WestJet Premium Economy Review: Honest Flight Experience from Calgary to Seoul
We’ve flown everything from cramped budget seats to luxury business cabins. This time, we tried WestJet Premium Economy. An 11-hour flight from Calgary followed by a 15-hour layover in Seoul felt like the right test to see if the upgrade was worth it.
Flying into Asia? Sort your data before you land with our honest Trip.com eSIM review, tested over 175 days across six countries.
This WestJet Premium Economy flight also marked the start of our 202-day journey across Asia. One long trip. Many countries. Real costs. Real experiences. If you want to follow the journey from our first landing to the very end, our travel series is live on YouTube.
Quick Verdict
WestJet Premium Economy Review: A Comprehensive Look
| Category | Rating | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Seat Comfort | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ | Solid pitch and width, recline could be deeper |
| Food | ⭐⭐⭐ | Dinner was decent, breakfast disappointed |
| Service | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ | Best of any airline we’ve flown. Attentive and warm. |
| Amenities | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ | Herschel kit and Rocky Mountain washroom products are a nice touch |
| Value for Money | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ | Exceptional if you win the upgrade bid |
| Overall | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ | Worth it. Especially via upgrade bid. |
In This Post
- Booking and Cost
- First Impressions
- Amenity Kit
- Dinner Service
- Entertainment
- Cabin Comfort and Sleep
- Mid-Flight Snacks
- Breakfast
- How It Compares
- Who This Upgrade Is Good For
- Final Verdict
Booking and Cost
We paid $1,000 CAD each for WestJet Premium Economy via the airline’s upgrade bid system and honestly it was one of the better travel decisions we’ve made. Our one-way tickets from Calgary to Guangzhou (via Seoul) originally cost $600 CAD per ticket. We bid $1,000 CAD each for WestJet Premium Economy and won. The cabin was completely full, which made the upgrade feel even better value.
We also tried bidding for business class at $1,400 CAD each, but got outbid. No regrets. The premium cabin already offered a big step up in comfort and service. If you’re searching this route, search Calgary to Seoul flights on Trip.com to compare current fares before you bid.
First Impressions
WestJet Premium Economy cabin on the Boeing 787-9. 32 seats, two washrooms, and a noticeably calmer vibe than economy.
Seat pitch is 38 inches with a footrest. Comfortable for the 11-hour haul but the recline felt more upright than we’d like for sleeping.
Zone 1 boarding alongside business class. Thick blanket, pillow, and a choice of OJ or sparkling wine waiting at your seat.
The dinner menu. Three main options: herb chicken breast, miso butter Atlantic cod, and sweet and sour tofu.
The full menu listing. I went with the cod for the carrot puree. Worth it.
WestJet Premium Economy passengers board in Zone 1 alongside business class, and the difference is immediately noticeable. At our seats we found a thick blanket, pillow, and the option of orange juice or sparkling wine for take-off. Meal choices were chicken, fish, or vegetarian.
Amenity Kit
WestJet Premium Economy amenity kit by Herschel. Compact, well-made, and a step up from the usual plastic bag.
Everything laid out: eye mask, ear plugs, socks, lip balm, lotion, towelette, and dental kit. Has everything you actually need.
The skincare items from the kit. Long haul flights destroy your skin. These actually helped.
The Herschel amenity bag was a genuine surprise. We weren’t expecting a named brand collab. Inside: an eye mask, ear plugs, socks, lip balm, face and body lotion, a refreshing towelette, and a dental kit. Practical, minimal, and nicely packaged.
Dinner Service
Pre-dinner: tea, Krispy Kernels pretzels, and a Celebration chocolate. Very Canadian, very appreciated.
The full dinner spread on a tablecloth. Salad, bread roll, main, dessert, and a Blue served individually rather than from a trolley.
Miso butter Atlantic cod with carrot puree, broccoli, and red peppers. The carrot puree was the standout.
The side salad with Kraft Rancher’s Choice dressing. Fine. Not the reason you upgrade to Premium Economy.
The dinner service is where WestJet’s premium feel really comes through: tablecloths, individual plating, no trolleys. After takeoff, our pre-ordered drinks arrived with Krispy Kernels pretzels and a Celebration chocolate. Each meal was served individually on a tablecloth rather than from a trolley.
The carrot puree was the standout: smooth, buttery, and comforting. The main was fine but slightly over-seasoned and dry. Dessert was lemon raspberry cheesecake according to the menu. Ian enjoyed his more than I did.
Entertainment
The WestJet Premium Economy entertainment selection was solid for new releases, with a few gaps that surprised us given the Seoul routing. The lineup included Mission Impossible, Ballerina (the John Wick spinoff), and The Sinners. You can browse their latest selection on WestJet’s entertainment page.
My only disappointment was the limited Korean movie selection, especially for a flight connecting through Seoul. Years ago airlines tailored menus and movies to the destination. That doesn’t seem to be the case anymore. Once you land, our Seoul travel guide has everything you need to make up for it with the real thing.
Cabin Comfort and Sleep
Rocky Mountain Soap Co. products in the Premium Economy washrooms: wellness spray and Omega 3 hand cream. A genuinely nice touch.
The lemongrass foaming wash. Small detail but the washroom smelled noticeably better than economy.
The cabin is small enough to feel calm and private: 32 seats, two dedicated washrooms, minimal queuing. The footrest was a nice touch, but the seat recline felt more upright than we’d have liked for sleeping on an 11-hour flight.
