- Introduction
- Review – Cathay Pacific Lounge at YVR
- Review – Cathay Pacific Business Class – Vancouver to Hong Kong – A350-900
- Review – Qantas Hong Kong Lounge
- Review – Cathay Pacific Regional Business Class – Hong Kong to Seoul – 777-300
- Review – Royal Hotel Seoul
- Review – KAL Lounge Prestige Class – Incheon
- Review – Etihad Airways Business Class – Seoul to Abu Dhabi – A340-600
- Review – Bonnington Jumeirah Lakes Towers – Dubai
- Review – Etihad Airways Premium Business Class Lounge Terminal 3 – Abu Dhabi
- Review – Etihad Airways Business Class – Abu Dhabi to Paris – A340-600
- Review – WestJet Economy Class – London Gatwick to Toronto – 767-300ER
One of the more economical ways to fly between Canada and the UK is with WestJet’s service to and from London Gatwick. Peterson has previously reviewed the WestJet 767 route from Vancouver to London Gatwick, but this time I’ll be sharing my experience on it, flying from Gatwick to Toronto.
London Gatwick (LGW) -> Toronto (YYZ)
Airline: WestJet
Flight No: WS4
Aircraft: Boeing 767-300ER
Date: April 23, 2017
Scheduled Departure: 12:10 PM
Scheduled Arrival: 3:35 PM
Duration: 8 hrs 25 mins
Class: Economy
On the morning of our departure from London, we took an Uber to Victoria Station, and boarded a Gatwick Express train to the South Terminal of London’s Gatwick Airport.
Since WestJet flights depart from the North Terminal of Gatwick Airport, we took the convenient shuttle train service which connects the North and South terminals via a short 2 min ride.
After checking in, we headed through security and to our departure gate 51.
WestJet’s 767-300ER are composed of two cabin classes: Economy Plus and Economy. There are 24 seats in Economy Plus which feature more legroom, while the rest are all Economy. The economy cabin features a 2-3-2 seating configuration. Peterson and I were seated pretty far back in 33A and 33C, so we boarded right after the economy plus passengers.
While WestJet’s 767 fleet is pretty old, the cabin interiors have been refurbished (with the exception of the cabin bins), so it still felt pretty well kept and clean. The cabin featured a sky blue ambient lighting (which look particularly great in a dim cabin).
The leather seats were comfortable and provided a decent amount of legroom. There are two usb ports below the tray table, but unfortunately there was no seat-back IFE. You can rent tablets from the crew for $6.99 once the flight is underway, or connect to streaming media through the WestJet Connect app on your mobile device.
After a rather long queue for runway 26L, we departed Gatwick and climbed to our cruising altitude. Snack and beverage service was offered shortly. Non-alcoholic beverages are complimentary, but beer, wine and spirits range from $6.49 to $7.49. Biscoff biscuits are also provided, which I actually love dipping into a cup of coffee.
Some hot meals are available for purchase, depending on the city of origin. There are also some snack boxes and wraps that are available for every flight. As a cheese lover, Peterson ordered a Cheese Tray for $6.99. I was craving some comfort food so I ordered a Shepherd’s Pie for $9.49, which was actually pretty good.
Full menu
Click on menu thumbnails to enlarge
There were some pretty awesome frozen landscapes as we flew over north eastern Canada, as well as a beautiful view of downtown Toronto during approach.
In Summary
If you’re looking for an economical way to get across the Atlantic, WestJet is a solid choice. Sure, you have to pay for every little thing such as checked baggage, IFE rentals, meals and alcoholic drinks, but even then the prices aren’t unreasonable. The seat comfort and pitch are decent, and I found it acceptable for what I paid for the flight.
Follow along with our flight in our video trip report on YouTube:
Have you flown WestJet’s 767’s before across the Atlantic? If so, what was your experience? Let us know in the comments section below! You can also let us know what you thought about this review. If you want more reviews and trip reports like this one, make sure to subscribe to our newsletter.
6 Comments
I have taken this flight to Gatwick a few times with WestJet. I have gone through Calgary, Vancouver and Toronto as there is no direct flight from Edmonton. No there is no food included in economy however the difference in price to the competition is more than enough to purchase a meal and a drink, rent a tablet if you dont have one, and you are still ahead. As far as the comfort of the seats go, and I can only speak for economy, they’re not the most comfortable for a long flight, and I will say this applies for most airlines. Perhaps paying 2 to 3 times more for first class would get you a more comfortable seat however next time I do go I will try taking an extra cushion with me. All in all WestJet is better value all the way around unless you just have to land at Heathrow as WestJet goes to Gatwick only at this time. Also if you have the RBC WestJet MasterCard you do get one free checked bag.
I flew WestJet to/from Toronto-London. Service was decent, good legroom. No complaints!
so we will be flying from Calgary to London (9 hours flight), you mean to say that there is no TV but we have to rent a tablet? and we have to buy our meals as well?
Unfortunately, that is correct 🙁
Do they provide any blanket/ pillow?
No they did not unfortunately.