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The short-haul airline with the best seat pitch in economy – that's the distance between your headrest to the headrest in front – is Turkish Airlines.
Turkish Airline's flights have at least a 30 inch pitch and in some rows go up to 32 inches.
Some of KLM's seats also go as large as a 32-inch pitch, but they can also be as small as 28 inches.
Regional carrier Loganair isn't too far behind. All seats have at least a 30-inch seat pitch and some of them are up to 31 inches, according to airline cabin analyst AeroLOPA.
These are all better than any of the other short-haul airlines in our airlines survey, including BA, easyJet, Ryanair and Wizz Air.
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.
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 in most cases. The exceptions are some Boeing 777 and 787 Dreamliner models, as well as older 747s, may have seats in the 18-inch to 18.5-inch range.
Some airlines, such as American and Tui are exclusively Boeing – so their standard economy seats are mostly 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.
The short-haul carriers in our annual airlines survey with the smallest economy class seat pitch are KLM, Lufthansa, Ryanair, TAP Portugal and Wizz Air – all of which have at least some seats with just a 28-inch seat pitch. However KLM also has some seats with among the highest seat pitch – of up to 32 inches. It depends which aircraft you are on, and where you sit.
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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On long-haul, Etihad has seat pitches of 31 - 33 inches, though a 31-inch pitch is more commonly found. 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.
Airline | Seat pitch (inches) | Seat width (inches) |
---|---|---|
Aer Lingus | 31 | 18 |
Air Canada | 31-32 | 17-18 |
Air France | 31 | 17-18 |
American Airlines | 31 | 17 |
British Airways | 31 | 17-18 |
Cathay Pacific | 31-32 | 17-18 |
Delta | 31-32 | 18 |
Using the table: Seat pitch: The distance between two seat rows – an indicator of legroom. Seat width: The distance between the armrests of a single seat. Data from AeroLOPA checked in September 2025, is for the majority of planes operated by airline and excludes ad-hoc larger seats, such as in an emergency exit row. Figures rounded to nearest whole number.
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.
Airline | Seat pitch (inches) | Seat width (inches) |
---|---|---|
Aer Lingus | 29-30 | 17-18 |
British Airways | 29-30 | 17-18 |
EasyJet | 29 | 18 |
Jet2 | 29-30 | 17-18 |
KLM | 28-32 | 17-18 |
Loganair | 30-31 | 17 |
Lufthansa | 28-31 | 18 |
Using the table: Seat pitch: The distance between two seat rows – an indicator of legroom. Seat width: The distance between the armrests of a single seat. Data from AeroLOPA collected in April 2025 is for the majority of planes operated by the airline and excludes ad-hoc larger seats, such as in an emergency exit row. Figures rounded to nearest whole number.
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.
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.
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.
Some airlines have removed front storage lockers to squeeze in another row of paying passengers on the plane. The result is that seats towards the front of the plane aren't actually the same size, with those on the right (seats D, E and F) often offering between an extra half-inch to inch of legroom versus those on the left. Many of these seats are standard seats, so you may be randomly assigned them for free – and, if not, they will be the cheapest category of seats to purchase.
Almost all of Ryanair’s planes are Boeing 737s. AeroLOPA’s seat plans show that seats D, E and F in rows 3-15 are the roomiest standard seats on the plane in both possible configurations. Wait to see if you’re randomly assigned these seats for free – and, if not, it costs as little as £9 to pick one.
If you’re flying with EasyJet to the likes of Tenerife and Lanzarote from Gatwick on one of its newer planes - the Airbus A321neo - choose the right-hand seats (D, E and F) near the front (rows 3-13) for a 29-inch seat pitch.
EasyJet told us last year that you’ll get a full inch more than on the left (rows 6-17 ABC) or at the back of the plane (rows 30-40), which both offer a knee-grazing 28 inches.
An increasing number of airlines have asymmetrical aircraft like this. To find out if your flight fits the bill, type your destination and dates into Google Flights to find the model number. Then use seat plan experts AeroLOPA.
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.
Those who don’t pay to pick a seat on budget airlines can check in from 24 hours to two hours before departure. The theory goes that the least desirable middle seats are allocated first because the airlines hope customers will change their minds and pay to upgrade.
The longer you wait, the more likely it is that aisle and window seats will open up. Plus, 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. Remember, some flight check-ins close three hours before departure, such as Wizz Air, plus on any flight, the later you leave it to check in, the more likely you might be put into a standby queue if the flight is full.
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.
Planes taper off towards the rear, which sometimes means fewer seats to the row – and potentially more space (though you might be near the loos and the queue).
For instance, on BA’s most common long-haul plane, the Boeing 777, the back rows are in pairs – perfect for couples.
But on most configurations of BA’s main short-haul plane, the Airbus A320, tail tapering leads to an inch less legroom at the back. If you can, avoid row 30 and its tight 28-inch seat pitch.
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.