Travel & Economy Class Leg Room on Airplanes

Most of us travel by airplane at least once a year. Some of us practically live on them. First class tickets are expensive so we usually wind up in cramped old economy class.

And by cramped, we mean CRAMPED. In the 1970s the average economy class width between seats was 35 inches. Today the average is 30 inches. The five inches is a lot. And many think the shrinkage is designed to push more people into upgrading to first class seating.

The aviation publication, Simple Flying took a look at which airlines offer the most leg space via information garnered from statistics issued by Business Traveller and Conde Nast Traveler.

Japan rules when it comes to giving you leg space. Except for Jet Blue, most of the top airlines based in the U.S. live in the bottom of the top-10:

1. Japan Airlines — 34 inches of leg room

2. All Nippon Airlines — 34 inches of leg room

3. Emirates — 34 inches of leg room

4. Jet Blue — 32.3 inches of leg room

5. Cathay Pacific — 32 inches of leg room

6. Singapore Airlines — 32 inches of leg room

7. Qantas — 32 inches of leg room

8. Southwest Airlines — 31 inches of leg room

9. Alaska Airlines — 31 inches of leg room

10. Delta Airlines — 31 inches of leg room

Do note the difference between number one and the bottom three or four. Three inches isn’t all that much. Not only that, Japan Airline’s 34 inches is an inch less than the 1970s average.

Source link: Visual Capitalist — https://bit.ly/3O6prlj