A Which? survey has ranked popular airlines based on the amount of legroom they provide, with some carriers offering significantly more room than others on short-haul flights
The buzz of hopping on a plane for a well-earned break and some downtime is unmatched, and with the international travel industry well and truly bouncing back post-pandemic, experts are forecasting one of the busiest summers on record. The school holidays have kicked off, prompting families to jet off abroad.
Airports and travel operators are seeing a boom in bookings, yet as the Liverpool Echo reports, keeping comfy on those long-haul flights remains a test for even the most seasoned flyers. Finding your airplane seat less roomy and with less legroom than anticipated can be a real dampener on your holiday spirit. Seat dimensions and leg space do differ among airlines. For those who don’t fancy shelling out extra for “extra legroom” seats, a Which? 2023 survey has done the homework, comparing the legroom and seat width provided by 12 major airlines on short-haul flights from the UK, reports the Daily Record.
The research measured “seat pitch” – the space between your seat and the one in front – to determine legroom. Aer Lingus, Lufthansa, and KLM came out on top, offering seat pitches of 31-32 inches, 29-33 inches, and 30-32 inches respectively. At the other end of the spectrum, Wizz Air and TUI were pinpointed for providing the least legroom, with both having a snug seat pitch of just 28 inches. Here are the full findings for seat pitches, as recorded by Which? In terms of seat width, which is the actual distance between the two armrests that flank your seat, most airlines offer seats of a similar size, roughly 17 inches.
However, easyJet, TAP Portugal, and Lufthansa provide a tad more room, at 18 inches. It comes as there are some airline changes coming up in 2025 to be aware of to avoid being caught out. There is nothing worse than getting to the airport and having an unexpected fee handed to you for not knowing the new luggage rule of your chosen airline. Or, perhaps missing out on some valuable flight points because you chose to fly with a specific airline.
Whilst airlines do try and communicate the best they can of changes they are making to their booking, boarding, seating, luggage and other processes, sometimes it can be hard to keep up.