The Rocky Mountain Soap Co. amenities in the washrooms were a standout detail: wellness spray, Omega 3 hand cream, and lemongrass foaming wash. Clean, refreshing, and a clear step up from standard economy. The only gripe was the power outlet placement. It sat awkwardly beside the seat and my bag kept disconnecting my headphone jack until I moved it.
Mid-Flight Snacks
The WestJet Premium Economy self-serve snack bar is a nice idea but skews too sweet. Between meals there were Mars bars, Kit Kats, Kind granola bars, and cashews. Nice variety but all on the sweet side, which isn’t what you want when you’re actually hungry. Some savoury options would go a long way.
Breakfast
Breakfast: saffron risotto with cucumber salad. Heavy for a morning meal and the salad wasn’t fresh. Biggest disappointment of the flight.
Breakfast was the weakest part of the WestJet Premium Economy experience and a missed opportunity for a flight landing in Asia. Despite three options on the menu, everyone received the same meal: saffron risotto with grilled zucchini and cucumber salad. Heavy for a morning, and the salad didn’t taste particularly fresh. After 11 hours of airplane food, the Haeundae Traditional Market felt like the best possible reward.
How It Compares
We’ve flown WestJet Premium Economy, plus the premium cabins on Air Canada and EVA Air. Here’s the honest side-by-side.
| Airline | Seat Pitch | Seat Width | Recline | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| WestJet Premium Economy (Boeing 787-9) | 97 cm (38 in) | 48 cm (19 in) | 18 cm (7 in) | Rows 5-8. Comfortable with decent recline, though slightly tighter than EVA and Air Canada. |
| Air Canada Premium Economy (Boeing 787-9) | 96.5 cm (38 in) | 49.5 cm (19.5 in) | 17.8 cm (7 in) | Spacious layout with personal entertainment screens, ambient lighting, and generous storage. |
| EVA Air Premium Economy (Boeing 777-300ER) | 96.5 cm (38 in) | 49.5 cm (19.5 in) | Up to 20 cm (8 in) | Softer recline and quiet cabin. Seats feel plush with premium leather and adjustable headrests. |
Compared to Air Canada and EVA Air, WestJet’s service felt the most personal and attentive, but its seat comfort and food quality lagged slightly behind. The overall space felt a bit more compact, especially when fully reclined.
Who This Upgrade Is Good For
WestJet Premium Economy punches above its weight on service. But sleep-focused travellers should know what they’re getting into. WestJet Premium Economy is ideal if you value great service and comfort at a reasonable price. If you’re heading to Seoul, our Seoul travel guide covers everything you need for the city once you land. For food, our Haeundae Traditional Market guide is one of the best first stops you can make in Korea. Air Canada and EVA Air offer wider seats and softer reclines, but WestJet makes up for it with attentive staff, a cozy cabin, and thoughtful amenities.
This upgrade is perfect for:
- Long-haul travellers who want extra space without the steep business class price.
- Couples or solo travellers who appreciate calm, friendly service over luxury finishes.
- Anyone who values practical touches like Herschel amenity kits, Rocky Mountain washroom products, and priority boarding.
If sleep is your top priority, EVA Air’s plush recline or Air Canada’s wider seats may suit you better. But if service and value matter most, WestJet strikes a good balance. Especially when you can bid for an upgrade instead of paying full fare.
What Could Be Better
- Seats could recline deeper for better sleep.
- Breakfast options and food quality could use improvement.
- More destination-inspired entertainment and meal choices.
Final Verdict: Was WestJet Premium Economy Worth It?
Yes. We’d bid for the WestJet Premium Economy upgrade again without hesitation. Our original economy tickets were about $600 CAD each, and we paid $1,000 CAD each for the upgrade. More than double. Still worth it for 11 hours.
The Rocky Mountain washroom products, Herschel amenity kit, and attentive crew made a noticeable difference. If we’d paid full fare we might have felt differently. But for the bid-upgrade price, WestJet Premium Economy was absolutely worth it.
Planning to visit Seoul? We booked our hotels and activities through Trip.com and found it the easiest way to manage everything in one place, especially for navigating South Korea as a foreigner. For the full picture of where we went across all 202 days, browse our Asia destinations guide.
Read Next
Haeundae Traditional Market Food Guide
5 stalls worth the queue in Busan. The kalguksu alone is worth the trip.
Seoul Travel Guide
Everything you need for the city once you land — food, neighbourhoods, transport.
202 Days Across Asia
This flight was just the start. Browse every destination from our full trip.
Long-Haul Flight Essentials We Actually Use
Eleven hours is a long time. These are the items that made a genuine difference on our Calgary to Seoul flight — and every long-haul flight since.
| Item | Why We Use It | Buy on Amazon.ca |
|---|---|---|
| Sony WH-1000XM5 Headphones | Best noise cancellation we’ve tested. Worth it for any flight over 6 hours. | Check price → |
| Trtl Travel Pillow | Half the bulk of standard neck pillows. Actually supports your neck properly. | Check price → |
| Compression Socks | Non-negotiable on flights over 8 hours. Your legs thank you at the other end. | Check price → |
| Anker Power Bank (20,000mAh) | Charges two devices simultaneously. The power outlet placement on the 787 is awkward. | Check price → |
| Packing Cubes Set | We’ve used these for two years across 10+ countries. Still going strong. | Check price → |
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