Ontario couple pays $2,100 extra for premium seats that weren’t available on WestJet flight

An Ontario couple that paid an extra $2,100 to upgrade their seats to premium seating were shocked when their aircraft didn't offer premium seating.

When you book a flight, you usually get the base fare, and if you want, you can pay extra to choose a seat, extra legroom, or upgrade to business class or premium seating.

However, when an Ontario couple paid an extra $2,100 to upgrade their seats and boarded their first flight, they found it didn’t offer premium seats. To add to their surprise, the couple said they were not initially offered a refund.

“When you pay for something, especially on an airline, you hope you are going to get what you paid for. Right?” asked Al Weisgerber of Port Dover.

Weisgerber and his wife flew to Barbados earlier this year to celebrate their 45th wedding anniversary.

The couple booked a flight with WestJet, but when they got to the airport, they were surprised to be boarding a smaller Swoop airplane. WestJet shut down its budget airline Swoop in 2023 and integrated it into its main operations.

“I turned and looked, and there it was - Swoop owned and operated by WestJet Airlines,” Weisgerber told CTV News.

Weisgerber purchased the two tickets to Barbados for $1,706. He then paid for an upgrade to premium seating, costing him $2,100, totalling $3,806 for each ticket.

“It was not an enjoyable flight down. We had paid $1,050 for the premium seats on the way down, and it was just an ordinary plane. It was terrible,” said Weisgerber. They did get the premium seats they paid for on the way back to Toronto.

When Weisgerber got home, he said he contacted WestJet asking for a refund for the premium seats they didn’t use and was surprised at the response he received.

“$100 each. I emailed her back, and she said, ‘That’s the best we can do for you,’” Weisgerber said.

The group Air Passenger Rights told CTV News Toronto that airlines should automatically refund passengers when they don’t get the seats they paid for, without making them jump through hoops to be compensated.

“We are seeing a lot of misconduct when it comes to not refunding seat selection fees,” said Gabor Lukacs, founder of Air Passenger Rights.

He added, “The ultimate principle is very simple: you shouldn’t have to pay for a service you didn’t receive.”

When CTV News reached out to WestJet, a spokesperson said in a statement, “We are sincerely sorry that Mr. Weisgerber’s recent experience with WestJet did not live up to his expectations.”

“A member of our guest support team has been in touch with Mr. Weisgerber to learn more about his experience and to determine a resolution.”

In the end, WestJet gave Weisgerber a $1,000 refund in the form of WestJet credits, which Weisgerber said was good enough for him.

“Whenever we book, there is a $1,000 waiting for us, which is great,” said Weisgerber.