Different airlines have different seat dimensions and leg room — and you may wonder what standard tickets actually provide
With autumn in full swing, many people in the UK are heading off for winter sun or a European city break. But comfort on flights can be hard to come by, especially on the cheaper airlines.
Cramped legroom and tight seating can put a damper on your flight experience. It’s well known that seat sizes and leg space vary from airline to airline. For those unwilling to fork out extra for “extra legroom” options, you might be wondering what standard tickets actually offer.
Luckily, back in 2023, Which? conducted a study looking at legroom and seat width among 12 leading short-haul carriers flying out of the UK, reports the Express.
The study looked at “seat pitch” — the distance between your seat and the one in front — as a measure of legroom. Aer Lingus, Lufthansa, and KLM came out on top, offering a generous seat pitch of 31 to 32 inches, 29 to 33 inches, and 30 to 32 inches respectively. On the other hand, Wizz Air and TUI were at the bottom of the pile, both providing a seat pitch of just 28 inches.
When it comes to seat width – the actual space between the two armrests either side of your seat – most airlines offer similar dimensions, around 17 inches. However, easyJet, TAP Portugal, and Lufthansa provide slightly more room, at 18 inches.
Airlines that offer the most to least legroom (in inches)
- Aer Lingus: 31-32
- British Airways: 29-31
- easyJet: 29
- Jet2: 28-31
- KLM: 29-33
- Lufthansa: 30-32
- Norwegian: 29-31
- Ryanair: 30
- TAP Portugal: 28-31
- TUI: 29
- Vueling: 29-30
- Wizz Air: 28