What is Airline Seat Pitch? | Seat Pitch Definition (2024)


What does airline seat pitch measure?

A seat’s pitch refers to the measurement of space between one point on an aircraft passenger seat to the same point on the seat in front of it. It’s measured in inches/centimeters, and the higher the number, the more legroom and space you’ll have between your seat and the one in front of you.

What is the standard seat pitch in economy?

Standard seat pitch is 30 to 31 inches in economy class for most carriers, with 32 inches being slightly above average and 29 inches falling slightly below.

Keep in mind, though, that different planes have different configurations depending on make, model, and airline. More pitch usually means more legroom for each passenger, but this isn’t always the case, as legroom can be further impacted by design factors like seat thickness, tray table placement, and the amount of storage space beneath each seat. Additionally, certain seats, like those in the exit row or bulkhead, may have more legroom.

How can I tell how much legroom my flight will have?

Airlines often publish standard seat pitch information on their websites but if you want something more specific, SeatGuru is a great resource for researching a specific plane’s layout. You can search by airline and flight number or by aircraft model (this information can usually be found on your reservation or digital boarding pass). SeatGuru breaks down each fare class by number of seats, seat width, and seat pitch and also provides an interactive map of the plane’s interior complete with passenger reviews, photos, warnings, and tips.

Google Flights also provides the seat pitch for a particular flight and notes whether it is average, above average, or below average with its search results.

Which airlines have the most legroom in economy?

Since airlines often customize their plane models to fit their specific needs, it’s hard to give a definitive answer. However, this SeatGuru chart, sortable by airline and pitch among other categories, can give you a sense of what to expect when flying specific airlines and aircrafts.

Again, pitch can vary by aircraft, but in general some of the airlines that offer more pitch in economy are Virgin Australia, Finnair, Asiana, Southwest, JetBlue, Air France, and United (on some models).

Which airlines have the least legroom in economy?

You can generally assume that modern low-cost airlines, especially those that designed their aircraft layouts to privilege maximum passenger capacity, will offer the least amount of pitch.

Jet2, Frontier, Iberia, Jetstar, Scoot, and Spirit have some of the smallest amounts of legroom, all falling in the range of 28 to 30 inches depending on the specific seat.

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What is Airline Seat Pitch? | Seat Pitch Definition (2024)

FAQs

What is Airline Seat Pitch? | Seat Pitch Definition? ›

What is Seat Pitch? Seat Pitch is the distance from any point on one seat to the exact same point on the seat in front or behind it. While it is not the exact equivalent of "legroom", it does give a very good approximation of how much seat room you should expect. Bottom line: the more seat pitch the better.

What does airline seat pitch mean? ›

Seat pitch is defined as the space between a point on one seat and the same point on the seat in front of it. In almost all cases, seat pitch increases with class of travel (economy, business, first, etc.) For many carriers, the pitch in economy class is 29 to 32 inches (74 to 81 cm).

Is 32 seat pitch good? ›

Standard seat pitch is 30 to 31 inches in economy class for most carriers, with 32 inches being slightly above average and 29 inches falling slightly below. Keep in mind, though, that different planes have different configurations depending on make, model, and airline.

What does 35 seat pitch mean? ›

Seat Pitch is the distance between a row of seats – the measurement from the same position on two seats, one behind the other – it is not the legroom area. Dimensions represent typical seat pitch offered by an airline on international flights – this may not be available on all of an airline's fleet of aircraft.

What is a good economy seat pitch? ›

Standard economy seating offers 34” of pitch and an industry winning 19” available in the airlines “Sky Wider” seat, and a width up to 48cm. In addition to increased seat space, economy passengers can enjoy unobstructed storage spaces underneath seats, wifi, power ports, and a 27cm touch-screen tv!

Is higher seat pitch better? ›

What is Seat Pitch? Seat Pitch is the distance from any point on one seat to the exact same point on the seat in front or behind it. While it is not the exact equivalent of "legroom", it does give a very good approximation of how much seat room you should expect. Bottom line: the more seat pitch the better.

