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What is the difference in legroom from Economy to Economy plus on United?

Seats in United's Economy class have a width of 17.3 inches, and 31 inches of legroom or seat pitch. United Economy Plus: Economy Plus seating on United has a width of 17.3 inches as well, but 37 inches of legroom. In other words, paying up means getting the same seat, but with 6 extra inches of legroom.



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Keep in mind that upgrading to Economy Plus will only net you more legroom, guaranteed in-seat power access and a seat closer to the front of the plane; it will not get you an additional baggage allowance.

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United restricts full-sized carry-ons for its basic economy tickets. Basic economy tickets are ineligible for refunds and don't include seat selection. Economy Plus features standard economy seats with extra legroom. Standard economy includes seat selection and a free carry-on.

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Premium economy offers more legroom than regular economy, which is a real perk of the product. Legroom differs from airline to airline, though. The industry standard is 38 inches, but this may only be 4 to 6 inches more than in regular economy — so not a huge difference.

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That's not too hard to discern when you look at the numbers using the tools above. In the U.S., the airlines JetBlue and Southwest consistently offer the most legroom with an average of around 32 inches per seat, although you can find a few JetBlue planes with 33 inches of legroom.

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The best airlines for the most legroom
  • US: JetBlue Airways (32” — 34”)
  • Europe: Eurowings (30” — 32”)
  • US: Alaska Airlines (32” — 34”)
  • Europe: TUI Airways (33” — 34”)
  • South America: Aerolíneas Argentinas (32” — 33”)
  • Asia: ANA, Emirates, EVA Airways, Singapore Airlines (32” — 34”)
  • US: United (30” — 34”)


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Get extra legroom and a seat in front of the Economy sections with Economy Plus®. Economy Plus is available on all United flights and most United Express® flights. You can upgrade to an Economy Plus seat at any time from booking to check-in.

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Typically speaking, Premium Economy seats offer 5-7 inches of additional legroom and wider seats with a greater recline. Depending on the airline and route, passengers may also receive a separate catering menu and extended entertainment offering.

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Access to Preferred Seating
To clarify, there are 2 types of “desirable” seats in the economy cabin: Economy Plus and preferred seats. Economy Plus seats truly have extra legroom, while preferred seats are simply those seats that may be more desirable (but don't necessarily have extra legroom).

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Gold elite members and above can pick an Economy Plus seat for free when booking their ticket. Silver members, meanwhile, can choose from available Economy Plus seats upon check-in.

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The cheapest way to get a business or first-class ticket is to buy an economy ticket then buy an upgrade.

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What is preferred seating? A preferred seat is a regular United Economy seat that's closer to the front of the plane. This will put you in the first few rows behind Economy Plus. Extra legroom is not included.

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Best seat for peace and quiet: A seat near the front. Best seat for legroom: A bulkhead or exit-row seat. Best seat for sleeping: A window seat in a bulkhead row. Best seat for extra space without a seatmate: A seat towards the back.

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Out of the handful of airlines I've flown on since last July, Singapore and Japan's largest airline ANA are easily the best of the bunch, followed closely by Korean. I flew on Singapore from Frankfurt to the island nation in January, riding for 12 hours in its Airbus A380 economy cabin.

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Best seat for peace and quiet: A seat near the front. Best seat for legroom: A bulkhead or exit-row seat. Best seat for sleeping: A window seat in a bulkhead row. Best seat for extra space without a seatmate: A seat towards the back.

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