Which airline has the best economy seats?

The short-haul airline with the best seat pitch in economy – that's the distance between your headrest to the headrest in front – is regional carrier Loganair.

Loganair's flights all have at least a 30-inch seat pitch and some of them are up to 31 inches, according to airline cabin analyst AeroLOPA. That's better than any of the other short-haul airlines in our airlines survey, including BA, easyJet, Ryanair and Wizz.

For long-haul, where you might be more worried about space to stretch your legs, most carriers have a 31-inch seat pitch – and none have less. 

Emirates, Qantas, Singapore and Tui have 32 inches – while Etihad is between 31 and 33 inches.

How wide is your airline seat?

If seat width is important, you might want to consider whether you'll be flying on a Boeing aircraft – or one made by Airbus. 

AeroLOPA says that, while airlines have a lot of discretion in the seat pitch they give you – width is set by the aircraft manufacturer. Airbus has 18-inch wide seats on its wide-body planes – the ones typically used for long-haul – and only slightly less on the narrow body planes used for short-haul.

Boeing seats are 17 inches wide on short-haul and only a fraction wider than that on long-haul.

Some airlines, such as American, Tui and United are exclusively Boeing – so their standard economy seats are all 17 inches. Most other airlines, such as British Airways, have a mixture of Boeing and Airbus aeroplanes.

If you think plane seats are shrinking – you'd be right. AeroLOPA says that, 10 or 15 years ago, widths of 18 inches were standard. A Boeing 777 would have seats nine-abreast, with 18.5-inch wide seats. They're now 10-abreast. The first Boeing 787 Dreamliners were eight-abreast but most – with the exception of Japan Airlines – have now increased them to nine-abreast, with correspondingly reduced seat width.

Airlines with the smallest seat-pitch

The short-haul airlines in our annual airlines survey with the smallest seat pitch are Aegean, KLM, Ryanair, TAP Portugal and Wizz Air – all of which have at least some seats with just a 28-inch seat pitch. However, TAP Portugal also has some seats with among the highest seat pitch – of up to 32 inches. 

When thinking about seat pitch it's worth considering whether you'll need to shove a bag under the seat in front of you, which will considerably reduce your legroom. Airlines that include more cabin luggage in the price – such as BA or Jet2 – may be a better bet than those that don't.

Finally, seat comfort is not just about the seat pitch. In our annual airlines survey, no short-haul airlines stood out for seat comfort – but some were better than others. For long-haul, the best airlines – Emirates, Etihad and Singapore – got four stars for seat comfort, while the worst airlines – such as British Airways – got two stars.

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Long-haul airlines legroom compared 

On long-haul, a few airlines have a 32-inch seat pitch – Emirates, Qantas, Singapore and Tui. However, Tui's all-Boeing fleet for long-haul flights have a width that is 17 inches – rather than the 18 inches that's standard on Airbus. 

Ryanair vs EasyJet vs short-haul airlines legroom compared

Don’t assume that a higher fare will always get you more space in economy. There's very little difference between the seat pitch on budget flights and that on more expensive carriers.

See which carrier scored best for seat comfort in our survey of the best and worst airlines.

Small seats on long Wizz Air flights

While Wizz Air is rated as a short-haul airline, it's increasingly launching midrange routes, such as to Saudi Arabia. The flight time from London to Jeddah is six hours 35 minutes. 

That is a very long time to be sat in a 28-29-inch pitch seat, especially if you have a bag crammed in under the seat in front. 

Is it worth upgrading to premium economy?

One way to get a bit more room on most airlines is to upgrade. However, our research in 2023 found that Premium Economy tickets were 99% more expensive than economy – and passengers who paid the extra cost weren't always convinced it was good value.

Here's how to save money on Premium Economy.

How to get more legroom in economy for free

Do your research

AeroLOPA lets you compare the seat sizes of hundreds of airlines, from economy to first class. Before booking, check which carrier has the biggest seats and weigh that against the cost of your ticket.

Sit on the right (on some flights)

Some airlines have removed storage lockers to squeeze in another row of seats – and these have between half an inch and a inch more legroom than the rest of the plane. Get a bit more space on budget flights.

Consider a bulkhead

These are the spots directly behind the walls, curtains or screens sectioning off the plane. With no row in front, you won’t have another passenger reclining into your lap, and you may bag some extra legroom, too. Just bear in mind that these seats can be narrower if tray tables are stowed in the armrest. 

Late check-in

Either reserve your seat as soon as online check-in opens to secure the best seats, or wait until the last minute. Any seats still empty are likely to stay that way, meaning you might be able to commandeer a whole row to yourself. Just don’t cut it so fine you miss your flight altogether!

If you don't ask, you don't get

If your flight takes off with empty seats, ask a member of staff if you can move. If you have a reason for needing extra space – for example, you’re tall or pregnant – even better. 

Choose the tail end 

Planes taper off towards the rear, which sometimes means fewer seats to the row – and potentially more space. Just be aware that you could end up next to the toilet queue. 

Avoid the middle seat

If you’re travelling in a pair, reserve the aisle and window seats. A solo traveller will only book the dreaded middle seat if they have to, so you could score an empty seat between you. If your plan is foiled, it’s likely the interloper will be only too happy to swap.