Experts reveal which US airlines offer the largest amount of legroom – and which ones have the most cramped seats
- Airline travel blog Upgraded Points conducted a study on the legroom of US airlines
- They analyzed the aircraft model of seven American airlines
- READ MORE: Airline passenger complains about ‘guide dog’ in their legroom
Are you planning to travel but can’t decide which airline to book with?
Well, a new study has revealed which US airlines offer the most legroom – and which seats are the most cramped.
The study, conducted by an airline travel blog Improved pointsexamined seven US-based airlines, analyzing the model of the aircraft used by each of them on the country’s ten busiest domestic flight routes.
To calculate relative legroom, researchers measured horizontally from a certain point on one seat to the same point on the seat in front of it in economy class, resulting in a number that represents the “average seat pitch” of the aircraft model.
The resulting findings showed that there was just over four inches of difference between the tightest and most spacious seating configurations – just enough to make a difference in comfort on a long flight.
Airline travel blog Upgraded Points has ranked seven US-based airlines based on the legroom each of them offers in economy class on the planes used on the ten busiest domestic routes
To calculate relative legroom, researchers measured from a certain point on one seat to the same point on the seat in front of it, resulting in the aircraft model’s “average seat pitch”
JetBlue came out on top with the most spacious seats in economy class, with an average distance of 32.3 inches between seats.
The report attributed the spaciousness to the airline’s “modern fleet”, consisting of the Airbus A320 and A321 models.
Coming in second was Southwest Airlines, with an average seat pitch of 31.8 inches.
Third place was a tie between Delta and Alaska Airlines.
Passengers on both airlines can enjoy an average of 31 inches of space.
In fourth place was American Airlines, with 30.2 inches of space.
Fifth on the list was United Airlines, with 3 feet of space.
Hawaiian Airlines came in sixth, with just 29.0 inches.
And last, but not least, on the list: Spirit Airlines and Frontier Airlines are the same.
Both “ultra-low-cost” airlines touted an average seat pitch of just 28 inches.
The survey also highlighted certain aircraft models – which are not tied to a specific airline brand – and were ranked based on their generous legroom.
In first place: the Embraer 190, with an average seat pitch of 32 inches.
Coming in last was the Airbus A320neo, with an average distance of 70cm between a seat and the equivalent point on the seat in front of it – ten centimeters less than the top aircraft.