Which airline has the best economy seats?

Plane seats are officially getting smaller. This will come as no surprise to any flyer who has jostled for the armrest or played recliner dominoes in cattle class. 

Today you’ll get around 31 inches of legroom, if you’re lucky. It’s a far cry from the 1950s and the golden age of flying, when passengers could luxuriate in a comfortable 40 inches. 

And when you consider that today’s passengers are generally getting bigger, not smaller, suddenly the pins and needles make sense. 

Discomfort aside, being cramped for hours on end at high altitude can impact our health by increasing the risk of deep vein thrombosis (DVT) and blood clots. US campaign group Flyers Rights argues the lack of space could even prevent passengers from getting into the brace position.

In the UK, there is a legal minimum for seat pitch (the distance from your headrest to the one in front, and the best indicator of legroom), but it’s set at a knee-grazing 28 inches. Upgrading to premium economy or business class will get you some more wriggle room – but it will cost you. 

Biggest seats revealed

We reveal the airlines with the most spacious seats in economy and offer insider tips on how to bag the best spot in the cabin.

We’ve compared the seat pitch and width on your favourite long-haul and short-haul carriers to see which offer the biggest seats. 

Long haul airlines

Short-haul airlines compared

Don’t assume that a higher fare will always get you more space. When we checked return flights to Alicante, Tui’s fare was almost double the price of Which? Recommended Provider Jet2 and Ryanair for the same journey, despite Tui offering two inches less legroom. In fact, with a seat pitch of just 28 inches, Tui is the stingiest short-haul airline we found. 

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

Is it worth upgrading to premium economy?

For the sake of a couple of hours, the leg cramps might be bearable. But on a longer flight, the lack of space can soon take its toll. 

Singapore Airlines flies to the USA, Asia and Australia with one of the roomiest economy seats in our comparison (32-inch pitch and 19-inch width). If that’s not enough, upgrading to premium economy will secure you an extra six inches of legroom (complete with a foot recliner) and an additional half inch between the armrests. 

But it doesn’t come cheap. When we checked, it cost an extra £753 to upgrade on a return flight to Singapore in July. That’s a staggering £116 per extra inch you gain in the cabin (along with other perks, including priority boarding, extra luggage allowance and better meal options). 

How to get more legroom in economy for free

Do your research

Seatguru.com 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. If you’ve already booked, enter your flight number and use the seating plan to find the roomiest seats. 

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 (check seatguru.com to be sure). 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.