Would it surprise you that WestJet 787-9 business class has been one of my most requested airline reviews of the past two years? For those of you who have begging me to do this, probably not.
I recently flew from Toronto to Calgary on the WestJet 787-9. I’m happy to report that their business class seats are extremely comfortable, very spacious, and every bit as good as international business class on any other global airline.
Yeah, I was skeptical of a little rinky-dink 737-based Canadian airline going big with 787s, but you know what? It seems like they actually know what they’re doing.
WS665
Toronto, ON (YYZ) – Calgary, AB (YYC)
Tuesday, September 27, 2022
Aircraft: 787-9
Registration: C-GYRS
Duration: 3 hours 33 minutes
Seat: 4K (Business Class)
WestJet 787-9 side view illustration by NorebboStock.com.Our route from Toronto to Calgary this afternoon as WS665.
The video
One of the most interesting things about putting together the video from this flight was how similar it felt to putting together a video for any other long haul international business class product. That’s basically just a long way of saying that WestJet really impressed me.
A full review of my WestJet 787-9 business class experience from Toronto to Calgary
With a total flying time of 3 hours and 33 minutes, going from Toronto to Calgary was the perfect way to give the WestJet 787 a try. That’s long enough to experience a full meal and a decent nap afterwards, but not long enough that I’d be miserable if it totally sucked. Spoiler alert: it didn’t suck.
Arrival at the Toronto Pearson International Airport
After a nice night at the Gateway Sheraton Hotel, it was simply a matter of walking down some stairs, through a tunnel, and across the street. WestJet uses Terminal 3 at the Toronto Pearson International Airport. It’s one of the older terminals at YYZ, and it’s a little rough around the edges.
Like a dog who marks its territory on a fire hydrant, WestJest has successfully marked its territory here in the ticketing hall of Terminal 3. Teal green everywhere you look!Even the car has been slathered in the WestJet brand colors.There is a priority check in area for business class passengers BTW (which is where I assume the guy on the left got that sweet teal green sweater).Uh oh. There was no sign of WestJet at all once past the security checkpoint here in T3. Walk with me for a second as I confirm whether or not I’m in the right place…
< panicked walking >
Disaster averted! There’s no sign of the plane yet, but I’m seeing splashes of teal green here at gate B37. So far so good. Fast forward 40 minutes, and the 787-9 taking me to Calgary today has arrived and is in the process of getting prepped. Which is perfect, considering that I am in the process of getting pumped.
Lounge access
If you’re flying international business class on WestJet out of Toronto, you’ll have access to the Plaza Premium lounge located at the center of Terminal 3. Note that domestic business class passengers on the 787-9 (such as myself) have access as well.
I know. Plaza Premium Lounges aren’t all that extravagant, but it is better than nothing.Here are some pics from the first (and last) time that I visited this lounge (right before flying Air Transat A330-300 economy to Montreal). The fact that I didn’t even go in this time tells you everything you need to know about what I really think of it.
The boarding process for flight number 665 to Calgary
I was having mega-flashbacks to my last WestJet flight as they started the boarding process. No, WestJet 737-800 economy from Vancouver to Los Angeles wasn’t anything like what I’d be experiencing today, but it was just nice to see that stylish WestJet logo again on my boarding pass.
My boarding pass for today’s flight (presented in an awkwardly antisocial manner).I could’ve been at the front of the line when they called for Zone 1 to board if I hadn’t been so antisocial just now. Oh well.You thought I was joking about the antisocial thing, didn’t you?Oh how long I’ve waited for this moment! After all these years, it’s nice to finally see a WestJet 787 up close.
My first impressions of the business class seats on the WestJet 787-9
I immediately started to “get it” as soon as I stepped onboard. WestJet’s newest interiors (especially on the 787) are beautiful. And they went with a dark charcoal color for the fabric, which works really nicely with the wood and metal accents. It looks like a very high-end experience.
