You’re heading off on your dream holiday, through security and about to get seated on the aeroplane when you see it: a tiny middle seat you have to squash yourself into for the duration of your flight.
Luckily, there’s now a way to figure out which budget airline has the widest seats so you don’t have to sacrifice your precious comfort.
Which? has calculated which airlines have the largest seats so you can make sure you get the most bang for your buck.
When it comes to short haul flights, the seat width (the distance between each armrest) is between 17 and 18 inches which may not sound like much.
However, that extra inch can make all the difference when you’re crammed in like sardines.
The airlines with the widest economy seats are Wizz Air, TAP Portugal, EasyJet and Lufthansa, all with widths of 18 inches.
That means the airlines with the smallest seat widths are British Airways, Jet2, KLM, Norwegian, Ryanair, Tui and Aer Lingus, which are all tied with 17 inches.
Meanwhile, Vueling is in the middle with 17.5 inches.
Airlines seat width and legroom
Below are airline seat width and legroom in inches.
| Airline | Seat pitch (legroom) | Seat width |
|---|---|---|
| Aer Lingus | 31-32 | 17 |
| Air Canada | 30-34 | 17.5 |
| American Airlines | 31-32 | 17 |
| British Airways | 31 | 17.5 |
| Delta | 31-32 | 17.9 |
| Emirates | 32-34 | 17-18 |
| Etihad | 31-33 | 17.5 |
| KLM | 31 | 17.5 |
| Lufthansa | 31-32 | 17 |
| Qantas | 31 | 17.5 |
| Qatar | 31-33 | 17.5 |
| Singapore Airlines | 32-34 | 17.5 |
| Tui Airways | 33 | 17 |
| United | 31-34 | 17 |
| Virgin Atlantic | 30-31 | 17.5 |
If you want to get more space on your budget flight without spending extra pennies, there are a couple of hacks you can utilise.
The first of these is to book a seat in the bulkhead – the seats directly behind the walls, curtains or screens which section off the plane. They have no seats in front so you’ll be able to stretch your legs all the way out.
However, these can be slightly narrower if tray tables are stored in the armrest.
If a bulkhead doesn’t tickle your fancy, pick a seat towards the rear of the plane where they taper.
This can sometimes mean fewer seats in a row – but of course, you might end up next to the toilet queue which can be a little disruptive.
If you are on a flight which has already taken off and you notice extra empty seats, you can always politely ask the flight attendant if it would be possible to move.
Remember, if you don’t ask, you don’t get – and as long as you’re polite there is a chance they will grant your wish.
If you have additional needs that would benefit from more space, such as being tall or pregnant, you’ve got a non-zero chance of being moved to a more spacious spot.