Not many of us can afford the luxury of a first-class seat that allows full leg extension during a flight. Most of us have to settle for cramped seats with hardly room for our knees. However, some airlines are more generous than others. A new study by Upgraded Points analyzing economy seat pitch across the 10 busiest flight routes in the U.S. reveals which airlines offer the most legroom and which offer the least.
To determine the most leg-friendly airlines, Upgraded Points used the Google Chrome extension Legrooms for Google Flights to determine the average legroom for each airline. Next, they collected data from all listed flights on the 10 busiest U.S. domestic routes in November 2023. Then, the data was calculated to reveal the average seat pitch for each airline and aircraft.
After crunching the numbers, Upgraded Points revealed that JetBlue is the legroom leader, with an average seat pitch of 32.3 inches. The fleet includes Airbus A320 and A321 models, some of the most spacious around. Southwest comes in at number two with 31.8 inches, while Delta and Alaska tied for number three with 31 inches. At the bottom of the list are Spirit and Frontier. While known for their ultra-affordable flights, comfort suffers with an average seat pitch of 28 inches.
"Legroom is a crucial aspect of passenger comfort, especially during longer flights," said Keri Stooksbury, editor-in-chief at Upgraded Points. "Our goal is to empower travelers with information that helps them make informed decisions while traveling. So, we're happy to shed some light on which airlines prioritize more space for their passengers."
Find the full study with more insight into airline comfort on the Upgraded Points website.