It’s inside information that airlines won’t tell you: that some of their standard economy seats are actually larger than others.
Researchers of consumer group Which one? He reviewed the seating charts of popular airlines, including Ryanair and easyJet, and discovered that some had removed the front storage lockers to accommodate another row of passengers on one side of the cabin.
Which? Travel revealed: “The result is that the seats towards the front of the plane are not actually the same size, and those on the right (seats D, E and F) often offer between half an inch and an extra inch of space for legs compared to those on the left.
To find out if your flight has this configuration, it says Which?, enter your destination and departure dates in Google Flights to see the aircraft type, then enter this on the seating plan website aerolopa to reveal the design.
To see which operators and aircraft types this legroom trick works for, and for other tips for improving seats, read on…
How to get more legroom with Ryanair
With Ryanair, seats D, E and F in rows 3 to 15 are the most spacious
The majority of Ryanair’s planes are Boeing 737s, says Which?, and AeroLopa reveals that seats D, E and F in rows 3 to 15 are the most spacious “in both possible configurations”.
“That’s an extra half inch of legroom compared to other standard seats,” which one? comments.
You can be assigned one of these seats at random or you can choose one for £9.
Which? He adds that another way to upgrade your seat on Ryanair is to check in late. It explains: ‘Those who do not pay to choose a seat can check-in between 24 and two hours before departure. The theory goes that the least desirable middle seats are assigned first because airlines hope customers will change their minds and pay to upgrade.
“The longer you wait, the more likely the aisle and window seats will open.”
How to get more legroom with easyJet
On easyJet A321neos, choose rows three to 13 on the right side
Fly on one of easyJet’s Airbus A321neos? If so, which one? recommends choosing the right-side seats (D, E and F) in rows three through 13 for a seat pitch of 29 inches.
By comparison, rows six through 17 (A, B, or C) and rows 30 through 40 have a 28-inch pitch.
Rows three to 14 (D, E, F) are usually more spacious on short-haul Norwegian flights.
How to get more legroom with the Norwegian
The right-side seat works on two Norwegian Boeing 737 aircraft, says Which?, with rows three to 14 (D, E, F) offering an extra 0.6 inches of legroom.
However, it is recommended to do your research carefully, as in the third configuration the left seats are larger.
How to get a better seat with Wizz Air
Which? points out that the ‘sit on the right’ trick doesn’t work with Wizz Air, but notes: ‘Checking in late for the randomly assigned seat might work.’ It should mean you have a better chance of getting a coveted window or aisle seat.’
How to get more legroom with British Airways
On BA A320s (above), avoid row 30, which has a “narrow seat pitch of 28 inches”
For BA short-haul Airbus A320 flights, which ones? notes that “the tapered tail leads to an inch less rear legroom.”
So avoid row 30 and its “narrow 28-inch seat pitch.”
Cancel and rebook
Most airlines allow you to change seats, says Which?, until about two to three hours before departure, so “check the seat map in your booking to see if any award positions have opened up.”
For more visit www.which.co.uk.