Here’s How Much Legroom and Resting Space You Have on Major Airlines.
No, you don’t just imagine it: Average seat sizes have decreased over the past 20 years. According to FlyersRights.org, a nonprofit that advocates for passenger rights, the average economy class seat is 17 inches wide, up from 18.5 inches in the early 2000s. The average seat-to-seat distance in front of it, also known as seat pitch, has also dropped from 35 inches to 31 inches, and some airlines have even reduced legroom to 28 inches. And to top it off, airlines are filling their seats at a faster rate than before . Here’s how each airline compares their space savings to SeatGuru and USAToday :
american airlines
Seat width: 17-18.5 inches
2000 seat width: 17.2-18.5 inches
Pitch: 30-37 inches
Pitch in 2000: 31-34 inches
Delta Airlines
Seat width: 16.25-18.3 inches
2000 seat width: 17.2-18.5 inches
Pitch: 30-34 inches
Pitch in 2000: 31-34 inches
United airlines
Seat width: 16-19 inches
2000 seat width: 17-18 inches
Pitch: 30-38 inches
Pitch in 2000: 31-33 inches
Southwest Airlines
Seat width: 17 inches
1995 seat width: 18.5-23 inches
Pitch: 31-33 inches
Pitch in 1995: 31-32 inches
There is no historical data on seat width and pitch for other airlines such as Spirit Airlines, but here’s how they fold in terms of seat pitch and width:
Aeromexico
Seat width: 17-18.3 inches
Pitch: 31-34 inches
Air Canada
Seat width: 17-20.2 inches
Pitch: 29-35 inches
Air China
Seat width: 17-18 inches
Pitch: 30-31 inches
French airlines
Seat width: 17-18 inches
Pitch: 31-34 inches
Alaska Airlines
Seat width: 17-18.25 inches
Pitch: 31-36 inches
British airways
Seat width: 17-18.1 inches
Pitch: 30-34 inches
The border
Seat width: 18 inches
Pitch: 28-38 inches
JetBlue
Seat width: 17.8-18.25 inches
Pitch: 32-41 inches
KLM
Seat width: 17-17.5 inches
Pitch: 29-35 inches
Spririt
Seat width: 17.75-20 inches
Pitch: 28-36 inches
Turkish Airlines
Seat width: 16-17.8 inches
Pitch: 29-32 inches
Virgin america
Seat width: 17-17.7 inches
Pitch: 31-38 inches
It is important to note that while the range of seat width and pitch has increased, the size of the middle seat has actually decreased. The Boeing 767-300ER (76W) WestJet seats provide passengers with the most space in 38-inch pitch and 20-inch seat widths, while the United Boeing 737-900 (739) V4 seats have a measly 30-31 inch pitch and seat width of 16 up to 17 inches. Other violators of the 16-inch seats are Boeing 777-200ER (772) three-class ANA and Boeing 737-800 (738) V1 and Boeing 737-800 (738) V2 of the Turkish airline.
The differences in seat sizes depend a lot on the type of aircraft you are flying. American Airline’s new Boeing 737 Max models are tighter and have a 31-inch pitch. Many other airlines also use 737 model aircraft, including Delta Air Lines (whose 737 has a pitch of 31 to 32 inches) and Southwest Airlines (whose 737 has a pitch of 32 to 33 inches). The 1990s Boeing 777s and the 2000s Airbus A380 superjumbo have seat widths up to 18.5 inches, but neither of these models are currently in use.
Visit SeatExpert for exact seat sizes, seat widths and pitch for specific aircraft and airlines.