Economy class seat survey

Flying sardine class you can still stretch your legs. Up on top, things start at the bottom. So how spacious are those rows in the back and who has the widest economy class seats?

by Vijay Verghese
updated by Philippa Young

See also First Class Seat Survey | Business Class Seat Survey | Small Airlines Guide | Airbus vs Boeing | Frequent Flier Programs | Business Class Seats Review | Round the world flares

Cathay economy	Emirates nonstop fun	SIA: More leg room	Dragonair: 18 inches	THAI Airways Y Class

SHOEHORNED like an American bison in a Barbie Doll seat, 30,000ft aloft on an interminable nonstop to New York, wondering how you’ll ever extricate yourself to get to the loo before the post-movie rush? Well, it’s time to whip out the measuring tape and get to the bottom of things. How wide is your seat really? How much footsie space do you have in front of you? Does your seat actually recline or must you travel in the brace position all the way to New York? Finally, an airline economy class seat survey with all those niggling details.

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Let’s face it though. You’re travelling economy so stop whining and do something about it – like toss your boss (or husband, or whoever bought your airline ticket) out of a high floor window. This is cattle class, back of the bus. Get real. You won’t find acres of rugby space back here, or a comfy love seat to share with your wife, or left butt cheek – just a few inches of valuable real estate. And every inch counts. Let’s check out those seats in the back.

Let’s start with legroom. In airline parlance this is called “seat pitch”. Specifically this refers to the space between each seat anchor, row by row. This can fluctuate even in the same class especially as you move further up to the nose or tail of the aircraft. Wide-body aircraft, like the businessmen who fly them, are widest around the middle. Cabin space is restricted at either extremity and this can affect both seat pitch and seat width – unless you’re flying business or first, of course.

Economy class seat pitch in either Boeing or Airbus aircraft hovers in the 31 to 34-inch range, with a few of the economy ‘plus’ ranges offering a half-way-to-business-class 38 inches. It is, however, a fallacy to assume that a fat B747 will offer more legroom than a smaller A330. Space depends on the airline’s configuration. A couple of airlines stand out from the crowd.

Singapore Airlines’ (www.singaporeair.com) mega-this-that-and-the-other A380 economy class seats weigh in with a 32-inch seat pitch, 19 inches of width and a 115-degree recline. But who needs seats on an aircraft this size anyway? Go for a stroll, and don’t forget to carry a map. The ultra longhaul Airbus 340-500 enables nonstop flights from Singapore to Los Angeles and even New York, with soft-focus sarong-clad lovelies. The B777-300ER in a 3-3-3 configuration offers a 19-inch seat width and a 115-degree recline. Power supply is available in most seats and the PTV screen size is 10.6 inches.

Some Boeing 777s on some Cathay Pacific (www.cathaypacific.com) routes offer the additional distraction of a nosewheel camera that will have you riveted during take-off and landing. It’s not too bad for boning up on geography either on a clear day. Cathay B777s offer 18.5 inches of seat width, the same as British Airways’s World Traveller Plus (www.britishairways.com) section. Now that’s value for money. The CX B777s, A330s and A340s tend to have a seat pitch of 32 inches. The new economy class on Cathay Pacific offers several additional in-seat features to keep the back well supported and, perhaps, massaged. If knee room is an issue on the old Y Class, whip out the magazines from the seat pocket in front of you and, presto, you’ve got three spare life-saving inches. The new economy class stores your magazines under the seat.

Still, a healthy dose of young pretenders are making their claim to top spot. Looking at the regular economy seat pitch across the range of long-haul routes, Korean Air (www.koreanair.com), Qatar and Thai Airways score best on leg room, with 34 to 36 inches of seat pitch. Air Asiana (us.flyasiana.com) and Malaysia Airlines (www.malaysiaairlines.com) have a generous 34 inches as standard. (MAS economy seats additionally offer manually adjustable lumbar support as well as decent 6.5-inch seat-back PTVs. They also offer satellite phones.) Royal Brunei (www.bruneiair.com) and Air New Zealand (www.airnewzealand.com) mix things up with average 31-inch seats while others reach 34 and 35 inches wide. Luck of the draw really.

The trouble starts with the introduction of intermediate classes; the new Premium Economy seats, Plus or Super Economies that are vigorously colonizing aircraft cabins. If you’re in search of the widest economy class seats and maximum leg room, make this your hunting ground.