My heart sank when I turned left and saw this. Yours would too if you were expecting business class but saw premium economy instead.That’s more like it! Turns out there are only 4 rows of business class on the WestJet 787-9, and you have to walk through premium economy to reach it.Seat 4K. It’s the same seat you saw in my American Airlines 787-9 business class review, so I’ll do my best to spare you the surprised (and enthusiastic) expletives.“Holy ******* **** this kicks ***!” (Sorry, I really did try)The attention to detail is on-point. This is WestJet?Just as I was successfully recovering from hyperventilation, opening the storage bins and seeing that vivid blue sent me into a fit of dizzying palpitations. This is easily one of the best looking business class seats I’ve ever seen!Okay, I probably definitely over exaggerated the effects this seat had on me just now, but I can’t deny that I was pleasantly surprised.I’m not even mad that there’s no teal green anywhere.If you didn’t know this was a WestJet 787-9 business class review, would you be able to identify it just by looking at this pic? It’s definitely stealthy – and much better looking than competing products (such as Air Canada 777-300 business class for example).WestJet brand colors spotted!
The departure out of Toronto
I always get nervous when flying out of Toronto. No, not because I have a fear of flying or anything (OK maybe a little), but this is a massive airport that often becomes overly-congested.
Thankfully, it was a quick and easy taxi out to the runway this particular afternoon. I wouldn’t say that it was as casual as flying out of Dangriga or anything (as you saw in my review of the Maya Island Air Cessna 208 experience), but I was certainly expecting worse.
Can’t say that I’m not feeling just a little bit excited about this!That stressful moment when the engines are running but we haven’t moved in like 5 minutes. Uh oh.Ok, I’m back to feeling excited again. The emotional roller coaster so far has been wild.Hold on – I’ll resume the pics in a moment (the safety video was a bit hypnotic lol).There we go. And nope, this wasn’t the most scenic takeoff I’ve ever experienced, but the sound more than made up for it (you can hear it in the video embedded below).
My apologies to those of you who were hoping for sexy views of the city upon departure. The best I can offer you is this sexy engine pic instead.
In-flight entertainment
If there’s one thing that disappointed me about this business class experience, it was the entertainment system. Having flown Air Canada 737 MAX 8 economy class the day before, it was quickly obvious that the WestJet in-flight entertainment system was far inferior. The selection of movies and TV shows were just a fraction of what Air Canada offers.
4K? It looked no more than 1080p to me.If there is one thing that Air Canada does better than WestJet, it’s video entertainment. These screens were nice and all, but the variety of content was lacking.At least there’s a remote control (a statement I don’t think I’ve ever made before). I can’t be the only one who never uses these things…However, I always make use of the noise canceling headphones. You know I wore the **** out of these bad boys!
The food
Domestic flights on internationally-configured aircraft can sometimes be a watered-down experience. I wasn’t expecting much from the meal service, so that’s why I was beyond happy to be presented with a full menu offering several choices for the main entrée.
They had me at “Cheese and crackers.”Want to get lit on your way to Calgary? The WestJet drink menu has got you covered.First came a drink (ice water) and a snack (roasted cashews).Second guessing my choice of entree. Don’t you hate it when they give you time to think about it?It’s too late now. Mushroom ravioli it is!Upon closer inspection, I was back to thinking I made the right choice. Cheesy pasta FTW.I have no idea what this is (mozzarella perhaps?) but it was good, and I ate it all.I know Tiramisu when I see it though. Saving it for last was an exercise in futility.Did I regret my decision to eat the ravioli instead of sending it back? Not at all. Not only was it delicious, there was no real way of knowing if the flight attendant wouldn’t have retaliated by spitting in my food (which would have been totally justified IMHO).
Overall, I found the food quality to be very good. Nothing like what you’d get in Austrian Airlines Business Class or anything, but still pretty good.
Testing out the lie flat seat
A lie flat seat in WestJet 787-9 business class would be a very comfortable place to be on a long international flight. They are highly adjustable, fairly private, and the padding is just right (Goldilocks would surely approve).
Yes, I often take pictures of myself when I sleep. Especially in really comfortable lie flat business class seats such as this.Ok, the wide angle view of the picture above is somewhat misleading. Make no mistake about it – these seats are very private.Well, privacy does have it’s limits, and in these seats, it ends at the top of the head (as demonstrated by the guy on the left). I can neither confirm nor deny that I was feeling the temptation to play whack-a-mole with a cartoonish foam hammer as I was taking this pic.
For what it’s worth, there were no blankets provided on today’s flight to Calgary. I didn’t expect there would be, but at least we got pillows.
