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What is the legroom on economy flights?

What is the average legroom on a plane? Reviewing a list of seat pitch measurements, you'll see the typical range is roughly 30–31 inches.



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U.S. Airlines with the Best Legroom Alaska and Hawaiian seats typically have 31 or 32 inches of legroom, too. Delta, American, and United all offer between 30 and 32 inches of legroom depending on the aircraft, with Delta typically sticking closer to a full 32 inches of legroom.

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The study looked at different criteria for the airlines and took an average measurement across the aircraft fleets. For short-haul travel, the best airlines for the most legroom were revealed to be British Airways and Tui. Both offered an average up to 33 inches in economy class, taken across each of their aircraft.

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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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The best seats on a plane
  • Best seat for minimizing the effects of turbulence: A seat over the wing.
  • 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.


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No surprise here, Spirit, known for its nickel and diming fees, scrimps out on its legroom with an industry-low 28-inch pitch on all its planes. Similar to Allegiant, Spirit's seats are “pre-reclined,” which is just industry speak, meaning they have no recline ability at all.

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If you really value an aisle seat over a window seat or vice versa it can make sense to pay, but if you're not fussed, it's unlikely to be a significantly different experience if you wait until check-in to select a seat for free.

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While easyJet offers 29-inches of legroom for passengers, Ryanair offers a slightly more generous 30 inches. However, the tables were turned when it came to seat width, with Ryanair found to have the narrowest seats at 16 inches, compared to easyJet's 17.5 inches.

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13 Tips for Surviving a Long-Haul Flight
  1. Choose your seat. ...
  2. Power up. ...
  3. Get comfy. ...
  4. Bring some snacks. ...
  5. Always bring a scarf or shawl. ...
  6. Pack a pillow and blanket. ...
  7. See no evil, hear no evil. ...
  8. Hydrate, hydrate, hydrate.


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The following airlines have some seats with widths below 17 inches, making them among the smallest in the industry:
  • Qatar Airways.
  • China Southern.
  • Caribbean Airlines.
  • Hawaiian Airlines.
  • Cebu Pacific.
  • AirAsia X.
  • Uzbekistan Airways.
  • Air Transat.


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  • JetBlue. JetBlue scores at the top for the best airlines with comfortable economy seats. ...
  • Delta Air Lines. ...
  • Hawaiian Airlines. ...
  • Alaska Airlines. ...
  • Honorable Mention: Spirit Airlines. ...
  • Best International Airlines.


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If the airline allows, book a seat near the back of the plane where there's more legroom. Or if going for a window seat, choose one in the first row to have more space. Furthermore, good seats are usually in the middle of the plane – that way, travelers won't be affected by turbulence and can avoid noisy engines.

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Best seats The front row of the front cabin is the best, and the seats to choose are obvious from the video – 30A, 30B, 30J and 30K, although 30DEF are pretty good too. In the row behind this there are two seats, 31C and 31H, that have no seat in front of them and so have lots of leg room.

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Some may be surprised to learn that, at 30in, Ryanair is very slightly more generous than easyJet (29in). Flying BA will often give you more legroom: its seat pitch figure is 29in to 34in. At Tui Airways, it is 28in to 34in.

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Economy class, also called third class, coach class, steerage, or to distinguish it from the slightly more expensive premium economy class, standard economy class or budget economy class, is the lowest travel class of seating in air travel, rail travel, and sometimes ferry or maritime travel.

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Specifically, pick a window seat on the left side of the aircraft. These seats are usually off-center, making leaning up against the side of the plane more comfortable. A bulkhead seat is also a great option because you don't have to worry about anyone reclining into your space.

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