Tired of cramped legs and uncomfortable sitting positions? Then we have the ultimate nine tips for getting more legroom on the plane for you. A closer look shows that in Economy Class not all seats are by far the same. Here are tips on how to increase your chances of getting one of the coveted “better” seats and create more space.
Possibilities for more legroom on your next flight
Book early and get information about planes
First come – first served: This is also what the bookings say. Almost all airlines have set up a complete online booking system, with which you can often reserve the seats you want when booking – but often only for a surcharge. But then you have to be quick, because the best seats are usually reserved months in advance. If the cabin plan is not on file with the airline, you can view the information on the respective aircraft on the Internet, e.g. SeatExpert or Seatplans.com. It is also important to know that identical aircraft types of an airline do not necessarily have to have the same seating, but that the cabin layout can also vary with the route and / or the age of the aircraft used.
The first row in Economy Class often offers more space
Between Economy Class and the next higher class, a curtain is almost always drawn after take-off. So that this curtain does not lie on the economy passengers’ laps, the distance between the seats – similar to the emergency exit – is significantly larger.
Pay attention to the airline
The free space in the aircraft varies greatly depending on the type of aircraft and the airline. That is why we have put the two factors legroom and flight price in relation to each other so that travelers can fly cheaper and arrive more relaxed: Air France offers the greatest legroom (78.74 cm). Eurowings took third place in the overall “price-per-cm” ranking and thus represents a good compromise between price and performance. EasyJet scores with lower average flight prices, which justify slightly less legroom of 73.66 cm – that means second place. Nevertheless, legroom does not have to be expensive, as the Sky-Scanner analysis shows: Ryanair is ahead, it offers above-average legroom with over 76 cm – and the prices are often cheap.
Emergency exit offers more space
Every aircraft has emergency exits and so that these areas can be easily reached in the event of an accident, the rows of seats in front of them are often a little further apart in order to leave as much space as possible. So if you book a seat at the emergency exit, you benefit from this additional space and can stretch a little during the flight. Because of this advantage, many airlines now charge a few euros extra in fees – but this should be worthwhile, especially on long-haul flights. Small children, pregnant women and passengers with reduced mobility are not allowed to use these seats and luggage is not allowed to be placed at their feet.
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