Travel hack: How to check which aircraft type you’ll have on your flight to get more legroom
This is the one thing you need to do when booking a flight to score the perfect seat with plenty of legroom – and hardly anyone does it
- Travelers should check the aircraft type
- Space and amenities vary by model
Travelers are encouraged to always check what type of aircraft they will be flying on before booking a flight.
Each aircraft model has different cabin layouts, even in the same class, and different onboard amenities.
Some planes have less legroom, less room under the front seat to store bags, and no in-flight entertainment.
Flyers who only take carry-on luggage can avoid having their bag checked at the last minute at the gate with the little-known hack, as the aircraft type also determines how much space there is in the lockers.
Most airlines will include the aircraft model on their reservation page under ‘flight details’ and the specifications and floor plan of each aircraft in their fleet on the website.
To get the perfect seat on a flight, travelers should always check the aircraft type before booking. Each model has different seat sizes, lockers and in-flight entertainment
There are many things to consider when deciding which aircraft will guarantee you a more comfortable flight.
Seat pitch, which is the measure of the space between a seat and the seat in front of it, varies from plane to plane, but a good distance is considered to be between 30 and 31 inches or 76 to 78 cm in economy class.
Larger planes have a wider seat pitch, so the higher the number, the more legroom passengers will have.
Passengers who choose to carry hand luggage only to avoid waiting at the baggage carousel and depart quickly will want to know if their aircraft is large enough to fit in the overhead compartments.
Full flights on smaller planes have limited space to store items in the lockers, so cabin crew will sometimes ask passengers to check in larger carry-on items free of charge.
While it frees up space in the cabin, flyers who have taken their bag will need to collect it from the baggage carousel after the flight or at the gate when they land.
The trick to avoiding hand luggage checks is to simply book a flight on a larger model aircraft.
In-flight entertainment and Wi-Fi options will also differ, so it’s best to know what’s on offer on a flight so you can download movies, TV shows, or podcasts ahead of time.
Some planes will offer streaming services that travelers can access on their own device, while others will have free Wi-Fi, and longer flights often have built-in seat screens with a library of movies, TV shows, and music.
Passengers should look for planes with a seat pitch between 30-31 inches as this means they have more legroom
Qantas customers can find the space and amenities on the aircraft they are flying on in the flight information link on the reservation page.
The flight information includes the type of aircraft, food and drink options, entertainment offered, seat pitch, power outlets to charge your phone and a link to the seat map.
There is even more information about the characteristics of each of the airline’s aircraft on the Fleet page.
On the Virgin Australia and Jetstar reservations page, customers can see the aircraft type for each flight, but will be directed to the Our fleet or the Group flightst pages on the website for more details on the aircraft specifications.
SeatGuru by Tripadvisor provides detailed information on each airline’s lane models, including the pitch, width, and type of each seat, and whether entertainment screens, laptop power, and Wi-Fi are provided.