With the clamour for legroom and seat width, Premium Economy class is finding its way onto some airlines, usually on international routes, offering about five more inches of legroom and a couple of extra inches of bottom cushion space. While premium economy seats are generally around 50 percent cheaper than business class, they may cost almost double the economy price depending on booking period or route. However, depending on load factor and perhaps a shorter purchase lead time, the variance may be just around 10 to 20 percent. Some airlines that are experimenting with this product are Air France, All Nippon, JAL, British Airways, Air New Zealand, Qantas, KLM, THAI Airways International, United and Virgin (including Virgin Blue).

In a nutshell, on THAI’s Airbus A340-500 a premium economy class seat will serve up a 42-inch seat pitch (leg room) and a 19-inch seat width (compared to around 17 inches on economy class). These seats also offer a 122-degree recline so there’s more stretch room to catch some Zs. On Air New Zealand’s B747-400 premium economy configuration, seats offer up to 40 inches in seat pitch and are 18.5 inches wide compared with just under 18 inches on economy. A small increment perhaps but a useful addition long-haul. On the Air New Zealand B777-200ER the seat pitch is 39 inches compared with up to 33 inches on standard economy, a substantial jump.

On the British Airways B747-400 the World Traveller Plus offers an extra inch of seat width (18.5 inches) and a 38-inch pitch (compared with 31 inches on regular World Traveller economy. On United’s B747-400 aircraft the Economy Plus class offers a 34-inch seat pitch (compared with 31 inches for economy, while the seat width is the same. The seats recline 111 degrees.

Generally speaking, Air New Zealand and Qantas (www.qantas.com.au) beat the rest of the world with a bit more than a didgeridoo and a Haka dance to boast 38 to 42 inches of seat pitch – that’s about the biggest leg room space for a good stretch that you are likely to get. However, the antipodeans call a spade a spade in regular cattle class with just 31 inches of legroom. Brace those knees for a bumpy ride, and woe betide anyone who tries to recline. JAL and British Airways have more than comfortable 38 to 38.4 inches in their Premium Economy sections, but again turn miserly right down the back.

Beleaguered United Airlines (www.united.com) serves up its Economy Plus seats. This is not a separate class but is an area of the cabin featuring five extra inches of legroom, more than enough to swing a bison by the tail. Economy Plus is available to travellers possessing Premier or higher status on United’s Mileage Plus frequent flier programme. It is also available to those purchasing full-fare, unrestricted economy tickets. So while pitch is 31 inches in the rest of the aircraft, on Economy Plus seats it is actually 36 inches. Seat width, however, doesn’t change from the regular, and rather meagre, 17 inches. Scandinavian Airlines (www.flysas.com) outdoes UA with an inch extra in its “Economy Extra”. Expect a 37-inch pitch with another inch round the middle.

United legroom	MAS seat back video	British Airways backroom	Jet Airways PTV screen	Japan Airlines seats

Qatar Airways (www.qatarairways.com) economy class seats offer an 18.9-inch seat width with decent leg-stretch space across the board. Pitch on its A340-600 and A330s is a huge 34 inches. The Emirates (www.emirates.com) B777 and A380 offer a comfortable seat pitch of up to 33 inches, while Malaysia Airlines (MAS), enjoys a very generous 34 inches of manoeuvring space in Y Class. The same pitch is available on the Thai Airways (www.thaiair.com) fleet, with the A340-500 offering a happy-ending 36 inches, one of the best in this economy class seat survey.

The roll out of SilkAir's (www.silkair.net) cabins for its Airbus 320-200 aircraft can be spotted aloft by the nifty colour scheme. “Cool” blues have a pitch range of 31 to 32 inches and an ergonomically designed seat that is 19 inches wide. "Warm" colour scheme ensures you’ll be cosying up to your neighbour, with a mere 30 and 31-inch pitch and 18-inch width. Choose your colours carefully. Both configurations have a four-way adjustable headrest. Dropdown video screens, 9.4 to 10.4 inches, are now in vogue for SilkAir – but not for your neck.

