November 24, 2024, 5:56 am | Read time: 4 minutes
It is well known that that having lots of legroom is not one of the advantages of low-cost airlines. But apparently there are seats among the seemingly ordinary standard seats that offer at least a little more room to move. At least that’s what a recent study shows. TRAVELBOOK takes a closer look.
Bookings with low-cost airlines usually have the advantage of being cheaper than those with scheduled airlines. The price for this is a certain sacrifice in terms of comfort. Travelers have the opportunity to get the maximum available, for example, by paying for good seats. However, those who are not willing to pay extra might just get lucky—or, quite literally, find themselves out of luck on the other side. As a study shows, certain standard seats offer more legroom than others in the same category.
Overview
More legroom on the right-hand side of the plane on low-cost airlines?
You could almost say that the grass is indeed greener on the other side. In this context, we are talking about the seats on the different sides of the aisle. And here, certain ones on the right seem to be the measurably better ones.
The British consumer company “Which” explains in a recent publication that it has examined the seating plans of several British airlines. It found that the seats at the front of the plane are not all the same, especially on the budget airlines Easyjet and Ryanair. There is more legroom on the right-hand side and in certain seats than on the left. “Many of these seats are standard seats,” says Which. This means that these seats could potentially be assigned to travelers automatically; if not, you can boost your chances of snagging a better seat for a small additional fee. This is because they are “the cheapest category of seats you can buy”.
Which seats offer more legroom, according to the study?
Experienced low-cost airline passengers should take note of this potentially game-changing information. After all, seats with reliable legroom can cost more than some thrifty bookers are willing to pay. You can find out more about this on the Easyjet website. According to the British airline, “seat upgrades to a seat in the front section or to a seat with more legroom” – if available – cost 10.49 euros or 16.99 euros each. If you want to change seats within the standard category, it only costs around 1.46 euros. And according to the Which analysis, this significantly lower investment could be worthwhile.
The findings frequently concerned seats D, E, and F on the right-hand side of the aircraft across all aircraft types. In the Boeing 737 frequently used by Ryanair, this is the case in each of the rows from three to 15. The situation is similar with Easyjet’s Airbus A321neo, but only in rows three to 13.
Inquiries with the airlines
Upon inquiry, TRAVELBOOK found out from Easyjet that most seats across their Airbus fleet provide about 29 inches of space to the seat in front, which translates to approximately 73.66 centimeters. Regardless of supposed differences in terms of legroom in the standard seats, Easyjet has ergonomically designed seats that offer passengers more personal space through clever design, explains a company spokeswoman.
Ryanair has yet to respond.
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Not a huge difference in legroom, but still!
Basically, every passenger on an Easyjet or Ryanair flight can find out for themselves with a tape measure whether the values determined by Which are true.
According to the consumer advocates, the reason for the extra space is that the front storage compartments were removed in several areas during the planning of the aircraft in question, originally with the intention of accommodating additional rows in the cabin in question. As a result, the seat configuration on the right-hand side of the aircraft offers more legroom. The gain in these seats is between half an inch and a whole inch – that is around 1.27 to 2.54 centimeters. While it’s not exactly a spacious miracle, it’s definitely a noticeable difference.