WestJet Encore Dash 8-400 Seat Selection Guide (2026)
Quick Verdict
Aircraft: De Havilland Dash 8-400 — 78 seats, 10 Premium and 68 economy
Layout: 2-2, A B | C D · Premium rows 1–3 (row 1 is 1A and 1B only) · Economy rows 4–20
Version lottery: No — one cabin plan
Best economy seats: 4A, 4B, 4C, 4D — marked about 32in, the same spacing as Premium rows 2 and 3
Best Premium seats: 1A and 1B — leading the cabin, rated green
Seats to avoid: 2D — plugged window, glass out of line · 9A, 11A, 14D — poor windows
Lavatory: one, at the front, for all 78 seats
IFE: none · Wi-Fi: none recorded
The opportunity: row 4 has Premium legroom
WestJet Encore sells the first three rows of its Dash 8-400 as Premium — ten seats, because row 1 has only two. The natural assumption is that the legroom stops where Premium stops. On this aircraft it does not.
Rows 2, 3 and 4 are drawn at exactly the same spacing. Row 4 is the first economy row, and it is marked at about 32in — three inches more than economy from row 5 back. All four seats, 4A, 4B, 4C and 4D, are rated green. From row 5 the rows close up.
If the thing you want from Premium is the legroom, row 4 has the same spacing as rows 2 and 3 and sits in the economy cabin.
| Rows | Cabin | Spacing |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Premium | Bulkhead, extra room ahead |
| 2, 3 | Premium | Wider spacing |
| 4 | Economy | Same spacing as rows 2 and 3 — about 32in |
| 5–20 | Economy | Standard, about three inches tighter |
Premium: rows 1 to 3
The forward right-hand service door takes the right side of row 1, so row 1 is 1A and 1B only. Both lead the cabin with extra room ahead and are rated green. 1B has a part-width bulkhead in front that leaves additional room on its right-hand side, which makes it the pick of the front row.
2D is the one Premium seat to avoid. It sits beside a plugged window section, and the glass that remains is set behind the seat, so the view is reduced and you have to lean back for it. It rates yellow. The other Premium seats — 2A, 2B, 2C and row 3 — carry no warning either way.
Economy: the windows and the back row
With the only lavatory at the front of the aircraft and nothing standing behind row 20, the back of this cabin has none of the queuing, galley noise or lost recline that the last row usually brings. 20D is rated green — one of the best window seats on the aircraft.
The other green window seats in economy are 5D, 12A, 12D, 13A, 13D and 15A. Rows 11 to 14 sit beneath the high-mounted wing, closest to the propellers. 9A, 11A and 14D rate poor for window alignment.
The flip side of one lavatory at the front is that 78 passengers share it, and when a queue forms, it forms at the front of the cabin.
What is on board
There is no seatback entertainment on the Encore Dash 8-400 and no Wi-Fi recorded for the aircraft. Bring downloaded content. For a longer WestJet trip on seatback-screen or Wi-Fi-equipped aircraft, see our WestJet 737 MAX 8 guide.
Quick-pick summary
| Travelling as | Book | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Legroom, economy fare | 4B or 4C | Premium-row spacing, an aisle, in economy |
| Window, economy fare | 4A, 4D or 20D | Green-rated, and 20D has nothing behind it |
| Premium | 1B, then 1A | Leads the cabin, with extra room to one side |
| A couple | 4A + 4B or 4C + 4D | The best economy row, a whole side to yourselves |
| Avoid | 2D, 9A, 11A, 14D | Reduced or poorly aligned windows |
Frequently asked questions
What is the best economy seat on the WestJet Encore Dash 8-400?
Row 4. It is the first economy row, drawn at the same spacing as Premium rows 2 and 3 and marked about 32in, three inches more than the rest of economy. All four seats are rated green.
How many Premium seats are on the Encore Dash 8-400?
Ten, in rows 1 to 3. Row 1 has two seats, 1A and 1B, because the forward service door takes the right-hand side; rows 2 and 3 have four each.
Is the last row bad on the WestJet Encore Dash 8-400?
No. The only lavatory is at the front of the aircraft and nothing stands behind row 20, so the last row has no lavatory queue or galley behind it. 20D is rated green.
Does the WestJet Encore Dash 8-400 have Wi-Fi or screens?
No seatback screens, and no Wi-Fi is recorded for this aircraft.
Which seat in Premium should I avoid?
2D. It sits beside a plugged window section and the remaining glass is out of line with the seat.