Premium Economy for Japan Air Lines (www.jal.com) occupies a separate cabin, with a 2-4-2 seat configuration in the B777-300ER; its “Sky Shell Seat” design emulates the award winning Executive Class “Shell Flat Seat”. Don’t expect a business class bed, but do revel in the clever design that reclines within its own space – no hustling for knee space on a JAL flight. Premium Economy has 20 percent more legroom than regular economy, with a seat pitch of almost 39 inches. Every seat comes with its own power outlet, a 9-inch personal TV, footrest and leg support. Ask for Premium Economy on Tokyo to London, Amsterdam, Frankfurt, New York, Paris, San Francisco, Moscow, Chicago, Los Angeles, and the Osaka-London route.

Whatever is said about the in-between classes, the big daddy when it comes to Economy class legroom is Qantas. Forget the noise about surly service and remember this is Australia – you get what you’re given. Which, in terms of leg room in Premium Economy on newest fleet addition A380 is a humungous 42 inches. This will have seven footers packing their bags and heading straight for Sydney. The new A380, what Lesley Grant, Qantas Executive Manager, terms “an aircraft that will remain the flagship of the Qantas Group” has 332 Economy seats and 32 Premium Economy seats.

Air New Zealand is to double the number of its Pacific Premium Economy seats in line with flyer demand. Its fleet of eight 777-200ER aircraft will add 18 Pacific Premium Economy seats taking the total available to 36; the B747-400 has 39 Premium Economy seats. "Clearly customers value the premium economy experience… and are happy to pay more for that experience," says Air New Zealand Group General Manager, Ed Sims. Pacific Premium Economy seating features 41-inch seat pitch, nine inches of seat recline with food that wouldn’t taste out of place in business class.

Let’s cut to the chase. Bum room, or “cushion area”, as airlines like to call seat width, is what it’s all about. This makes all the difference between high life and high dudgeon. Flying TWA seats (domestic USA) there’s enough space to set up an Everest base camp. Temptation to do so may be thwarted by pesky restrictions on oxygen canisters, sharp implements and nail clippers inflight. TWA had their first class refitted years ago and the old front-cabin seats went back to business and so on down the line. Now that’s a bonus for some. But this is Asia – bigger butts are harder to find, and not catered for by the expansive American Dream.

That is unless you are flying Jet Airways (www.jetairways.com) or Vietnam Air (www.vietnamairlines.com). Think 20.47 to 20.9 inches – that’s right, over twenty inches of sumptuous, roomy, economy space. A touchscreen entertainment system on Jet Airways offers a large screen with clear images. Get your elbows up and tuck into the chicken biryani. The closest contender for regular economy seat width is Bangkok Airways, with 19.7 inches on the A319-132.

There was a time when several aircraft flying a two-class Asian route (but equipped with a full three classes – first, business and economy) offered a few lucky or knowledgeable passengers the widest ever economy seats. All you had to do was check-in early and ask for a forward row seat. These rows, invariably, overlapped the business cabin. There was a time as well when on some Japan Air Lines flights transpacific, the economy cabin was just 20 or so “privileged” seats. Why? Because the entire aircraft was configured for executive class. You could sit back in economy and get pampered silly, while in business, weary salarymen fought for the attentions of a few overworked and distraught stewardesses.

We’ll let you in on a little secret. If you’re flying Vietnam Airlines, ask for the middle seat. That’s right. The middle seat. On several aircraft, for some reason, this is the roomiest. The middle seats are actually a couple of inches wider than the aisle and window seats. Incredible.

Finnair (www.finnair.com) has added two Airbus craft to its fleet, with an average 18 inches of “cushion space”, phasing out the old, skinny seated MD-11 (just 16.2 inches) early 2010. Working its way towards reasonable cushioning is Philippines Airlines (www.philippineairlines.com). A few squeezers still remain at 16.5 inches, while others are doing a sterling job at 18.9 inches. The only trouble here is that both sizes are on the same 747-400 aircraft...

Scandinavian Airlines, or SAS, Economy Extra is accommodating at 18.3 inches while Silk Air’s A345 is pushing business down the back with a Leadership Executive Economy, strrrrretching 20 inches. Every decimal point counts. V Australia, Emirates and Qatar are battling it out in cattle class with 18.8 to 18.9 inches of decimal point variation, narrowly beating Dragonair’s (www.dragonair.com) 18.7 inches. Airlines counting width in decimals points before they hit 18 inches need to beef up their behinds to be counted as anything other than also-rans.