What is the best seat pitch? ›

Top 5: The World's Most Generous Economy Class Seat Pitches
  • Japan Airlines and All Nippon Airways offer a comfortable 34-inch seat pitch, providing ample legroom on their aircraft.
  • Air Premia, a South Korean airline, goes above and beyond with a generous seat pitch of 35 inches on its Boeing 787-9s.
Sep 3, 2023

What is the seat pitch on Delta Airlines? ›

Economy class
Seat MapsPitch & WidthWi-Fi
Boeing 737-800 (73H)31-32" - 17.2"No
Boeing 737-900ER (739)34" - 17.2"No
Boeing 737-900ER (739)30-31" - 17.2"No
Boeing 757-200 (757)34-35" - 17.2"No
38 more rows

What is the seat pitch on American Airlines? ›

Seats: Main cabin seats are arranged with 30 to 32 inches of pitch, depending on the aircraft type. That's not spacious by any means, but it's a couple more inches of legroom than the 28 inches of pitch you'll find on Spirit Airlines and Frontier Airlines.

What is the pitch of Southwest seats? ›

The new seats maintain the 32” pitch we currently have on our 175-seat aircraft.

Which airline has the smallest pitch? ›

These U.S. Airlines Have the Most and Least Legroom
  • JetBlue - 32.3 inches.
  • Southwest Airlines - 32 inches.
  • Alaska Airlines/Delta Air Lines (Tie) - 31.8 inches.
  • American Airlines - 31 inches.
  • United Airlines - 30.2 inches.
  • Hawaiian Airlines - 30.1 inches.
  • Frontier Airlines/Spirit Airlines (Tie) - 28.
Jan 18, 2024

Which airline has the roomiest seats? ›

In the U.S., the airlines JetBlue and Southwest consistently offer the most legroom with an average of around 32 inches per seat, although you can find a few JetBlue planes with 33 inches of legroom. Alaska and Hawaiian seats typically have 31 or 32 inches of legroom, too.

Which airline has the most comfortable economy seats? ›

Who has the most comfortable airline seats? Overall, JetBlue has the most comfortable airline seats of any US-based carrier. In addition to their seats being the widest in the industry, jetBlue flights have the largest economy class seat pitch (legroom) of between 32” and 34”.

Which airline has the largest seat pitch? ›

In straight measurements, JetBlue Airways takes the top spot for widest seats just as they do for average economy legroom among US domestic airlines.

What is Frontier seat pitch? ›

Economy class
Seat MapsPitch & WidthWi-Fi
Airbus A319 (319) Layout 228-31" - 18"No
Airbus A319 (319) Layout 236-38" - 18"No
Airbus A319 (319) Layout 236-38" - 18"No
Airbus A320 (320) Layout 128-29" - 18"No
15 more rows

Does Delta or American have bigger seats? ›

Delta. Out of the three major airlines in the U.S. (Delta, American and United), Delta offers the most spacious economy seats, although there are some variations. On most narrowbody aircrafts, there is 30 to 31 inches of legroom. However, the Boeing 737-800, Boeing 757 and Airbus A220 all offer 32 inches.

Is a 35 seat pitch good? ›

What's a good seat pitch? In economy class, a good seat pitch is considered 32 inches or more. Many major U.S. airlines have reduced seat pitch on much of their domestic fleet to a tight 30 to 31 inches. Meanwhile, ultra-low-cost carriers — like Spirit and Frontier — typically have only 28 to 29 inches of pitch.

What does 29 seat pitch mean? ›

Airlines' seat pitch, the distance between a row of seats, has become smaller and smaller. Seat pitch in economy class ranges from 29 inches to 33 inches for major airlines. Air Asia has the shortest seat pitch in economy, at 29 inches. Forty years ago, seat pitch was 31 to 35 inches.

What does 31 pitch mean in airline seats? ›

If an airline has a seat pitch of 31" in Economy Class, this means that there is a distance of 31" between the front of one seat and the front of the seat behind it. While seat pitch is not the exact equivalent of "legroom", it gives a very good approximation of how much seat room you should expect.

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