7 US Airlines That Have Widest Seats in Economy Class

When you travel on an airplane, you care about a power outlet and the availability of Wi-Fi, but most of all you need a comfy seat, which is why we decided to compile a list of 7 US airlines that have widest seats in economy class. Generally, airplane seats have two measures that determine their comfort: the seat pitch, which is the difference between two rows of seats, and the seat width. Then there are some other less important parameters, like the headrest, the armrest, the reclinability, etc.

When it comes to U.S airlines, it’s no surprise that they pale in comparison with other carriers. In lists of top 10 airlines compiled by Skytrax and other organizations, we always see Qatar, Emirates, Etihad, Singapore Airlines, etc., but it’s highly unlikely to see a U.S airline, like Delta Air Lines, Inc. (NYSE:DAL), or American Airlines Group Inc (NASDAQ:AAL), among the best on such lists. One reason could be that other airlines, especially those headquarted in Gulf states, have more money, as they are subsidized by local governments.

However, U.S airlines, while they invest in new airplanes with better seats and more amenities, often fail to provide good customer service and the recent incident aboard a United Continental Holdings Inc (NYSE:UAL) airplane is another confirmation of this fact. It’s unclear why it is so; it could be because of management’s decision to cut costs, or it could be because of the unionization of flight attendants, which allows them to not care about travelers, since there’s no risk of losing their jobs over bad service. However, in this case it’s also management’s fault for not trying to pursue unions to promote better service.

Let’s get back to seats, though. In the news, there are often stories about people in the U.S getting into fights on airplanes over reclining seats. Of course, the behavior of people starting fights is appalling, but the real blame should fall on airlines, which cram too many seats into their economy class sections, either to force customers to upgrade, or to make more money. For further related reading, check out the 10 best airlines to fly international economy.

In Europe, there are low-cost flights that are very cheap and the seats are indeed terrible, but it’s perfectly justified and nobody complains, because they know that they get what they paid for. However, flights in the U.S are much more expensive. For comparison, a low-cost flight between Berlin and Paris can cost around $35-$40. The price for a similar-distance flight between New York and Detroit is north of $250, so it’s hard to justify the uncomfortable seat.

This is why some research is required before booking any flight. Flyers should see the seat mapping, which is available on many websites like Seat Guru and identify the seats with more leg room. It may also be a good idea to spend a little bit more money in order to get better seats. With this in mind, let’s take a look at seven US airlines that have widest seats in economy class. We have compiled the data from Seat Guru and will mention both short-haul and long-haul flights. Aside from the seat width, we will also mention the seat pitch and some amenities that can be found on planes. You should know that generally the average seat width is 18 inches, but some airlines, like Spirit Airlines Incorporated (NASDAQ:SAVE), provide wider seats.

Delta Air Lines, Inc. (NYSE:DAL)

Most of Delta Air Lines, Inc. (NYSE:DAL)’s airplanes on short-haul routes offer seats with a width of under 18 inches. Seats wider than 18 inches are available on its Airbus A320s and A321s. However, many airplanes have decent leg room with seat pitches of 34 inches, but there are also airplanes with seats having pitches of just 30-31 inches. On its long hauls, Delta’s economy class seats have a width of 17.2 to 18.3 inches, with most airplanes offering seats being 17.9 inches wide. On the plus side, on long haul routes, many airplanes have a distance between rows of 35 inches.

United Continental Holdings Inc (NYSE:UAL)

United Continental Holdings Inc (NYSE:UAL)’s Bombardier Q300s have seats with a width of 19 inches in economy class, according to Seat Guru, but it flies on short routes. The majority of its other airplanes have seats under 17.5 inches wide. The seat pitch on most short-haul flights is either 30-31 inches or 34-35 inches. On long-haul routes, most airplanes have seats 17.3 inches wide. Some Boeing 767s and 777s have 18-inch or 18.3-inch seats. Seat pitch on around half of United’s long-haul flights is over 34 inches, but on the other half it’s usually 31-32 inches.

American Airlines Group Inc (NASDAQ:AAL)

American Airlines Group Inc (NASDAQ:AAL)’s planes have seats with a width of 17 to 18 inches on both long- and short-haul flights. The majority of long-haul flights have seats under 17 inches wide (usually 17 or 17.2 inches). On short-haul flights, the economy class has seats over 18 inches wide on most Embraer and most Airbus jets. Boeings and Bombardiers mostly have seats from 17 to 17.3 inches wide.

Virgin America

Virgin America, is definitely one of the US airlines that have widest seats in economy class. It has mostly Airbus planes with seats 17.7 inches wide in economy class. However, most seats have decent leg room, with seat pitches of 38 inches, although some airplanes have seats with pitch of just 32 inches. Another positive aspect of flying Virgin America is that most airplanes have on-demand TV and offer power outlets for all seats.

Hawaiian Airlines – Hawaiian Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ:HA)

Hawaiian Airlines’ (Hawaiian Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ:HA)) economy class offers seats with a width of 18 inches on most airplanes. Hawaiian Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ:HA)’s Airbus A330s are the most comfortable, as they have a pitch of 36 inches and offer some amenities like TV and the possibility to power a laptop. However, most of its other airplanes have seat pitches of 31-32 inches.

JetBlue Airways Corporation (NASDAQ:JBLU)

It’s interesting that JetBlue Airways Corporation (NASDAQ:JBLU), a carrier that is considered low cost, offers some of the most comfy seats. Its economy class has seats usually over 18 inches wide and seat pitches are well over the average 34 inches, helping it rank as one of the US airlines that have widest seats in economy class. Some even have 41 inches between two rows of seats. Moreover, Wi-Fi is available on most JetBlue Airways Corporation (NASDAQ:JBLU) airplanes, as well as outlets.

Spirit Airlines Incorporated (NASDAQ:SAVE)

Spirit Airlines Incorporated (NASDAQ:SAVE), another low-cost carrier, has the widest seats among the seven airlines on this list of US airlines that have widest seats in economy class. Most of its Airbus A320s and A321s have seats that are 20 inches wide in economy class. The drawback is that many airplanes also have seat pitches of just 28 inches, although some have 36 inches of space between rows. Another drawback is that you are unlikely to find a port to power your laptop and Wi-Fi is also not available.

This concludes our list of the top seven US airlines that have widest seats in economy class. In compiling this list we focused entirely on the width of the seats and didn’t take into account leg room and other stuff that makes a trip comfortable. It’s usually up to everyone’s taste what to choose when flying economy. One person might need less space, but will require Wi-Fi, while someone who is taller might opt for a bigger seat and forgo the availability of TV or other in-flight services.

Disclosure: None