Economy class seat recline figures are not easy to sort out, ranging from inches to centimetres to degrees. Rule of thumb, about six inches of recline is the equivalent of about 25 degrees or 15cm. Recline figures in degrees can add to the confusion. Some airlines count it off from zero, others from the 90-degree perpendicular, so 15 degrees would be, in fact, 105 degrees and so on. We have attempted to standardise the list by taking all reclines from a 90-degree starting point.

Complicating things further are forward thinkers Cathay Pacific. The hard-shell seat design, much like JAL’s Premium Economy, slides down within a self-contained cocoon as the bottom of the seat shunts forward. Try and work out the degree recline on that – well we have, and we think it’s pretty impressive at 121 to 129 degrees, the most laid back by far. The new economy shell seat also offers a widescreen nine-inch TV that plugs into a library of over 100 movies and 888 music tracks in StudioCX.

Thai Airways is another top scorer with economy seats that recline 122 degrees. Most other airlines offer around five to six inches or 108 to 115 degrees. BA's World Traveller Plus clock in at a seven-inch recline, trailing a little behind Air New Zealand Premium Economy’s nine inches (fifty percent more than its standard economy six-inch recline).

Make sure yours is an A330 when flying with Gulf Air or Vietnam Airlines. Their regular economy seats have a 12 to 13-inch recline. Less angled are Kingfisher (www.flykingfisher.com) with just 4.5 inches of recline; and Finnair and Jet Airways, with 95 degrees apiece. All fall well behind impressive shows from Korean Air (117 degrees), and Etihad and Singapore (both a sporting 115 degrees).

It’s the technology and connectivity that is really getting the thumbs up from passengers and the investment from airlines. In the connectivity stakes, once reserved only for business and first class, power for your laptop and gadgets is fast becoming available down the back. Etihad Airways (www.etihadairways.com) Coral Economy Class seats have PC power outlets, USB ports and RJ 45 sockets that allow you to connect your laptop as you fly. V Australia (www.vaustralia.com.au) is launching full mobile phone and e-mail Internet connectivity during flights. Good-sized nine-inch personal TVs are touch-screen and passengers can “chat” with each other in a web chat room. Premium Economy also has an in-seat USB port to which compatible devices can be connected for PDF file and photo viewing or listening to MP3 music files.

British Airways World Traveller seats set the focus on personal entertainment with over 100 movies and TV programmes and more than 70 CDs and audio books available on demand. Watch what you want, when you want. You can also fast forward, rewind, pause or stop the action at any time and return to it later. Perfect for when the kids, or dad, need a nap.

American Airlines (www.aa.com) 767-300 economy class features 191 seats in a 2-3-2 configuration. If away on business but not in Business, just plug in to the latest economic analysis from Forbes. Aircraft have computer power points on select rows – pre-select your seat online and look out for the lightning bolt symbol.

Air New Zealand’s Pacific Premium Economy seat provides access to in-seat power for your laptop or iPod, as well as noise-cancelling headphones. There is also a smartly designed self-service bar, keeping passengers away from the metal-toothed galley space, and creating an attractive space where you can pour yourself a drink or help yourself to snacks. Singapore Airlines pretty much leads the way for inflight entertainment with its extensive Krisworld offering. Pick from 80 on-demand movies, games, and endless music tracks. Use the in-seat phone to call anywhere using a satellite hook-up or make seat-to-seat calls (though you could simply walk over of course). On an SIA A340-500 or A330-300 just plug in your iPhone or iPod and enjoy your very own carry-aboard entertainment. Expect in-seat power (110V AC) for your laptop on Airbus A380, A340-500, A330-300 and Boeing 777-300ER aircraft. Certain B747 and B777 planes offer this facility to first and business class passengers. SIA’s in-flight entertainment goes head to head with Cathay’s StudioCX. Both are a cut above the normal fare. THAI Airways is one prominent Asian carrier that noticeably lags behind in this department.

With many airlines looking to future technology to put them ahead in the best economy seat race, those large drop-down screens, which an over-exuberant hairstyle can frustrate for an entire flight-time of entertainment, are hitting the waste pile. Watch this space for Star Trek-style video visors and a new era of self-service bars. Business class amenities are edging towards the back of the cabin – who are we to complain?

Now if you want to swing a cat by its tail in economy, you’ll know where to begin.

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