The arrival into Calgary
I always love flying into western Canadian airports. The scenery (as you saw in my Swoop 737-800 economy review from San Diego to Edmonton) is never disappointing. But first, I need to use the bathroom…
For anyone curious, the lavatory was standard-issue 787 without any WestJet personal touches. Really? How hard is it to paint a teal green maple leaf on the wall?Just as I was thinking of the ways in which I was going to express my disappointment about the loo, they redeemed themselves with pre landing snacks.Pro tip to any airline out there worried about their business class passengers being disappointed with the lack of loo flair: give ‘em snacks upon returning to their seat. It’ll turn any frown upside down!
The weather was just about perfect as we began the descent, and there was a pretty nice view of the setting sun all the way in. Seriously – the beauty of western Canada is highly underrated IMHO.
From now on, if anyone asks me if there are mountains in Calgary, I’m going to show them this pic. #flatasapancakeCalgary is a lot like Denver actually. Everything east of the city is completely flat, and everything west makes you want to sing John Denver songs.Welcome to Calgary! And so long to one of the best seats I’ve had the pleasure of sitting in for quite some time.I like how we had to walk through the premium economy cabin on the way out. The gradual return to the real world (instead of being hit in the face with it all at once) was very much appreciated.Is it even necessary for me to say whether or not I can recommend this? It’s not that I don’t want to, but I’ve pretty much used every positive word I know of in this review so far.The only thing I got left is “bad a**.” It’s a term that my fellow 80’s kids know as being something you don’t throw around lightly. If you say it, you really mean it, and in this case…I think I do. Well done, WestJet!
Pros and cons of the WestJet business class experience on the 787-9
Honestly, if you can get it for a decent price, there’s not much about the WestJet international business class product that would make you consider avoiding it all together. From my experience, these are all the pros and cons:
Pros
The seats are every bit as good as the international business class seats on Air Canada or any other international airline.
The food was surprisingly good. I wouldn’t go as far as saying that it’s “world class” or anything, but it tasted (and looked) like proper international business class food.
Cabin service (in general) was excellent. WestJet isn’t a small regional Canadian airline anymore – they are every bit as competitive as the other airlines.
Cons
Compared to Air Canada, the variety (and quantity) of TV shows and movies is severely lacking. There didn’t seem to be much of a choice in my opinion.
Remember – the window shades on the Boeing 787 are electronically controlled. They don’t get completely dark, and they don’t get completely clear as well. That’s just something to keep in mind if you’re nitpicky about controlling the light from your window shade.
Although this isn’t anything specific to the 787-9, it’s important to note that you’ll have better mileage-earning opportunities flying internationally with Air Canada. Aeroplan (Air Canada’s frequent flyer program) is far superior to WestJet Rewards.
I’ll admit that I was a little apprehensive about this one. I follow the airline industry closely, but it’s rare…
16 Comments
I think that, after waiting 2.5 years for the Westjet 787, treating yourself to Business Class was the way to go. Speaking of which, I have to say that those have to be the best-looking Business Class seats out there! They’re very elegant and understated. Plus the bulkhead looks great as well.
The Super Diamond seat is also the first (and so far, only) International J seat I’ve tried. I’m glad to hear that experienced travelers like you hold it in high regard!
Yeah, those seats look great don’t they? I know that not everyone is a fan of them, but I’ve always liked them (especially the single seats at the windows). And my sincerest apologies for making you wait so long for this review haha!
I suppose that the seats aren’t great for couples, but you can’t please everyone. Personally I really liked them.
And don’t worry, this review was worth the wait!
Sorry, not impressed. Overnight, trans-ocean flights – no blankets in business class? Pitiful. Serving a full (not very edible) dinner at 12.30 am and nothing but a couple of half-assed health bars for breakfast – also pitiful. Also running across some really obnoxious cabin crew, gone are the fun days.
Great review Scott! I wish I could find routing to try out the WestJet 787 when we go from the west coast to FLL/MIA next March. Alas, I wonder if we’re going to see the 787 removed from domestic trans-con routes when they all get amalgamated out of YYC. What are your thoughts on the direction WestJet is headed at this time with cancelling remaining 787’s in favour of 737-10? There’s also been strong indication that Onyx also doesn’t have any further desire to expand its premium offering which is a bummer. The fact that they own Swoop, I’m noticing less of what differentiates them from their ULCC, and if they’re stepping back from being more of a hybrid airline, what’s the point? I absolutely love the WJ colours though, there’s just something about the teal that is really calming and pleasing to the eyes.
