How much space will you have on your flight?
The emergence of Deep Vein Thrombosis (DVT) or Economy Class Syndrome has raised awareness of legroom space on airplanes.
Traditionally, seating space has been measured by “seat pitch”, which is the distance between a point in the headrest on one seat and the same point on the seat in front of it. If an airline has a seat pitch of 32″ in Economy Class (roomy by today’s standards), this means that there is a distance of 32″ between the front of one seat and the front of the seat behind it.
Feeling happy (and smug) with my legroom in @MAS business class. #Penang here we come! pic.twitter.com/3t9tV0Xgq9
— Joanna Booth (@jobooth_travel) April 30, 2015
While seat pitch is not the exact equivalent of “legroom”, it gives a very good approximation of how much seat room you should expect.
Seat pitch varies from aircraft to aircraft; please treat this as a guide.
Scheduled Airlines:
| Airline | Economy | Premium Economy | Business | First Class |
| Aer Lingus | 31-32″ | 58″ | ||
| Aeroflot | 30-32″ | 38″ | 38″(short haul) 58-60″(long haul) | |
| Air Algerie | 32″ | 36″ | ||
| Air Baltic | 30-32″ | Middle seat left free. | ||
| Air Canada | 31-34″ | 38″ | 37-39″ | Suite |
| Air China | 30-33″ | 37-40″ | 36-80″ | 38-83″ |
| Air France | 30-34″ | 32-38″ | 34-79″ (turns into 6’5″ bed) | 79-81″ lie-flat bed |
| Air India | 30-41″ | 40-76″ | 80-88″ | |
| Air Malta | 32″ | 34″ | ||
| Air Mauritius | 31″ | 60″ | ||
| Air New Zealand | 30-35″ | 38-41″ | 50″ or lie-flat bed | |
| Air Seychelles | 32-33″ | 82″ lie-flat bed | ||
| Alitalia | 30-35″ | 37-38″ | 43-59″ | |
| All Nippon Airways | 31-34″ | 38″ | 59″ lie-flat bed | Suite |
| American Airlines | 30-34″ | 6’4” lie-flat bed | 6’6″ lie-flat bed | |
| Austrian Airlines | 30-33″ | 40-60″ lie-flat | ||
| British Airways | 31-34″ | 38″ | 33-73″ lie-flat bed | 78-85″ suite |
| Brussels Airlines | 30-34″ | 30-45″ | ||
| Caribbean Airlines | 31-40″ | 38-74″ | 55″ | |
| Cathay Pacific Airways | 32″ | 38″ | 45-87″ lie-flat bed | 81-87″ suite |
| China Eastern | 31-33″ | 36-78″ lie-flat bed | 78-80″ lie flat bed | |
| Czech Airlines | 30-32″ | 31-33″ | ||
| Delta | 31-35″ | 36-38″ | 37-80″ lie-flat bed | |
| El Al Airlines | 32-34″ | 36″ | 44-62″ | 77-78.7″ lie-flat bed |
| Emirates | 31-34″ | 47-60″ | 62-86″ lie-flat bed | |
| Etihad Airlines | 31-33″ | 49-73″ lie-flat bed | 80″ lie-flat bed | |
| Finnair | 28-32″ | 60″ | ||
| Gulf Air | 30-33″ | 38-82″ | 67-82″ lie-flat bed | |
| Iberia | 28-32″ | 30-86″ lie-flat bed | ||
| Icelandair | 32″ | 33″ | 40″ | |
| Japan Airlines | 30-34″ | 38-42″ | 38-42″ lie-flat bed | 51-78.5″ suite |
| Kenya Airways | 32″ | 75″ lie-flat bed | ||
| KLM Royal Dutch Airlines | 30-35″ | 35-38″ | 33″(European flights) 60-63″(intercontinental) | |
| Korean Air | 30-34″ | 40-80″ lie-flat or angle | 83″ suite or lie-flat bed | |
| LOT Polish Airlines | 31-32″ | 38″ | 37-74″ | |
| Lufthansa | 30-32″ | 38″ | 57-78″ flat-bed for long haul flights | 85-92″ lie-flat bed |
| Luxair | 32″ | 32″ | ||
| Malaysia Airlines | 30-34″ | 36-74″ | 89″ suite | |
| Middle East Airlines | 32-34″ | 42″-48″ | ||
| Olympic Air | 31″ | |||
| Pakistan International Airlines | 32″ | 54-60″ | ||
| Qantas | 30-32″ | 38-42″ | 37-80″ lie-flat bed | 79″ suite or lie-flat bed |
| Qatar Airways | 31-33″ | 45-80″ | 79-83″ lie-flat bed | |
| Royal Air Maroc | 30-32″ | 40-70″ | ||
| Royal Brunei Airlines | 31-35″ | 44-79″ | ||
| Royal Jordanian | 32-33″ | 40-83″ lie-flat bed | ||
| SAS | 30-32″ | 38″ | 61-77″ lie-flat bed | |
| Saudi Arabian Airlines | 34″ | 40-61″ | 64-81″ | |
| Singapore Airlines | 32-34″ | 50-60″ lie-flat bed | 60-82″, lie-flats & suites | |
| South African Airways | 31″-34″ | 73″ lie-flat bed | ||
| Sri Lankan Airlines | 31-32″ | 39-79″ lie-flat bed | ||
| Swiss International Airlines | 29-32″ | 32-60″ lie-flat bed | 83″ suites | |
| TAP Air Portugal | 30-34″ | 32-60″ | ||
| Thai Airways International | 28-34″ | 36-60″ lie-flat or angle bed | 76-83″suites | |
| Turkish Airlines | 31-32″ | 46″ | 75″ | |
| Thomas Cook | 28-31″ | 35″ | ||
| United Airlines | 30-33″ | 34-38″ | 50-77″ lie-flat bed | 37-88″ lie-flat bed |
| Virgin Atlantic Airways | 29-32″ | 38″ | 79.5-82″ lie-flat beds and suites | |
Low-cost airlines: | ||||
| Airline | Economy | Premium Economy | Business | First Class |
| Aer Arann (operated by Aer Lingus) | 31-32″ | |||
| Air Berlin | 29-34″ | 59-60″ | ||
| easyJet | 29″ | |||
| Flybe | 30-31″ | 31″ | ||
| Germanwings | 29-32″ | |||
| Jet2 | 29″ | 34″ | ||
| Monarch | 28-31″ | 34″ | ||
| Ryanair | 30″ | 32-34″ | ||
| Thomson Airways | 28-34″ | 36″ | ||
| Wizz Air | 30-32″ | |||
(Featured image: Mohamed Nazmi)
