, we cannot guarantee that appropriate seating will be available on the flight or date you have requested. Reservations booked through a third-party online booking company will be cancelled and managed according to the fare type purchased, which may result in a service fee.
If you choose not to book directly with WestJet, your reservation will have to be cancelled and rebooked to provide the services required. We will honour the original base fare paid.
The following restrictions will apply:
- You must have received and have active approval to be eligible for a seat with a specific attribute. All travel must be completed before the end of the approval period.
- All flights must be on WestJet marketed and operated flights. If you are travelling on a flight operated by an airline partner, you must contact that operating carrier to inquire about and/or make similar arrangements, if available. If you have booked or ticketed a WestJet flight via an airline partner, this service is not available.
- If you choose to reserve travel in anticipation of approval, the change and cancellation fees and guidelines for the air only itinerary or WestJet Vacations package booking purchased will apply.
- Accommodations are for future reservations/travel only. Absolutely no refunds or compensation will be provided if you have flown before approval.
- If you are approved for a seating accommodation, our team will work with you and assign seating on a case-by-case basis as required by your needs. If you are travelling with another guest that is not a personal attendant, you may not be seated together, as seating accommodations are only for the guest with the special need, not a guest's companion.
- Please note: if you are accommodated with an extra legroom seat in an area of the aircraft that offers additional amenities, you qualify for the onboard amenities only. This accommodation does not entitle you to the other services available to guests that have purchased the fares associated with these seats (like extra baggage, priority screening and more). If you would like access to those services and amenities you are required to purchase the applicable fare option on all WestJet operated flights for each itinerary purchased.
- Seatbelt extenders: A seatbelt must be worn during take-off and landing, and at any time the "fasten seatbelt" sign is illuminated. Only seatbelt extenders provided by WestJet (at no charge) are approved for use on WestJet aircraft. Seatbelt extenders present a tripping hazard and may not be safely used in the emergency exit row. If you select a seat there and request a seatbelt extender, you will be moved.