Flying out of YYC, you don’t even get lounge access in Premium class, and we’ve entered via priority pass. Its a great lounge by why even call it a WJ lounge when so few can access it? I really hope we can try the WJ 787 business class pods sometime. I wonder if they would join One World given their close connection to Delta, KLM, etc.
Thanks Daniel! I mentioned to someone else in the comment section of the video for this review that I fully expect them to bring the 787 back to domestic flying at some point. Nothing is forever in the airline industry, and they’ll put these airplanes on the routes that generate the most profit.
I mean, there’s no point in keeping a 787 on the ground at YYC all day between international segments, so a quick run out to YVR or YUL and back is a way to generate additional revenue. They’ll be back IMHO.
And yes! I’d love to see them join a major alliance. SkyTeam makes the most sense considering their current partnerships.
Thank you for the review and the pics. Glad I came across your site. Lots of amazing and useful information.
I am booked on WJ YYC to LHR premium economy in April 2023 and am considering the upgrade. Your content definitely gave me food for thought. Thanks,Cal
Glad you found this review useful Cal! Yes, the upgrade to business class is definitely worth it for such a long flight. Still, premium economy on the 787 looked pretty good to me. You can’t go wrong either way I think.
Thank you for this review, it showed more than I expected. The interior design has a very classy aesthetic. As you pointed out, I’m surprised at how basic the bathroom was. We are planning a trip this fall, trying to choose between Business and Premium during our transatlantic flight. Do you happen to know if there is a snack bar area? And is the bathroom shared between those two classes?
Hi Liberty – I’m glad you found this review helpful! There’s no snack bar on the WestJet 787s unfortunately – but the cabin service is so good that it wouldn’t be out of place to ask for snacks if you’re feeling hungry. They’d be happy to oblige I’m sure.
Also, there is no shared bathroom between premium economy and business. The business class lavatory is at the very front of the aircraft, and the one for premium economy is located just behind that cabin.
Whether you choose premium economy or business, I’m sure you’re going to like it. Have a good trip!
There is bathroom flair – you just didn’t see it. It’s in your photos on the wall opposite the sink. If you look carefully you’ll see the teal bottom is actually tons of WestJet logos on top of each other, slowly transitioning to beige by having less and less logos.
Interesting! Maybe that’s the way it is on some aircraft, but not all. I just had a look at my original full resolution pics of this lavatory, and that gradient isn’t made up of logos. It’s just random shapes.
That meal didn’t look great at all, in fact that ravioli looked pretty disgusting and appears to be a ‘budget’ choice to put on a menu, but I’ll take your word for it that it was edible. I’m old enough to remember better looking food in economy. Steak in red wine sauce with saute potatoes for example on British Caledonian long-haul economy in the 80s… You also didn’t appear to get a welcome beverage on boarding – something many European and Asian airlines do in business and first. What would have been most helpful to put all this in context would be (a) the price differential between this and the same flight in economy and (b) the price differential with this and a business / first seat on the same route on a carrier that’s not ‘low cost’.
All good points Mick! Keep in mind that this was a domestic flight, so the food (and drink) is probably going to be better international routes. Hopefully I’ll get a chance to do that relatively soon.
I can’t remember what I paid for this, but it wasn’t a substantial amount more than a standard domestic business class flight on a 737. There was definitely a premium to be paid, but I don’t remember wincing when I purchased the ticket.
I think that, after waiting 2.5 years for the Westjet 787, treating yourself to Business Class was the way to go. Speaking of which, I have to say that those have to be the best-looking Business Class seats out there! They’re very elegant and understated. Plus the bulkhead looks great as well.
The Super Diamond seat is also the first (and so far, only) International J seat I’ve tried. I’m glad to hear that experienced travelers like you hold it in high regard!
Yeah, those seats look great don’t they? I know that not everyone is a fan of them, but I’ve always liked them (especially the single seats at the windows). And my sincerest apologies for making you wait so long for this review haha!
I suppose that the seats aren’t great for couples, but you can’t please everyone. Personally I really liked them.
And don’t worry, this review was worth the wait!
Sorry, not impressed. Overnight, trans-ocean flights – no blankets in business class? Pitiful. Serving a full (not very edible) dinner at 12.30 am and nothing but a couple of half-assed health bars for breakfast – also pitiful. Also running across some really obnoxious cabin crew, gone are the fun days.
