Which airlines have the most legroom?

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Flying is the quickest way to travel, but sometimes it’s not the most comfortable. One of the amenities that we often don’t take into account is how much legroom we have on a flight.

In this article, we’re going to look at legroom by airline to see which ones give you the most room for your airfare.

Here’s how much legroom the top airlines have

When you score a cheap flight, oftentimes you’ll find that the carrier has crammed so many people on the plane that it feels like the person in front of you is in your lap.

Part of the problem is that in an effort to increase their profit margins, many carriers are trying to cram more and more passengers onto their planes — and there’s little worse than being on a packed flight and feeling like the person in front of you is in your lap.

Still, many carriers lure passengers by touting that they have extra legroom to offer. One marketing ploy is to package it with what they call “Preferred Seating,” which in many cases is simply where people “prefer” to be seated on the plane. Nonetheless, passengers are forking over extra money to sit there.

What is the standard legroom on a major airline?

Airlines have standardized the way they refer to airplane seating. The main dimensions are width and pitch. How wide your plane seats are has shrunk from 35 inches in the 1970s to about 31 inches today, according to Fortune magazine.

But “seat pitch,” aaaah, that’s the real useful measurement. It translates into how much legroom you have. On a plane, the pitch basically is the distance from a designated point on one seat to that same point on the seat in front of it.

For most first-class seating arrangements, airlines give you about 38 inches, but things tend to go downhill as you move backward into the main cabin. If you are the type of person who wants to choose your airline based on how comfortable you’ll be at 30,000 feet, here’s what kind of legroom your favorite carriers offer:

How roomy is your seat: Here is legroom by airline

Delta Airlines

Most Delta planes offer a seat pitch of 31 to 32 inches, the airline says. For more space, the Atlanta-based carrier offers Delta Comfort Plus which features up to four inches of extra legroom. Comfort Plus prices vary, but The Points Guy paid $39 for such a seat on a one-stop flight from Newark to Sao Paulo, Brazil.

In April 2019, Delta reduced the reclining space on its A320 jets by 2 inches.

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Which airlines have the most legroom? Here's legroom by airline

American Airlines

Flying coach, American gives you 30 inches of legroom on most of its flights. They do offer another option though. “Sit back and relax with more room to stretch out at the front of the Main Cabin,” the airline says. Main Cabin Extra seating start at $20.

Which airlines have the most legroom? Here's legroom by airline

Southwest Airlines

Southwest’s Boeing 737 fleet has seat pitches between 31 and 33 inches, according to Seatguru.com. Seat widths average 17 inches. If you find that you’re uncomfortable in those seats, the airline’s “Customers of Size” policy mandates that you purchase another seat.

Which airlines have the most legroom? Here's legroom by airline

Frontier Airlines

The ultra-low fares airline with flights at rock bottom prices touts “Stretch” seating in its cabin. Like most airlines, Frontier’s fleet includes Airbus A320 series jets, which offer between 30 and 32 inches of space. Stretch seats can  cost anywhere between $15 to $50, depending on the flight.

Which airlines have the most legroom? Here's legroom by airline

JetBlue Airlines

In a departure from the Airbus industry standard, JetBlue’s fleet includes the Brazilian-built Embraer 190 (E190), which offers customers the roomiest interior of any narrow-body aircraft. JetBlue’s seat width is 18.25 inches, nearly 2 inches more than some Airbus configurations. The airline’s seat pitch is 32-plus inches, according to its website.

JetBlue also promises up to 38 inches of legroom on its Even More seats, which are available on all their flights.  The cost of JetBlue’s Even More seats varies by flight. A SmartTravel.com writer paid $65 for an Even More seat from Boston to San Francisco. Ouch!

Which airlines have the most legroom? Here's legroom by airline

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United Airlines

United’s Economy seats have a pitch of 31 inches, the airline says on its website. United does, however, offer Economy Plus, which lets you stretch out more to relax and “sit near the front of the cabin so you can exit the plane easier.” Like the other airlines, Economy Plus will set you back a certain amount of dollars depending on your flight.

Which airlines have the most legroom? Here's legroom by airline

Spirit Airlines

Spirit’s Airbus A320 fleet offers legroom to the tune of 28 to 31 inches. They try to make up for it by giving you a better-than-average seat width of 17.75.

Spirit’s Big Front Seats, which, as they indicate, are located near the plane’s front, have a 36-inch pitch. According to Frommers.com, “On a flight between Atlanta and Dallas, they cost $20 per leg. On a trip from Chicago to Las Vegas, they cost $65.”

Which airlines have the most legroom? Here's legroom by airline

Interjet

If you’re up for some South of the Border travel, the airline with the most legroom is Interjet, a low-cost Mexican airline. The airline boasts 34 inches of seat pitch on its 150-seat Airbus fleet, the carrier says on its website.

The reason it can offer so much space to passengers is that it forgoes about 30 seats on its planes, the company says. With flights throughout Mexico, the airline also serves several U.S. cities, including Houston, Dallas, Los Angeles and Las Vegas.

Which airlines have the most legroom? Here's legroom by airline

Finally, the good news

In April 2018, the House of Representatives passed legislation that would mandate that the FAA set minimum size standards for airline seats. Although they may enact the rule to apply only to future aircraft, it’s still a step in the right direction.

Here are some more travel-related articles you might enjoy from Clark.com:

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