WestJet Dreamliner Review - Toronto to Vancouver in Economy
Featured prominently in Westjet marketing material, I wanted to know how the experience in the back of the plane in a Westjet 787 Dreamliner stacked up compared to their customer experience in their 737, so I checked it out myself!
The Flight
Headed back to British Columbia for the second time in a month for a wedding, I figured I could work on the plane. While in pre-COVID times most of WestJet’s Dreamliners were deployed on their transatlantic routes, but for now, they’ve redeployed them on select domestic routes, including 1x daily from Toronto to Vancouver. I decided a mid-week flight after the summer rush might be my best opportunity to get some work done and review a product that many people can actually afford to take, even if they don’t have points (also don’t worry about me, I flew upfront on the way home!)
Flight: WS 721
Departing: Toronto (YYZ)
Arriving: Vancouver (YVR)
Operated by: Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner
Cabin: Economy
Airport
The story starts from the end of the UP Express. If you’re heading to the airport using the UP Express, you have to transfer from the station, which is in Terminal 1, to WestJet’s position at Toronto Pearson’s Terminal 3.
Taking the LINK in between Terminals at Pearson
After arriving in Terminal 3, I headed to security, as I almost always travel carry-on only. That said, I find that WestJet has enough staff / automated baggage lines, that it moves pretty quickly. One thing to note about WestJet is that unlike European Airlines (thinking about you Ryanair) they typically don’t weigh or size your carry-on, so you can really stretch the limit of your carry-ons in Economy.
Going through security was pretty straightforward, so I won’t detail it like did in my pre-COVID review of the 737.
The only “airy” modern part of Terminal 3 at Toronto Pearson
After making my way through the much less airy terminal (some might call it “cavernous”) to grab some food in the Priority Pass “lounge” (Aka Caplansky's) I was ready to board my plane.
They call this “let their be light” in the otherwise tight terminal
Boarding
While WestJet has over 100 aircraft, they currently only have 6 Boeing 787-9’s, with 4 more arriving in the next year. I sometimes think that they’re not used to boarding these much larger planes, as the boarding process was a bit chaotic. That said, because I wasn’t traveling with a lot of gear, I differed to waiting a bit longer to board the plane, and ended up boarding with the last few stragglers.
After verifying my ID, boarding pass I was on the plane, or at least on the long line to get on the plane, typical!
I was happy to see that the plane was about 85% full, which meant I was able to grab the elusive window seat with a middle seat available, score! I put my new Away suitcase into the bin, which fit comfortably on its side, a perk of the 787 with its wide and tall overhead bins that can hold three suitcases.
The Plane
I had finally made it to my home for the trip - 19A. Let’s talk about the good, I dig the leather (or “leather”) seats. I feel like they’re easier to clean than some of the more fabric seats out there and they were soft enough. Do I love the WestJet teal? Not really, but it’s not the end of the world. If I was flying overseas, I’d appreciate the moveable headrest which I find is way better for my neck when I’m trying to sleep in an economy class seat.
Honestly, SeatGuru puts these seats at 31 inches of pitch, but there felt like there were tonnes of room on this WestJet 787, especially for a domestic flight. I’m six foot two and my knees weren’t hitting the seat in front of me, unlike on a Ryanair flight.
Not bad
The slimline seats
That said, I actually like the folding tray. It’s nice to have the option of the big tray or the small tray, Airlines, take note! Underneath the seat was the pouch, which struggled to fit my work laptop.
Importantly, there are also USB slots beside the TV , which is great to charge your phone while working. Additionally, there is a three prong North American plug under the seat for your laptop or large electronics that need charging.
Speaking of the aforementioned TV, this is exclusive to WestJet’s Boeing 787 Dreamliners, the 737 are no longer equipped with individual TVs (which I think is a competitive disadvantage to Air Canada on many routes). The 11.6” touch screen seatback TV is pretty good, with a large catalog of movies and TV shows available to watch. For the current TV and Movie selection on WestJet Dreamliners, they update their website here.
A selection of the shows available on the WestJet Dreamliner
Overall, the cabin is pretty good for economy. Seriously, I think flying in the back isn’t the worst, and the experience on a WestJet’s wide body is much better than flying on the narrow-body 737’s.
The Flight
We pushed back from our gate at Toronto Pearson’s Terminal 3 a few minutes late with the flight about 85% full.
We had a smooth take off on a clear day in Toronto, taking off over the Toronto suburbs and headed into Canada’s wilderness as we headed West.
After getting to cruising altitude I got right to work, as I find airplane a great time to concentrate on work and get stuff done. WestJet is also great because they offer Boingo wifi onboard which is free for people with Mastercard World and World Elite products in Canada. For example, popular cards like the Brim World Elite, HSBC World Elite Mastercard and the WestJet World Elite Mastercard would qualify. It’s pretty easy to get onto the WestJet wifi. Once onboard and after the flight has pushed back, connect to “WestJet Connect” and go to http://www.westjetconnect.com/ to set up the wifi.
Once you login to your Boingo hotspot account, you’re online for free!
The flight was pretty uneventful once at cruising altitude. While there were snacks for sale (like chips, sandwiches, and alcohol), and even Green Thai Curry (I wonder how it tastes…) I didn’t indulge.
WestJet Cabin Service
They did come around the cabin about an hour in to provide free pop, coffee or tea and a snack.
After service, I checked out the bathrooms, and they were not bad for a transcontinental economy flight. They were clean enough and I could fit without hunching over.
I spent the entire flight working (which is why this review is delayed) and before I knew it, it was time to land in rainy Vancouver.
The Point
Let’s be honest, sitting in 19A is worse than 1A, but at least on the WestJet Dreamliner you’re going to get a new product with a personal TV, USB, and enough room to get your larger than allowed carry on bag into an overhead compartment somewhat near your seat. Sometimes, it’s more about the destination than the journey, and the WestJet Dreamliner is going to get you to your destination.