Great review Scott! I wish I could find routing to try out the WestJet 787 when we go from the west coast to FLL/MIA next March. Alas, I wonder if we’re going to see the 787 removed from domestic trans-con routes when they all get amalgamated out of YYC. What are your thoughts on the direction WestJet is headed at this time with cancelling remaining 787’s in favour of 737-10? There’s also been strong indication that Onyx also doesn’t have any further desire to expand its premium offering which is a bummer. The fact that they own Swoop, I’m noticing less of what differentiates them from their ULCC, and if they’re stepping back from being more of a hybrid airline, what’s the point? I absolutely love the WJ colours though, there’s just something about the teal that is really calming and pleasing to the eyes.
Flying out of YYC, you don’t even get lounge access in Premium class, and we’ve entered via priority pass. Its a great lounge by why even call it a WJ lounge when so few can access it? I really hope we can try the WJ 787 business class pods sometime. I wonder if they would join One World given their close connection to Delta, KLM, etc.
Thanks Daniel! I mentioned to someone else in the comment section of the video for this review that I fully expect them to bring the 787 back to domestic flying at some point. Nothing is forever in the airline industry, and they’ll put these airplanes on the routes that generate the most profit.
I mean, there’s no point in keeping a 787 on the ground at YYC all day between international segments, so a quick run out to YVR or YUL and back is a way to generate additional revenue. They’ll be back IMHO.
And yes! I’d love to see them join a major alliance. SkyTeam makes the most sense considering their current partnerships.
Hopefully you’ll get the chance to try this soon!
Thank you for the review and the pics. Glad I came across your site. Lots of amazing and useful information.
I am booked on WJ YYC to LHR premium economy in April 2023 and am considering the upgrade. Your content definitely gave me food for thought. Thanks,Cal
Glad you found this review useful Cal! Yes, the upgrade to business class is definitely worth it for such a long flight. Still, premium economy on the 787 looked pretty good to me. You can’t go wrong either way I think.
Thank you for this review, it showed more than I expected. The interior design has a very classy aesthetic. As you pointed out, I’m surprised at how basic the bathroom was. We are planning a trip this fall, trying to choose between Business and Premium during our transatlantic flight. Do you happen to know if there is a snack bar area? And is the bathroom shared between those two classes?
Hi Liberty – I’m glad you found this review helpful! There’s no snack bar on the WestJet 787s unfortunately – but the cabin service is so good that it wouldn’t be out of place to ask for snacks if you’re feeling hungry. They’d be happy to oblige I’m sure.
Also, there is no shared bathroom between premium economy and business. The business class lavatory is at the very front of the aircraft, and the one for premium economy is located just behind that cabin.
Whether you choose premium economy or business, I’m sure you’re going to like it. Have a good trip!
There is bathroom flair – you just didn’t see it. It’s in your photos on the wall opposite the sink. If you look carefully you’ll see the teal bottom is actually tons of WestJet logos on top of each other, slowly transitioning to beige by having less and less logos.
Interesting! Maybe that’s the way it is on some aircraft, but not all. I just had a look at my original full resolution pics of this lavatory, and that gradient isn’t made up of logos. It’s just random shapes.
I was able to ask the pilot to circle the airport so that I could get a glimpse of the mountains.
Unfortunately I’m not famous enough to be able to pull that off lol.
That meal didn’t look great at all, in fact that ravioli looked pretty disgusting and appears to be a ‘budget’ choice to put on a menu, but I’ll take your word for it that it was edible. I’m old enough to remember better looking food in economy. Steak in red wine sauce with saute potatoes for example on British Caledonian long-haul economy in the 80s… You also didn’t appear to get a welcome beverage on boarding – something many European and Asian airlines do in business and first. What would have been most helpful to put all this in context would be (a) the price differential between this and the same flight in economy and (b) the price differential with this and a business / first seat on the same route on a carrier that’s not ‘low cost’.
All good points Mick! Keep in mind that this was a domestic flight, so the food (and drink) is probably going to be better international routes. Hopefully I’ll get a chance to do that relatively soon.
I can’t remember what I paid for this, but it wasn’t a substantial amount more than a standard domestic business class flight on a 737. There was definitely a premium to be paid, but I don’t remember wincing when I purchased the ticket.